posite worldly circumstances: He was very poor, and greatly afflicted: His body was covered with sores, and he was unable to procure a physician. It is probable that he, at last, died at the gate of the rich man, and for want of comfortable means of support. But when he died, he had got to the end of his distresses: He was now highly honored by God, though he had been low and despised in the world, and his soul was conveyed by angels to Heaven, to Abraham's bosom.

It is said in our text, that the rich man also died, and was buried. With respect to Lazarus, it is not said that he was buried; but it is most likely, that some persons were procured to throw him into a grave and bury him.

The design of the parable is, principally, to represent two things;

I. That neither riches, nor grace will secure men from death.

II. That though the saint and the sinner may seem to end this life alike; yet their state will be amazingly different in the other world.

I. The rich and poor, high and low, saint and sinner, share in death one common lot, or in other words, neither riches nor piety screen from death.

With respest to different persons, the circumstances of their death are very various. The wicked often die in great horror. Their death-bed often exhibits a scene which imagination cannot paint. The departing cries and groans of creatures are terrible. How it was with this rich man, before he died, is not said. He had a hope, that he should get to heaven; because of his descent from Abraham: But it is likely that, at his death, there was presented a very solemn scene. In his situation, such a kind of hope was but a poor af -fair.

rus.

It was, no doubt, much otherwise with LazaAs death drew near, he contemplated it, as the end of toil: As life went, glory opened; no doubt, in a pleasing manner.

There was probably a wide difference, as to the manner of their being buried.. The funeral of the rich man was probably attended with great pomp and parade, as is customary with the rich and grand. But all this afforded him no pleasure : His soul was, at this time, groaning in horror.

Lazarus was buried, if at all, in a very different manner. As he was, while alive, destitute of friends, who were able, or disposed to help him; so now it is likely, that there were none to drop a tear, or pay respect to his remains. The rich man, though unwilling to feed him while alive, might now, probably, give a trifle to have his body put under ground, as the sight of it could not fail to awaken in him some remorse.—But however this may have been, we are told, that the rich man also died, and they now lay on a level.

Here the question may arise, why even good men are not exempted from death? The answer may be returned in the following manner. These bodies are not fit for heaven, and cannot inherit that holy place.. It is therefore, a privilege to be unclothed. To the righteous, death is entirely disarmed. To those who are in the exercise of a lively faith, death is not terrible. It is true, that Enoch and Elijah were translated; but they, no doubt, in order to go to heaven, suffered a change, similar to that which saints will undergo, in dying. Such bodies as we possess, are not fit for heaven: They must be sown, in order to a spiritual body. So that on the whole, as death is the way which infinite wisdom has chosen, to change these cor ruptible bodies, it is a privilege to the righteous; especially, as the change is not to take place, till

the day of judgment. In death the soul is taken home to rest, and gets beyond toils and conflicts.

Further, death is wisely ordered, as the means. of quickening God's people.. A view of approaching death is a solemn admonition: And not being. thus exposed to death would take off the force of many threatening providences. President Ed wards seems to consider that the shortening of men's lives, since the flood, is a merciful dispensation, calculated to awaken their attention to religion. Indeed, it would probably have been of evil tendency, to have delivered men from all the curses denounced on Adam: They have need to share in the fruits of sin, to rouse them to con sideration, to lead them to a sense of the evil from) which they are delivered, and to a conviction of the excellency and importance of grace..

But let this be as it may, all must die.

There

is no distinction between rich and poor, good and

..

bad. The Scripture fully asserts the universal mortality of mankind. "It is appointed unto men once το ale. it is said, the living know that they must die." The same truth is illustrat❤. ed by abundant facts. We We see that the rich, as well as the poor, have bowed to death. All thë godly, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, all the prophets and eminent saints have died.. Neither piety,. nor any other circumstance has proved an exemp tion. Lazarus, the beggar, must die, and the rich, man also died.-But

II. Though the righteous die, as well as the wicked; yet death lands them in different states: Though their bodies alike crumble in the dust their state is very different beyond death.

Here we may notice the contrast between the righteous and the wicked.The soul of the poor despised beggar was convoyed by a host of angels to the heavenly paradise, to the sight and presence

of Christ, and was admitted to a full view of divine glory. But the rich man, instead of a convoy of angels, had a convoy of devils, and immediately found himself in horror and anguish.-He had lived in sinful indulgence, but he has now got beyond all kind of good. There was not one comfortable circumstance in his then state or prospect. A drop of water was denied him; he was refus ed the least possible relief, and even deprived of all hope. His former life came up in remembrance, and his guilt, with a pressing sense of wrath. His conscience gnawed, and he felt as though sinners could not live, as he had done, if they could only know what he experienced.

But the poor man had got beyond all his pains. He no longer sheds, a tear, but enjoys perfect peace. His enjoyments are equal to the extent of his capacity. No intervening cloud, no perplexing doubt, or conflict interrupts his peace; but his happiness is complete.-

The state of the rich man is directly the reverse. His misery is complete, and were his capacity a thousand times greater, it would still be full. No imagination can paint his dreadful situation.-Instead of experiencing pleasure from the presence of God, he experiences directly the reverse. The presence of God, to the rich man is Hell. The more he sees of God, the greater is his torment.

The presence of God is heaven to the godly: The clear shining of divine perfection ravishes their souls. But these things torment the wicked. They wish there was no God.

As to their hope, also, there was a great difference. Lazarus had his hope completely satisfied; but the rich man experienced a dreadful disappointment. He little thought of such language, as he was now called to hear from father Abraham.

There was a great difference as to their companions. Lazarus went to a perfectly holy society,, Abraham and all the prophets, where all was peace and love. But the rich man found himself a companion of devils, where all was discord and horror.

As to their employments, Lazarus and all the godly were delightfully employed in praising God; But the rich man was occupied, in company with wicked spirits, in venting reproaches and blasphemies.

Improvement.

1. The conduct of impenitent sinners is, in many respects, surprizing. It is surprizing that they. should run such risks of losing their peace, of missing so great good, and of experiencing such a state of misery. With many, the horrors of a death-bed have more than weighed down all the pleasures of sense, for which sinners sell their souls. That they should believe in an eternity of misery, as the fruit of impenitence, and yet neg-. lect religion, is very surprizing. There are many persons of this description, who pay no attention to this all-important subject, who neglect all means, who do not read, or attend the administration of God's word, who yet are ready to own, that if they should die in this state, they must utterly perish: Still they live, from day to day, and from year to year, flattering themselves in a sinful course.Such conduct displays the worst kind of infatuation. It would seem as if bold sinners were trying to provoke God, and were determined to brave his wrath.

2. If sinners, had a real sense of their future. horror and torment, it would spoil all their mirth ̧ and levity. It would present before them, a solemn scene. Indeed, we should have little else among them, but screeches and groans. When