Ver. 28. How many brethren had the rich man? Were they with him in Hades? Where were they? [On the earth at his "father's house."] What did he ask Abraham to do for the benefit of those brethren? For what purpose did he wish Lazarus to be sent to them? [To warn them.] Had the rich man been remarkable for thinking of the welfare of others? And yet you see he is now anxious for his brethren's welfare; what had wrought this change in him? [The punishment which he was enduring.] Then is Hades a place of forgetfulness? [No.] On the contrary, how would you describe it? [As a place of consciousness-of serious reflection.] Whom did Abraham say the brothers had with them already? Did he mean they had Moses and the prophets living among them in person? [No.] What therefore did he mean? ["Notes."]

Ver. 30. What was the answer of the rich man when Abraham said that his five brethren had Moses and the prophets? [That they would repent if one went unto them from the dead.]

Ver. 31. What did Abraham declare in reply to that statement? [That if they believed not Moses and the prophets, they would not repent though one went to them from the dead.] What do you learn from Abraham's words with reference to the effect which long-continued indifference to religion has upon the soul? [That a sign from the unseen world cannot always lead it to repentance.] Mention a people who saw a Person working miracles, and nevertheless continued impenitent. [The Jews.] Who was the Person whom they saw performing miracles? [Jesus.]

Application. We have considered the parable of Dives and Lazarus; state whether Dives was punished because he had been rich? Was Lazarus rewarded because he had been poor? For what sin was Dives punished? [For living to himself.] To whom ought he to have lived? [To God.] If he had done so, what would have been his conduct towards Lazarus? [He would have shown an interest in his spiritual and temporal welfare.] And if he had shown an interest in Lazarus's temporal welfare, what would he have done for him? [Relieved his wants.] When did Dives discover that his life had been sinful? Was he then allowed to make amends for his previous sin? [No.] What practical lesson do you learn from the parable? [Not to live a life of worldliness, or to forget God and my fellow-men.]

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

St. Luke xiv. 16-24.*

16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 So that servant came, and shewed

his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

Notes.-Ver. 16. Bade many. Not commanded, but invited many. In Eastern countries it was usual to invit persons to a feast twice. The first invitation might be given several days, or even weeks, before the feast took place. When a person provided an entertainment he sent round a number of persons to invite the guests. The names of those who were invited were inscribed upon tablets, and each person received a tablet as a sort of ticket of admission. The second invitation was usually sent just when the feast was ready. This second invitation is referred to in ver. 17, where it is stated that the servant was sent "at supper time." The supper was the principal meal of the Hebrews. It generally took place about five o'clock P.M. in the winter, and six P.M. in the summer.

Ver. 18. With one consent. This does not mean that the persons who had previously been invited and had at first accepted the invitation conspired or leagued together to neglect the second invitation. It means, they were all of one mind or spirit; in other words, they had an equal

This parable must not be confounded with the one which is recorded i St. Matt. xxii. 1-14. It was spoken in the house of a Pharisee (St. Luke xiv. 1), and at a much later period of our Lord's ministry than the one contained in St. Matt. xxii. 1-14. This last-mentioned parable was delivered in the Temple,

dislike to attend. We learn from this, that, though the causes which keep men back from accepting Christ's invitation may be different, yet they have the same effect, namely, an indifference to the Gospel.

Ver. 19, 20. In these verses and in verse 18 we read the three excuses made by those who had accepted the invitation, and were now once more invited "at supper time." Two points should be noticed in relation to those excuses. First, the occupations which are mentioned are not said to have been in themselves sinful. They became sinful only when they were allowed to interfere with the invitation which had been before accepted. Secondly, the excuse made by one of the persons, I have married a wife," was not a good one when tried by the prevailing notions in Judea. According to the Levitical law it was a sufficient reason why he should not have gone out to battle (Deut. xxiv. 5); but it should not acquit him ot the charge of gross indifference towards the invitation to a feast.

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Ver. 21. The poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. Observe here, these persons were to be brought in from 66 the streets and lanes of the city." As they were not dwellers outside the city, they no doubt represent the meaner, the more degraded and ignorant among the Jews.

Ver. 22. Yet there is room. This shows that the giver of the feast had made preparation for a great number of guests, and therefore shows his bounty or charity. It agrees also with the statement in ver. 16 that he "bade many."

Ver. 23. Highways and hedges. Here the servant would find the wandering and outcast, all those who were strangers to the knowledge possessed by citizens. By the dwellers outside the city, in "the highways and hedges," our Lord means the Gentiles, who were once strangers to the revealed mercies of God. Compel them to come in. Not compel by bodily force, but constrain them by earnest entreaty. One servant could hardly be told to drive in from the country a large number of ignorant guests. Indeed the Greek verb which is used in

this passage is employed in St. Matt. xiv. 22, and Mark vi. 45, without reference to the idea of force. It there means "to constrain to tarry by their entreaties." It is used also in Gal. ii. 14, where St. Peter is represented as compelling the Gentiles to live like the Jews; compelling them, that is, not by force, but by his exhortation or example.

In conclusion, to understand this parable we must notice that it was delivered by Christ when He was eating bread "in the house of one of the chief Pharisees" on the Sabbath (St. Luke xiv. 1), and just after some one present had said to Him "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God" (ver. 15). Many Pharisees and scribes were no doubt sitting at meat, and Christ had an opportunity to reprove them for their neglect of the Gospel.

The supper represents Gospel privileges. The giver of the supper represents Christ. Those who were first invited represent the Pharisees, scribes, and learned doctors of the Jewish law, who with contempt spurned the invitation. Those invited next--the dwellers in "the streets and lanes of the city"--represent the Jews who were despised by the Pharisees on account of their ignorance. The Pharisees termed them "publicans and sinners." But "the publicans and harlots entered the kingdom of heaven (the Gospel kingdom) before the Pha risees. The dwellers in "the highways and hedges represent the Gentiles. They were invited last, and yet were the first as a body to press eagerly to the Gospel feast extended to them.

Questions. With which of our Lord's parables must this one not be confounded? [See footnote to "Notes" on ver. 16.] Prove that they are different parables. [See footnote to "Notes on ver. 16.] Where was Jesus when He delivered this parable? [St. Luke xiv. 1.] Was it likely that many Pharisees were present? [Yes.]

Ver. 16. What is it said a certain man did? What is meant by "bade" in this verse? ["Notes."]

Ver. 17. Whom did he send? To whom did he send his servant? When did he send him? Is it likely that an invitation been given before this one was sent? Describe the time and

[See

manner of giving such invitations in Eastern countries. "Notes" on ver. 16.] What was the servant told to say to those invited?

Ver. 18. What did those persons begin to do? We are told they began "with one consent;" what does that phrase mean? ["Notes."] What did the first say?

Ver. 19. What did the second person say? What is here meant by proving the oxen? [Testing their fitness for their work.]

Ver. 20. What did the third person say? Judging this excuse by the Levitical law, was it a sufficient one? [No.] Can you state whether a man newly married was excused, according to the Law of Moses, from any public service? [Deut. xiv. 5; sce Notes."]

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Ver. 21. What did the servant do after the invitation had been refused by those who were invited? What did his master then command him to do? Who are here meant by the "poor," the "maimed," the "halt," and the "blind"? ["Notes."] As they lived in the streets and lanes of the city, were they Jews or Gentiles? [Notes."] Is it customary in the East to feast the poor? [Yes.]*

Ver. 22. After the servant had obeyed his master's orders, what did he say? What does the expression, "and yet there is room,' prove with reference to the giver of the feast? ["Notes."]

Ver. 23. What did the master at last tell the servant to do? What did he mean by compelling them to come in? ["Notes."] Point out passages of Scripture in which the Greek word here translated "compel" means to persuade. ["Notes."]

Ver. 24. What did the master declare in relation to those who had refused his invitation?

Where was Jesus when He delivered this parable? [St. Luke xiv. 1.] Who were most likely present? ["Notes."] And what did Jesus intend to do by means of the parable? ["Notes."]

What does the supper represent? ["Notes."] Who is meant by the giver of the supper? ["Notes."] Who are meant by

The poor are generally entertained after those of a higher rank have eaten. Pococke was present at a feast in Egypt where every one, as soon as he had finished eating, got up, washed his hands, and retired to make room for others; and so on in a continual succession, till the poor came in and ate up all that remained. An Arab generally calls his neighbours and the poor to finish the food which he does not require for himself.