rd

Luke 16

1 Christ exhorteth his to wisdom and liberality by the example of the steward 13 None can serve two masters 14 He reproveth the covetousness and hypocrisy of the Pharises 16 Of the end and force of the Law. 18 Of the holie state of marriage. 19 Of the rich and Lazarus.
1.And he said also unto his disciples, aThere was a certain rich man, which had a steward, and he was accused unto him, that he wasted his goods.
2.And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an accounts of thy stewardship: for thou maist be no longer steward.
3.Then the steward said within him self, What shall I do: for my master will take away from me the stewardship? I can not dig, and to beg I am ashamed.
4.I know what I will do, that when I am put out of the stewardship they may receive me into their houses.
5.Then called he every one of his master’s detters, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my master?
6.And he said, An hundreth measures of oil. And he said to him, Take thy writing, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
7.Then said he to another, How much owest thou? And he said, An hundreth measures of wheat. Then he said to him, Take thy writing, and write four score.
8.And the Lord commended bthe unjust steward, because he had done wisely. Wherefore the children of this world are in their generation wiser then the children of light.
9.And I say unto you, Make you friends cwith the riches of iniquity, that when ye shall want, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
10.He that is faithful in the least, he is also faithful in much: and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much.
11.If then ye have not been faithful in dthe wicked riches, who will trust you in the true treasure?
12.And if ye have not been faithful in eanother man’s goods, who shall give you that which is fyours?
13.*No servant can serve two masters: for either he shall hate the one, and love the other: or els he shall lean to the one, and despise the other. Ye can not serve God and riches.
14.All these things heard the Pharises also which were covetous, and they gmocked him.
15.Then he said unto them, Ye are they, which hjustify your selves before men: but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God.
16.*The Law and the Prophets endured until John: and since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man ipreasseth into it.
17.*Now it is more easy that heaven and earth should pass away, then that one title of the Law should fall.
18.*Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marieth another, committeth adulterie: and whosoever marieth her that kis put away from her husband, committeth adultery.
19.¶ There was a lcertain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared well and delicately every day.
20.Also there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was layed at his gate full of sores,
21.And desired to be refreshed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table: yea, and the dogs came and licked his sores.
22.And it was so that the beggar died, and was carried by the Angels into mAbraham’s nbosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23.And being in hell in torments, he lift up his eyes, and saw Abraham a far off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24.Then he cried, and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his ofinger in water, and cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame.
25.But Abraham said, pSon, remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy ^pleasures, and likewise Lazarus ^pains: now therefore is he comforted, and thou art tormented.
26.Besides all this, between you and us there is a great ^gulf set, so that they which would go from hence to you, can not, neither can they come from thence to us.
27.Then he said, I pray thee therefore father, that thou woldest send him to my father’s house,
28.(For I have five brethren) that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29.Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the qProphets: let them rhear them.
30.And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one came unto them from the dead, they will amend their lives.
31.Then he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rise from the dead again.

Notes

1-a.
Christ teaches hereby, that likewise as he which is in authority and has riches, if he get friends in his prosperity, may be relieved in his adversity: so our liberality towards our neighbour shall stand us in such stead at the day of judgement that God will accept it as done unto him.
8-b.
God, who does here represent the master of the house, does rather commend the prodigal waste of his goods, and the liberal giving of the same to the poor, then the strait keeping and hoarding of them.
9-c.
That is, either wickedly gotten, or wickedly kept, or wickedly spent: and hereby we be warned to suspect riches which for the most part are an occasion to their possessors of great wickedness.
11-d.
They which can not well bestow worldly goods, will bestow evil spiritual treasures: and therefore they ought not to be committed unto them.
12-e.
As are riches and such like things, which God has given not for ourselves only, but to bestow upon others.
12-f.
Christ calls the gifts, which he gives unto us, ours.
13-*.
Mt. 6.24.
14-g.
Because they judged no man happy, but those that were rich.
15-h.
Which love outward appearance, and vain glory.
16-*.
Mt. 11.12.
16-i.
Their zeal is so inflamed, that they follow the Gospel without respect of worldly things.
17-*.
Mt. 5.18.
18-*.
Mt. 5.32 and 19.9, 1 Cor. 7.11.
18-k.
That is, which is no lawfully divorced.
19-l.
By this story is declared what punishment they shall have, which live deliciously and neglect the poor.
22-m.
As the fathers in the old Law were said to be gathered into the bosom of Abraham, because they received the fruit of the same faith with him: so in the new Testament we say that the members of Christ are joined to their head, or gathered unto him.
22-n.
Whereby is signified that most blessed life, which they that die in the faith that Abraham did, shall enjoy after this world.
24-o.
Christ describes spiritual things by such manner of speech, as is most proper to our understanding: for our souls have neither fingers nor eyes, neither are they thirsty or speak: but the Lord as it were in a table, paints forth the state of the life to come, as our capacity is able to comprehend it.
25-^.
Or, good things.
25-^-1.
Or, evil things.
25-p.
In calling him son, he taunts his vain boasting, who in his life vaunted himself to be the son of Abraham: warning us also hereby how little glorious titles avail.
26-^.
Or, swallowing pit.
29-q.
Which declares that it is too late to be instructed by the dead, if in their lifetime they can not profit by the lively word of God.
29-r.
As faith comes by God’s word, so is it maintained by the same. So that neither we ought to look for Angels from heaven, or the dead to con- firm us therein, but only the word of God is sufficient to life everlasting.