His heart was, I daresay, in no little sorrow, when he was fain to let Abimelech the king have his wife.  Though God provided to keep her undefiled and turned all to wealth, yet it was no little woe to him in the meantime.  What continual grief was it to his heart, many a long day, that he had no child begotten of his own body?  He that doubteth thereof shall find in Genesis Abraham’s own moan made to God.  No man doubteth but Ismael was great comfort unto him at his birth; and was it no grief, then, when he must cast out the mother and the child both?  As for Isaac, who was the child of the promise, although God kept his life, that was unlooked for.  Yet while the loving father bound him and went about to behead him and offer him up in sacrifice, who but himself can conceive what heaviness his heart had then?  I should suppose (since you speak of Lazarus) that Lazarus’ own death panged him not so sore.  Then, as Lazarus’ pain was patiently borne, so was Abraham’s taken not only patiently but—­which is a thing much more meritorious—­of obedience willingly.  And therefore, even if Abraham had not far excelled Lazarus in merit of reward (as he did indeed) for many other things besides, and especially for that he was a special patriarch of the faith, yet would he have far surpassed him even by the merit of that tribulation well taken here for God’s sake too.  And so serveth for your purpose no man less than Abraham!

But now, good cousin, let us look a little longer here upon the rich Abraham and Lazarus the poor.  And as we shall see Lazarus set in wealth somewhat under the rich Abraham, so shall we see another rich man lie full low beneath Lazarus, crying and calling out of his fiery couch that Lazarus might, with a drop of water falling from his finger’s end, a little cool and refresh the tip of his burning tongue.  Consider well now what Abraham answered to the rich wretch:  “Son, remember that thou hast in thy life received wealth, and Lazarus likewise pain, but now receiveth he comfort, and thou sorrow, pain, and torment.”  Christ described his wealth and his prosperity:  gay and soft apparel with royal delicate fare, continually day by day.  “He did fare royally every day,” saith our Saviour; his wealth was continual, lo, no time of tribulation between.  And Abraham telleth him the same tale, that he had taken his wealth in this world, and Lazarus likewise his pain, and that they had now changed each to the clean contrary—­poor Lazarus from tribulation into wealth, and the rich man from his continual prosperity into perpetual pain.  Here was laid expressly to Lazarus no very great virtue by name, nor to this rich glutton no great heinous crime but the taking of his continual ease and pleasure, without any tribulation or grief, of which grew sloth and negligence to think upon the poor man’s pain.  For that ever he himself saw Lazarus and knew that he died for hunger at his door, that laid neither Christ nor Abraham to his charge.  And therefore, cousin, this story of which, by occasion of Abraham and Lazarus, you put me in remembrance, well declareth what peril there is in continual worldly wealth; and contrariwise what comfort cometh of tribulation.  And thus, as your other examples of Solomon and Job nothing for the matter further you, so your example of rich Abraham and poor Lazarus hath not a little hindered you.