I am in agony in this fire!

(J. A. James, "The Practical Believer Delineated" 1852)

The rich man called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on
me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water
and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire!'
But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime
you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad
things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony!'
    Luke 16:24-25

It is a grievous fact that many an ungodly sinner walks in
a flowery path to perdition--and goes merrily to his eternal
ruin. It is, on the contrary, as certain that many a godly
Christian travels by a rough and toilsome road to heaven
--and ascends to glory amid many tears. Our Divine Lord
has set forth this in the most solemn of his parables--the
rich man and Lazarus. If we looked only at the outward
and earthly condition of these two men, we would say
one is the type of all that is felicitous; while the other
is the type of all that is miserable.

But who that looks upon their eternal abode, would not a
thousand times rather be Lazarus with his poverty, sores,
and beggary, feeding at the rich man's gate upon the crumbs
which fell from his table--than the wealthy possessor of the
mansion, with his purple and fine linen and daily luxurious
living! Look up at the one who has dropped all his poverty,
borne by angels to Abraham's bosom! And then look down
upon the other, stripped of his splendid garments, deprived
of his luxurious living, and from the midst of his torment
begging for a drop of water to cool his parched tongue--and
there see the end and outcome of 'sanctified poverty' and of
'unsanctified wealth'.