five talents, went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. This means, that persons, having riches and money, make a good use of them, do a great deal of good in the world,—that persons, having good heads and knowing a great deal, make use of such understanding and such knowledge to instruct the ignorant-that persons having authority, use it for the advantage of all who are under them. And it also means, that people, to whom God has given any good thing whatsoever, turn it to a good accunt as far as they can, and make others as well as themselves happier by it. He that had received one talent, says our Lord, went and digged in the earth, and hid his Lord's money. Christ preached to the poor, and wished to make the poor feel and know, that they have duties as much as the rich and great, though in a different way, and will be punished, if they do not perform them. Thus, when he, who had one talent, hid it in the earth, and made no use of it, it is just as if a man, having only strength and health, and a head to learn something of God and his Saviour, should refuse to do any thing, because he could not do much, and would neither work nor learn, would employ neither his body nor his soul to any good purpose. Hear now, my friends, what befel these different servants. After a long time, as our Saviour goes on to say, the Lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them. So, at the end of the world, Jesus Christ, the Judge of all men, will come and reckon with all. The man, who had five talents, came and said that he had gained five talents more. He that had received two talents, came and said that he had gained two more. Their Lord praised them and said to them, that he would make them rulers over many things. "Enter now, says he, into the joy of your Lord." And so will it be at the end of the world with all those who make a right use of the goods which God gives them-who turn to a good account their money, their time, their authority, their knowledge and their sense. But what became of the poor creature, who had one talent? Why, he came pretending that he knew not how to please his Lord, and therefore, had made no use of his talent at all. What was the sentence? "Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Now, as I said before to you, Jesus Christ was the friend and teacher of the poor. And it was very kind in him to give to them right notions of their situation. It was very kind in him to tell them, that * though they have but one talent, yet if they use it faithfully, turn it to as good account as they can, and thus make one talent more, they also will enter as well as the persons with five talents and with two, into the joy of their Lord. Well, my brother, suppose thou art very ignorant, very much in want, very mean, very poor! Suppose that thou art a slave-placed in subjection to others? Dost thou not think, that thou hast one talent? Yes, thou hast. Hast thou not strength of body-hast thou not health-hast thou not a head to learn-feet to walk with to church? Is this nothing? Canst thou make no use of all this? Yes, thou canst. If thou employest thy strength in doing thy duty in thy humble station-if thou takest care of thy health, in order that thou mayest do thy duty-if thou seekest for instruction, using every opportunity to learn thy duty to God, thy Saviour, thy neighbour, and thyself, thou hast indeed traded with thy one talent-thou hast made good use of it-thou shalt enter into the joy of thy Lord. But if others in thy situation, slaves like thyself, if they think that they have no duties to perform, nothing to learn; if they think that all they have to do is to work for their owners all the week, and for themselves on the Sunday, that God requires nothing more of them, or perhaps think not at all either of God or of heaven and hell-they, my brethren, are exactly like the servant who had one talent, and hid it in the earth. Little indeed has been given to them, and of that little they make no use. They are ignorant, and yet they do not wish to know any thing. They are strangers to Christ, and they wish to continue such. Though they might know as much as will save them from hell, yet they will not seek to know it. They have indeed one talent in one sense of the wordthey have one day in the week to learn to |