The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-11-23

Or. rALMAGE'S SERMON ON MANS
USE OF HIS ENDOWMENTS.

The Parable of the Talents Inferiority
Of Gifts No Excuse for Indolenoe-Ths
Degrees Of Happiness In Heaven In Pro
portion to Degrees OF Usefulness.
BROOKLYN, Nov. 18.-At the Taber
nacle this morning the acclaim Of the
worshipers was very great as they
Joined in the opening Doxology. Pro-
lessor Browne rendered exquisitely
the organ solo, sonata in @ minor
Rheinberger). The pastor, the Rev.
7. De Witt Talmage, D. D., took for
his text unto one he gave five talents,
to another two, and to another one; to
every man according to his sevesal
ability" Matt. XIV, 49,. He said:
Many parallels of Jesus Christ were
more graphic in the times in which he
lived than they are now, because cir
cumstances have 80 much changed.
In olden times, when man wanted
to wreak grudge upon his neighbor,
after the farmer had scattered the seed
wheat over the field and was expect
ing the harvest, his avenger would 60
across the same field with a sack full
Of the seed of darnell grass, scatter
ing that seed all over the field, and Of
course it would sprout up and spoil the
whole crop; and it was to that Christ
referred in the parable when he spoke
of the tares being sown among the
wheat. In this land our farms are
fenced off, and the wolves have been
driven to the mountains, and we can
not fully understand the meaning OF
the parable in regard to the shep-
herd and the lost sheep. But
the parable from which I speak
today is founded on something we all
understand. 1t is built on money, and
that means the same in Jerusalem as in
New York. It means the same to the
serf as to the car, and to the Chinese
cooHe as to the emperor. Whether it
Is made out of bone or brass, or iron or
copper, or gold Or silver, it speaks all
languages without a stammer. The
parable of the text runs in this wise:
The owner of a large estate was about
to leave home, and he had some money
that he wished properly invested, and
so he called together his servants, and
said:
Il am going away now, and I wish
you would take this money and put it
to the very best possible use, and when
I come back return to me the interest"
To one man he gave SO, 400; to others
he gave lesser sums of money! to the
least he gave $3.50. He left home
and was gone for years, and then re-
turned. On his arrival he was anX-
ious to know about his worldly af-
fairs, and he called his servants to-
gether to report to him. "Let me
know" said he, what you have been
doing with my property since l have
been gone" The man who had re-
ceived the $4,000 came up and said:
IT invested that money. l got good
interest for it. I have in other-ways
rightly employed it; and here are
e1S, 800. You see have doubled what
you gave ne" .That'svery good, said
10, |1sni1fl ~ estate; '.thaks grandly
lll -! your faithfG4ness and
industry mall reward yoh- Well
done-wu4S DONE" Other servants
came up with smaller accumulations. :
After while I see man dragging
himself along with his head hanging.
I know from the way he comes in that
he is lazy fellow. He comes up to
the owner of the estate and says:
Here are those $780," "What!"
says the owner of the property,
Haven't you made it accumulate any
thing9" ''Nothing-nothing." why,
what have you been about all these
years9" ooh, I was afraid that if
Invested it I might somehow lose it.
There are your 81, $780," Many man
started out with only crown in his
pocket and achieved fortune, but this
fellow of my text, with 81, $50, has
gained not one farthing. Instead Of con-
Tossing his Incidence be goes to work to 4
berate his master, for Incidence is
most always impudent and impert-
nent. Of course, he loses his place
and is discharged from the service.
The owner who went out into far
country is Jesus Christ going from
earth to heaven. The servants spoken
of in the text are members OF the
church. The talents are our different
qualifications of usefulness given in
different proportions to different peo-
pole. The coming back of the owner
is the Lord Jesus returning at the
Judgment to make final settlement.
The raising of some of these men to be
the rulers over five or two cities, is the
exaltation of the righteous at the last
day, while the casting out of the idler
is the expulsion Of all those who have
mis:mproved their privileges.
ERRONEOUS IDEAS REGARDING CHRIS
TIAN LIFE.
Learn first from this subject, that
becoming Christian is merely going
out to service. If you have any ro-
mantle idea about becoming Chris
tan, I want now to scatter the romance.
If you enter into the kingdom of God,
it will be going into plain, practical,
honest, continuous, persistent Christian
work. know there are great many
people who have fantastic and ro-
mantle notions about this Christian
life, but he who serves God with all
the energies of body, mind and soul
il q worthy servant and he who does