The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-04-25
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Notes on the Lesson for April
29-"The Talents"
From tho Chicago Standard

=, The lesson for above date may be found N
the twenty-fifth chapter OF Matthew, from
the fourteenth TO the thirtieth verses
WHAT THK LESSON TEACHES
Delivered unto then, his goods Note tn.
implication The goods were delivered,
committed. a. the word literally means IL
was consignment, not an assignment Men
treat the Lords goods as II they were so much
abandoned property, or wreckago and salvage
from the shores OF time Not So Whatever
man has he Is commissioned by the Owner ia
keep, and hold for a season. 1t ID not his.
UP there In the counting chambers OF eter-
nifty there Is record and entry which makes
us all AGENTS, commission merchants, stew
ards OF the Lords bounty.
according 10 his several abilnH A good
practical lesson this for the days of COM
munism and OF strikes through which We are
passing There 10 a variant capacity, sew
eral ability" among the children OF men. We
are all after the same pattern, but not all cast
In the same mold Here is a man whom five
talents Mt; another, two; another, one. 1t is
Heavens wise estimate. Men may argue for
essential equality, and for aleveling Of re-
sponsibility hero--commercial communion
Gods higher law OF spiritual, communism
alone will stand. Strike Is much as men will
against distinctions in service, Heavens in
veterats ratio Of flee, ttco, one is everywhere
In the very constitution Of things God still
inTusts according to mans several ability"
.,. Str,atght%Gy That was industry's pre-
time by the forelock. 1t signifies the wisdom
or preoccupation. No hazardous dalying
and doubling and delaying, no weighing Of
chances and shivering on the brink Of deci-
sion, no Sstan's vantage OF procrastination-
straightway he started TO tho doing. He went
right to the work that was expected OF him
Ia there any better way Of eluding evil and
escaping errory DIR. I. j. Morgan used to
tell his classes OF certain ambassador who
went abroad to discharge a specific commits
"a hall
telegraphed back for Instruction. They were
sent He went across the channel and again
hesitatsd while he sent back for more instruc-
uons: Again they were given. He passed on
a little further and sent the same umid in
qulry along the lines. Then came the plain
and imperative word from the Government,
conveying a we'll merited rebuke: sPut il
through" He knew what that meant
Made other fVe talents. That ia exactly what
IT says. Energy Is almost divine; il has we'll
nigh creative power. We say of this or that
enterprislng man, She is making money" Ho
is indeed. BY some God-gven dizziness he
puts forth his hand and where, to outward
seeming, nothing was before, he makes some
thing to spring forth. Do not say tbs wrong
TO be rich, 1t Is wrong for some men to be
anything else. BY taking what they have and
making more they are working well, they are
dong divinely. Riches and Righteousness
ought not to be at variance
Went dudy-hid his Lords money II was
sneaking sort Of performance. He slipped
out and away from the busy life of the thor
oughfaTe and the mart and went to digging
hole IN some t-of-the-way place. He took
the money with him-his Lords money, and
hid II there. Ionder goes monk away from
the abodes OF men out from the Intercourse
Of soul with soul. He is looking for dark
corner OF the earth whore he may dig hole
and hide his talent-or rather his Lords
money. Here, too, stands man at his coun-
ter, or between the pillow handles. You think
he doing an Oman fair businasa with God
and man. He is not He has q gift, talent
for Christian service that he has refused to
use. Every merchant, every farmer, giving
thought to the world alone, is Sinking even
while he is working. He has crept away 10
hide, under clods of calicoes, his Lords
money. And he knows it.
Behold-tiVe talents more There is no salts
faction to be compared with il, the JOY OF the
harvest-home. The comfort Of bringing in
the fruits aud sheaves of work well done.
Some one asked q famous Grecian general
what was the happiest moment of his life. He
answered, when L sent home the announce
ment OF my victory" 1t is q transport with
held from angels and reserved for the work.
ing sons Of earth. Doubtless" is the word.
~Shsll doubtless come again Nth rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves." Harvest happiness,
the solace OF sheaves. God grant US moro of
it in the Christian church
Well done, thou good and faithful servant.
The satisfaction is mutual 1t is not an err
ing instinct that brings us to the Father our
hearts full Of glad hope at the same time that
our hands are full Of first fruits God him
self is pleased with efficiency. Good and
faithful, what does IL mean? Why by
their fruits We shall know them. No doubt
God is pleased with those that labor on with
out present return. But, after all, we get
what we devote ourselves TO seeking in this
world. suppose now we give ourselves 10
pleasing God with fruitful ness; suppose We
just determine to prove ourselves good and
lmmn0lQtn
suits. That is sage word Of DR.. Goodell;
This preaching aud going TO sleep on our
faithfulness till God gives the increase il
what is wasting US The pastor who calls
nothing fidelity which does not bring constant
blessing from heaven in some form on his
people, and is ever close up to his Lords side
pleading for mercies and blessings, will be
successful in conveying spiritual gifts into
men, as well as faithful in his work"
Enter thou into the joy ofHy Lord Not
heaven necessarily. The JOY especially re-
ferred to in the parable was the celebration
of the Masters safe return and the festivities
incident TO such an occasion. With the
descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost the
Joy OF the Lord began for the Christian
church. 1t shall reach its fuliness when he
comes again in his royal majesty; but in the
presence OF his Spirit there 10 JOY, and this
Joy OF the Lord is the church's strength.
Let us seek an immediate realization OF the
word as we go our working way, Enter thou
into the Joy OF tiny Lord" p. p. Bliss knew
that Joy ere he went up, as il were in his
chariot Of fire. He sat singing in DR.. Good
wins church. @More Joy in Thy Service"
was the piece selected. Just before he began
it he turned and said to the pastor, Il don't
think / can sing that as my prayer any
more. II seems as though / had as much
Joy in serving the blessed Master as l can
bear"
Came and said Mouth full, hands empty.
II is the garrulousness Of vacuity. He wass
very loquacious person, this idler, and he
made up for lack of fruits by bringing an
armload Of excuses. This mans voice sounds
familiar. We have seen him somewhere this
side OF the ysar one Hear him-@Lord r.
and then follows a long speech Words,
words only, whore are the fruitsy where is
the witness of work done? "Yes, under
stand, but Lord, knew thee-and-I was
afraid and-and" All, the culpritl seeking
with q multitude of words TO cover up lis
worthlessness and wicked sloth Verify we
can believe il. many will come in that day
saying. Lord, Lord" and with what avail?
Cast yc the Improbable servant Unprofit-
sbleness means rejection. II is puro justice.
That is refuse which is refuse indeed We
cast ourselves out OF paradise by making
ourselves useless, and worse than useless, for
that es tate. This 10 the day OF decision. By
our prevailing character and conduct we
choose light or darkness. Into that outer
darkness three have already gone. The self
a u.