The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1888-11-29
TALMAGE's SERMON.
Not Alone the Brilliant Who Shall
Receive Reward,
But the Record of Heaven VIII Require
Of Every One According to the
Talents fntrusted to Theif
Earthly Keeping! :.

sermon at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, took
up the parable of the ten talents ds his
subject his text being:
Unto one he gave FIVE talents to another
two, and to another one; to every man accord
ing to his several sbility.-Matthew, XIV, 10.
Many Of the pafabies of Jesus Christ
were more graphic in the times in which
He lived than they are now, because Cir
cumstances haVe 81 much changed. In
olden times, when man wanted to wreak
q grudge upon his neighbor, after the
farmer had scattered the seed wheat over
the field and was expecting the harvest
the avenger would go across the came
field with sack full OF the seed OF darneI
grass, scattering that seed all over the
field, and, of course, it would sprout up
and spoil the whole crop, and 1t was to
that Christ referred in the parable when
He spoke of the tafes being Gown 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 shepherd and
the lost sheep. But the parable OF which
/ speak is founded on something we all
understand. 1t Is built on money, and
that means the same in Jerusalem as In
New York. 1t means the same to the
serf as to the Car, and to the Chinese
coolie as to the Emperor. Whether 1t Is
made out of bone, or brass, or iron, or
copper, or gold, or silver, 1t speaks all
languages without a stammer. The parat
bic Of the text runs in this wise: The
owner of large estate was about to
leave home, and he had some money that
he wished properly inve sted, and go he
1aI y b;oc into and caiH.
81 am going away now, and l wish
you would take this money and put it to
the very best possible use, and when !
come back return to mo the interest. TO
one man he gave nine thousand four hun.
dred dollars, to others he gave lesser
sums Of money; to the least he gave
eighteen hundred dollars He left home
and was gone for years, and then re-
turned. On his arrival he was anxious 70
know about his worldly uffairs, and he
called his servants together to report to
him. 'Iet me know" said he, "what you
have been doing with my property since
I have been gone. The man who had
received the nine thousand four hundred
dollars came up and said: 81 invested
that money. got good interest for it. l
have In other ways rightly employed 1t.
and here are eighteen thousand eight
hundred dollars. You see Ihave doubled
what you gave me-" That's very good"
said the owner Of the estate; that's
grandly done. 1 admire your faithful
ness and industry. 1 shall reward
you. Well done-well done" Other
servants came up with smaller accumu-
lations. After awhile see man drag.
ging himself along, with his head hang
ing. 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 eiChteen hundred and eighty
dollars" "WhatW says the owner Of
the property, "haven't You made it ac-
cumulate any thing:" ''Nothing-noth-
these years?" "Oh, l was afraid that II
invested it might somehow lose 1t. There
are your eighteen hundred and eighty
dollars" Many a man star ted out with
only crown in his pocket and achieved
O fortune; but this fellow of my text, wi tn
eighteen hundred and eighty dollars,
has gained not one farthing. Instead
Of confessing his Incidence, he goes
to work to berate his master, for
Incidence is most always impu-
dent and impertinent OF course he
looses 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 qualifica-
tions of usefulness, given in different
proportions to different people. 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 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 misimproved their privileges
Learn first from this subject. that be.
coming a Christian is merely going out
TO service. II you have any romantic
idea about becoming Christian. want
now to scatter the romance. If you en-
ter into the kingdom OF God, 1t will be
going into pain, practical, honest con-
tinuous, persists Mt Christian work. l
know there are a great many people who
have fantastic and romantic notions
about this Christian life. but he who
serves God with all the energies OF body.
mind and soul Is a worthy servant and
he who does not is an unworthy servant.
When the war trumpet sounds. all the
Lords soldiers must march, however
deep the snow may be. or how fearful the
odds against them. Under our govern
ment we may have Colonels, and Captains,
and Generals in tims Of peace, but in the
Church of God there is no peace until the
last great victory shall have been achiev-
ed. But have to tell you that it is
voluntary service. People are
not brought into 1t as slaves
were dragged from Africa. A
young man goes to an artisan, and says:
"Sir, want to learn your trade. /, by
his indenture, yield myself to your care
and service for the next four, or five, or
seven years. want you to be my mas
ter, and i want to be your servant"
Just so, If we come into the kingdom of
God at all, we must come, saying TO
Christ: BE Thoumy master. Itake Thy
service for time and for eternity. ]
choose it" 1t is q voluntary service.
There is no drudgery in 1t. In our world
ly callings sometimes our nerves get
worn out, and our head aches, and our
physical faculties break down. but in this
service of the Lord Jesus, the harder a
man works the better he likes ID, and q
man in this eudience who has been forty
years serving God, enjoys the employ
ment better than when he first entered
It, The grandest honor that can ever be
bestowed upon youHis 10 have Christ say
to you on the last day: well done.
good and faithful servant"
Learn also from this parable that differ
ent qualifica ions are given to different
people. The teacher lifts blackboard,
and he draws diagram, IA order that by
that diagram he may Impress the mind
of the pupil with the truth that he has
been uttering Aud all the truths OF this
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