The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-04-25

conclude that this parable OF
the talents has a most sad, not to say
unfortunate and distressing, out
come. There is no doubt that the
chief interest of the parable is made
to center in the man who had but one
talent. We are not greatly concerned
about the man who had five talents,
nor about the one who had two. We
take it almost as a matter of course
that they would do as they did But
we do have peculiar regard for the
man with one talent. The chief rea-
son for this may be that we cannot
rid ourselves of the consciousness
that we are a great deal like him,
and that in order to keep complacen-
cy with self, we seek for some sort OF
justification for the miserable use he
made of his opportunity.
But really this parable has no
other lesson to convey than that OF
the profoundest encouragement and
hope. It would almost compel those
who do doubt and hesitate concern
ing themselves not to take counsel of
their fears, but of their courage, how
ever slight it might be. Herein the
greatness, the Godlikeness of the Cos
pei manifests itself. Never has there
been another such word spoken in be-
half of democracy, in behalf of our
common humanity, as we find this and
other statements of the Great Teacher.
1t was not the mighty and the great
from worldly point Of view, but it
was the poor and simple who had the
Gospel preached to them. They,
too, were children of the Living God,
and to fail to make use of the powers
bestowed on them was to suffer the
consciousness of eternal less. Notice,
if you will, how constantly Jesus di-
reefs his appeal to the ordinary and
the average man. 1t is to the fisher
men and the tax gatherers with whom
he has surrounded himself that he
says, ''Ye are the salt of the earth;"
"Ye are the light of the world;" "Let
your light so shine before men that
they may see your good works and
glorify your Father which is in hea-
ven."
1t is with the purpose of stimulat-
ing proper confidence in the breasts
of just such men that he says in an
other place, "Are not two sparrows
sold for farthings And one of them
shall not fall to the ground without
your Father. But the very hairs of
your head are all numbered. Fear
ye not, therefore; ye are of more value
than many sparrows." And appar-
emily that he may demonstrate his
abiding confidence in human nature
as manifested in its commoner phases
He makes Peter and James and An
drew and John, and Matthew the
chief opponents of the kingdom of
heaven among men. | think we may
truthfuIly speak of Jesus as the first
great commoner this world produced.
He detected with that unrivaled
spiritual vision of his that there could
be no exalted, no broad, no thorough
going, no truly reliable and safe life
in this earth except it sprung from
the brain and heart and soul of the
mass of the people. The democracy
taught by this man is of such fun
damental character, there is such I'M
doubted truth and wisdom in it, that
none can afford to pass it by un-
needed.
Under these circumstances it is not
strange that we find him directing
his appeal to the man with one talent
in the way he does. His desire and
objects are not to visit this man with
dire vengeance for not doing what he
ought; but they are to reveal to him
the infinite harm which must neces-
sarily follow upon the palpable ne
glect of a recognized power and duty.
His purpose is evidently one of moral
and religious stimulation and uplift.
1t is to prove to the man with one
talent that what seems to him as
worthless and meagre is after all of
untold worth. He could not suffer
in the way he has unless there had
been well nigh irreparable loss.
Let a man put courage, fidelity,
conservation and honor behind what
ever ability he has, and he cannot tell
to what heights of endeavor or into
what broad fields of usefulness he
may be carried; but let him deny
himself these privileges and it will
matter little what his native gifts may
be, he will become an Improbable
servant, and sink of his own weight
into the abyss of outer darkness,
where there is weeping and crashing
of teeth. This was the sin of the man
in the parable.
II was not that he had one talent