The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-09
DR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.

Washington, June 2.-This Is a dis course by Dr. Talniage for those given to depreciate themselves and who have an idea that their best attempts amount to little or nothing; text, Mat thew XIV. 15. ITO another one."
 Expel first from this parable of the talents the word "usury." It ought to have been translated interest" "Usu- ry" is finding man in tight place and compelling him to pay an unrea- sonable sum to get out. Interest" is ey. When the capitalist of this parable went off from home. he gave to his stewards certain sums of money, wish ing to have them profitably invested. Change also your idea as to the value of one talent. You remember the capi- talRt gave to one of his men for busi- ness purposes five talents, to another two. to another one. What a snia1. amount to the last, you think, and how c c3uld he be expected to do anything with only one talent T have to tell you that ore talent was about s7.20o, 60 that when my text says, ITO another one." it implies that those who have the least have much.
 We bother ourselves a great deal about those who are highly gifted CT
  alted official position or wide reaching opportunity. We are anxious that their wealth. their eloquence. their wit. be employed on the right side. One of them makes a mistake. and we say, what an awful disaster" When one of them devotes all his great ability to useful purposes, We celebrate it. we en- large upon 1t we speak of it as some thing for gratitude to God. Mean while we give no time at all to consider what people are doing with their one talent, not realizing that ten people of one talent each are quite as important as one man with ten talents. In the one case the advantage or opportunity is concentered in a single personality, while in another it is divided among ten individuals. Now, what we want to do in this sermon is to waken people of only one talent 10 appreciation of their duty. Only a few people have five talents or ten talents,' while mill lions have one. My short text is like a galvanic shock, '"To another one."
 The most difficult thing in the world is to make an accurate estimate of our selves. Our friends value us too high, ouf enemies too low. To find out what we are worth morally and mentally. is almost impossible. We are apt to measure ourselves by those around us. but this is not fair, as they may be very brilliant or very dull. very good CT very bad. Indeed there are no human scales that eau tell our exact moral and mental weight, nor is there a standard by which we can measure our exact intellectual height, so the hardest thing to do is to calculate our real statrre CT heft. But 1t will be no evidence of egotism in any of us if we say that we have at least one talent. What Is it and, finding what 1t is, what use shall we make of it? The most of the people, 425iaS that they have only one talent. do as the man spoken of in the parablcA they hide it. But if all of the people who have one talent brought it out for use before this century is half past and correspondents begin to write at the head of their letters 195o the earth would be one of the outskirts of heav- en. I ask you again. What is your one talent?
 Value of Cheerfulness. \
 Is it a cheerful look? Carry that look wherever you go. It must come from . cherful heart. It is not that inane smile which we sometimes see which is an irritation. In other words. 1t must be a light within us so bright that it illumines eye, cheek, nostril and mouth. Let ten men who are accustomed to walking a certain street every day re- solve upon a cherful countenance as a result of a cheerful heart. and the in- fiuence of such a facial irradiation would be felt not only in that street, but throughout the town. Cheerfulness is catching. But cheerful look is ex- ceptional. Examine the first twenty faces that you meet going through Pennsylvania Avenue or Chestnut Street or Broadway or State Street or La Sale Street or Euclid Avenue. and nineteen out of the twenty faces have either an anxious look or a severe look or a depressing look or an avaricious look or a sneering look or a vacant look. Here is a missionary work for those who have trouble. Arm yoursetf with gospel comfort. Let the God who comforted Mary and Martha at the loss of their brother, the God who soothed Abraham at the loss of Sarah and the God of David, who consoled his bereft spirit at the loss of his boy by saying. II shall go to him." the God who flled St. John with doxology when an exile on barren Patmos and the God who has given happiness to thousands of the bankrupted and per- secuted, diIling them with heavenly
  ly advantages that are wiped outlet that God help them. If he take full possession of your nature, then you will go down the street a benediction to all who see you. and those who gre in the tough places of life and are run upon and belied and had their homes destroyed will say: If that man can be happy. I can be happy. He has been through troubles as big as mine, and he goes down the street with a face in every Hneament of which there are joy and peace and heaven. What am I grooming about From the same place that man got his cheerfulness l can get mine. "Why art thou cast down o my soul, and why art thou God, for shall yet praise him who IS the health of my countenance and my
 Unwholesoe Humor.
 Again, is your talent that of wit or humor? Use it for God. Much of the worlds wit Is damaging. Most of sa- tire has a sting in it. Much of oarica- ture is malevolent. Much of smart re- tort is vitriolic. In order to say smart things how many will sacrifice the ceilings of otb bers! The sword they ;arry is keen. and it is employed to .hrust and lacerate. But few men in III the world and in all the churches l 'ealize that if wit is bestowed it Is | given them for useful. for improving, Ior healthful purposes. If we all had 1 nore of if and knew how to use 1t | right. how much 1t would improve | 'ur Christian conversation and prayer ]