Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-06-07
(2allg1la8ss
AgaNeNa%SOSyM
kY@rllIa@l0sfI'
SaAHHEEg

WASHINGTON, June 2.--This Is a dis
course by DIR. Talmage for those given
to depreciate themselves and who have
an idea that their best attempts amount
to little or nothing; text. Matthew XIV.
15. ITO another one"
Expel first from this parable of the
talents the word "usury" 1t ought to
have been translated interest" .'Usu-
ry' is finding man in a tight place
ana compelling him to pay an unrea-
sonable sum TO get out. Interest" is a
righteous payment for the use of mon
ey- When the capitalist of this parable
went of from home. he gave to his
stewards certain sums of money, wish
ing to have them probably invested.
Change also your idea as TO the value
or one talent. You remember the capt.
talist gave to one Of his men for bust
ness purposes five talents. to another
two. to another one. What n small
amount to last. you think, and how
could he be expected TO do anything
with only one talent? have to tell
you that one talent was about $1,000.
SO that when my text says, ITO another
one" it implies that those who have
the least have much.
We bother ourselves n great deal
about those who are highly gifted or
have large financial resource or exalted
official position or wide reaching oppor-
tunity. We are anxious that their
wealth, their eloquence, their wit. be
employed on the right side. One of
them makes mistake. and we say,
What an awful disaster" When one
or them devotes al his great ability TO
useful purposes, we celebrate it, we en-
large upon II. we speak of 1t 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 n single personality.
While in another IT is divided among
ten individuals. Now, what we want
TO do in this sermon is to waken people
or only one talent to appreciation of
their duty. Only a few people have
i've talents or ten talents, while mil
lions have one My short text is like
galvanic shock. ITO another one"
Ihe most difficult thing in the world
is TO make an accurate estimate of our
selves Our friends value us too high
our enemies too low. To find out what
We are worth morally and mentally is
almost impossible. We are ant 10
measure ourselves by those around us.
out this is not fair, as they may be
very brilliant or very dull. very good or
very bod Indeed there are no human
scales that can tell our exact moral and
mental weight, nor is there n standard
Dy which we can measure our exact in
tellectual height. so the hardest thing
TO do Is to calculate our real stature or
merit But II will be no evidence of ego
tism In any or us IL we say that we
have at least one talent. What Is II
and, finding what Il IS what use shall
we make OF IL? The most of the people.
nnding that they have only one talent.
do as the man spoken OF I'm the parable.
they hide IL. But II all OF the people
who have one talent brought II out for
use before this century is half past and
correspondents begin to write Mt tho
mead or their letters 1850 the earth
would be one OF the outskirts OF heay-
en- ask you again. What Is your one
talent?
Value OF Checrfulncs.
Is IL cheerful look? Carry that look
Wherever you go. IL must come from
q cheerful heart 1t is not that inane
smile which we sometimes see which Is
an irritation. In other words. IL must
DC q light within us so bright that II II.
iumines eye, check. nostril and mouth.
Let ten men who are accustomed 40 |
walking certain street every day re- |
solve upon n cheerful countenancc as a |
result or cheerful heart. and the in |
nuence or such facial irradiation |
would be felt not only In that street.
out throughout the town. Cheerfulness |
Is catching. But cheerful look is OK. |
ceptionaL Examine the first 20 faces
that You meet going through Pennsyl-
Sania avenue or Chestnut street or
Broadway or State street or Ia Sale
street or Euclid avenue, and 10 out of
the 20 faces have either an anxIous
look or severe look or n depressing
look or an avaricious look or n sneerinr
look or n vacant look. Here Is n mis-
slonary work for those who have trou-
pie. Arm yourself with gospel comfort.
Let the God who comforted Mary and
martha ut the loss OF their brother. the
God who soothed Abraham at the loss
or Sarah and the God OF David. who
consoled his bereft spirit at the loss of
MS boy by saying. 81 shall GO TO him."
the Goo who filled ST. John with dox-
oiogy when an exile on barren Patmos
ana the God who has given happiness
20 thousands or the bankrupted and
prosecuted. filling them with heavenly
riches which were more than the earth
~ advantages that are wiped OUTLET
that God help them IL he take full
possession OF your nature, then Won
Will go down the street benediction IN
all VINO see you. and those who are I'm
the tough places of life and are run
upon and belied and had their homes
destroyed VIII say: IF that man can be
uappy. can be happy. He has been |
through troubles as big as mine, and he
goes down the street with a face In
every Eneament OF which there are low
and peace and heaven. What am I
grooming about? From the same place
that man got his cheerfulness 1 can GET
mine. Why art thou cast down. q INV
SOUL, and why art thou disquieted with
ID me! Hope thou In God, for shall
'ot praise him who is the health of my ,
and my God"
Unwhoicxome Humor.
AGAIN, Is your talent that of wilt or
Use it for God. Much of the !
worlds wit Is damaging. Most OF sa. /
ire mas sting in it. Much of carica- :
ure is malevOlent Much of smart 70 ! ,
ort Is yitriolic. In order to say smart $
hings how many will sacrifice the feel $
ngs OF othersl The sword they carry $
8 Keen. and 1t is employed to thrust '
md hcerate- But few men in all the I
world and In all the churches realize +
nat II wit Is bestowed it is given them \
or useful, for improving. for healthful n
PURPOSES. II we all had mora of 4.