Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-06-05

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- selves and who have an idea that
their best .ttenipts amount 70 little or
nothing, text, Matthew ky, Is, To an
other one
ExpeI first from this parable It the
talents the word 'usury.' 1t ought to
have seen translated interest. lsu-
ry'' is finding a man in tight place and
compelling him TO pay an unreasonable
sum TO get out. ''InIerest" is a ris' teoas
payment for the use of money When
the capitalist of this parable went on
from home, he gave to his stewards GER
tain sums Of money, wishing TO have
them probably invested. Change also
your idea as to the value of one talent.
You remember the capitalist gave to one
of his men for business purposes i've tai
ents. 10 another two. to another oae.
What small amount to this 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, TO
another one, it implies that those who
have the least have much.
We bother ourselves a great deal about
those who are highly gifted or have large
financial resource or exalted official posi-
ton or wide reaching opportunity. We
are anxious that their wealth, their eio-
quenee, their wit, be employed on the
right side One of them makfs a mis-
take, aud we say, What an awful dis
aster" When one of therl deyotes all
his great ability to usefrl purposes, we
celebrate it. we enlarge upon it, we speak
of it as something for gratitude to God.
Meanwhile we give no tiIce at I'll to c on
slider what people are doing with their
one talent not realizing that ten people
of one talent each are quite as impor-
tant as one man with ten talents. In the
one case the advantage or opportunity
is concentrated 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 TO appreciation of their duty.
Only few people have five talents or ten
talents, while millions have one. My
short text is like a galyanic shock, ITO
another one"
The 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 al
most 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 or very bad. In
deed there are no human scales that can
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 stature or heft. But it viii 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 it is, what
use shall we make Of it? The most OF
the people, finding that they have only
one talent, do as the man spoken of in
the parable. they hide it. But if all Of
the people who have one talent brought
it ont for use before this century is half
past and correspondents begin to write at
the head of their letters 1850 the earth
would be one of the outskirts of heaven
ask you again, What is your one talent?
Carry Good Cheer.
Is it cheerful look? Garry that look
wherever you go. 1t must come from
cheerful heart. 1t is not that inane smile
which we sometimes see which is an irri-
tation In other words, it 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 resolve upon a
cheerful countenance as result of a
cheerful heart. and the influence Of such
facial irradiation would be felt not only
in that street, but throughout the town
Cheerfulness is catching. But cheerful
look is exceptional 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 anX-
ious look or a severe look or a depressing
look or an avarcous look or sneering
look or vacant look. Here is a mission
] AIRY work for those who have trouble
Arm yourself with gospel comfort. why
art thou cast down. O my soul. and why
art thou diSqueted within me? Hope
thou in God. for | shall yet praise him
who is the health of my cuuntenance and
my God
Religion of Happiness.
In one Of the towns of New York State
an inbabitant said Of a friend Of nine
81 DO not believe rs that man does, hut
cannot despise 4 religion that makes a
man look as happy as he sesals to be-
If we have rough visage, we cannot
help that God so made US: if acciden. or
battle have defaced us. that is no fault
of ours; If Sfrabismus has hurt our eyes,
no one will satifize us: if our features
were not suited for I4avaters phys.og-
nomy, no one could blame us for tlat
The jaw may too much project or re-
treat, the forehead may not be Shlks-
pearean hut a cheerful spirit in that Enan
will triumph over all defects and pour
around all who meet him a SuperDal in
Auence If that cheerful look be your
only talent, use it, for the worlds con-
ISOLATION. There will be a hundred people
whom yon will meet this week TO whom
you viii have no right to speak. 1t
would BE an impertinenee. lou have
never been introduced TO them, they were
never introduced to you. You have no
right to stop them ON their way. as they
have no right TO stop you on your way.
But yen have a right to Look at them.
Then look with Il faith IN God and a
hely purpose and a manliness and n good
cheer that viii keep them thinking all
that day ana wondering who you are and
what is the cause Of the VICTORY which
they saw depicted between the top of
YOUR forehead and the roanj of your chin.
If yoH are the right kind Of a man, the
right Kind Of woman. something has
happened 10 you that ought To fill Eenr
seai with courage and your face with
glorious sunrise. Your sins all forgiven,
thar makes you ali right with the past:
sa ete@7ias heaven promised To your soul.
that makes YOU all right with the future.