Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-05-07
WHAT OF TAY FALENTi
Excellent Sermon BY Rev. ?. Berg
strosser.

Of the talents was preached Sunday
by Rev. Fuller Bergstresser Of thu
Lutheran church. In part he said:
In many ways one man is just 81
1good as another. All men do moi
have the same number Of talents and
this is the difference between men.
Some men have more and some fewer
and this is the difference between
them-the more and the fewer. But
each man must give account for the
use or abuse Of his talents and in this
all men are equal. Talents range 10
number from one to many. No man
is talentless.
Your talents and mine are like so
many vessels, which may be small or
may be large. according to our several
capacities. II you have q particular
and uncommon aptitude for some spe-
cial work or activity, some marked
mental ability, your talents are great.
But If you have five talents and l
have two talents you have no. reason
to boast, for I am as completely fur
nished with talents as you. Because
my ability is less than yours my
talents are fewer. My standing Is %
good as yours, however. My caPac-
ity is two and yours is five. It is .
matter Of capacity entirely. A small
circle may be as perfect as q large
circle. may be untitled for 80 wide
a sphere Of labor as you, but for the
work have to do | am IS perfectly
equipped as you. II the number Of
your talents is greater than mine
more is required Of you than Of me.
for as man goes up toward ability
and greatness he goes up toward
responsibility and accountability.
Greatness is pledge to goodness.
We get our use Of the word talent"
from q parable of Jesus. The parable
OF the talents has made an indelible
impression for good on the world.
The use OF the word ''talent" growing
out Of this parable is q remarkle evil |
dence of the extent to which the con-
viction has wrought itself into the |
thoughts and language Of men that .
man must render an account for the
use or abuse Of every gift, whether
riches, honors, wisdom, learning, gifts
Of mind, gifts Of heart or gifts Of
grace. A talent Is a trust.
A man stands with three servants
before him, 80 the parable runs. He
is ready to start upon journey and
10 giving them his last commissions.
For reasons best known tc himself he
makes a difference between them.
70 one he gives five talents, to an
other two and to another one. Then
be goes off and leaves them and each
is faithful or faithless in the use of
the talents entrusted to him. The
five talent man, exhilirated and In
spired, gives good account Of his
trust. That is what we expect OF
him. The one talent man is crushed
into despair by the smallness of his
trust. Failing to recognize the might
Of little things he does nothing. The
two talent man is not exalted nor
by his trust. 1t is neither
very great nor very small. he does
what we expect Of him-he does the
best be can. Some one calls this
TWO talent man "the average man"
and that is certainly his measure.
he does his work conscientiously,
for the best results. With
,ut brag or buster be does the best
he can.
The two talent man has o great
place in the worlds work. Every
nan is in duty bound to use bis
;alents to the fullest measure, but
lbout the only man who does bis
luty in this respect is the two talent
nan. / would rather be two talent
nan, ''an average man." than the
common run Of higher talent men.
About the saddest chapter in history i
8 the record made by the ten talent t,
mem. II we write Of Burns. Byron, =
Zoe. DeQuincy, Bacon. Napoleon IL Is !
me long, black, Piteous tragedy j
,anina doaa mt braed crime. but IL