The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-03-18

New Lesson From the Parable--The
one Talent Man Should Not Pose as a
Person With a Grievance.
Brooklyn, N. Y.-Dr Henry G. Swent-
eel, rector of St. Luke's Church, preached
took his text from st. Matthew NXv: is:
He that had received one talent went and
dlgged in the earth, and hid his lords
money" DR.. Swentzel said:
God holds the cornucopia of infinite and
omnipotent love. With open-handed gen.
erosity He dispenses the gifts of His
boundless wealth throughout the length
and breadth of the whole creation. From
myriad pnlpits nature breaches eloquently
of the divine philanthropy. The universe
is not only vast workshop, but mag
nihcent pleasure house for enjoyment.
Every field is designed for harvest, all
the forests resound with symphonies and
oratories; everywhere are mines of riches
awaiting the toiler. Gods plan includes
all the best things for the multitude, and
he who serves his mission may well say,
Il have all and abound"
And yet how many are almost persuaded
to protest against the doctrine of the lib
crafty of the heavenly Fathers provisions.
They have more than a suspicion that our
Interpretation of His bounty does not
square with the facts and experiences of
human life. They are disposed to intimate
that His ways are not equal; that He has
fettered Himself by hard and fast doc
trine of Denomination, predestination and
election; that His counsels are married by
what amounts practically to unjust dis
elimination and favoritism. Without
pausng to emphasize the impiety of criti-
csing Almighty God or to expose the fu-
tility and vanity of passing judgment upon
His program for humanity, we ought to be
persuaded even by our surroundings that
the Lord is prompted ever by masterful
desire to promote the health and wea}~A,
the power and happiness, of His children.
If we were qualified to appreciate His
plans for mankind, we would accept the
world with its beauties and harmonies, its
lights and shadows, its respondent heav-
ems and fragrant flowers, its overlooking
granaries, its countless picture galleries,
its monumental glories, as parallels of di-
vine sovereignty.
But the =.an with one talent is likely to
present himself as an objector to this at
tractive and inspiring view OF the Fathers
rulership. He is dissatisfied. He has
| grievance. He is persuaded that he ought
to have better chance, larger privileges,
! greater opportunities, more encouraging
outlook. 1t is perfectly true that there are
inequalities. All are not endowed with
the same gifts. Some seem to have more
while others have less; but there is UNI
! opens the way for a high general average
of satisfaction in living, a satisfaction
| which is not affected by what are called
! success and failure, riches and penury.
! God never gives everything to any one
person, but He does offer generous gilt
to every soul, and all will find HE to be
worth thousand times more than 1T costs
if they will but do their duty. If the many
would honestly do their best with what
they have a large share of present inc
qualities would disappear, and it would be
clearer to all that the Almighty is truly a
universal Father. Alas, who has done has
best? If the complainer had but half filled
the measure of his possibilities, it he had
been willing to do what he easily could
have done, if he had not hidden his talent,
the situation to him would be changed,
and he would be more perfectly IN har-
mony with the life-creed proclaimed by
revelation and by all the worlds.
Inasmuch as our Lord is the author of
the parable of the talents, the religious
story with its moral should be received
with the utmost thoughtfuiness. Accord
ing to His teaching, everybody receives
something, and the very smallest git IS
one talent A talent is goodly sum OF
money-equal to little less than $1,000.
That amount would be a promising start
ing capital to a young man of fair business
ability. Many, it will be alleged. must be-
gin life on a much smaller basis, for which
there may be human reasons which are
both regrettable and memorable, and which
we cannot stay to discuss. Ordinarily,
however, each soul has a goodly start and
sets out with fair endowment. Gener-
ally speaking everybody has chance he
can be something he can do something
can serve his mission. 1t is wholesome to
be reminded betimes that many of the
men who have made history have sprung
form comparatively low origin. In every
nation saints, heroes and leaders are, for
the most part, born in humble cottages,
the poor boys of not many yesterdays ago
To every soul God gives an adequate equip
ment. Work is the only royal road to eX'
cellence. There are people who expect tc
be carried on angels wings to the goal OF
their ambition, but angels and their wings
were made for no such purpose;
The trouble with the complaining mar
of one talent is that he has hidden hli
a splendid life; the man has failed more OF
less utterly. He may be misunderstood
but far oftener he misunderstands himself
In taking stock of his assets he negects t
rate them even at their face value Ill
wonders why he is where he is; he allege
insuperable obstacles and insists that n
has been sorely handicapped; ne regards
himself as a victim. 1t may be apparen
that he is not so richly gifted as certain
others are, but that is no reason why h
should set UP an inferior standard TO
himself and expect nothing as the outcom
of his existence. Success is not matte
of talents 1t is not true that they who's
achievements have given them a place il
. the worlds legion of honor were mel
whose shining talents, without industr.
and without development, won for then
) immortal distinction All who have rea
, strength are hard workers, whose towerin
. object was not to get through the worl'
with the least possible outlay of energy
, who are willing to spend and be spent il
: living their lives. Brilliant abilities coun
for little The hiph nlaces in the Worl