The Penn's Grove record., 1904-01-15
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
A POWERFUL DISCOURSE ENTITLED
HIDDEN TALENTS"
The Rev. DR.. Henry C. swentzel Draws n
New Lesson From the ParabIe-The
One Talent Man Should Not Pose as a
Person With a Grievance.

One Talent Man Should Not Pose as a
Person With a Grievance.
Brooklyn, N. Y.-Dr. Henry c. swent-
gel, rector OF st. Luke's Church, preached
Sunday morning on Hidden Talents He
took his text from st. Matthew xxv:is.
he that had received one talent went and
pgged IN the earth, and hid his lords
money. DIR. Swentzel said:
uoo noids the c%ornucopia of infinite and
omnpotent love. With open-handed gem
crosby He dispenses the gifts Of His
oundless wealth throughout the length
ana breadth of the whole creation. From
myriad pulpIts nature breaches eloquently
OF the divine philanthropy. The universe
is not only a vast workshop. but 4 MAJ
nlncent pleasure house for enjoyment.
Every held is designed for a harvest, all
the forests resound with symphonies and
oratorles; everywhere are mines of riches
awaiting the toiler. Gods plan includes
all the best things for the multitude, and
ne who serves his mission may we'll say,
II have all and abound"
And yet how many are almost persuaded
to protest against the doctrine of the lib
erality 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 lie. They are disposed to intimate
that His ways are not equal; that He has
fettered Himself by a lard and fast doe
trine of for~eordination, predestination and
election; that His c~ounsels. are marred by
what amounts practically to unjust dis
elimination and favoritism. Without
pausing to emphasize the impietv of crit.
clslng Almighty God OF to expose the flu.
tllity 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 a masterful
desire to promote the health and wealth.
the power and happiness, of His children.
Ii 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,
It's monumental glories, as parallels of d.
vine sovereignty.
But the man 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 a
grievance. He is persuaded that he ought
to have a better chance, larger privileges,
greater opportunities, a 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 un-
doubtedly a law of compensation which
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 perjury.
God never gives everything to any one
person, but He does offer a generous gift
to every soul, and all will FIN life to be
worth a thousand times more an it costs
if they viii 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 his
best! If the complainer had but half filed
the measure of his possibilities, if he had
been willing to do what he easily could
have done, if he had not hidden his talent,
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 thoughtfulness. Accord
ing to His teaching, everybody receives
something, and the very smallest gift is
one talent. A talent is a goodiy sum of
m~oney-eeual to a 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 inexorabse, aud which
we cannot stay to discuss. Ordinarily,
however, each soul has a goodiy start and
sets out with a fair endowment. Gener-
ally speaking, everybody has a chance-he
can be something, he can do somethlng-he
Fan serve his mission. 1t is wholesome to
be reminded betimes that many of the
men who have made history have sprung
form a comparatively low origin. in every
nation saints, heroes and leaders are, for
the most part, born IL humble cottages,
the poor boys Of not many yesterdays ago.
10 every soul God gives an adequate equip
ment. Work is the only royal road to ex-
:~eilence. There are peop.e who expect to
be carried on angels wings to the goal of
their ambition, but ange.s and their wings
were made for. no such purpose.
The trouble with the complaining man
of one talent is that be has hidden his
power in the earth. God made him to live
a splendid life; the man has failed more or
less utterly. He may be misunderstood,
but far oftener he misunderstands himself.
In taking stock of his assets he n~egleets TO
rate them even at their face value. He
wonders why he is where he is; he alleges
insuperable obstacles and insists that he
HoS DCCn 6OACtS Ad~ANiSdppSdy lie lcBdLOs
himself as a victim. It may be. apparent
that he is not SO richly gifted as certain
Others are, but that is no reason why be
should set up an inferior standard for
himself and expect nothing as the outcome
of his existence. Success is not a matter
of talents. 1t is not true that they whose
achievements have given them a place in
the worlds legion of honor were men
whose shining talents, without industry
and without development, won for them
immortal distinction. All who have real
strength are hard workers, whose towering
object was not to get through the world
with the least possible outlay Of energy,
who are willing to spend and be spent in
living their lives. Brilliant abilities count
for little. The high places in the word
are seldom filed by people of genius, but
by men and women who have simply made
the most of their capacity. 1t is an ever
recurring surprise that most unlikely souls
come to the front in all the spheres Of ac-
tiyity. Many a genius goes at the last to
the potter's field, while memorials in mar
bic or bronze are reared to commemorate
the virtues and triumphs of characters that