The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-01-15
A. SERMON FOR SUNDAY
= ecWEeFuL. DISCOURSE ENTlrLsp
'.s'HlpceN rALsNTs."
The Rev. pr. Henry &. Sw.ntIsl Draws .
New Lesson Prom the Psrsble-The
One Talent Man should Not Po.e A. y
Person with a Grievance.


I Eel TeStbt Of 81, Luke's Church, preached
sunday morning on Hidden Talents He
| took hiss tSxt'ifon 81. Matthew NNV is
! lie that had reeeNed one talent went ana
dlgged m the earth, agi had hls lold's
/ money DR.. Swentzel said
! God holds the cornucopia OF infinite and
I omnlpotent love, With open-handcd gen.
! eroslty He dispenses the gifts Of His
boundless wealth throughout the length
7 and breadth OF the whole creation From
myriad pulplts nature breaches eloquently
/ al the divine philanthropy. The universe
is not only vast workshop, but mag
mhcent pleasure house ior 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
( he who serves his mission may well say.
i have all aud abound
| And yet how many are almost persuaded
, 10 protest against the doctrine Of the lib
/ crahty of the heavenly Fathers provisions
/ They have more than a suspicion that our
\ Interpretation of HIS bounty does not
I square with the facts and experiences OF
human life. They are disposed 10 intimate
/ that HIS ways are not equal; that He has
. tettered Himself by a hard and fast doc
lrne oi ioreordlnauon, predcsunatlon and
election; that His cOuusC.s are marrcd 10y
what amounts practically 10 unjust dis
-rimnatlon and fayortiSm Without
. pauslng 10 emphasize the lmpety of Critl.
clsIng Almighty God OF 10 expose the IN.
ubty and vanity OF passing Judgment upon
HIS program for humanity, we ought 10 be
q persuaded even by our SURROUNDINGS that
/ the Lord is prompted ever by masterful
desIIe 10 promote the health and wealth.
the power and happiness, OF HIS children
If We were qualified 10 appreciate HIS
plans for mankind, we would accept the
world with its beauties aud harmonIes its
lights and shadows, Its Iesplendent heav-
ems and fragrant flowers ITS overlooking
grdnarles, Its countless picture galleries.
lts monumental glorles, as parallels Of di-
4 Ylne sovereignty.
/ But the man with one talent is likely 10
present himself as an director TO tins at
| tracuve and inspiring view Of the Father ;
! lultrshlp. lie Is dissatisfied lie has a
grievance. He IS persuaded that he ought
TO have a better chance, larger privileges
greater opportunities, a more enCouI plng
3 outlook. 1t is perfectly true that tSere are
inequalities. All are not endowed with
/ the same gifts. Some seem To have more
/ while Others have less; but there Is un-
! doubtediy a law OF compensation which
/ opens the way for 4 high general average
/ oi satisfaction m living, satisfaction
which IS not affected ly what are called
/ success and failure, riches and penury
! God never gives everything 20 any one
person, but He does offer a generous gift
! 10 every soul, and all will hud hie TO be
! worth a thousand times more than u costs
/ II they Will but do their duty. II the many
/ would honestly do their best with what
/ they have, a large share oi present me
I qualities would disappear, and II would be
( clearer TO all that the Almighty Is truly a
/ universal Father. Alas, who has done hs
| best ii the Complaner had but half h,led
/ the measure OF ms posslb.lltes. If ho had
/ been willing to do what he easily could
| have done. If be had not hidden his talent.
/ the situation to him would bc changed
and ho would be more perfectly In mar.
mony with the lfe-crced proclaimed by
, revelation and by all the worlds
lnasmuch as our Lord D. the author OF
/ the parable of the ta,cnts the religious
story with lts moral should be received
| with the utmost thouphtiulness Accord.
| ing 20 His teaching, everybody Iecelvcs
something, and the very smallest g1ft -
/ one talent. A talent ~ a poodly sum oi
! money 10 a lftt.o less than 5000
/ That amount would be a promising start.
/ ing capital to young man of far business
J ability Many, II VIII be alleged, must be
/ gln life on much smaller basis for which
| there may be human reasons which are
! both regrettablo and IncXordb,c aud which
we CannCt stay 20 discuss Ordinarily
/ however, each soul has a goodiy start and
| sets out with a far endowment Gener-
/ ally speaking, everybody has a tLance-he
/ can bc something, he can do something he
/ can serve ms mission. IL ~ wholesome 10
| be reminded betimes that many Of the
men who have made history have sprung
| form a comparatively low origin. IN every
/ nation saints, heroes aud 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 eA-
n coll l..
/ he carried on angels wings 10 the goal OF
their ambition, but angels and their wIngs
/ were made FOR no such purpose.
! The trouble with the complaining man
/ OF one talent ls that be has hidden hi,
/ power IN the earth God made mm to 1--we
splendid life; the man has faIed more or
less utterly. lie may be misunderstood
/ but Tar oitcncr he mlsundcT-tande himself
/ In taking stock of his assets ne ucglcct- "a
/ rate them even at their face value lie
wonders why he % where he -. he alleges
Insupcrable obstacles and InsIstf that ho
/ lras been sOreIv handicapped. ne regards
! himself az a victim It may be- apparc NJ
that be ~ not 50 richly gifted as certain
| Others are, but that D. no reason why he
should set up an inferior standard for
himself and expect nothing as the outcome
OF hIs existence. Success ~ not a matter
OF talents. IL rs not trJe that they whose
achievements have gwen them a place IL
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 workerg. 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 couut
1or little. The high places IN the world
are seldom hiled by people oi genius. but
by men and women who have simply made
the most OF their capacity. IL 10 an ever
recurring surprise that most unlikely souls
come to the front IN all the spheres Of ac-
tiVty. Many genius goes at the last 10
the potter's field, while memorials IN mar.
be or bronze are reared 20 commemorate
the virtues and trIumphs Of characters that
were not 30 rich IN natural gifts a. they
were abundant in labors Everybody y
well enough endowed. The least We have
- one talent, which, II u be rightly used
VIII suffice for our energies aud hl the
measure OF laudable ambition
Everybody ~ good for something; no.
body ~ necessarily good for nothing The
man with one talent has some power. We
do not refer 10 hIs attr butcs though these
may be admirable; he may have faculties
which are more Or less notable. he may
have memory, imagination. various gifts
which perhaps he does not suspect But
he has a finer talent % be- q man-the tai.
ent OF faithfulness 90 the right. of Cour-
age for maintaining DrIncIpie. of honesty
and sturdIness for work he mas a talent
that will give him standing among his
fellows, and that viii make him valuable
amid the various re.atIOnshIps of his life
By the grace OF God he may nope 20 he
something and do something and he ~ In
honor bound to make large exactIons oi