The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-01-14
ON HIDDEN TALENTS
our REGULAR SUNDAY SERMON
New Lessons Are Graphically Drawn
From the Old and Well Known Par
able.

ri BrsGS1 rector Ias E2E fhGPs fHhSP @ prsSshsi s%in
Sunday mor1 Eng on Hidden Talents He
tool. his ten from St Matthew xNv:iS:
lie that had received one talent went and
digged in the earth. and hid his loyd ;
money" DIR. Swentzei said:
God ho,ds the cornucopia OF infinite and
omnpo;ent love. With opcn-handcd gen
eroSity He dispenses the gifts of His
boundless wealth throughout the length
and breadth OF the whole creation. From
myriad pT'DIts nature breaches cloquently
or the divine philanthropy. The universe
is no. Only vast workshop, but Il mag
nilcent pleasure house for cnjoym2nt.
Every field Is designed for a harvest. all
the forests resound with symphonies and
orator!es; everywhere are mines of riches
awaiting the toiler. Gods plan includes
al the best things for the multitude, and
he who serves his mission may Wen say,
Il have all and abound"
And yet how many are almost persuaded
to protest against the doctrine of the lib-
crafty of the heayeaiy Fathers pro; isons.
They have more than 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 Ice
trine or foreordnatlon, predestlnat:Un and
election: that His coUnsels are marred by
what amounts practically to unjust dis
elimination and favoritism. Without
pausing to emphasize the impiety OF criti
cising Almighty God or to expose the fu.
tilty 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 masteriul
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 harmones, It's
lights and shadows. its resplendent hsav-
ems and fragrant flowers, its overilowing
granaries, its countless picture galleries.
its monumental g.ories, as parallels OF di-
vine sovereignty.
But the man with one talent is Likely 10
present himself as an objector to this at
tractlve 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 un-
doubtediy law OF compensation which
opens the way Ior high general average
of satisfaction in living, a satisfaction
which is not affected by what are called
success and failure, riches and renury.
God never gives everything TO any one
person, but lie does offer a generous gift
10 every soul. and all'wil find life 10 be
worth thousand times more than 1t costs
if they Will but do thei: duty. Ii the many
would honestly do their best with what
they have, large share of present inc
qualities would disappear. and it would be
clearer 10 ali that the Almighty is truly
universal Father. Alas, VINO has done his
best? If the complainer had but hall 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,
the situation to him would be changed,
and he would be more perfectly in har-
mony with the life-creed proclaimed b.
revelation and by all the worlds.
Inasmuch as our Lord is the author OF
the parable or 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 goodly sum OF
That amount would be a promising start
ing capital to young man of fair business
ability. Many, it will be alleged must be-
gin life on much smaller basis. for which
there may be human reasons which are
both reg 'ettable and inexorabie, and which
We cannct stay to discuss. Ordinarily,
however, each soul has goodly start and
sets out with a fair endowment. Gener-
ally speaking, everybody has chance-he
can be something, he ca2 do sometmng-he
can serve his mission. 1t is wholesome to
be reminded betimes that many OF the
men who have made history have sprung
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 en-
cellence. There are people who expect to
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 man
of one talent is that he 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 lie misunderstands himself.
In taking stock OF his assets he neglects 10
wonders why he is where he is: he alleges
lnsuperable obstacles and insists that he
has been sorely handicapped; he regards
himself as victim. 1t may be apparent
that he is rot so richly gifted as certain
others are, but that is no reason why he
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 piace III
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 20 get through the world
with the least possible outlay OF energy.
whc are willing to spend and be spent in
living their lives. Brilliant abilities court
for little. Ihe 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 thdt most unlikely souls
come to the front i'll all the spheres of ac-
tlvity. Many a germs goes at the last to
the poster's field while memorials in mar
BILE or bronze are reared to commemorate
the virtues and triWnphs of characters that
were rot so rich in natural gifts as they
were abundant III labors Everybody is
well enough endowed. The least we have