The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-10-18
The Parable of the Talent.

tectly true to the conditions then
maintaining. His Hebrew hearers
knew perfectly well the status OF
the slave among Greeks and Ro-
mans. Some slaves were actually
men of letter and professions.
They had large endowments.
Others were skilled artisans,
They had medium gifts. Others
were day-laborers, scarcely more
than animated tools. The income,
much or little, from these slaves
belonged absolutely to their respec-
tive masters. But the matter OF
how and where the income should
be produced was often left-not
nominally, but really-to the slaves
themselves; only they must pro-
duce certain revenue and pay it
to their masters, or suffer penalties
for not doing SO. The separation
OF master and slave was often COM
plete; one not even seeing the
other until such time as had been
appointed for the accounting. Alb
senteeism of masters was as com
mon as that Of Irish landlords to-
day. And there were no such
means of interCommuniCation as we
enjoy-no long distance telephone,
postal dispatch, or special deliv-
cry. In the slave-owner' S
upbraiding of the delinquent slave
we discover one method of trade,
then in vogue: "You ought to
have thrown my money onto the
table of the money-broker; then I
would have had principal and in
terest. Bible weights and,,meas-
ures are pulling. Absolute ac-
curacy with reference to them is
almost out Of the question, It is
perhaps enough to say that the
least sum mentioned is considera-
Bile; anywhere in round numbers
from 81 900 to So, 900. The hid
ing Of the talent in the ground is
another dash of local coloring.
It was not the age of banks and
safetY-deposit boxes; so there were
many fields in which treasure was
"hid." The accounting
time was real and important to
master and slave. The revenue
for the support Of his chateau or
palace, the maintenance Of his
retinue, for all his power and pleas
ure, was gathered at such a time.
In proportion as his slaves had
been industrious, he could meet
bills falling due, and extend his
plans for social and political pres
tige. Il was a crucial hour for
slave as we'll. IF successful he
could expect to be corresponding
ly rewarded. If he could show no
gains, he we'll knew his master
had power of life and death over
him. 1t was an hour of real Joy
or fear. The practical
present-day bearing on human life
of the parable is apparent. 1t en-
phasizes individualism as against
institutionalism. Each for himself
is to increase his store. Each is
to give reckoning. The ordeal
will be as searching as fire. Es-
cape, evasions-impossible Re-
wards and penalties will be com
mensurate, and administered by
all even-handed equity. There
will be degrees of reward, but IT,.
smallest degree will be transcen-
IDENTIFY great. Eye hath not seen
ear hath not heard, anything that
will compare. The human mind
in incapable of conceiving of the
rewards of Paradise.
How desperate the strait of the un-
faithful! What he has shall be
taken from him; that is, it shall
be revealed to himself and all the
intelligences of heaven that the
faculty with which he was endow-
ed he has lost by persistent disuse
Oft. The spiritual visual sense
is obliterated. The spiritual auri-
cular nerves are dead. There is
no avenue through which the soul
can be reached. The state is rem.
ediless. The expulsion of such a
soul from Paradise is a moral ne