The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-24

and seems 70 say; "Ah ! am very pru-
dent No trouble can entrap me. some
day l will get hungry when my master
may be visiting or dead linen VIII
be independent of all my surroundings.
I viii go to yonder brook and ma water
to drink. ! will come here and dig up
these bones and have glorious teast;
Therefore, | shall never die, because
have lots to drink and lots to eat. nus
with the worldly wise man lie Goes
not look upon his lands and gold as COO =
but as his own He goes and digs MS
holes and buries in them his goods. Then
his actions seem to say: Il VIII i've Iof-
ever. | am independent Of all my sur
roundings."
UnfaIthful Servant
When I see this crlngng, crawling, I'M
faithful servant of the parable being de-
prived OF this one talent, which he mas
hidden in his bank vaults, as dog hlaes
a bone, | cannot shut my cars 70 ne
false assumption of virtue with Nnlch 'iiS
unfaithful servant tried TO assam ms
masters character. He seems to say
"Master | know what a tyrant thou art
| know how unrelenting and bitter tllou
wouldst be IL | made one mistake IN my
investments, | knew that II hiaue |"
poor purchase and lost any oil tle capi
tai thou wouldst never cease 10 ioe'nu
me and that thou wouldst demand an
thy gold back or my llfe's BLOOD, Ahu
so. on account of the fear Of making
mistake, | did nothins. Hero thon mast
the money that is thine. what nap
pened? With one mighty grip the ina9tot
tore into shreds the black garIuei't u
hypocrisy which covered thai ray
heart. With ono dcuuneiaiofS pai
blow ho senccd those lying Ups. lie tore
away all the unfaithful servant pr
lenses to virtue when he said, eHypocrlte
and falsiGer thou art. Thou hast not only
proved recreant to the talent gave thee'
but thou art now trying to cover that
guilt with perjury and lies. Thou art 40
ing Is most unfalthful servants and eNh-
doors do When they are convicted OF
wrong doing they try to lay the blame az
some one else's door Oh, my fflenas'
are you and I taking that course? When
we think of our unused talents, when our
consciences tell us that God Intended us
to use the gifts that are lying idle What
is our answer? Is our excuse that other
men prevent us or that God Is hard
master in requiring us to work?
Then, again. there are men who would
make their inactivity appear as true
kindness. How often do we see the un-
faithful servants Of life with an assumed
expression of virtue upon their oounteh-
ances? They are saying, II Know people
say I am selfish. ! know people say that
I am mean. But what can | doG WISH
that I might be able to help others. But
if 7 help them I will only do them an
injury. 1t Is better for every man to learn
to help himself rather than to be helped
by his brothers. The ca siest way to make
q well man 4 cripple is to give nun
crutch. The easiest way to make lame
man well is to take away his crutch ana
compel him to use his weak limb. am
my neighbor's friend and Gods disciple,
although people know it not
His Hypocrisy.
Ny brother, when you try to defend
your sinful, selfish actions by putting the
blame of your sins upon others do you
honestly mean that you are telling the
truth? No, you know you are not. Like
the unfaithful servant in the parable,
you are trying to cover up your tiger
claws with Sleeps wool. You are trying
to shield your own sins with tissue or
lies. People admire the strong wing on
which the eaglt soals, but great preach-
err took different view of its flight. do
you see" he said, ''yonder eagle, how 1t
mounts? Does 1t care for the ethereal
blue or aspire to commune with the stars
of the heavens? Not a whit. Such airy
considerations have no weight with the
bird. And yet you will not wonder that 1t
scars when you remember that 1t thus
obtains a broader range of vision and so
becomes the more able to provide for its
but it always Keeps its eyes upon the
outlook for its prey 1t scars that 1t
may flash downward with full swoop upon
the object of it's desires" So with some
sinful men With their honeyed words
they seem to be mounting toward the
heavenly blue They pretend to be living
an unselnsh life. But they arc not mount
ing thus toward heaven to live nearer to
God. They are mounting thus in order that
they may have wider range for their
depredations. They assume the white,
spotless rohcs of virtue, but their hearts
are as black and as craven as the unfaith-
full servant of tho parable.
But not only does the worldly wise man
incur loss of property when his Lord
comes and rcckons with him. He loses the
society and eternal companionshp OF
those dear to him. He seems TO assume
that, no matter how selfshy he may
live or what sins he may commit, he shalt
be able to live forever with the same
kind of good people with whom lie has as
ISOLATED on earth. He seems to think,
because the Master of the parable has lei
him work side by side with his faithful
servants here for a time. that when he
comes back he will still let faithful ser
wants live side by slde with him. Now,
this is not to be. Not only did the Master
take away from his unfaittful servant his
talent and tear away his hypocritcal pre-
lenses to virtue. but the Master also de-
barred that unfaithfu servant forever
more assoeiating with those who had been
faithful to their trusts.
If you turn to the twenty fifth chapter
of Matthew. YOU will find that Jesus
taught this fact beyond all peradventure.
After Christ had told the parable Of the
unfaithful servant with the dramatic
power of true orator he suddenly
changed his illustrat ton into the sccne OF
courtroom. Here is the open court of
the east. Here arc the mulutudes of all
ages assembled There Is the throne
upon which God will sit as the Divine
Judge, who shall pass upon each mortal
life. After each servant has given m ac
count of his stewardship. the Divine
Judge viii pronounce the sentence. Listen
To the awful ring Of those words; and
before him shall he gathered all nations,
and lie shall separate them ono from an
other rs n shepherd diVidcth his sheep
from tho goats. anu he shall set the sheep
on his right hand and the goats on his
left" oh. yes there will be an awful sep
aration some day. The faithful servants
must be separated from the bad. That
means, IF | do not render n good ac-
count of my stewardship. God will sepa