The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1907-02-21
CalnaQe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Hr6nk ~ Witt Tslmase. d. D.

Los Angeles, CAL, Feb. 17.-In deal
Ing in new and strikngly personal
way with the parable of the talents
the preacher shows how it applies to
men OF means and influence In every
position in life today. The text is Luke
viii, IS, "WhosoeveE hath not, from
him shall be taken away even that
which he seemeth to have"
1t is amazing how the addition OF
one little word may change the whole
meaning Of a sentence For long
time l could not understand the TWEEN
ty-ninth verse of the twenty fifth chap
ter of Matthew Christ in his wonder
full way had been telling the parable of
the man who went into the far country
after he had delivered unto his serv-
ants his goods. The story is almost
identical with the history of your own
life.
For years and years you were a
slave to business You kept up brave
front, but for nearly a quarter of a
century you were trembling upon the
brink Of bankruptcy. The children
were young and had to be supported
and educated. Your business had not
yet been well established. The bust
ness world was cycling you askance.
You had to buy your goods on long
credit and therefore pay higher for
them than ii you had the ready cash.
The result: 1t was grind, work, econo-
mize. But after a time the financial
mo do ftxs>v fnp fhn
Two OF your boys finished their school
ing and were able to support them
selves. One Of your daughters married.
With the lessening of expenses at
home there came a marvellous growth
at the store. Instead of living upon the
narrow lane of difficulty" you moved
into Easy street One night you came
home and after dinner you said to your
wife: my dear, have fought the bat
tie OF life and won it. 1t is time for us
to take wedding trip. We did not 60
very far when we were married. We
were too poor. Let us next spring start
upon trip around the world" "Oh,
john" she said. ''can you afford it?"
Yes, you answered. ''Apd I think we
san take our youngest daughter along.
She Is all we have left at home"
At once you began to make prepare
tions. Your wife planned for the care
Ut the house. You made the arrange
nlents 1t the stere. You called In one
employees and said, Harry, you will
take care OF this department" You
called tn another and said. Zoe. you
take charge Of that department" To
another man you gave one task4and to
another different responsibility. Then
you set sail. With your wife and
daughter you were away from home
nearly q year. When You returned you
called your various employees to rem
der an account of their stewardship.
You rewarded each man according as
he had fulfilled the trust committed to
his charge. Such is the modern par
aliel Of the parable of the twenty fifth
chapter Of Matthew.
New, when the good man Of this
parable found out that there was one
WfO had failed TO fulfill his trust be
says, "Take therefore the talent from
him and give 1t unto him who hath
ten talents, for unto every one that hath
shall be given, and he shall have an
abundance, but from him that hath
not shall be taken away even that
which he hath" Strange" used to
say when I read these words ''How
can anything be taken away from a
man who has nothing?" Can nothing
come from nothing? Yet here In this
parable of Matthew we read, From
him that hath not shall be taken away
even that which he hath" II cannot
understand these Words used to
say; II cannot understand them
The Real Meaning.
But some time ago I had strange
illumination of the meaning Of this
chapter Just as you enter dark
room and go to the window and lift
the green shade and food Of sunlight
pours In, so / had a windowful of gos-
pei light poured upon these words One
day while reading the expression as
found in Luke I came upon the one
word sseemeth." Then read the con-
eiusion of the parable in Matthew In
conjunction with my text In Luke, and
I found that the two verses meant
practically the same. This is the way
I read the two verses: "Take heed
therefore how you hear, for whosoever
hath to him shall be given and whose
ever hath not from him shall be taken
away even that which he seemeth to
have" 'Oh," I exclaimed, II see it!
When a man is untrue to the trust
God has given to him, he may seem to
have wealth and happiness, he may |
seem to be blessed with Joys which |
are denied the children of God, but |
there shall come a time when he shall !
stand before all men stripped of his
false assumptions" To pretend to have
does not prove that we have. That |
word s'seerneth' is the pivotal word of |
my sermcnic theme want to prove !
to you that no man can eternaiIy pos
sess anything that is good and true
and pure unless he possesses them |
through bis fidelity and conservation to
Ieaas Sss.szst. When . man has gifts