The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-10-07
The Parable of the Talents.

The Son vi man is coming. We
know no. the day nor the houf'
Therefore 1t behooVes us to watch In
the parable of the Ten Virgins Jesus
tells us how he woula have US watch.
We must watch in readiness. Bat TINS
is not all. and ne adds another~para-
bic to show that having set our mouse
in order we are not to sit down TO
watch and wait With Iolded hanGs,
The Lesson Text in Everyday Dress.
The kingdom OF heaven, sald Jesus,
--or rather what shaii happen III the
kingdom of heaven-~-will be Ike this.
a certain man who Was about to
start on journey to distant eoun-
try called his principal slaves and
divided among them saen means as
ne had available Ter investment. To
ofieS he gave five 1aients--several
thousand dollars We do net know
how many.--to another he gave two
talents. and to another one. dividing
the money among them according 10
their several ai!li;s-.-A&- 2aaG- as he
had gone. the man who received five
talents went TO work snd In the course
az time doubled his capital. He that
received two talents did likewise But
40 effort 10 invest it all. but simply
Kept Il hid away until his master
should return After a long time the
master came home again, and. calling
his slaves together. demanded an ac-
count of what they had done with the
money entrusted to them. The man
who received Ave talents reported that
he had made i've talents more. His
report highly pleased MS master, who
commanded him for hts fattbfuness,
and promised To reward him with
position OF great nQuer. and Invited
him 10 share his friendship and icy.
The man who had received two talents
made Ike report and received like
sommendations promise and Invitation.
But tie man who had received one
talent realizing his terrible mistake,
came with an excuse upon his lips
i knew, he said. that .oa were Il
hard. grasping man. raaptng in other
mems harvest fields, getting the profit
~ other mems labors. and was afraid
10 invest your money, lost / should
lose it. therefore | kept II IN Il safe
place until yeu should RETURN Here ii
il Just ss you gave # 10 HE Tie mas
ter answered You knew, did Naa that
/ reaped where ] have grown and
] reaped where | have not sasvn and
gathered where ] have not scattered
Very well, then. Won ought 10 have
deposited my money with tho bankers
20 that at my coming ! should have
received back M own with interest
And turning to another servant he
said. Take the talent fren him and
give Ia him that hath tea talents.
for to every one that hath shaa be
given more. and from him that pos
sesses nothing. but only holds that
which ls entrusted ~ him and makes
no use af II. shall be taken even that
with which he - entrusted And east
this Improbable slave cut Into dark
ness There will he weeping and
gnashing of teeth,
The Heart OF the Lesson
jesus hare teaches rs t. wait far
his coming not as 3 most who has sef
his house IN order for MS guest. bat
as servant who Is waiting for his
master return. II Is net enough that
the servant should have the huGsa IN
order; he must re prepared ~ show
thai he has doue his best aith the
responsibilities which his master mad
placed upon him. The servant who H.
ready fer his master X the servant
who has kept basy oeias his masters
v til.
God put NE hare This IS his World
and am his servant, He put me here
Tor a purpose. Ny place. whatever II
maybe, is a post OF dQtt Every man
Woman and child Is IN dats In this
world nobody is or duty save the dead
and the imhecile. While we have l3fe
In us. while we have a spark af ii9-
teilsct In rs while VIE have q particle
OF strength left In as. Ne have some
thing IL do Our strength max be
small and Il may ne a little thing
which God expects Of us hut he Will
expect that thing. He has a right t.
expect II hecattse he has given as the
strength and the opportunity Ia do
II, one may say that the I.ard In the
parable had servants 10 whom he
gave no Talents. Never mind we do
not hear that he required anything of
them. II @a have nothing God viii
require nothing, but | think there IS
hardly one Of Us prepared = admit
that we are quite dead. imte Nile. nii
When we come to ask ourselves the