Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1911-02-04
AASATURDAY
&E% NIGHT
4 SERMONS
BY
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
THE TRAGEDY OF THE ONE TALENT
MAN


XIV, Is.
1t is Tuesday afternoon, April /
A. d. 30. Jesus, the Man Of Nazareth
with his disciples and Il motley null
titude, is up on the brow of the
Mount of Olives Jerusalem and the
temple are below them, blazing i'll AL
their glory in the hot afternoon sun
Christ has Just foretold their annihila
ton. He is now about to tell the
cause of that future ruin. No nation
had ever received such trust as mad
the Jewish people. Their talent was
large. Would they use it or bury It,
as they did their Lord in Joseph
tomb? Back of the many colored Syr-
ian turbans the Master looked through
the haze of the coming centuries. lie
who gives beauty to the stars, fra
GRANGE to the flowers and life to the
child gives to each mortal some Var1e-
ty of endowment. Each according to
his ability" Only few are ten talent
men-most of us are One-and we arc
apt to discount that one. To us this
short text is like a galvanic shock.
But to the story:
The Talent Committed.
There's hustle and hustle in that
eastern house The master is off for
n long trip to far country. He calls
his three chief stewards. They stand
with glistening eyes. Eight thousand
dollars or more will be committed to
them. Such a fortune doesn't grow
on every bush What a chance to
prove themselves. Now he's off
There's Il waving of hands. Many sa-
laams. Farewell, They watch the
dust of his chariots and camclS as II
disappears into the horizon. But. say,
brother, push the clock hands around
1000 years. Wake up, Rub your
eyes, Not Palestine in the orient, but
the occident-yOur town, I. ). y.
Talents are no longer gold and silver,
but faculties, mental, physical and
spiritual. How big is your capacity:
Five bushels or one buShel? Can You
make horseShOes, sing tenor and pray
in public? Then you are that three
talent fellow. Just make horScShoeS,
nothing else? One talent only. Ma
poleon had five talents; Elias Howe
one. Which would You rather? Get
some books; add horse doctoring to
the horseshoeing. Now your sign
reads "Farrier and Veterinarian.
You are two talent man now. And
you, Miss Modest. you've been leading
the young peoples meeting lately; add
teaching a Sunday school class down
at the mission. One plus one are how
many? Who said "a thousand forests
son. Your prayer seemed feeble COM
pared to old Brother Saintlys.
Doesn't matter. The moss at Santa
Barbara isn't jealous of the big trees
at Mariposa The hen needn't envy
the eagle nor the sugar corn the rose.
The Gifts of God.
Our gifts, musical ability, song, ora
tory salesmanship, any power. come
from God. Say, that's a thought-God
has confidence in us. Needs us in some
way. Has left certain worlds work
for uS-to build bridges, dig tunnels,
watch teakettles boil, fly lightning
kites, try mir currents with monoplaneS
and biplaneS-indeed, pourS the treas
ures of the universe into our laps,
gives us a handful of seed and then
steps back, goes into "a far country
1t isn't yours to criticise either the
work or the tools he gives you. a
National league ball player has just
closed a three year contract at $4,000
n year. 1t evidently pays to play ball
The average salary of Methodist minis
tiers Is $4O0. Is one ball player worth
twenty-five preachers? Yes, on the
ball field. But don't try to reconcile
comparisons. Your task is to make
your talent larger. The place to make
money is where others are letting it
go. To get trade find the need of a
community and supply it. To go to
your work fresh, to love your job, to
cultivate that peculiar psychic buoy
ancy that makes the winning Splinter
cross the line smiling and easy, to give
the best that's In you to the common
place, is the magic that increases your
talent-the gift of God within you.
The Talent Neglected.
Look at that steward. What's he
doing? Actually burying his one talent
In the ground. Let me whisper-not
in "a napkin that's another story.
What's he muttering? Hard master
Not going to bother my head" Rec
ognize his picture? The church is full
of him, and the world too. Smiths
out hustling for the firm, gets new
trade; he's a rising man. Black
watches the clock, steals maps, reads
a cheap novel on the sly. One day he
gets the blue envelope and he is out
of job. Hear him rail at the tyranny
of capital. He's the "unprofitable serv-
ant" Catch the idea? Powers must
be used-and increased. We are re
sponsible not only for what we have,
but for what we ought to have. It's
use or loss. "Oh, that's an old story.
Yes, so is twice two are four"-but
it's mighty true. Don't you try to
count it three if you want to keep out
OF the poorhouse, nor five if you want
to keep out of prison. Does your
skeptlc friend sniff the air at such
ideas? Let him. He has already
traded his talent for a gold brick. He'd
like you to do the same. Misery loves
companionship. The knave's reward
and the FOOLS are about the same. It's