The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-30


story applies just as well 70 ere
wno has = voice to sing or 10 one
who can DO personal cork for Christ
There ts much unused power ia our
churches to-day
First, the one talent man has as
suraea the fun responsibility for hls
talent HE took tha talent and there
lore could not escape the RESPONSE
bility Of IL, There are some people
who have no talents at all The i'm
beetles, the idiots and the insane
hays no talents One talent 10 not
80 be aespisad Or. John A. Broaaus,
who ased 30 be heard here many years
ago, often said that one ~as "A big
yer cent. on nothing And II Is
How many talents do you own
oa have to-own 10 one. Tha fact
that you are here shows that you
nave one, IL ought 10 prove that
gea have many. bat how many 90
you own II is amazing how humble
We sometimes are, is was Gideon
when God called him TO service.
The one talent man had au that
he was able to handle. According
10 his ABILITY We read. He had
all that he could handle. His cup
@es not as big as yours, bat 1t Was
lol unto the very brim. In the
parable OF the pounds In the gospel
Il Luke. each OF the men received
The same gift. They made the sams
start, each had a pound. They did
not make the same use OF the start
Tor there was diversity Of use
those who call themselves socialists
believe that the millennium will CONS
when everything IL lsveled up. or
seveled down, SO that We shall all
0e alike. But It would not Ice long
before diversity would he manifested.
Men have different gifts and they
use them differently. InAthe parable
~ the talents, the men do not start
alike. But. You say, it is in the
Declaration of Independence that all
zen are born free and equal" They
never were all equal and they never
srili be. We ought to be born Tree,
hut there are still large parts of the
earth where that ~ not true. We
are not born equal anywhere. Fra
ternity. liberty, equality are beau
tiful words when applied TO political
privilege. In this story. then, there
diversity Of gifts as we'll as a
diversity of use.
But there is one thing more. II
is what We call the personal equa~
zen. In order for reform, we need
more good laws. and we need the
execution of a good many that we
ste already made. We need better
avs 10 remove the inequalities and
wrongs OF life. but even SO. We still
rave left the curious personal equa-
tion. Men are different. and cannot
10 legtsiated into goodness. nor can
we gaivanize them into It.
The man with one talent did not
Use what he had. He had all that
ne was able to handle. lie had
more than he did handle. He grew
angry and went off because Of the
aisparity OF his gift One had hve
talants, another had tive. he had emily
me. He said; The master chose TO
give me one. Since he has so mis-
treated me. / VIII just go and dig a
hole In the ground and hide his tai
emit, ! will not use H." SO he did,
He buried his one talent. In every
church there are buried talents as
we'll as many life. / have read
that in India some OF the princes are
not willing to use their money, nor
are they willing to entrust 1t to the
bankers: 60 they make secret holes
n the walls and put enormous sums
Of gold there Thus the gold is buried
and disappears and much passes out
OF use.
This man did not understand the
aw Of growth Neither did he un-
ferstand life and business It is life
which grows. and IL money Is 10
grow. IL has to he put to use No
,anker expects to be rich Just by lock
tanker expects TO be rich Just by lock
ing up his money in a vault.
Each of us thinks that he could
10 better II he had a bigger task.
We may say 10 ourselves, "A man
Of my education. genius. family tall
ents. could do wonders. II 1ust had
IN opportunity which liz eemmensu-
rate with my gifts, But tho small
task that ] have fails to draw out
the best that Ia In me, and. therefore,
/ will NOT do anything. One Is
not usually asked to take another
task untn he proves himself worthy
~ the one that no has, There are
exceptions but, SIS n rule. 1 believe
men and women In this life get what
hey deserve in the way of oppor-
tunity for service.
The one talent man blamed some
body else for his own failure. He
made his report last and he had his
tale ready i vas personal expert
enee lie said 4 know you. have
tried you before. know all ABOUT
you He also appealed to his mas
ters bad reputation. You are
hard master. That is your reputation
You reap where YOU did not SOW,
"a gather where you did not strew.
You have the reputation OF getting
the feneNt of another man n toll,
tusf like q modern trust-~and | knew
vou and was afraid OF YOU That is
my defense. Was afraid Of you,
and J MSS not going 10 take any
chances with a man like YOU. i Just
took M talent and made "A good
Nig hole and hid H. and | have kept
N safely for you. Here IL IL. / did
not lose II. am glad for you 10
have IL back for II has been on nay
mind You have waited a long time
and I ana glad YOU have cnne, Here
II IL. ala not lose IL " Ia this spirit
the man makes his report,
This one talent msn lost the talent
he had OF course. when that hap
penea IL proved 10 him what he had
already said. fHs hAs taken my
talent That proves that / was cor
rect knew he was a hsrd man.
/ had one talent, i dld n0t lose II
he took that ons away from me and
gave II TO the man who had ten.
That proves ny point hat the mas.
ter did net sNa IL In that light. He
tooh II 10 be proof that The man
was unworthy of his opportunity
Theirs Ar~ three Greek adtectivss used
TN describing this man. hs liz called
.tponeroH. aknoFas. aChr@ics "
LIST as t&ks these up In oFdsr.
faneFous ls had ca evil II comes
ffun4 poneo. 10 work, and h. here
translated wicked What Is the con.
neessen between work and syiiY fevi-
habit Az bottom thls ta@a WAS dawn.
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