say, " Lord, thy pound hath gained ten, ox five pounds ? " Can we say upon good grounds that it hath gained even two? Happy for us, if we have the testimony of our conscience respecting this. We shall gladly, like the good servants, ascribe the honour to our Lord^: we shall adopt the language of the Apostle1' — , and of David1 — : nor will our Lord be back- ward to reward our faithful exertions. He will recompense every one in proportion to his labour and success k ; and to every one he will give what infinitely exceeds the value of his services1. But, alas ! are there not many who have hid their money in a napkin ? What recompence then must such slothful servants receive ? Christ will shortly deprive them of the means of grace they possess, and make them monuments of his ever- lasting displeasure : nor will this be the reward of those only who dissipate his money : it will be the certain recompence of unprofitableness. Let not any one therefore hope to be ap- proved while he continues idle : let not any one be satisfied with mere negative holiness : let our exertions in our Master's ser- vice be unwearied : let us, like the saints of old, look to the recompence of reward1" : and let us stand ready to give up our account with joy. So shall we have confidence before him, and not be ashamed at his coming".]
s They do not say / have gained, but, " Thy pound" hath gained: they knew and acknowledged that they had nothing of their own to trade with.
h 1 Cor. xv. 10. i 1 Chron. xxix. 14. k 1 Cor. iii. 8.
1 The government of five or ten cities is a rich compensation in- deed for the improvement of one pound.
m Heb. xi. 26. n 1 John ii. 28.