The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 471

ten in the one case, and three in the other ; 11rn11.ta. The eentenoe literally ii, A, • in one we have ponnds spoken of, in the man ... aalled hu otm1 bond..,rmnte. Those other talents; in St. Luke eaoh 11ervant who apeoially belonged to him-a figure of all Christie.us, members of Christ, doing hu the 11ame l!llm delivered t.o him, in Sl him servioo as their Muter. Delivered uto Matthew the amount is divided into talents, them his good■ ( ,..a wd.pXOlf'TII IIO'Toii, hu JJOl- five, two, and one ; in the •• pounds" the eeasion.11 ). This was not an absolute gift, servants show differing faithfulness with the as we see from l!llbsequent prooeedinga, e.nd BBme gifts, in the " talents " two of them from the well-known relation of muter and slave. The fatter, genore.lly speaking, could display the same faithfulness with differing possess no property, but he was often em- gifts; here the idle servant hides hie money ployed to administer his me.ster's property in a napkin, there he buries it in the earth; for his lord's advantage, or was set up in the oonolusions also of the parables vary, busineBB on oe.pital advanced by hie owner, '!'heir objeot is not identical : the parable paying him all or a certain she.re of the profits. The money still was not the sla.ve's, in our text ill 11Strates the trnth that we and legally e.ll that a slave acquired by what- shall be judged e.ccording to that whioh we soever means belonged to his master, though, he.ve received; the parable in St. Luke shows, cuet.om had sanctioned e. more equitable' to 118e Trench's words, that " as men differ distribution, The "goods'' delivered unto in fidelity, in zeal, in labour, 80 will they the lord's servants represent the special pri- vileges accorded to them-differences of cha- differ in the a.mount of their spiritna.l gain." re.cter, opportunities, education, etc., which The latter treats of the use of gifts oommon they do not share in common with all men. to all, whether bodily, mental, or spiritual, Thie is one point, as above remarked., in such as one faith, one baptism, reason, con- which this parable varies from that of the science, sacraments, the Word of God; the .. pounds." In both cases the gfts are figured by money-a medium current a.nd former is concerned with the exercise of intelligible everywhere on earth. endowments which have been bestowed Ver. 15.-Unto one he gave flve ta.lenta. e.ccording to the recipient's capacity e.nd his The talent of silver (taking silver e.s worth ability to make use of them,-the question a little over 5,. an ounce) was nearly equiva- being, how he has employed hie powers, lent to £400 of our money. It is from the use of the word "talents" in this parable that opportunities, and ciroumstancee, the par- we modems have derived its common mean- ticular advantages, examples, and means of ing of natural gifta and endowments. The grace given to him. three principa.I slaves reoei ve a certain amount of property t.o nse for their master's Ver. H.-J'or the kingdom of heaven is profit. To every man. To all is given some u a man. The opening •sentence in the gre,ce or fe.culty which they have to employ original is ane.coluthic, and our transla.t.ors to the glory of God. " Unto every one of have supplied what they supposed to be us is given grace according to the measure wanting. The Greek has only, Fo-r jud aB of the gift of Christ "(Eph. iv, 7). No one can a man, etc.; Vulgate,ncutenim7wmo. The justly say he is neglected in this distribu- other member of the comparison is not ex- tion. Whatever natural powers, etc., we pressed. The Revised Version gives," It is possess, and the opportunities of exercising as when a man." They who receive the and improving them, are the gift of God, pOBBible interpolation at the end of ver. 13 and are delivered to ns to be put out to in- would simply render, "For he (the Son of terest. Aocording to his BBveral ability (KaTi\ me.n) is as a man." The Authorized Ver- ,..:;,,, l6/a.,, '66vrzµw). The master apportioned l!ion ,plainly affords the intended meaning bis gifts in e.ccordanoe with his knowledge in the words of the nsual preface to l!llCh of the sle.ves' ea.pa.city for business, and the paraules (ver. I; eh. xiiL 24, 81, etc.). The probability of their rightly employing much conjunction " for" ca.rries us ha.ck t.o the or little capital. So God distributes his en- Lord's solemn injunction, introducing e. new dowments, not to all a.like, but in such pro- illustration of the necessity of we.tchfulness. portions as men a.re able to bear and to profit Travelling into a far coUI1try (lr.1ro'671µ<ol', by. The infinite variety in men's disposi- lcamng lwme). Here our Lord, being about tions, intellects, will, opportunities, position, to withdraw his bodily presence from the and 80 on, are all taken into e.ccount, and t:arth e.nd to ascend into heaven, represents modify and condition their responsibility. himself as a man goi.J..ig into another country, Straightwa.y took his journey (anr•3np.'1'1EI' and first putting his affairs in order and ,bB,.,s). Immediately after the distribution issning instructions to his servants ( comp. he departed, leaving each slave, rincontroJJed ah.Di 83). Whollllle4 hiloWIL('ToliJ l~lovr) and undirected, to use the property-nssigned oe. :uv. 1-46,] THE GOSPEL ACOOHDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 477