The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 485

gifts entrasted to him. 3.. ~ US6 '1/'lade of them. Straightway (according to who.t seems to be the best arrangement of the text) he who had received five te.lents went and traded with them. He lost no time; he felt the greatness of his trust, and set to work at onoe to do his best for his lord. He was successful; he made other five talents. The second eerve.nt, was -equally industrious, and in proportion equally suc- cessful;_ each gai.1ed cent._per_cent.; each did his mMter'e work faithfully. The third d1gged In the earth and hid his lord's money. He knew that the profit of his trading would not be his own; he did not care to Jabour for his lord. He represents those who neglect spiritual gifts, who do not stir up the gi~ of God that is in them, who quench the Spirit; and secondarily, those who use the good things of this world simply for themselves, not for the glory of God and the good of their fellow-men. The talent was hidden in the earth; buried amid worldly cares and worldly amusements. The unhappy man had received the grace of God in vain; he had wasted his earthly means upon his own selfish pleasures. II. THE BECKONING. 1. The first servant. The lord cometh after a long time (another hint that the second advent was not to be expected immediately), and reckoneth with his servants. The first, to whom five talents had been entrusted, had gained other five talents. He brings them; he attributes his gains entirely to hie lord's original gifts; "Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents." He had worked; but it was the lord who had enabled him to work, who had given him the means. He represents the few highly gifted and eminently faithful Christians, such as St. Paul, who could say," By the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain ; but I laboured more abundantly than they all ; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." The Lord recognized his dili- gence: "Well done," he said, in those precious words which thrill through the Chris- tian's heart, filling him with high and blessed hope, " Well done, good and faithful servant." It is that highest praise, the praise of God, which the Christian should desire with all his heart and soul, heeding not the praise of men. He shall have that crowning praise who hath been faithful here, who ever regards himself as the Lord's servant, set here to work for God; who regards his powers, his means, whatever they may be, as his Lord's money, to be used in Lis Lord's service. 'l'hose gifts are" few things." Even the five talents, the great-personal gifts, the vast means of doing good, which have been bestowed on some of the Lord's servants, are "few things," very small indeed compared with the glory and the blessedness reserved for the faithful. For those faithful ones shall be admitted into "the joy of their Lord," the Lord's own joy, the joy that was set before him, for which he endured the cross, despising the shame. They shall sit with him in his throne; for he bath given them the glory which was given him of the Father. Heart of man cannot tell the entrancing rapture of that holiest joy. 2. The second servant. He too had done his best. His gains were less than those of the first servant, but he was not so richly endowed. He had been equally faithful; he had made the best use of his humbler gifts ; he was as good and holy and noble-hearted a man as bis more highly gifted brother. He is welcomed with the same high_ praise_; he receives the like reward. It is fait~~ss, not gifts, which will be considered lil the great day. Many men of mean capac1t1es and poor endowments will be among the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "Many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first." 3. 'l'he third servant. He lingered to the last; his conscience was uneasy. But he could not escape his master's eye; he must render his account. He comes at length, but not in humility and self-abasement, coufessing his sinful negligence ; he comes with false excuses, trying to shift the blame from himself upon his lord. He knew, be said, that his master was a hard man, harsh and exacting; be required from his servants more than they could render, more than he had enabled them to render. He feared him; he would not trade with his talent, lest in the risks and uncertainties of business he should lose some portion of it ; but he had kept it safe: there it was. His master, he implied, had no right to ask for more, So men argue, or pretend w argue, now. They will not wilrk for the glory of God or for the good of souls. The real reason is sloth, selfish sloth ; they will work only for themselves. But, like the slothful servant, they have their excuses; they are unequal, they say, to the work to which God's providence seems to call them; God's demands are so large, so deep-reaching; he requires more than weak human nature can give,  011. xxv. 1-46.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 491