an income of more than five times that of the poorest. Thie might be feasible with an adcqnate levelling up. (4) No man bas any right to complain that be bas more or lees than another. He that bl!.8 much should not despise him that has little. He that hne little should not envy him that has more. The man who improves his gifts, however small, will surely obtain the kingdom. 2. He gives thMn to be improved. (1) Every gift and grace of God is capable of improvement. (a) To the comfort and salvation of the recipient. (b) For the benefit of hia race. (c) l!'or the glory of his Maker. (2) No talent must be buried. "Money is like manure, good for nothing in the heap; but it must be eprend" (Bacon; eeo also Eccles. vi.1, 2; Jas. v. 3). That many Christians are too slothful to be useful is a melancholy fact. Bo perseveringly should we serve as not to outlive our character and our usefulness. (3) Much more must no talent be abused. Yet to bury is to abuse. He who digs to hide his talent puts himself to more trouble to abuse God's mercy than it would cost him to improve that mercy unto his salvation. III. THE REOKONING. 1. The diligent are rewarded. (1) They can render their account with joy. For with the talents they had received "they went and traded." Note: A true Christian is a spiritual tradesman (see Prov. iii. 15; eh. iii. 45). Those who diligently improve their talents will have boldness in the day of judgment (see 1 John ii. 28; iv. 17). (2) They receive commendation. They are praised for their goodness and faithfulness. If there be no merit, there is yet a rewardableness in our good deeds. They are promised a promotion. "I will set thee over many things." If the few things be "five talents," what must be the "many things," equivalent to "five cities," equivalent to "an hundredfold" I The servant over the few things is to be made ruler over many things. Note: Heaven is a place of' order and government. (3) They receive glory. "Enter into the joy of thy Lord." Christ, for the joy that was before him, endured the cross. That joy Wl!.8 the glorification of his humanity, both body and soul. It is also the glorification of the members of hie Church, which is hie mystical body and soul. This joy will fill the capacity of every member, whether he be a man of five talents or of two. Heightened capacity will still have perfect enjoyment. Christ's servants are all princes. The crown (2 Tim. iv. 8), the throne (Rev. iii. 21), the kingdom (eh. xxv. 34). 2. The indolent are punished. (1) They are reproached. "Wicked and slothful" is opposed to "good and faithful." Faithfulness rather than success is approved, and so is faithlessness rather than failure reproved. Note: The servant who had least entrusted to him is here represented as the unfaithful one, perhaps to impress upon us that we must not make the smallness of our gifts a pretext for indolence. (2) The slothful servant, justifying himself on the ground of his master's severity, expresses the views of the Author of all good that are taken by carnal minds. Bow awfully depraved is he that can charge his crimes upon his Maker! Note: The parable puts a weak excuse into the mouth of the slothful servant, to show that for neglect there is no apology. (3) Hard thoughts of God beget fear (vers. 24, 25). Note the spirit of the slave. By refraining from expressing displeasure at the injustice of the slothful servant, our Lord teaches that the duty of serving him is incumbent even on the natural man. ~4) The indolent are deprived of their gifts and graces. "Take the talent from him.' From the faithless minister, from the faithless Church-member. "For from him that hath not even that which he hath shall be taken away.'' "He who bath this or that, and makes no use of it, may not improperly be said both to have it and not to have it" (Aristotle). Only what we use well becomes crystallized into a good character. (6) The unprofitable are relegated to wrath (ver. 30). "Unprofitableness and omission of duty is damnable; unfaithfulness in us, who are but stewards and servants. To do no harm is praise fit for a stone, not for a man" (Baxter). "Cast ye out the unprofitable servant." (a) "Into outer darkness." All outside heaven is darkness in eternity. (b) "There shall be weeping," etc.; misery.~. A. M.
Vere. 31--46.-The great assize. It has been well observed by Dr. Doddridge that our Lord here proceeds to speak of the great day of retribution, in a description which is one of the noblest instances of the true sublime anywhere to be found. Portions of the description are undoubtedly parabolic, the intention evidently being to give promi- nence to certain important principles; but otherwise it is a solemn anticipation of wha, will one day become history. We may consider- 506 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [OB. xxv. 1--46.