d
received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one
went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money." Notice that
the man who had the two talents got exactly the same commendation as
the man who had the five. The one who got five doubled them, and his
lord said to him: "Well done, good and faithful servant." The one who
had two also doubled them, and so had four talents; to him also the
lord said: "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the
joy of thy lord."

If the man who had the one talent had traded with it, he would have
received exactly the same approval as the others. But what did he do?
He put it into a napkin and buried it. He thought he would take care
of it in that way.

After the lord of these servants had been gone a long while he
returned to reckon with them. What does he find in the case of the
third servant? He has the one talent; but that is all.

I read of a man who had a thousand dollars. He hid it away, thinking
he would in that way take care of it, and that when he was an old man
he would have something to fall back upon. After keeping the money for
twenty years he took it to a bank and got just one thousand dollars
for it. If he had put it at interest, in the usual way, he might have
had three times the amount. He made the mistake that a great many
people are making to-day throughout Christendom, of not trading with
his talents. My experience has been as I have gone about in the world
and mingled with professing Christians, that those who find most fault
with others are those who themselves have nothing to do. If a person
is busy improving the talents that God has given him he will have too
much to do to find fault and complain about others.

God has given us many opportunities of serving Him, and He expects
that we should use them. People think that their time and property are
their own. What saying is more frequent than this? "I have a right to
do what I will with my own."

On one occasion a friend was beside the dying bed of a military man
who had held an important command in successful Indian wars. He asked
if he were afraid to die. He at once said: "I am not."

"Why?" He said: "I have never done any harm."

The other replied: "If you were going to be tried by a court-martial
as an officer and a gentleman, I suppose you would expect an honorable
acquittal?" The dying old man lifted himself up, and with an energy
which his illness seemed to rende