is in them is of God, and these very differences between men are
intended by Him to elicit mutual consideration and mutual helpfulness;
for we are members one of another, and the deficiencies of one are to be
supplemented by the superabundance of another.

2. The most brilliant gifts are of no great value apart from personal
diligence, such as distinguished Jeroboam.

He did thoroughly the work which lay to his hand, whether as mason,
tax-collector, or king. Such diligence often rectifies the balance
between two men of unequal ability. The plodding tortoise still beats
the hare, who believes herself to be so swift that she can afford time to
sleep. Any one who looks back on his classmates will see that the
cleverest have not proved the most successful, but that the prizes of
life have usually gone to those who diligently developed to the utmost
what they had. Scripture is crowded with examples of this. Jacob
laboured night and day, and therefore he prospered, even under Laban,
unjust and exacting though Laban was. Joseph won his way to the front,
though an exile and a slave, for he made himself indispensable in prison,
and in the kingdom. "_Seest thou a man diligent in business? he shall
stand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men_." And because
this is a Divine law, it prevails in higher spheres also. If a Christian
uses, in the service of his heavenly Master, the gifts he possesses,
faith in God, knowledge of truth, power in prayer, persuasive speech--his
five talents will become ten, or his two will gain other two. "_To him
that hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance_."

3. It may be said that talent and diligence combined do not always win
success, and so far as this world is concerned, it is true. Possibly
Jeroboam would never have come to the front if Solomon had not happened
to notice him. But if we read the interviews which Ahijah the prophet
had with Jeroboam, and with his mother, we shall learn to recognise the
control of God in this also.

If God over-rules anything he must over-rule everything, because what
appears to be the most trivial incident, often has the most far-reaching
results on human character and destiny. Trifles are often turning-points
in one's history. A casual word spoken in our favour may bring about the
introduction which leads to a happy marriage, or to a prosperous business
career. It may not have been known to us at the time, nor thought o