ly sacrificing his master's
profit in order that himself might incur no risk. The two who had
successfully traded were commended and rewarded; the one who allowed his
talent to lie idle was condemned and punished for his unfruitfulness,
although no positive dishonesty was laid to his charge.[54]

[54] For the relation between the talents and the pounds, see the
exposition of the latter parable,--the last of the series.

* * * * *

We are now ready to proceed with the exposition. The proprietor who went
abroad represents Christ at the close of his ministry on earth leaving
his disciples and ascending to heaven. His continued presence
spiritually with his people is not inconsistent with this
representation, for our parable deals with the bodily and the visible.
His own servants, whom he called, like the ten virgins who went out to
meet the bridegroom, represent the whole number of those who are called
by his name and seem to be his disciples. The delivery of the master's
goods to these servants intimates that the Lord gives to every member of
the visible Church all his faculties and opportunities.

In this distribution different amounts are consigned to different
persons. Here the representation obviously accords with the fact: of
time, of intellect, of health, of learning, of wealth, scarcely any two
persons possess a precisely equal portion. There is a clause here
generally overlooked by expositors, but which must be intended to
express some feature of importance,--"to every one according to his
several ability." We can easily understand it as it occurs in the story:
the master, at the moment of his departure, graduated his gifts
according to the abilities and acquirements of the servants that he
might not throw a great responsibility on a weak man, or leave a man of
vigour only half employed. What doctrine does this feature represent?
Probably that, while all the gifts that a man possesses are bestowed by
God, some, such as bodily constitution and mental capacity are conferred
by God as governor of the world; while others are subsequently conferred
by the Lord Jesus as the king and head of the Church. I am inclined to
understand these latter gifts by the goods which the master bestowed on
the eve of his departure; these gifts are in some way proportioned to
the faculties of the receiver, so that one may not be oppressed and
another left with inadequate occupation.

The one who re