salvation with fear and trembling”. However much good they have done, they confess that they are unprofitable servants, and that their only ground for hope lies in the mercy of God.
Application. Picture to yourself the consternation and despair of those who are shut out for ever from the happiness of heaven. "We fools!” they will say, “for we might have been saved! We had so many means of grace, so many opportunities of doing good. But we wasted them, and are now, by our own fault, lost for ever!” Do you wish to be one of these unhappy ones? No! Then begin at once, while you are young, to be zealous in the service of God.
Chapter LXII.
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS.
[Mat. 25, 14 — 30; cf. Luke 19, 11 — 28.]
JESUS also spoke another parable to the same effect, showing the necessity of making good use of the time and the talents confided to us.
“For even as[1] a man going into a far country called his servants, and delivered to them his goods. To one he gave five talents[2], and to another two, and to another one; to every one according to his proper ability: and immediately he took his journey. Now, he that had received the five talents went his way and traded with the same, and gained other five. And in like manner, he that had received the two gained other two. But he that had received the one, went away, and hid his lord’s money in the earth.
“After a long time, the lord of those servants came and reckoned with them. And he that had received five talents, coming, brought other five talents, saying: ‘Lord, thou didst deliver to me five talents; behold, I have gained other five over and above.’ His lord said to him: ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant; because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter thou into the joy[3] of thy lord.”’
