DISCOURSE XIV. THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS. MATT. XXV. 29. To every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath. THE Parable of the virgins, with which this chapter begins, was intended to convince Christians of the necessity of living in a constant state of preparation for the coming of their Lord either at the general judgment at the end of the world, or to call them out of the world by death; and to warn them of the danger of putting off their repentance to a late hour, lest the time of mercy should be past, and admission to the marriage feast of the lamb should be refused to them. That parable, therefore, concludes with this earnest command, "watch therefore," and be always ready, " for ye know neither the day, nor the hour, wherein the Son of man cometh." To enforce this command, and fix it deeply in the mind of every Christian; that it might at all times influence his conduct, and keep him in a state of due preparation to receive his Lord; Christ immediately subjoined the parable of " a man travelling into a far country, who," before his departure, " called his own servants" to him, "and delivered to them his goods. To one, five talents; to another, two; and to another, one : To every man according to his several ability." After a long time, their Lord returned, and demanded an account of the talents he had committed to them. He who had received five talents, had improved them so well, that he produced other five which he had gained by the use of them. He also who had received two talents, produced other two which he had gained by proper management. They were both applauded by their Lord for their fidelity and diligence, were advanced in dignity and power, and were admitted into the joyful presence of their Lord. But he who had received only one talent, managed it in a very different way. He entertained an opinion as false in fact, as it was foolish in practice---that his Lord was a severe and covetous master, who would catch at every gain, however small, and punish with rigour every little loss he might incur in negocia *ting with his talent. Unconcerned whether his Lord's interest in his hands was increased or not, he was only careful that he might restore it to him undiminished on his return: He therefore hid it in the earth, and paid no further attention to it. Being called to his reckoning, he produced his talent, and made his apology, founding his justification on his Lord's severe temper, and hard usage of his servants, saying "Lord, I knew that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strowed; and I was afraid, and I went and hid my talent in the earth; lo, there thou hast what is thine." That is, I knew thee to be so rigid in thy conduct, that it was impossible for thy servants to make any improvements equal to thy demands, which sometimes are so exorbitant as to require the harvest thou didst not sow. I therefore was afraid, that should any accident happen to me in negociating with thy talent, it would be imputed to my carelessness, and be charged against me. I knew also, that let my success be ever so great, I should get no credit from it.--Thou wouldst consider me only as a servant who had done his duty, and to thy bounty I must have trusted for my reward. I therefore laid up thy talent in a secure place, and that thou mayest not say I have defrauded thee, here is what is thine----all I ever received of thee. His Lord takes the case up on the principles he had avowed. Not that he admitted the justice of his representation, that he was a hard master, requiring improvements in an over proportion to the abilities he had given; but that by judging him out of his own mouth, and according to the principles on which he had acted, he might make him: feel the justice, as well as severity, of his sentence. "Thou wicked and slothful servant" (wicked in entertaining such unworthy notions of his Lord as led him wickedly to neglect the improvement of the talent committed to him) thou sayest that thou knowest me to be a hard man, and " that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strowed.".... Thou mightest therefore have known that I expected some improvement of the talent in thy hands. Why, then, didst thou not attend to it? why not take care that I might have some increase of it? why didst thou not put my money to the exchangers ? and then, at my coming, I should have received my own with usury."..His Lord then ordered the talent to be taken from him, and given to the faithful and diligent servant who had increased his five talents to ten. The Text assigns the reason of this procedure, "For to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath." That this parable relates to the general judgment appears from the structure and issue of it. In this view of it, I shall employ the remainder of this discourse in making such remarks on it as fairly present themselves to our observation. 1. It is evident that the man going into a far country represents Jesus Christ returning to Heaven after his **resurrection. He is properly our Lord and Master, not only as he is God the Creator, by whom the world and all things in it were made; but also as he is the Redeemer of men, who has bought us with the price of his own blood, that we might live to him, and be his servants who paid the ransom for us. 2. The man in the parable, before his departure, called to him "his own servants, and delivered to them his goods," to every servant "according to his several ability." These talents they were to improve during his absence. So when Christ was about to ascend into heaven, he called his Apostles, his own servants, to him, and delivered to them his goods; that is, he committed to them his Church, to be ordered, and governed, and built up by them: Placing in it some to be apostles, some prophets, some teachers, and some private christians; dividing to every man according to his several ability: as in his infinite wisdom he saw best. According to the directions he gave, and under the inspi ration of the Holy Ghost whom he promised to send to them, they were to " occupy till he came;" that is, employ their several gifts, and improve their respective talents, in calling men into his Church, and building them up in faith and holiness, till he should call them out of the world, or call the world to give account to him. For, " when he ascended up on high," even into the highest heaven, "he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." "He gave some" to be " Apostles; and some, Prophets; and some, Evangelists; and some, Pastors and Teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."* 3. It is plain that all the servants had power to improve the talents committed to them; for they were given according to every man's particular ability. The slothful servant pleaded no want of ability to improve his talent; but pretended a fear that he should not do it so as to satisfy his Lord's unreasonable expectations. Nor could there have been any justice in punishing him for not doing that which he had no ability to perform. 4. It is plain that the phrase, be that bath, means him who improveth what he hath to the purpose for which * Eph. iv. 8, 11, 12. God gave it; and be that hath not, him who doth not improve the talents which God hath given to him. It will follow, that he who improves his talents shall have them increased: and increased for that reason, because he does improve them: And that he who neglects to improve the talents committed to him, shall be deprived of them in such degree as God sees to be right; and for that very reason, because he does not use them to the purpose for which God gave them. 5. It appears that the improvement or neglect of the talents given to every one, will be the rule or standard by which every one shall be judged. And that they who, having received but little, improve that little, shall be accepted as well as they who received much; and with them shall be rewarded according to the improvement they have made, For the servant who improved his two talents was admitted into the joy of his Lord, as well as he who had improved five. 6. It is evident that the final issue of this judgment will be very different to those who have, and to those who have not improved their talents. The reward of faithful servants did not end in their acquittal in the judgment to which they were called; their conduct was approved, their talents were increased, and they were admitted into the joy of their Lord. The condemnation of the wicked servant extended beyond the disap. probation of his Judge: The principles on which he had acted were condemned; he was deprived of his talent, and "cast into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth." These expressions of the joy of our Lord, and outer darkness, may be supposed to be figurative, and that no precise meaning can be affixed to them. But this, granting it to be the case, can afford no security to wicked Christians. Figurative expressions mean something; and the joy of our Lord, and outer darkness cannot mean the same thing. Joy implies happiness; but darkness is uncomfortable and distressing, and by it affliction and suffering are expressed in the Scriptures..... |