always prepared for it.-SHERLOCK. | into a far country, who called HYMN. Ye waiting souls, arise, With all the dead, awake; Unto salvation rise, Oil in your vessels take: Up starting at the midnight cry He comes, he comes, to call Who fit for glory are; Make ready for your full reward, Go forth with joy to meet your Lord. Go meet him in the sky, With all his saints ascend; Ye pure in heart, obtain the grace, Ye that have here received The unction from above, Obedient to his love; Jesus shall claim you for his bride. Rejoice in glorious hope Of that great day unknown, When you shall be caught up To stand before his throne; Called to partake the marriage feast, And lean on our Immanuel's breast. Then let us wait to hear The trumpet's welcome sound; To see our Lord appear, May we be watching found; Enrobed in righteousness divine In which the bride shall ever shine! § LXXX. WESLEY. CHAP. XXV. 14-30. The Parable of the Talents. k 14 For the kingdom of his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every m man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, "I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the 'joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received heaven is 'as a man travelling two talents came, and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 Then he which had received the one talent came, and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast strawed: not shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant 'into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Luke xix. 12.-7 ch. xxi. 33.- A talent is 1877. 10. ch. xviii. 24.-m Rom. xii. 6. 1 Cor. xii. 7, 11, 29. Eph. iv. 11.-n ch. xxiv. 47; ver. 34, 46. Luke xii. 44, & xxii. 29,30.-6 Heb. xii. 2. 2 Tim. ii. 12. 1 Pet. i. 8.-p ver. 21.-g ch. xii. 12. Mark iv. 25. Luke viii. 18; & xix. 26. John xv. 2.-r ch. vii. 12; & xxiv. 51. And READER. The kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. unto one he gave five talents, to another ten, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability.—As we are to serve God with all we are (1 Cor. vi. 20), so also with all we have, (Prov. iii. 9). Whatsoever we have we receive from his bounty, and therefore whatsoever we have we should employ for his glory: our parts, our gifts, our estates, our power, our time. Whatsoever we call ours is his in our hands, and therefore to be improved, not for ourselves, but for him. As our Saviour shows in this parable of the Talents, which the master of the house distributed among his servants; to some he gave one, to some two, to others five, that every one might employ his proportion to his master's use, neither squandering it away, nor yet laying it up in a napkin. It is God that is the grand master and possessor of the world, who parcels it out amongst his creatures, as himself sees good; but wheresoever he entrusteth any thing, he expects the improvement forms us better, that we must give of it for himself. And so, I suppose, doth every one of us from such servants as we keep; we expect that what we put into their hands be laid out, not for themselves, but for us; and that they spend their time in our service, not their own; and if they do otherwise, there is none of us but will say they do not serve us, but themselves. How then can we expect that God will look upon us as serving him, when we do not so much for him as we expect from our own servants, though our fellow-creatures? Or how can we think that we serve him as we ought, unless we serve him as much as we can? Or that God should look upon us as his servants, unless we employ and improve whatsoever we have, not for our own pleasure, profit, or applause, but for his honour and glory, from whom we did receive it? Let us remember our Saviour's words, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." BEVERIDGE. He that received one, went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. We shall be judged for not improving the talents we are intrusted with ;—that is, for not doing good in the world. This many men are apt to forget. To squander away and waste their master's goods, to do that which is evil, this they think they must give account of; but if they do no hurt, they are not much concerned what good they do. But our Saviour in this parable in an account of our improvements; for he who received but one talent went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money; and when his lord came to reckon with him he said, "Thou wicked servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Here we plainly see that this servant was not punished for spending his master's money, for he returned to him the talent which he gave him,-"Lo, there thou hast that is thine," but for not improving it, as the other servants had done. He was an unprofitable servant, who had brought no advantage to his master. And thus, it is plain, men judge of servants. He is a very wicked steward indeed, who embezzles his master's goods; but he is an unprofitable servant who makes no improvements: and thus God will judge of us, as we think it reasonable to judge of our servants. And when we consider how many talents we are entrusted with, it should make us humble to think what little improvements we make of them. Every thing that is improvable to the service and glory of God is a talent; and if we do not improve it to God's glory, and to do good in the world, it is a talent hid in a napkin, or buried in the earth."-SHERLOCK. After a long time, the lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came, &c.-The life to come dependeth upon this; as the reward upon the work, or the runthe work, or the runner's or soldier's prize upon his race or fighting, or as the merchant's gain upon his voyage. Heaven is won or lost on earth. The possession is there; but the preparation is here. Christ will judge all men according to their works on earth. 'Well done, good and faithful servant' must go before enter thou into the joy of thy lord.' 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course' goeth before the crown of righteousness which God, the righteous judge, will give.' All that can be done for salvation by us must here be done. It was on earth that Christ himself wrought the work of our redemption, fulfilled all righteousness, became our ransom, and paid the price of our salvation; and it is here that our part is to be done. And the bestowing of the reward is God's work, who we are sure will never fail. There is no place for the least suspicion or fear of his misdoing or failing in any part of his undertaken work; but the danger and fear is of our own miscarrying, lest we be not found capable of receiving what God will certainly give to all that are disposed receivTo distrust God is heinous sin and folly; but to distrust ourselves we have great cause. ers. And it is great and difficult work that must here be done. It is here that we must be cured of all condemning sin, that we must be regenerate and new-born, that we must be pardoned and justified by faith; it is here that we must be united to Christ, made wise to salvation, renewed by his Spirit, and conformed to his likeness. It is here that we must overcome all the temptations of the devil, the world, and the flesh; and perform all the duties towards God and man that must be rewarded. It is here that Christ must be believed in with the heart unto righteousness, and with the mouth confessed unto salvation. It is here that we must suffer with him that we may reign with him; and be faithful to the death that we may receive a crown of life. Here we must so run that we may obtain. And we have greater work here to do than the mere securing of our own salvation. We are members of the world and church, and we must labour to do good to many. We are trusted with our master's talents for his service in our places to do our best to propagate his truth, and grace, and church, and to bring him souls, and to honour his cause, and edify his flock, and further the salvation of as many as we can. All this is to be done on earth, if we will secure the end of all in heaven.— BAXTER. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, aud he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. -Dream not that God will save the wicked, no, nor equally reward the slothful and the diligent, because Christ's righteousness was perfect. Paternal justice maketh difference according to that worthiness which is so denominated by the law of grace; and as sin is its own punishment, holiness and obedience is much of its own reward: whatever God appointeth thee to do, see that thou do it sincerely, and with all thy might. Stir up, O my soul, thy sincere desires, and all thy faculties, to do the remnant of the work of Christ appointed thee on earth; and then joyfully to wait for the heavenly perfection in God's own time.-BAXTER. HYMN. And is this life prolonged to me, In vain these moments shall not pass, Now cleanse my soul from every sin By my Redeemer's blood: Now let my flesh and soul begin. The honours of my God. Let me no more my soul beguile My thankful lips shall loud proclaim The wonders of thy praise; Where'er I spend my days. On earth let my example shine; WATTS. § LXXXI. CHAP. XXV. 31-46. The description of the last Judgment. 31 'When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory : 32 And 'before him shall be gathered all nations: and "he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, " inherit the kingdom "prepared for from the foundation of you the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty and ye gave me drink : "I was a stranger and ye took me in : |