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Testimonies for the Church Volume 2
to get their means into his ranks and thus deprive the cause of God
of that which should have been used to sustain it in extending the
truth and saving souls for whom Christ died. They lost all they had
invested, and robbed God of that which they should have rendered
to Him.
Some who have been entrusted with only one talent excuse them-
selves because they have not as large a number of talents as those to
whom are entrusted many talents. Like the unfaithful steward they
hide the one talent in the earth. They are afraid to render to God
that which He has entrusted to them. They engage in worldly enter-
prises, but invest little, if anything, in the cause of God. They expect
that those who have large talents will bear the burden of the work,
while they feel that they are not responsible for its advancement and
success.
When the master comes to reckon with his servants, the unwise
servants will acknowledge with confusion: “I knew thee that thou
art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering
where thou hast not strewed; and I was afraid [Afraid of what? That
the Lord would claim some portion of the small talent entrusted
to them], and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou
[666]
hast that is thine.” His Lord will answer: “Thou wicked and slothful
servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather
where I have not strewed; 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 give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto everyone 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. And cast ye
the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.”
Many who have but little of this world are represented by the
man with one talent. They are afraid to trust God. They are afraid
that He will require something which they claim to be their own.
They hide their talent in the earth, fearing to invest it anywhere, lest
they will be called to give back the improvements to God. Instead
of putting the talent out to the exchangers, as God required, they
bury it, or hide it, where neither God nor man can be benefited by
it. Many who profess to love the truth are doing this very work.