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made them depositaries of His law, that they might let the light so
graciously given them shine forth to others. But they have so increased
their cares and anxieties that they have no time to bless others with
their influence, to converse with their neighbors, to pray with and for
them, and to seek to bring them to the knowledge of the truth.
These men are responsible for the good they might do, but from
which they excuse themselves because of worldly cares and burdens,
which engross their minds and absorb their affections. Souls for whom
Christ died might be saved by their personal effort and godly example.
Precious souls are perishing for the light which God has given to men
to be reflected upon the pathway of others. But the precious light is
hid under a bushel, and it gives no light to those who are in the house.
Every man is a steward of God. To each the Master has committed
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His means, but man claims that means as his own. Christ says: “Oc-
cupy till I come.” A time is coming when Christ will require His own
with usury. He will say to each of His stewards: “Give an account of
thy stewardship.” Those who have hid their Lord’s money in a napkin
in the earth, instead of putting it out to the exchangers, and those
who have squandered their Lord’s money by expending it for needless
things, instead of putting it out to usury by investing it in His cause,
will not receive approval from the Master, but decided condemnation.
The unprofitable servant in the parable brought back the one talent to
God, and said: “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, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast
that is thine.” His Lord takes up his words: “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.”
This unprofitable servant was not ignorant of God’s plans, but he
set himself firmly to thwart the purpose of God, charging Him with
unfairness in requiring improvement upon the talents entrusted to him.
This very complaint and murmuring is made by a large class of wealthy
men professing to believe the truth. Like the unfaithful servant they
are afraid that the increase of the talent that God has lent them will
be called for to advance the spread of truth; therefore they tie it up
by investing it in earthly treasures and burying it in the world, thus