made them other five talents: and, likewise, he that had received two, -he also gained other two. But he, that had received one, went and digged in the earth, and hid his Lord's money. After a long time, the Lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he, that had received five talents, came and brought the other five talents, and saith unto him, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents; behold, I have gained, beside them, five talents more. 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. He also, that had received two talents, came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 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. 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 not strawed; and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His Lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knowest 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 give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto 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 : And cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

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The substance of the same parable is related by St. Luke, with some other circumstances which serve to explain the manner in which Christ described the nobleman (as he is there called) to have disposed of his property, a manner, indeed, not uncommon at that time and in those countries. It is, probably, well known to most of you that, in the dominions of the emperor of Rome, and the lands which the Romans had conquered, a great part of the property of wealthy and powerful persons consisted in slaves. Free servants were, in comparison, very unusual; almost all the business of families being done by those who were bought for money, and might be sold again; whom the Scriptures call "bond men and bond women; because they were, in reality, as much their master's property as his horses, and were too

often treated with even less humanity and tenderness.

Of these unfortunate persons, however, all were not employed in the labours of the field, or of the household. Many of the most ingenious were brought up to different trades, which they exercised for their master's benefit; accounting to him for all the profits which they received; and receiving from him, in return, such a share as he thought proper, to supply their food and clothing, and to reward their diligence and honesty. Thus it is, at present, in Russia, where a man's wealth is reckoned, not so much by the number of his acres, as by that of his servants, or slaves, whose labour and industry he commands: and I was told of one of the principal goldsmiths in Petersburgh, who, notwithstanding the extensive trade which he carried on, and the number of workmen whom he employed, was still a slave, and accounted to his master for all his earnings.

It is plain, however, that such slaves as these, to enable them to make their ingenuity and industry profitable either to themselves or their lords, would require sums of money to set them up in their different ways of life; and we need not, therefore, think it strange to hear of a nobleman, on going into a distant land, advancing such sums as five talents, that is, about 1250l., to one of his servants, two talents to

another, and one to a third, "to each man according to his several ability," in the hope of receiving back a far greater sum at his return; and with the intention of rewarding liberally, or of punishing severely, each man according to his diligence, or to his want of care. We need not think it strange, that a kind and just master should bestow on the person whom he found most trustworthy, one talent by way of encouragement; that he should take this talent away from that slave who, from fear, or idleness, or malice, had made no proper use of the property entrusted to him; and that this unprofitable servant should be shut out, in darkness, and confinement -from the feast and rejoicings with which his lord's return was celebrated.

The story, then, if it were understood of an earthly master only, was one which might have happened any day in those times and countries; but, as it was told by our LORD, by way of comparison to His Kingdom, and in order to show forth and explain His dealings with the children of men, it conveys to us, as it did to those who first heard it, a solemn and most important lesson, in which there are several circumstances which seem to require a separate and attentive consideration. In the first place, the Kingdom of Heaven (that is, Christ's government of the world, as Saviour, Teacher, and Judge) is likened unto a man who called his own servants

and delivered unto them his goods: the servants, or slaves, were his own property, and so were the goods, which he entrusted to their care. No one man among them could say, that he had any thing of his own. His very arms and legs, his strength and health were, according to the laws of that country, his master's property, who had bought him with a price, and to whom belonged, to dispose of as he pleased, not only the five talents, and the two, and the one, but whatever advantage the skill and industry of his bondmen could make of the sums entrusted to them. But how much more truly, how much more entirely, how much more humbly ought we to look on ourselves as the servants of Christ, as bought by Him with a price which the wealth of ten thousand worlds could not equal, His own most precious blood? How much more are we bound to look on everything, which we possess, as proceeding from God alone, as God's goods which we are to employ in His service, and to His glory, of our use of which we are one day to render a strict account; and which, though lent us for a time to enjoy, are no more our own, than the sun is ours, which shines on us, and warms us? And can we be proud of possessions like these, which, though we claim them, belong to another? Can we be lifted up in heart, against our fellow-servants, to whom God has