"_He that had received the one talent came and said: Lord, I know that Thou art a hard man_" expecting the impossible, "_and being afraid I went and hid Thy talent in the earth; behold here Thou hast that which is Thine._" He could have traded and made _cent per cent_ as the others had done and earned the "_Euge_" ("Well done!") He not only did not do this, but he put all the blame on his Master Who with such care had given him just the talent that was suited to his ability. He was _afraid_, he said, afraid of what? Of his Master because He was hard and unjust? No, this was only an excuse, he knew his Master and he knew it was not true. What he was afraid of was hard work, effort, ceaseless watching against temptation. It was far less irksome to bury the talent and live a life of ease, letting things just take their course, and hoping all would come out right in the end; but at the end things were not right, for he had nothing to give to his Master, the one talent _was_ the Master's, he knew that quite well: "Behold here Thou hast that which is Thine." "_Wicked and slothful servant_"--wicked, because he had robbed God of His rights; slothful, because he would not raise a finger to serve his Master. "_Take ye away therefore the talent from him and give it him that hath ten._" It is a solemn thought that a grace refused by one may be handed on to another who is more faithful. "_To everyone that hath shall be given_" is a principle of the Kingdom. He ever giveth "grace for grace" (St. John I. 16). For every grace used He gives "more grace"--"he shall abound." "_From him that hath not, that also which he seemeth to have shall be taken away._" There is such a thing as a last grace, a last opportunity. God has nowhere pledged Himself to give the grace of repentance; grace is ever a free gift and He is not unjust if He withholds it. I can never say: I will sin and repent after! To sin is in my power, but to repent is not. Our Lord speaks of sinners filling up the measure of their iniquity (St. Matt. XXIII. 32). Had Herod reached the limit, filled up the measure? Is that why Our Lord refused to speak to him? We do not know, but we do know that it is possible for a sinner to sin to such an extent--not necessarily by gross sin, but by steadily refusing God's grace and the opportunities offered to him--that what he has, that is, his opportunities, will be taken from him. "_The unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness._" He ever shunned the light and now it will _never_ be his. He was _unprofitable_, that was his sin, he did nothing for his Master. All sins, however terrible, will be forgiven if the sinner turns to God and repents, because his repentance shows that he is "trading," though he may often fail in his business; but the unprofitable servant carries on no trade with God at all, he leaves Him out altogether. There is nothing for God to do but to leave him out in the "exterior darkness" which he has deliberately chosen.