Talents Great and Small
September 18, 2007“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”-Matthew 25:21, 23
Here comes Whitefield, the man that stood before twenty thousand people at a time to preach the gospel, who in England, Scotland, Ireland, and America, has testified the truth of God, and who could count his converts by thousands, even with one sermon! Here he comes, the man that endured persecution and scorn and yet was not moved-the man of whom the world was not worthy, who lived for his fellowmen and died at last for their cause. Stand by, angels, and admire, while the Master takes him by the hand and says, “Well done, well done, good and faithful servant: enter into the joy of your Lord.” See how free grace honors the man whom it enabled to do valiantly!
Hark! Who is this that comes here? A poor, thin-looking creature, who on earth was a consumptive. There was a hectic flush now and then upon her cheek, and she lay three long years upon her bed of sickness. Was she a prince’s daughter, for it seems heaven is making much stir about her? No, she was a poor girl who earned her living by her needle, and she worked herself to death! Stitch, stitch, stitch, from morning to night! Here she comes. She went prematurely to her grave, but she is coming, like a shock of fully ripe corn, into heaven. Her Master says, “Well done, good and faithful servant: you have been faithful in a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”
She takes her place by the side of Whitefield. Ask what she ever did, and you find out that she used to live in some back garret, down some dark alley in London. There used to be another poor girl who came to work with her. That poor girl was a gay and volatile creature when she first came to work with her. This consumptive child told her about Christ. They used to creep out evenings to go to chapel or to church together when she was well enough. It was hard at first to get the other one to go, but she used to press her lovingly. When the girl went wild a little, she never gave her up. She used to say, “O Jane, I wish you loved the Savior.” When Jane was not there, she used to pray for her. When she was there, she prayed with her. Now and then while stitching away, she read a page out of the Bible to her, for poor Jane could not read. With many tears she tried to tell her about Jesus, who loved her and gave Himself for her. At last, after many days of hard persuasion, many hours of sad disappointment, and many nights of sleepless, tearful prayer, she lived to see the girl profess her love to Christ.
She left her and took sick. There she lay until she was taken to the hospital, where she died. While she was in the hospital, she used to have a few tracts which she gave to those who came to see her. She would try, if she could, to get the women to come around, and she would give them a tract. When she first went into the hospital, if she could creep out of bed, she would get by the side of one who was dying, and the nurse used to let her do it. At last she became too ill. Then she would ask a poor woman on the other side of the ward, who was getting better and was leaving, if she would come and read a chapter to her. It was not that she wanted her to read to her on her own account, but for the other’s sake. She thought it might strike her heart while she was reading it. At last this poor girl died and fell asleep in Jesus. This poor, consumptive needlewoman had said to her, “Well done.” What more could an archangel have said to her?
See then, the Master’s commendation, and the last reward will be equal to all men who have used their talents well. If there are degrees in glory, they will not be distributed according to our talents, but according to our faithfulness in using them. As to whether there are degrees or not, I know not. But this I do know: he that does his Lord’s will, shall have said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Spurgeon, R. C. H. Words of Wisdom