ng which she could call her own. She hesitated a moment, and
looking up, very humbly replied, "I think there is." "What is it?" asked
the teacher. "I think," said she, "that my sins are my own."

Yes, we may claim our sins--they are our own; but everything else
belongs to God. We are stewards; and a steward is one who is employed to
manage the concerns of another--his household, money or estate. We are
God's stewards. God has intrusted to each one of us a charge of greater
or less importance. To some he has intrusted five talents, to others
two, and to others one. The talents are physical strength, property,
intellect, learning, influence--all the means in our possession for
doing good and glorifying God. We can lay claim to nothing as strictly
our own. Even the angel Gabriel cannot claim the smallest particle of
dust as strictly his own. The rightful owner of all things, great and
small, is God.

To be faithful stewards, then, we must _fully occupy_ for God all the
talents in our possession. A surrender, however, of all to God--of time,
strength, mind and property, does not imply a neglect of our own real
wants. A proper care of ourselves and families enters into God's
arrangement. This is not only allowed, it is required of us; and if done
properly and with a right spirit, it is a service acceptable to God.
This is understood then, when we say, that all our talents must be
occupied for God. With this understanding, there must be no reserve.
Reserve is robbery. No less than all the heart and all our powers can be
required of us--no less can be required of angels.

It is our reasonable service. We require the same of the agents we
employ. Suppose a steward, agent or clerk, in the management of your
money, your estate or your goods, devotes only a part to your benefit
and uses the rest for himself, how long would you retain him in your
employment? Let us beware, then, that we rob not God. Let us be faithful
in his business, and _fully occupy_ for him the talents intrusted to us.
God has an indisputable right to everything in our possession; to all
our strength, all our influence, every moment of our time, and demands
that everything be held loosely by us, in perfect obedience to him. For
us or for angels to deny this right, would be downright rebellion. For
God to require anything less, would be admitting a principle that would
demolish his throne.

No less engagedness certainly can be required of God's stewards, than