(20) Now lusts and other sins are called "briars and thorns." Accordingly the Gnostic labours in the Lord's vineyard, planting, pruning, watering; being the divine husbandman of what is planted in faith. Those, then, who have not done evil, think it right to receive the wages of ease. But he who has done good out of free choice, demands the recompense as a good workman. He certainly shall receive double wages - both for what he has not done, and for what good he has done.

(23) But seeing thou knowest it, and dost it not, and the other know it not, but yet do it, they with their Doing judge thy Knowledge; and thou art found to be a Hypocrite, Dissembler, and an unprofitable Servant, who wast put into the Vineyard of the Lord, and will not work therein.

(13) Therefore I will not bury his Talent in the Earth, but lend it out upon Usury or Interest, lest he should say to me at that Time of his requiring it of me, Thou wicked slothful Servant, why hast thou hid my Talent in the Darkness, and didst not put it out upon Use, and so now I might have received it with Usury, Gain, and Profit? And so then he will take it quite away from me, and give it to another, who hath gained many Talents with his one. Therefore I will sow, let him water it, I leave the Care to him. Now observe,

(2) And if knowledge belong not to all (set an ass to the lyre, as the proverb goes), yet written compositions are for the many. "Swine, for instance, delight in dirt more than in clean water." "Wherefore," says the Lord, "I speak to them in parables: because seeing, they see not; and hearing, they hear not, and do not understand; " not as if the Lord caused the ignorance: for it were impious to think so. But He prophetically exposed this ignorance, that existed in them, and intimated that they would not understand the things spoken. And now the Saviour shows Himself, out of His abundance, dispensing goods to His servants according to the ability of the recipient, that they may augment them by exercising activity, and then returning to reckon with them; when, approving of those that had increased His money, those faithful in little, and commanding them to have the charge over many things, He bade them enter into the joy of the Lord. But to him who had hid the money, entrusted to him to be given out at interest, and had given it back as he had received it, without increase, He said, "Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou oughtest to have given my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received mine own." Wherefore the useless servant "shall be cast into outer darkness." "Thou, therefore, be strong," says Paul, "in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." And again: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

(24) What dost thou suppose the Master of the House will say to thee, when he shall require and demand his Talent which he entrusted thee with, thou having buried it in the Earth? Will he not say, Thou perverse wicked Servant, why didst thou not put my Talent out upon use, and then I could have demanded the Principle and the interest or Profit? Note:

(73) Jesus said, "The harvest is great but the laborers are few. Beseech the Lord, therefore, to send out laborers to the harvest."