(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:

(11) And he who does any duty for the sake of recompense, is he not held fast in the custom of the world, either as one who has done well, hastening to receive a reward, or as an evil-doer avoiding retribution? We must, as far as we can, imitate the Lord.I And he will do so, who complies with the will of God, receiving freely, giving freely, and receiving as a worthy reward the citizenship itself. "The hire of an harlot shall not come into the sanctuary," it is said: accordingly it was forbidden to bring to the altar the price of a dog.

(68) No, that deed is well done of which a man does not repent, and the reward of which he receives gladly and cheerfully.

(38) For he who doth not take it up for love, hath none of it at all; he may dream indeed that he hath put it on, but he is deceived. Christ did not lead such a life as His for the sake of reward, but out of love; and love maketh such a life light and taketh away all its hardships, so that it becometh sweet and is gladly endured. But to him who hath not put it on from love, but hath done so, as he dreameth, for the sake of reward, it is utterly bitter and a weariness, and he would fain be quit of it. And it is a sure token of an hireling that he wisheth his work were at an end. But he who truly loveth it, is not offended at its toil or suffering, nor the length of time it lasteth. Therefore it is written, “To Serve God and live to Him, is easy to him who doeth it.” Truly is so to him who doth it for love, but it is hard and wearisome to him who doth it for hire. It is the same with all virtue and good works, and likewise with order, laws, obedience to precepts, and the like. But God rejoiceth more over one man who truly loveth, than over a thousand hirelings.

(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,

(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.

(67) That deed is not well done of which a man must repent, and the reward of which he receives crying and with a tearful face.