Insensible to God's Love

The solemn mistake of the man in the parable of the talents (Luke 19:2121For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. (Luke 19:21)) surely was this, that his wretched heart found a reason in his master to hide his talent. Had he said that the service itself had so many difficulties in it, that he was discouraged and gave it up, through fear and infirmity, it would have been different; but to say, his master was hard and austere, that was terrible, and betrayed the insensibility of his heart to all the ways and appeals of love.