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Sermons: Brilliant but Useless

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Sir Astley Cooper, on visiting Paris, was asked by the surgeon en chef of the empire how many times he had performed a certain wonderful feat of surgery. He replied that he had performed the operation thirteen times. 'Ah, but, monsieur, I have done him one hundred and sixty time. How many times did you save his life?' continued the curious Frenchman, after he had looked into the blank amazement of Sir Astley's face. 'I,' said the Englishman, 'saved eleven out of the thirteen. How many did you save out of one hundred and sixty?' 'Ah, monsieur, I lose dem all; but de operation was very brilliant.'

Of how many popular ministries might the same verdict be given! Souls are not saved, but the preaching is very brilliant. Thousands are attracted and operated on by the rhetorician's art, but what if he should have to say of his admirers, 'I lose them all, but the sermons were very brilliant!'