Sermons – Brilliant but Useless – Charles Spurgeon

Sir Astle Y Cooper, on visaing Paris, was asked by the surgeon and chef of the empire how many times he had per- formed 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! “