The size of a gathering is not the important thing, it is the spirit
and purpose of it.
Some years ago at a meeting of Congregationalist ministers in
Windham County, Conn., one of their number arose and proposed
that arrangements be made for a great convocation of all the
ministers and churches in all that county and vicinity. He
expatiated largely upon the importance of such an assembly, tho
without giving any very definite evidence as to the value of the
results that might be attained; and closed by recommending the
project to the favorable consideration of the brotherhood.
An old and well-known and somewhat eccentric preacher, Thomas
Williams, arose in his place and spoke in substance as follows:
“A man once said: ‘If all the iron in the world were made into
one ax, what a great ax that would be! And if all the water in
the world were poured into one pond, what a great pond that
would be! And if all the wood in the world were made into one
tree, what a great tree that would be! And if all the men in the
world were made into one man, what a great man that would be!’
And then,” drawled out the speaker, “if that great man should
take that great ax, and fell that great tree into that great
pond, what a great splosh there would be!”
The old man sat down, and nothing more was heard of the “great
splosh” or the great meeting.
(245)
=Bigness and Littleness Relative=--See COMPARATIVE, THE.
=Bigness Obscured by Littleness=--See PROPORTION.