It is not by the number of discourses that you can test the
effect of the ministry of any preacher, but has it brought those
who heard him nearer to the divine life, nearer to the life
in God? Sir Astley Cooper, when in Paris once, met the chief
surgeon in France, who told him about a difficult operation he
had performed. He said: “I have performed this operation 160
times; how often have you performed it?” Sir Astley replied:
“I have performed it thirteen times.” “And how many of your
operations were successful?” “Eleven of my cases have lived.”
said Sir Astley; “how many of yours?” The great French surgeon
replied: “All my 160 cases have died, but the operation was most
brilliant.”
(2756)