"MORE CRY THAN WOOL."

Globe, Volume V, Issue 598, 19 May 1876, Page 3

"MORE CRY THAN WOOL."

Some time ago I was listening to Mr Spurgeon as be preached in a favourite and fashionable watering place in Wales. A welldressed and apparently well-to-do man sat next me upon the platform; indeed he seemed such an important person that I made way for him, gave him my chair, and betook myself to a form close by. I don't think that I ever saw a man evince more interest, more deligbt, more strong and varied feeling while hearing a discourse. All through the service he was deeply in' erested. He joined in the singing with great enthusiasm ; Mr Spurgeon's well-known running comment which he gives as he reads the Scrip ure so delighted him that he knocked the platform vigorously with his walkingstick, and several times cried out " Hear, hear ! " During prayer I was much disturbed by my neighbour's pious ejaculations. Then came the sermon, and a good sermon it was, as Mr Spurgeon's generally are. My neighbour was a great study to me. I fear that I was more observant of him than mindful of the discourse. The preacher was humourous, my neighbour laughed right heartily; the preacher was pathetic, my neighbour drew out his handkerchief and applied it again and again to his streaming eyes; the preacher was eloquent, my neighbour looked and listened in an ecstasy of wonder, admiration, and joy ; and when it was over he blessed God and three times cried "Amen!" Mr Spurgeon, in his discourse, said some excellent things about liberablty, which appeared in an especial maimer to approve themselves to my neighbour, who repeatedly looked round towards me, remarking - " Good, good I—that's good .'— very, very good ! " In all that Mr Spurgeon said about meanness, selfishness, niggardliness (and he did say some scathing, scalping things), my neighbour seemed fully and entirely to sympathise.. Well, the sermon over, then came the collection. I watched my neighbour. It was an unmannerly thing to do, but I did it; and my apology is this—that, partly at my request, Mr Spurgeon had travelled far to preach for a charity in which I Avas much interested. So 1 watched my demonstrative, enthusiastic neighbour. I did not expect much, for I thought of the proverb "More cry than wool." Still, I thought this man, who had been so enchanted by the discourse, and who had very distinctly declared, in my hearing and in the hearing of many others, that were the whole realm of nature his, it would be a present far too small—l thought he might be good for half a-crown, especially as he had wept profusely when Mr Spurgeon, in feeling terms, referred to the object for which he pleaded. I saw my neighbour pick, from a handful of silver and gold, a shilling, which he put upon the plate. I said to myself, " Well, this is a hypocritical humbug." But I further saw that when my neighbour had put down his shilling he picked up off the plate a sixpence and five pennies, one by one, which he put into his pocket. I hope he did not take more, but for the eleven pence out of the twelve I can vouch; and then the mean wretch had the cheek to roar out another " Bl ss the Lord " and another "Amen" at the benediction. —The Rev H. S. Brown, " Plain Talk" for March.