Verse 15
A fame abroad of Him
True popularity
That distinguished and excellent judge, Lord Mansfield, once observed: “True popularity is not that popularity which is followed after, but the popularity which follows after.
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A fruitless expedient to prevent overcrowding
Dr. Chalmers, when large audiences attended his services, sometimes announced in the morning that he would repeat the same sermon in the afternoon. On one occasion when he had made that announcement Dr. Wardlaw was present, and gives us an account of the scene. It was on one Sabbath evening. The seats were occupied an hour before the time, and the doors were closed and bolted. An immense crowd was without, and as soon as Chalmers opened the vestry door, in spite of the keepers, the front door was forced open and the crowd rushed in, completely filling all the vacant space. Chalmers was grieved, and administered a sharp rebuke to the audience. Walking home with him, Chalmers said to Wardlaw, “I preached the same sermon in the morning, and, for the very purpose of preventing the annoyance of such a densely-crowded place, I intimated that I should preach it again in the evening. Have you ever tried that plan?” Wardlaw says: “I did not smile. I laughed outright. ‘No, no,’ I replied. ‘My good friend, there are but very few of us that are under the necessity of having recourse to the use of means for getting thin audiences.’” (Bishop Simpson.)
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