1859. SECRET OF INFLUENCE. 503 



Wilson's life, listened to with eager interest, and towards its 

 close swaying the audience irrepressibly, till even young men 

 and old bowed their heads and wept without restraint. The 

 secret of his gre.at attractiveness was dwelt on before concluding, 

 and estimated as due not merely to his genius and talents, his 

 reputation as an author, or his popularity as a lecturer. He had, 

 it is true, " addressed himself to so many different classes in the 

 community, and he had invariably so gratified, instructed, and 

 captivated his audience, that there was a very large number of 

 persons lying, as it were, under personal obligations to him, and 

 whose feelings toward him were consequently greatly beyond 

 those which mere admiration of talents or of authorship could 

 inspire. Added to this was the affection which his unfailing 

 gentleness, his brave resolution to work, notwithstanding manifest 

 bodily infirmity and fluctuating health, and his promptitude to 

 meet the wishes of the public, at whatever sacrifice of time, 

 energy, and personal convenience, could not fail to excite. As 

 in private, so in public life, there was something about him 

 which inspired love. People came to feel as if they would like 

 to do something kind to him, even when they were not per- 

 sonally acquainted with him. No wonder, then, that a feeling 

 of this sort, which had been gradually accumulating for years 

 in the hearts of the community, should have burst forth in such 

 a demonstration as that of which our city was the scene when 

 an opportunity of showing respect to him, which was felt to be 

 the last, was presented. 



" But I believe that that which chiefly moved the multitude 

 to do him homage was the sense of how true and good a man he 

 was. It was his religion, so simple, so sincere, so unobtrusive, 

 yet so constantly operative, that stamped upon his character its 

 highest worth ; and it was this, I believe, which drew to him 

 the confidence, the respect, and the love of the community more 

 than anything else. Men felt that in him there stood before them 

 one of the finest combinations of genuine science and genuine 

 Christianity that had ever been presented to their view. For 

 with him religion and science were not two things they were 

 one ; so interwoven with each other, that every contribution 



