EMPTY SEATS

"No, I made jelly yesterday, and I'm tired. I'm faithful enough to stay

at home this cloudy morning," and Mrs. clark curled up on the couch with the

Bible she had not opened for a week, but is soon dropped from her hand. She

was arouesd by a strange voice saying:

"Now, my good imps, what have you done today the weaken the kingdom of

God?" The voice came from a suspicious looking personage seated on a throne

of human skulls. Around him was gathered a crowd of terrible beings, each

with a crown of fire, in which gleamed some name, usch as malice, envy, pride,

hatred, and kindred passions.

"We have been busy today, making empty seats in churches," began one.

"Nothing could please me better," answered their king.

"I persuaded one man that he has a headache, and kept him from a sermon

that might have changed his whole life," said one.

"I induced one good man to slip to his store and fix up his books," said

another, with a horrid grin.

"Good!" said the king. "He'll soon give up the Sabbath altogether."

"I was able to get one devoted young man to visit old freinds, "said one

imp.

"I worried a good sister about her old bonnet until she decided to stay

at home until she got a new one," spoke up the imp labeled "Pride."

"And I made several poor women who were hungry fo God's Word stay home to

repine over their trials. I just said to them, 'Oh, these rich people don't

care for you; you can't wear fine clothes so I wouldn't go where I was looked

down upon.'"

"I induced a good many men and women to think they were not strong enough

to go out," said one clled "Indifference." "Of course, all these men will be

at their business tomarrow, even if they feel worse. But they could not go to

church, where they would have no special mental of physical strain. And the

ladies would have been able to clean house or go calling; but I made them

think they couldn't walk to church unless they were perfectly well."

"Very good," said the king, with a sulphurous grin. "Sunday headaches

might often be cured by getting out in the air, and backaches forgotten by

thoughts drawn to higher things. But you lying imps must use every weekness

to the flesh to help make empty seats."

They all smiled, for in their kingdom "lying" was a great compliment.

"I'm the weather imp," said one gloomy fellow. "I go around persuading

people it is going to rain, or it is too cold, too damp or too hot to venture

out to church. It is enough tomake even your gloomy majesty laugh to see

these same people start out the next day in wind and weather. One would think

it a sin to carry unbrellas or wear coats to church."

"I have a better scheme than that," said another, "I haved a plan that

empties seats of the workers in the church."

"I make these people overwork on Saturdays. For instance, I make some

good man the preacher depends upon, or some devout Sunday school teacher, to

make Saturday the busiest day of the week. I just keep him rushed with

neglected things till late at night, and then he oversleeps or is sick the

next day, and can't get out.

"Splendid plan!" cried Satan.

"Yes, it works well with delicate women. If they clean house, or have

Saturday company, they can be kept at home without knowing they have broken

the Sabbath the day before. A church party late saturday night helps with

empty seats."

"You are doing fine, my imps," his majesty said warmly - for his breath

was a flame of fire. "Preachers may work and pray over theirsermons all week,

but there will be no results in preaching to empty seats. One of the most

important things we have to consider is how to keep people away from churches

on Sunday. Your plans are excellent, but I might suggest another good point.

All preachers have human imperfections -- some fault of manner or speech. Get

Christians to critize their pastor, expically before their children. If you

can stir up a spirit of fault-finding against the preacher, or among the

members, it will help empty seats. People who get mad at each other do not

care to go to church together.

If the seats are empty, the minister may be a saint and preach like an

angel to no purpose.

See the result of your labor on High Street church today. Not only did

the 200 people who stayed at home lose a blessing, but each empty seat did its

work against the Lord's kingdom. The preacher made unusual preparation, and

went with his heart on fire, but the empty seats chilled him, and he did

poorly.

There was a special collection, but the best givers were away, so it was

a failure. It isn't a smart preacher, nor a rich congregation, nor a good

location, nor a paid choir, that makes a successful church. It is the church

members alwasy being there that draws in the unconverted, and makes an

eloquent preacher. As soon as a Christian begins to stay at home, from one

excuse or another, I know I have a mortgage on his soul which if he does not

shake off, I will foreclose on the judgement day."

"You have none on mine!" cried Mrs Clark, who had been listening with

bated breath; "I'll go to church, if only to defeat you."

"What's the matter, dear?" asked he doctor. "Have you been dreaming?"

"Perhaps so; but I'm going to church if I get to my seat just in time for

the the benediction. I'll cheat Satan from this day out of one empty seat."

She has kept her word, and influenced many others to let nothing trifling keep

them from God's house; and one "downtown" church has begun to grow, and will

soon be a great power for God, because of no "empty seats."

FAITH PRAYER AND TRACT LEAGUE

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. 49504-1390

From the S.O.N. BBS, WI

 

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