The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-10
OUR SUNDAY COLUMN.
Original and Otherwise, Pre-
pared by Mark.

ambers, Libraries and parlors. The
pastors were in their pulpits and
preached as best they could the SER
mons they had prepared during the
week, but hundreds of the church mem
bers did not feel it incumbent upon them
to be present. They were represented
oy q vacant pow and an empty seat.
Let 1T be remembered that empty seats
have no souls. Empty pews are not &C
countable. And it may be that some of
these inanimate, unaccountable things
are better off than many of these care
less, dead, accountable Roanoke church
mem bers.
No-many of the church saints
didn't honor God in His house of worship
last Sunday And many were the lies
conceived in the heart and told to God
and themselves as excuses for neglect
of Christian duty. There was brother
Good at Making Excuses, member of
- church. who gave asa reason for
absence from church: 1.-The good to be
derived from staying at home bad Sun
days and reading the Bible" Not SO.
There is no good in such hypocritical
excuses unless one is too sick to go out.
The Bible would knock every prop
from under such an excuse and send the
lukewarm church member to the house
OF the Lord. When such man or wo-
man stays at home and opens the Bible
to read 1T on Sunday, instead of going
to church, he meets with this command:
"Forsake not the assembling of your
selves together as the manner of some
is" Such get no comfort from the
Bible in their pious subterfuges. Be-
sides Brother Good at Excuses didn't
take the Bible in his hands all day
Sunday. He read the secular papers
and didn't take devotional book in his
hand. He skipped all the religion
didn't even read the Sunday column in
THE TIMES.
MIR. P, worldly man., who HIM
self was at church, dined with Mr..
Good at Excuse and says his blessing at
the dinner table was a heartless, thank
less, unintelligible, meaningless NUT
tering of something that wouldn't pass
as an excuse for blessing asked on his
daily bread
This church saint tried to say that he
was not feeling very WE'LL and therefore
didn't go to church, Lut his appetite was
very healthy. 1t was strong meat and
plenty OF it, with much variety for the
body. but secular trash all day long for
the soul.
Every excuse that he framed for not
being in his pew ON Sunday was false.
1t was very cold on Monday, but Mr..
Good at-Excuse was in his place of bust.
ness on time. He was impatient for
breakfast. 81 must got to business"
he said; "time is money" He scowled
when his clerk came in ten minutes
late. and said, "Eou are neglecting
your business, SIR This sanity boss
had neglected the Lords business all
day long the Sunday before. This man
has one text of Scripture for Sunday
and one for weekday.
His Sunday text is: Come We YOUR
selves apart and rest awhile - He be-
lieves in rest, personal ease and COM
fort on Sunday. He is orthodox on
Sunday rest, and he rests every day
from all church work. His week day
text is: Not slothful in business /
heard bis pastor say that this would be
good text to use at his funeral in con-
nection with Judges, SEQ.
There are many church saints who
belong TO the inhabitant, of Meroz.
Bro. Good at Excuse is a representative
man. He will soon be where men are
without excuse, where every mouth
shall be closed and every lover of plea
sure and business, more than lover of
God, shall stand guilty before the Lord
Sister formality and her daughters
".
could not stand the exposure. But they
haven't missed a german this winter.
On cold, Indictment nights they have
appeared at the ballroom in light at.
tire, and much-too much-exposed,
and danced in the arms of men half the
night, and they didn't feel bit tired.
They rather enjoyed it. But unless
all the conditions are very favorable,
they regard it as sacrifice to 60 to
church on Sunday and hear half-hour
sermon on the love of God. "She that
liveth to pleasure is dead while she
liveth."
tell you there is no use denying it;
If the Bible is any judge of character
and destiny the devil has mortgage
on all these Roanoke church members
Who by neglect of Christian duty and
an utter want OF conservation are help.
ing him to build up his kingdom in the
world
Oh, why, why, be member OF
Christian church and have name
to live while the Christian character
is worthless and dead. l am afraid
the devil will geta greatmany Roanoke
church members. There are mauv in
tho churches who are too much of a
comfort to Sodom to go to heaven.
Now get up and get ready and go to
church. Your pastor has message for
you; be in your pew 10 hear it. 1t is
just as much your duty to be there to
hear it as 1T Is the pastors duty to be
there to preach. If you do not like
your pastors preaching, go and hear
some other pastor. Go to church some
where. OF course If you have not
prayed for your pastor and asked God to
help him in preparing and preaching,
you will derive no benefit from his
preaching.
Those church saints who never prav