The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1901-10-24
TAKES BOTH Sides.
SUGGESTIONS 10 CHURCH -aoERs,



dressed to the empty seats before ln<
: I have for some time desired to preacl
!, you sermon, but the text has beel
very hard to find, and the one used tc
day is made by dividing q verse.
I In the first place I wish to commen'
you for some things that cannot b
said Of all church goers.
i l. All of you are always present
You are here in all sorts of weather
It is never too cold or too hot to keel
you from church. It matters no
what the programme may be at tn
other churches, you are always present
You do not frequent the theatre, th'
ballroom, or the Sunday baseball
game, nor do you 60 of on Sunday OK
cursions. I can commend you fol
your punctuality at every regular scr
vice. You attend the Sunday-schoo
we'll, and you are here in great crowd
at the prayer-meeting.
2. Again, you are very decorous
This cannot be said Of all church-goers
But you, empty pews, are to be com
mended tor your good behavior. You
never talk or laugh during services
Neither do you look around when any
one comes in, or gaze at him when
seated. I cannot accuse you of die.
turbing worship by writing notes OF
going out while services are in prog.
ress. You never sleep in church, OF
snap your watch in my face to let me
know am preaching too long. An
other thing admire in you, you never
criticise my sermon.
3. Furthermore, you never seem to
change. The members of this church
do. What suited them last year does
not suit them now. I must preach
something new." The ladies' styles
of dress may change four times year,
but you, dear pews, are not to be
charged with such folly.
4. Another thing I admire in you,
you never quarrel among yourselves
and talk about each other, as the peo-
pie do who sometimes sit on you. /
meyer knew any of you to get mad at
some other pew, and leave the church
because you did not like him. You
are quiet, peaceable pews, and for these
things commend you.
But notwithstanding I haye praised
you for some things, yet have much
against you-things which make me
hate you. Hear my charges against
you:
l. My preaching does you no good.
1t is worse than wasted. You do not
hear the discourse, much less under
stand it. You are not in sympathy
with me and my work. You do not
appreciate my struggle to have you
hlled-with human beings.
2. Neither do you pray. The con-
gregation that does not pray for its
pastor is not in sympathy with him,
and therefore fails to get much good
from his efforts. You are a prayerless
congregation.
3. You give not one cent to the sup
port of this church. It costs you
nothing to Hve-or exist-yet you
never contribute one cent to my salary,
the expenses of the church, or to mis-
sions. Neither do you encourage any,
body else to give, but keep them
from 1t.
4. You kill my sermon. I may seek
the power from on high, and study my
sermon ever SO we'll, yet when stand
before you, empty pews, your hollow
gaze freezes my zeal and enthusiasm to
death. I hate you, for you put out the
fire had for my sermon. After my
sermon is preached, you never have =
word of encouragement to offer, and as |
I walk down the aisle to 60 home, it |
seems that I can hear you whisper, "You
are a very poor preacher"
5. You discourage the faithful few
who do attend church. You hurt them |
IS much a. you do me. You make
them lose faith In my ability. You
:ool their zeal and weaken their inter-
sst in the cause, and they come to the
,onclusion that the cause is dead, or |
hat they need ga new man that can
lraw."
6. Finally, you say to the world,
ouder and stronger than infidelity ever
AN, Religion is q failure" The
world knows you empty pews are here !
nfdelity knows you are hero; the
levil knows you are here and you are
aging in thunder tones which reach
lown to eternal night: "The church
# Jesus Christ is dead, and the cause 10
ost-religion is an empty dream"
low can / love your
But still, I hope some glad day "to
it down in the kingdom of God" with
the general assembly and church Of .
be first born, !" whore there will be no .
anassk 1,nA&etA - 1E3t {.fs.f' l