The Penn's Grove record., 1904-01-08
BY REV. J. H. BOYD.

The now storm of Saturday night. and
Zero weather of Sunday morning COM
bined to give Pastor Boyd an audience OF
Empty Pews, which crowded the Church..
His text was, i Sam. 20: 18th verse IN
mart ssThou shalt be missed because thy
seat will be empty"
Observation-Disclosures empty seat, it was
the backsIiden heart of King Saul that
emptied David's seat, spoken OF III my
text, and that same Devil in the backsiid
en- hearts Of the members of this Church
and every other Church in Penn's Grove
and Christendom is largely responsipie
for the empty seats in their respective
churches.
You are not wholly bad, dear empty
seat. There are some reasons why you
should be commended.
First, you have the grace OF constancy,
o are always here unless it is on Easter,
Children's Day, Christmas, or other SER
vices held than for worship.
1 like you because your religion is not
of the tender-foot, turnip kind. You
have not got the cricket religion, live IN
the Summer, and make enough noise to
last all winter while you sleep. You are
always here all kinds of weather.
I commend you because you are truth
full. ssNos liar shall enter the kingdom Of
Heaven You do not tell white lies to
your pastor on Monday morning by say
ing, you sslaid out" to come to church,
when the truth was, you laid out in bed
or on a lounge, OIL at a table with an ac-
| count book before you, with your head
aud heart towards Monday and your sou
! towards hell. You do not load up with
| Gods blessings six days in a week, and
spent the seventh day trying to persuade
yourself you did it, not God. l like you
because YOU are not of the gadfy lam
ily. No matter who is preaching, or sing
| ing here or elsewhere you are always In
your own church and place. You are
always at prayer meetings and class meet
ings in great crowds, you nearly I'LL the
church. l commend you also for rev.
erence. You don't pull out your watch
every few minutes and snap the case lou
enough to say to the preacher shut up
like that" If you have no watch you
do not rubber neck towards the clock
but seem to be interested in what | am
saying. 1 like you for keeping awake.
commend you for doing what you car
do, and are able to do well, You never
get mad, because you have no bell on you,
and stay away, or go to some other church
where they don't either need, or "an'
YOU. l like you because you were the
resting place of some old saint OF Goo
long since gone to glory. You make m'
think of them, their faith, their works
their love, their devotion, amen's ant
glory to God. You bring it all back =
memory, and encourage me to go on.
There are, however, some things | hav
against you, dear empty pews. You hav
neither, head, heart nor soul My preach
ing does you no good. You do not hea
the sermon, hence are not moved to zeal
nor do you even sympathize with me Il
my struggles for the souls Of men. 70
pay not, you pray not. You make M.
good sermons poor. and the poor one
poorer.
/ may seek power from God, and com
to church full of the Holy Ghost, gu
your empty stare, oh vacant pews' freeze
my zeal, and puts out the fire OF entnu
siasm. You seem to mock my devotion
ana jeer, and laugh, ha! ha! when ! 8
past you to go home, and in sepuicnra
tones, you whisper, we want a new preacn
er here. You rob those pews which ar
full, of the benefits of their worships.
Your influence goes beyond the church
and the Devil intends it should. sceptlc
know you are here. The God-disposln
know you are here, Oh empty pew, an
you help them to believe the temptation
of the Devil, that Religion is a fable, an
the people have found out that there
neither He'll nor Heaven. May tn
Lord help you to- see your emptiness
and fill you with pious, jealous, hoi'
people.