The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1910-05-03

out Christianity the government could
not exist. The Christian church is the
medium through which these vital prin.
cilpes reach the people and it becomes
important therefore that the churches
bc maintained and made n potent pow.
er. The membership of the church may
be large and yet the church may be MS
dead as Adam. A graveyard may be
chock full of good Christian men and
women, but people shun the graveyard
because its occupants are dead to the
world. The church whose membership
il seldom seen in its pews is too much
like u graveyard to attract live PEG.
Pile. The empty pews in the Pecos val.
ley churches every Sunday are "a dis.
grace aud IA reproach tn the professors
of Christianity. They are mute but
unimpeachcablc witnesses of the fact
that there ARE n lot of old hypocrites
who are trying by false prctcnses to yet
II ticket to kingdom come. The church
member who through Indifference, fails
TO attend his church aud take a part IN
It's services, is nothing better than a
wolf in sleeps clothing. n pharisce
who ought TO be- driven out of the ten.
! pie under the sting of the scOurge. Such
n church member is us devoid of reli.
gion ~ a carhunclc il OF the oil uf iov.
His most grevious sin is his outward
profession of religion, aud his inward
rcpungance of the whole plan of saliva.
tlon. Empty pews mean empty hearts.
\ man or woman who is II genuine
Christian, and who is thoroughly i'm.
bued with the teachings of the Bible,
Will he found in the pew. Full pews
mean full hearts, hearts full of faith
that moves mountains and the love that
would save all mankind. Empty pews
mean empty hearts, hearts that use
religion as n cloak under which the
devil may operate undetected. The
pcws tell the whole story. and n man g
presence or absence is nm unfailing
barometer of his religion. Some of these
hypocritical brethren may say that the
preacher is no good. that he bores them:
hence they stay NJ home. The old liars
feel the same toward Christ s sermon
on the mount; hence they never read il.
They don t like anything that shows
them up in their true light. They are
bored whenever any mention IN made of
their shady transactions, or when the
good and wholesome advice is offered
them. They love darkness rather than
light because their deeds are evil. Still
they are members Of the church and
hope thus to ride to glory along with
the good souls who have kept the altar
fires from going out and the church doors
open. The preacher may not always
preach good sermons but full pews
will do much to inspire him and help
him do better. Nothing will discour.
age him 80 much as empty pews, No
man can talk to bare benches. And
nothing will Kill the church and destroy
It's influence as quickly as this indif.
ference of the members. Nothing will
build up the church and extend its pow.
"r for good like the regular attendance
of all its members. And il the church
Is n good thing why will the members
not try to make IL better, What IL
glorious day it would be for this val.
ley If on every Sunday every church
should be crowded to It's doors, with
earnest, Christian men and women.
What songs and prayers would sha Ike
IN" town and how sin and crime would
sink away and hide.