EMPTY SEATS

.    "No, I made jelly yesterday, and I'm tired.  I'm faithful
enough to stay at home this cloudy morning."  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 aroused 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, such 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 had 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
friends, "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 for 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 called "Indifference."  "Of
course, all these men will be at their business tomorrow, 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 weakness 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 to make
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 umbrellas or wear coats to church."
.    "I have a better scheme than that," said another, "I have 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, 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 their sermons 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 criticize their pastor,
especially 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 always 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 judgment day."
.    "You have none on mine!" cried Mrs Clark, who had been
listening with baited 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.

    Return to Previous Page