A Tribute To A Man -- J. H. Brewer
"Thou shalt be missed, because thy seat is empty." To be missed is one of the most outstanding tributes which can be paid a person and James H. Brewer was one of whom this statement will be made by many. He was an elder in the Lord's church in Little Rock, Arkansas, for several decades. But just because one is an elder doesn't necessarily mean that he will be missed. This man was what we expect an elder to be.
He will be missed by those who sat in his classes over a period of years. Several preachers could be named among these. He will be missed by those who looked to him as an example of faithfulness; by younger men who were encouraged by his zeal and vigor; by gospel preachers all over the land who recognized him as a staunch defender of truth and thus became an inspiration to them. He will be missed by his daughters and their families. In particular will he be missed by grandsons (faithful gospel preachers) Harold and Louis Sharp. These two, among many others, remain as living monuments to the influence of this grand old soldier.
And he will also be missed, perhaps with relief, by others. There will be those preachers who will no longer be restrained by his insistence on "speaking as the oracles of God." There will be churches that no longer will be held back by him from their downward plunge into digression. Yes, even among a few of his loved ones, there will now be complete freedom to forget his teaching and restraining influence and to seek after popularity and "the praise of men."
But even though his seat is empty here and he is missed by many, surely we believe that one of the empty mansions of heaven will be made full by this "soldier of Israel" who fought the fight for truth just as long as he remained among us. May the memory of his faithful devotion to truth burn forever in the hearts of all of us who came in contact with him. May we never comprise that memory.