THE EMPIRE of CHRIST BY JOHN MACNEILL Minister, Walmer Road Baptist Church, Toronto ૩૭) LIBRARY NORTH AMERICAN BAPTIST SEMINARY 1605 S. EUCLID SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA HODDER & STOUGHTON NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY This One 2QYL-R96-69FY HARRIS W6 1914 TO THE MEMBERS OF THE WALMER ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH, TORONTO WHOSE AFFECTION, LOYALTY AND COURAGE HAVE BROUGHT ME UNCEASING COMFORT AND INSPIRATION WITHDRAWN PREFACE THE sermons contained in this volume were suggested by various phases of the events leading up to the present war. At least two sudden revelations have been made to the popular mind by this crisis in our civilization. It has served on the one hand to reveal many baneful tendencies of our modern society, and on the other hand to uncover afresh some of the eternal principles of Christianity. It occurred to the preacher that the modern spirit is expressed in some of the now famous phrases of individuals and nations and over against each phrase is some great Divine truth that answers to it. Each sermon is the attempt to bring the light of Christ's teaching to bear upon some certain feature of the present hour. No one realizes more than the author that he is dealing with only a passing phase of national life. What is said here of Germany applies only to the Germany of to-day, and what is said of the Germany of to-day might have to be said of the Russia, or France or Britain of tomorrow. In that sense the messages are momentary and incidental. There is no pretence to any comprehensive study of the relation of Christianity to the war in all its bearings, nor is there any endeavor to interpret these events of history in the light of Scripture prophecy. The chief aim was to emphasize, with the war as a background, some of the eternal truths that abide through all the shocks of change, to fix upon the public 5 |