ANDOVER-ARVARD THEOLOGICAL LIBRARY 446390 Copyright, 1914, by GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY} TO THE MEMBERS OF THE WALMER ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH, TORONTO WHOSE AFFECTION, LOYALTY AND COURAGE HAVE BROUGHT ME UNCEASING COMFORT AND INSPIRATION IN OUR WARFARE OF THE GOSPEL 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 and individual mind a new sense of responsibility, and to point the way to comfort and hope. SHATTERING THE NEST was preached in the City Temple, London, England, on Sunday morning, August ninth, the Sunday following Britain's entrance into the war. It was repeated to my own congregation on my return from England in September. The other sermons were delivered in the regular course of my ministry in Walmer Road Church on the nine successive Sunday evenings of October and November. They were prepared from week to week, amid the pressing duties of a heavy pastorate. They are essentially spoken sermons, following the extemporaneous method, and they are printed as they were spoken. In response to the wishes of my congregation each sermon was published in pamphlet form on the week following its delivery. These pamphlets have been gathered into this volume, with no attempt to rewrite them and little attempt to revise. While bearing in consequence many marks of literary imperfection they retain the form of direct spoken counsels and evangelistic appeals. They were graciously blessed by the Holy Spirit in the conversion of men and women and they are sent out in this form only with the hope that they may prove of further blessing to a wider congregation. WALMER ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH, JOHN MACNEILL. TORONTO. |