BOND OF UNION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 22, 26 January 1935, Page 2 (Supplement)

BOND OF UNION.

ADDRESS TO ROYAL COUPLE. We give herewith the homily which was addressed to the Royal bride and bridegroom b\- the Archbishop of Canterbury. Dr. Comiio Cordon Lang, in A Vest minuter Abbey on November 'Jil on the occasion of their marriage, for which wi* are indebted to "The Christian World I'lilpit." Its delivery occupied onlv four or live minutes, and, as the. editor of " The Christian World Pulpit says, it left nothing unsaid that ought to "have been said. The homily is as follows:—

Never in history, we may dare to say, has a. marriage been attended by so vast a company of witnesses. For by ;i new and marvellous invention of science countless multitudes in every variety of place and home are joining in this service. The whole nation —nay, the whole F.m pi re —arc the wedding guests, and more than guests, members of the family. For this great assembly ill the Abbev. the ero.vds waiting outside its walls*, and the multitude of listening people, regard the family of our beloved King and Queen as in a true sense their own. It must be most moving to you, dear bride and bridegroom, to know that this wealth of good wishes and good will is being offered to you as their wedding

"it'l. ' Vet in tlic widst of all the voices which have acclaimed you in your comviilt here, and will again acclaim you as you leave, will you let one voicc for a few minutes sound a deeper note? 11. may not be easy for you in all tins happv excitement to listen; but perhaps sonie'ccho of my words may linger among the memories of this great day. At liv.st. vou know that the words will not be merely formal but spoken from the heart of a friend and Father in Cod. We all wish you happiness, but our wit-lies cannot give it. Nor can it come from outward circumstance. It can onlv come from yourselves, from the spirit that is within you. Vou cannot choose what changes and chances arc to befall you in the coming yean-. But you can choose the spirit with which you will meet them. Let, it ho tlie spirit of the noble vows in which you have just plighted your troth each to the other. Vows as a Bond of Honour. If you will take these vows not as a form but as a bond of honour which -you will keep with unswerving loyalty, "then whatever may come you will have that inward happiness which no pleasures of themselves can give and no sorrows can take away. Then the home life which awaits you will be both an abiding security to yourselves and a" welcome example to

others. t . To-day your separate lives —with their own memories and hopes, temptations and trials—are merged in one. Will you bring into this new life, each for the sake of the other, the best that you can Let your deepest bond of union be in that inward region of the soul where conscience and true ideals dwell. I'or there you come near to God and God comes near to you. Keep always there a feverent remembrance of Him. Then His protecting hand will guide you, and by His eternal love the love you bear each other will be ever strengthened and enriched. One word more. As you think of the good wishes with which the people of this Nation and Empire are at_ this moment surrounding you, you will, I know, resolve that you will ever be eager to help and' serve them in such ways as you can. You, sir, have already and fully taken your place in this service of the community. And you, dear bride, as your husband's comrade, will find a new happiness in sharing the joys and sorrows, a,nd in ministering to the needs of the good British folk who have already with a warmth so swift and so spontaneous taken you into their heart.

I am sure that that heart is now speaking through my words when I say: Goci bless you both. God guide you. God keep you always.