"THE DEFENCES OF THE EMPIRE."

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13873, 15 September 1915, Page 3 (Supplement)

"THE DEFENCES OF THE EMPIRE."

SERMON BY REV. J. REED

GLASSON

(From "The Colonist," Aug. 25.)

The Bev\ J. Reed Glasson. at the iNolson Congregational Church on Sunday night, preached a striking and powerful sermon to a largo congregation on "1 he Defences of the Empire." The preacher "began by putting thesequestions: Will our Empire endure the tremendous strain to which it ',s now being subjected? Will it hold together ? and Wih it continue its beneficent &,nd divinely appointed work in the world ,to which -work; with many lapses ajid failures, it has in the main beer, faithful ? The answer to the.se questions he said, depends upon the strength of i+s defences. If they are* undermined, nothing ca, prevent decay' and collapse. Such a calamity is con v ceivable, for unless certain great ideals and principles rule the mkids of men, unless they are crystaliscd in laws and institutions and customs, and in th* conduct of life, one empirs after anether go*vs down the path of rum to oblivion. The three great defences which nations overlook at their peril are the Word of God, the Day of God., and the House of i?od. Aften tracing the influence of the Bible in the life of individuals and of rations. Mr Glasson said that those who belittle thu Bible, or assign it to a subordinate place, are no true friends of humanity, and no safe guaidians of the sabred cause of human brotherhood and liberty. Ihe Hfble-suffers, not from criticism, higher cr lower, but from neglect and from the unwillingness of men patiei-tlv and systematically to seek ihe Jigat and jxuklance of its pages. Wherevor God's Word is nonoured, there God s J)ay will be kept 1-oly. It Avas true to say that English- speaking peoples m the past havo resisted what; is called the Continental Sunday. It is true also that they still do in the main, but there are ou-in-ous signs even in our midst of n fnlhngRway. Ib v/onld be well for us to lay u\ heart the saying of Voltaire, "W-uvtr^r Englishmen know it or not, it is.Hio English Sunday which hap made land what England is." Wli;>re .G*rs Word and God's Day are huiuuirod there-Ocd'a-House will- be . honmircclalso: Tlaesear© the defcnce-3 of cmEmpire, and the preacher : eanipst-iy pleaded that these be gkon Ihejr- due Tvlare and prominence in persorrtl exjperienoe, in tlieiaiuily programme, aiiq; mlriational life. " ' v "