South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-07-27
HUMAN SYMPATHY
Of TEN FAILS MEN
God Alone Can Satisfy us Says
Rev. James L. Gardiner
Men Fail to Realize There is
a God of the Present.

At the services held yesterday
morning in St. Paurs Memorial Meth
odist Episcopal church the pastor
Rev. James l.. Gardiner, d. D.,
preached on the subject Mans Quest
for God" The text for the sermon
was from Job 1888. 90 that I knew
where / might find Him
Or. Gardiner said in part:
Job was one of earth's saints, who
lived in the early twilight of Gods
revelation to man. Saints then as
now did not escape affliction. Job was
sorely troubled. He was wealthy but
he lost his wealth. He had a beauti-
full family but he lost them one by
one. He was strong and robust but
he lost his health. He had a wife
and friends but he lost their SYM
pathy. His heart was broken. Where
can he now go? To whom can now
broken heart? Who can now bring
peace to his soul?
81 answer, God. God alone can sat
isfy Job. Hence turning away from
human sympathy he uttered the cry
that through all the centuries has
been the cry of those whose hearts
have been broken 60 that 1 knew
where 1 might find Him..
This then is the message 1 would
bring you this morning. Nothing can
satisfy the highest and best in mans
soul but God. There is no substitute
for Jehovah. Wealth, amusement,
learning, friendship, music, love, phil
anthropy-these will not take the
place of Him. There is nothing in
earth or heaven that can take the
place of any personal finding Of God.
"And now let me add-God may be
found and moreover He may be
found now. Many think of God as
God of the past or as the God of
the future, but they do not seem TO
realize that He is the God of the
present. True religion some one has
said, lis not the memory of what God
was in the past, or the hope of what
He may be in the future, but the con-
sciousness and experience of His pres
cree and power in the present mo-
ment.'
Waits TO Be Found.
"It is true that God was with the
Isrealites and led them out of bond
age. 1t is true that God was with
Moses and showed him a tree which
when cast into the waters made the
waters sweet. 1t is true that God was
with Elijah at Mt. Carmel. 1t is true
that God has been with us as a ma
ton in the past and has helped jas
write the history of our country. IT
is true that He shall be with us as
a nation and as individuals tomorrow
and the next day; but it is also true
that He is with us this morning. He
is here now ready to help. The Great
Companion is not dead but is in this
church this morning waiting to be
found by every seeking soul. My de-
sire Is that we may know God as a
present reality. This surely is the
greatest thing in the world 10 know
Him-nct as a mere name, not as an
opinion but as the One who dWellS
within you
Let me say there will come expert
ences in your life when no one but
God can bring to you the comfort you
need. In times of sorrow. in times of
mental and moral trial, in times when
the burden of sin rests upon us, in the
time Of death-we shall need Him and
will cry with Job. % that 1 knew
where 1 might find Him. God grant
that we may all find Him and have
fellowship with Him here and now"