South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-03-26
DR.. EDWARDS ENDS
LOCAL Passionate
Crowded Church Listens to
Final Sermon-Here
Five Years.

The - sthodist Memorial church
was crowded to capacity at both
morning and evening services yes
terday. il being the last Sunday of
the pastorate of Rev. DR.. Loren NJ.
Edwards, who. for the past five
years has ministered TO a large con-
gregatiOn. and whose acceptance of
an important change In Baltimore
leaves a vacancy in Methodism in
Mishawaka that will be hard to fill.
DR.. Edwards explained at the
evening service that he had never
preached a farewell sermon, and
that he would not begin now. His
last word was not OF a fearful fare
well, but of glowing inspiration.
That there are heartaches at part
ing, ne said. is the common expert
ence of life and not even the turn
of the ecclesiastical wheel can sever
relations welded by five years of CO.
operative Christian labors as pastor
and people. "But now, as we linger
in tender reflection, we rejoice in the
five intense years that have just
shuttled past, we are glad that these
privileges have been ours, we cher
ish the fine friendship, We prize the
rich trophies of redeeming grace.
While have tried TO be a good
minister of Jesus Christ and while
whole diameters below my ideal, L
can quit Mishawaka with the clear
conscience that made it possible for
Paul TO say, L am pure from the
blood OF all me-"
In the course of his final sermon
he said: I'VE plant our feet now
upon the solid rock of ages, we tell
those towers of Zion that have stood
the storms Of the centuries, we list
those fundamentals of our faith
that, despite the hostilities and ami
mosities of opposers remain our
own"
The Finger Marks of Divinity.
ut would be a superfiuity to dis
cuss or debate the problem OF Gods
existence It is not a distinctive
Christian tenet that there is a God
From one end of nature TO the 9TH
err are written the finger marks of
divinity, from the worship of the
nations and all ages there is the out
reach of humanity after deity, from
the histories and the traditions from
the customs and the longings. from
learned and ignorant. civilized and
pagan, cultured and illiterate. come
the cries after God. Happily the day
in which skepticism was the
fashion has gone and in this
day the distinct trend is not away
from faith but in the direction of
faith. The outstanding thinkers of
our day are not agnostics but theists
not skeptics but believers, not OPP
posers Of religion but supporters of
il. Call the roll of the leading ex-
ponents of modern thought in Amer
ica. whether in philosophy or science
or psychology and you will name
men of relig Gus faith and probably
men Of Christian sympathies and ac-
tivities.
More ard more we count upon
those things that have in them the
quality of permanent. If l thought
that the labors of these years would
pass from fact as we pass from
sight, if the toll of heart and hand
cannot outlast the accidents of pres
ence or OF personal leadership. If
our religion does not anchor itself in
eternity then vain is our toll and
wretched is our lot.
Upon these certainties let us take
our stand. upon these foundations
let us build, with these credentials
let us toll, and with these hopes let
us continue until the end; and when
the night is past we shall rest secure
in the certainty of the dawning of
an eternal morning. Therefore,
think on these things.
AS the congregation was leaving
the church +he chimes pealed forth
God Be With You Till We Meet
Again" The pastor shook hands
with many members of the church.
He will leave for conference at
Huntington during the present week
but will return to Mishawaka short
ly and leave in time TO begin work
in Baltimore on Easter Sunday. Mrs.
Edwards has just been released
from st. Joseph's hospital and will
not be able TO go east for about
three weeks. The committee ap-
pointed 10 fill the vacancy will COM
mence taking the necessary steps
this week