All that occurs in His wide empire

All that occurs in His wide empire!
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["The Sovereignty of God in Calamity!" Delivered on September 20, 1857, by Ebenezer Rogers--two days after the steamship 'Central America' sank during a hurricane. 560 of the 626 people on board lost their lives!]

Upon the whole history of this solemn event, is stamped the record of the absolute sovereignty of God. It is not an enemy who has done this! God is sovereign, and this is the hand of God!

All that occurs in His wide empire, from the falling of a leaf--to the extinction of a race; from the death of a sparrow--to the blotting out of a star; is only the fiat of Him, who is from everlasting to everlasting God--whose counsel shall stand and who will do all His good pleasure.

There is a God who reigns in the earth! "Affliction does not come forth from the dust; neither does trouble spring out of the ground"--but "the Lord God omnipotent reigns!"

God is sovereign on His throne! All the powers and processes of nature, are but the ministers who do His pleasure. Rising above the roaring of the ocean, above the moaning of the blast, above even the shrieks of drowning men--is heard the solemn voice of the Almighty, saying in tones of overwhelming majesty, "Be still and know that I am God!" Psalm 46:10

Let us enthrone above these scenes of apparent disorder and arbitrary infliction--a Sovereign God, a God of wisdom, a God of power, a God of love, who sees the end from the beginning, and orders all things according to the counsel of His will--and here at least we have an anchorage for Fait