The steamer Central America sank on September 18, 1857, taking 560 of its passengers with it to a watery grave. Two days later, American minister Ebenezer Rogers delivered this sermon. In his rousing speech, Rogers argues that God is sovereign in all things, "from the falling of a leaf–to the extinction of a race." While the tragic events of the world can be hard to fathom, Rogers urges anyone listening or reading to take comfort in the fact that an all-knowing God has directed them.