as that embosomed her--if we could have
witnessed the scene--what a time to shake and shatter this faith! And
during long ages afterward, while the land was forming in little
islands above the waters, how impossible it would have been for one of
us to see the Divine Presence on the waters, look for harmony, beauty,
life and peace to be brought out of all!

"And then in times of confusion, we have seen, when storms have fallen,
when winds have howled, and the waters roared with trouble; what an
effort was required to believe the Lord was in the storm speaking
peace; and the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters!

"Then, there are storms we know of, but cannot see at all times.
Electric and magnetic storms, when all the vital forces of nature are
in commotion, and wars are waged from pole to pole: when the thunders
growl, and lightnings flash, and the ruddy aurora dances and flames.
What apparent confusion reigns! You think the thunder, lightning and
aurora, are announcements of war and commotion scarcely yet begun, and
you fear and tremble.

"But how will knowledge and faith disperse these terrors, and reduce
their confusion to harmony and rest! The very war of waters at the
creation was their effort after peace. When the world stood in islands
above the lonely seas, the Spirit of God was on the waters, bringing
forth continents in order and beauty, and preparing for these times of
wide-spread lands, and gay-green verdures; and nations on all, with
intelligence, commerce and joy. And the terrible storms we have
witnessed, were the movement of God's Spirit, restoring equilibrium in
nature; while, instead of announcing conflict and trouble to come, the
lightning and aurora were the reports of peace; saying, the electric
and magnetic storms were over, and their forces were at rest.

"Again; '_the Spirit of God moves on the waters as they flow in the
course of History._'

"We study history with trifling purpose, if its high philosophy does
not raise us behind the scenes of strife and peace, advance and
retreat, rest and revolution, to discover that God moves on the waters
controlling their general course."

The Minister cited a few great epochs and movements of history, as
illustrations. Some were secular, and some were sacred. He pointed to
the wars of Alexander, in which the oriental nations must have seen
nothing but chaos, desolation, and woe. Yet, over all those warring
waters the Spirit of God mo