Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-10-26
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER &c, 1854.
The Ill-Fated Arctic.
SERMON BY REV. II. W. BERcHER.

SERMON BY REV. II. W. BEECHER.
The following extract from discourse by
the Rev. H. W. Beecher, at Plymouth church,
Brooklyn, N. Y, on the recent disaster to the
Arctic, will be read with interest:
'tThe poor human heart, left to itself alone
among earthquakes and shipwrecks, sinks
with fear, and feels its own helplessness; but
God is refuge in distress, very present help
in time Of trouble. In time when plague
is devastating the land, how puny seems the
power and wisdom of man; yet in such times
as this, there are some who can SO fully trust
in God that they know no fear There is no
one who has not watched with painful ankle
ty all t;dings from that vessel that now rests
in Newfoundland waters. 1t would be
dreadful thing if the vessel alone had gone
down, being, as she has been, the national
pride and boast. Never has the Arctic car
ried such numerous freight OF human pas
sengers, and those so nearly connected with
us. How noble, in the midst of danger and
death, stood that brave man, Luce, whom
thought dead when | wrote these lines; yet
such. thank God, is not so. He stood nobly
to his post, not even consenting to have his
son saved, in preference to those entrusted to
his care. And this was not done either under
the eye of reporters, with the expectation that
when each one was expecting soon to appear
before their Maker. Amid the scene of Desc
lation there were men and women who waited
as calmly in that cabin for death, as if at home
in safety. And there is one remark wish to
make in connection with the subject l do
not know how it is that any man who has ev-
er known trouble can be a worshlpper OF ma
ture instead of God. Nature is the same,
cold and unchanging, to all. wonder how
men, in that hour OF extremity, esteemed those
things they have thought so much OF in life
homes, and lands, anu honors. How much,
in that hour would beauty be valued over de-
formity? How much more he who had mil
lions than he who had nothings There is
much grief caueed by this calamity, that viii
be conspicuous to the world; but more, far
more, will suffer in secret, long years before
the freshness of their grief caused by this dis
aster, will have worn away-to whom every
breeze will be dirge, and every day some
thing will remind them of their great trouble.
There are many things that appear more
valuable than simple fidelity to duty, yet in
such case as this, how generally public feel
ing execrates selhshness, even when 1t IS
prompted by the natural desire to save ones
life. How much nobler is the conduct of
Luce, who will become an ideal for the imita-
ton of the rising generation, and 1t is to be
hoped that it will be efiectual in raising up
better race of men than at present exists.
cannot let this occasion pass without warning
you, that the infideity which IS gaining
strength should be terribly rebuked by this
calamity God is chastsing us for our un-
wise legislations which will preserve peace
without regard to justice. 10 show how God
had shown his displeasure, Mr.. Beecher said
he had obtained the following statistics dur.
| ing the past twelve months more than 1000
| American vessels, including those on the
! lakes and rivers, have been lost. This is no
ministers calculation, who Iare not expected
to know anything Of such matters, but has
been computed by those who are expected to
feel these losses most severely. During the
same length of time, the number of vessels
lost throughout the whole world was 10000.
Can it be said that it was chance alone that
has caused the United States to furnish 1000
out of the 10, 900 vessels that have been lost ?
Up to the year 1860, the average number of
vessels lost all over the world, averaged 5000
a year. The amount of insurance paid the
Marine Insurance Companies in New York,
last year, amounted to twelve millions. The
losses OIL land by railroads and otherwise,
amounted to eighteen millions, making a
total loss by sea and land, to be thirty mil
lions of dollars. 1t is ito be remarked that
God has in most instances, struck directly at
the pride Of our strength. The n0blest, the
newest of our vessels are the ones taken, as
he meant to prove that it was himself that
had done it; and that men might not say,
they fell by their own weakness. Let men
therefore depart from their infidelity and put
their trust in him, and he will gather them
under his wings and no evil shall come nigh
them