heavens, up to this time for weeks; and a slight haze in the horizon, like the smoke of the Indian summer on the land, was the first indication of change; but soon a bank of mist rolled up and then unrolled and spread over the ocean, till they were in the midst of a thick, damp fog, so like a blanket round about them, that nothing could be seen, not even the water a fathom from the ship's side.

Now as soon as this was the case, the danger from the sunken reefs might be considered imminent, simply because, as I said, they had not reckoned the strength nor discovered the direction of the currents, and therefore were really to a great degree ignorant of their position. The fog distressed them much, and though they had no idea of the neighborhood of rocks, yet they kept as good a look-out as seemed possible. When the night fell, the darkness was like Egypt, and Peter and John, as they went forward to the bows of the ship, and gazed earnestly out into the gloom, felt an awe stealing over their spirits, and a presentiment of evil, they hardly knew why. But they called to mind the direction, Who is among you that feareth the Lord, and obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.15 So they besought

15 Isa. 1. 10.

the Lord's guidance, and kept watching, and that night sleep fled from them, and they continued in prayer.

And well was it that they did; for about midnight suddenly a cry was made of breakers, a loud startling cry; and hurrying on deck, there was, sure enough, the angry dash of the waves over the rocks, and as the fog had lifted a little, the foam could be seen cresting and creaming right ahead of the ship, and seeming hardly the ship's length distant.

Hard up the helm, shouted Peter. Let fly the main sheets! Then he rushed to the helm himself, while John flew to the men's assistance, for their life depended on the rapidity and correctness of their movements. Peter saw at a glance the direction of the reef, and now the whole reality of the rocks in the Chart came to his mind like a sudden revelation, and the anguish of the conviction that they had stumbled into this danger by their own carelessness was exceeding great. Lord, save us! cried Peter; we perish!

16

And here, if the vessel had been in the same condition as she was when they were tossing off the coast of Self-Conceit, she must have gone upon the rocks in spite of all their manoeuvring; but she minded her helm since Humility and Self-Distrust had had the

16 Matt. viii. 25.

handling of her ballast, and escaped, though very narrowly, in the midst of appalling peril. A little delay in the watch, a little later, a little further, and she must have struck. The men trembled from head to foot, when they saw the danger, and it was not till daylight came, and the fog lifted, showing them that they had a clear sea before them, that they found any relief.

Then Peter and John went to work upon their reckoning, and they had to cry out, Who can understand his errors?" But pleasant it was to see the exceeding great earnestness with which they now studied the King's Chart. With compasses in hand. they were poring over it day and night, and making their measurements, and with new anxiety and many tears they sought to be taught of God, for they found that a sailor might speculate excellently well, and yet, but for God's mercy, go to the bottom. The warning ran in their minds continually, Let us, therefore, fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short.18 They trembled for the danger of Self-delusion.

17 Psa. xix. 12.

18 Heb. iv. 1.

CHAPTER X.

CAPTAIN GLIB'S YACHT. THE FIRST AND SECOND MATE, COM

PANY AND CARGO.-DISCUSSIONS AS TO THE FREEDOM

OF THE SEAS, AND CERTAINTY AND SECURITY OF
THE COMPASS.—GOD'S WORD INFALLIBLE, AND

NOT MERELY A CONTINENT OF COMMON
MUD AND WATER.

Now it came to pass, as they stood upon their way with a fine favorable wind, after the fog had passed over, that they chanced to espy a sail bearing down upon them, and thinking she might be of the King's service, forthwith trimmed their course so as to meet and speak with her. But as they drew near, they found she looked more like a pleasure yacht with streamers, than anything else, and they could not make out her rig till they got close enough to speak without difficulty. Her course lay athwart the bows of the ship, westward, while they were going South East. The vessels lay to for one another, and as the sea was quiet, they could easily converse without changing position.

The vessel's name they found was False Confidence, and she had a rakish look that truly did not belie her name, and her Captain's name was Glib, a man well known and highly honored in his native land of Oppositions of Science falsely so called.'

The vessel herself was built in the Country of Liberal Christianity, and had been constructed with a propeller in her stern called Philosophy, which, together with the Engine, was put under the charge of one Deism as First Mate. Nevertheless, they went by the wind when it was favorable, and only took to the propeller when the wind did not serve, or when they would go in the teeth of the wind. Sometimes the Captain put Deism at the helm, but more generally left it in charge of the regular steersman, one Mr. Man's-Wisdom.

The Second Mate's name was Plausible, and he had under his control a number of men, some of whom were mariners, and among them a notable crew named Surface, Tradition, Prejudice, Shallow, Secondhand, Explain-away, Pick-flaw, Fair-speech, Voluble, Anything, and Nothing. There was on board in the steerage a library for their use, entitled Salvation made Easy; or, Every Man his own Redeemer. In the hold they had many bales of stuff, called Rudiments of the World, Profane and Vain Babblings,3 3 1 Tim. vi. 20.

1 1 Tim. vi. 20.

2 Col. ii. 8.