It was already night-fall upon the deck, when they reached their own ship, and they soon lost sight of the GOOD WORKS in the darkness, though they thought they should see her again the next morning. But when the day broke she was no where visible, nor did they ever see or hear of her from that time. It was a solemn thing to have seen such obstinate blindness, and they all felt that it was only the Lord's wonderful mercy, that had kept them from just such fatal delusion, or had plucked one soul as a brand from the burning. In the evening watch that day they sang a hymn expressive of the danger:

There is a way that seemeth right,

The steps go on with ease;

And conscience slumbers, while the soul
Forsakes the path of peace.

A way that lulls the careless heart,
There's death upon the air;

The soul that sleepeth wakes at length
In anguish and despair.

There is a way that leads to death,

God hath the warning given;
And multitudes pursue that way,

Still dreaming on of heaven.

Then let me tremble at the Word
That shows this danger nigh

And wake, and pray, and keep the path
That leads to joys on high.

For God will teach the contrite mind
The way of death to shun;

He ne'er will leave a praying soul
By sin to be undone.

CHAPTER XXVI.

NONE BUT CHRIST! NONE BUT CHRIST!

WELL, my brother, said John the next day to Peter, as they were gazing towards the quarter whither their course lay, and watching the bright appearances that began from time to time to fill the horizon; this trusting in Christ is a deeper business than most men imagine, and I begin to think that a great multitude have but very superficial ideas about it.

Deep? answered Peter, It goes to the very inmost being of a man's soul, and carries everything before it; pride, self-righteousness, self-dependence, all a man's peculiar property it carries away. It brings down all high looks, and vain imaginations, and everything that exalteth itself against God, and brings every soul into captivity to the love of Christ.1

1 2 Cor. x. 5.

It is stronger than the strong man armed, and taketh from him all his castle, and his goods wherein he trusted. It leaves him nothing that he can call his

2

own, and what is better, leaves him willing to be stripped of everything, willing to owe everything to Christ.

JOHN.--But some are not so, but seem very unwilling to owe all to Christ, always keeping back part of the price, as it were, some foundation of self-trust or self-merit.

PETER. Yes, and they that will have but half a Saviour, are most likely to have none at all. He must be everything or nothing. There cannot be in one and the same vessel such a cargo as Captain Good-enough's and faith in Christ accompanying it.

JOHN.-Faith! There was not even the conception of it. The man evidently did not know what it means, and to say the truth, of the nature of good works he had no better imagination, notwithstanding the name of his vessel, and his own name.

PETER. Did you ever hear or know of a more obstinate case? But there is never in all the world such blindness as that which seals the heart against Christ and his glory. And it holds on, sometimes, even till death, the man all the while feeling sure of salvation, till he marches up to the door, and hears

2 Luke xi. 22.

the terrible voice of the King from within, saying, Depart from me, I never knew you.'

JOHN. This is a great wonder of sin, this blindness, but a greater wonder it is that any ever see; a wonder of grace, when it pleases God to shine into the heart, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.*

PETER. True, most true is this, but men are very slow to learn, even when they have begun to learn; they often stop with the milk for babes, instead of pressing on to perfection. Sometimes they learn this mystery soon, sometimes not till very late, always only by the Spirit. Nothing else can teach it, and God's Divine Providence sometimes seems employed in vain upon men for years, without bringing them to it. I call to mind the case of a man of God, who was one of the King's ministers, or thought he was, a long time, without having seen this light. But one day he went to visit a woman of very great and true humility and piety, whose life everybody felt was that of one of the King's dear disciples, but who was then dangerously sick. Well, he set himself in his ignorance to endeavor to prepare her for death, and so he said to her, I doubt not but you will die calm and happy. But how so, and wherefore? asked the sick woman. Because, said the poor ignorant man,