horizon, and there was a sound like the muttering of distant thunder. Also the breeze fell, and the air round about seemed to stand stock still, as if it were waiting for something like an earthquake. This put Peter and John on the alert, and running to the barometer, they found the mercury falling, so that at once they ordered all sail taken in, and everything on board ship made as tight as possible. The hatches were battened down, and all was prepared, as well as could be, for a storm, since they knew not how heavy it might come, nor how long it might last. And come it did with great violence, so that there was no time to lose; for the gale swept like a whirlwind, and had there been anything left exposed for the wind to get hold of, it seemed as though the masts would have been taken out of the ship bodily.

The conflict of the elements was terrible. Sometimes the rain poured down as if the whole heavens had burst, and the thunder roared, and the lightning flashed incessantly. Then again it seemed as if the wind itself would beat both thunder and lightning. Not a word could be heard on board ship, and such a sea was raised, that the like of it they had never seen, nor even imagined possible.

Nevertheless, they would perhaps have gone through it unharmed, if it had not been for a little negligence at the helm, which just then needed the

greatest strength and watchfulness. For a slight sheer in the steering brought the broadside of a wave upon them with such tremendous violence, that almost everything went by the board. The bulwarks were wrenched down, and the whole companion way was carried off, so that the water rushed into the cabin and nearly filled it. The next moment the foremast was carried short off near the deck, notwithstanding that not a rag of canvas had been left exposed to the tempest.

Then said Peter, and he could not help groaning it aloud, so that John heard him, All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me!' But John held his peace, for he was afraid of discouraging the crew, if they gave way themselves as in terror; but he thought at one time the end had come. Then he said within himself, Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.” And the words came to him, When I said my foot slippeth, thy mercy, O Lord, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul.' So they both looked to God with strong crying and tears, for they were in very great danger.

The storm did not abate, the night came down in pitch darkness, and everything was gloomy. To add

7 Psa. xlii. 7.

8 Psa. lxxvii. 19.

9 Psa. xciv. 18, 19.

to their distress, the ship, which had seemed to have suffered no injury in her timbers, began evidently to leak, for on sounding, they found several feet of water in the hold. And now for the first time it occurred to Peter and John that she must have been weakened in some way, while grounded on the bar in the River of Vain Confidence; but all they could now do was to work at the pumps.

And here again they were terribly disheartened, and all hope seemed about to be taken from them; for though one of the pumps worked well, yet the other was nearly useless, and on trying to discover the cause, they found that a parcel of grain, which had been taken on board in the country of SelfConceit, having been deposited near the bottom of the pump, and not at all cleared away, had swollen and choked the spaces, so that the water would not draw.

Now among the crew there were two named Contrition and Sincere, and they at once confessed that they remembered the putting in of that grain, and had themselves had a hand in it, and if any soul on board could get at it, it was they. So they volunteered, at great hazard and difficulty, because working in the hold was almost impossible at such a time, to get the evil out of the way. And indeed they labored with such despairing energy, that after a while they did succeed in reaching the source of the

trouble, and were so far enabled to remove it, that the pumps worked freely, and the ship was eased.

But the leaks were not to be got at, for it was no large leak, but a general injury, the effect of which would inevitably continue, while the ship labored so heavily, in such a tremendous sea. All they could do, therefore, was to keep the pumps going, day and night, which cost them incessant fatigue, so that they were almost dead from exhaustion. Then, too, there was not a dry place in the ship, where they could rest for an hour's sleep, but sleeping or waking they were wet and uncomfortable. And what between the storm and their own labors, the pressure was so great, that they had hardly time so much as to eat, and nothing could be cooked for them, so that their knees grew weak through fasting, and they thought if things continued in this state much longer, they should be reduced to utter despair. But they hoped they had seen the worst, though still the storm seemed unabated in its fury.

But all this while they had been driving before the tempest, not knowing where they were, nor how far they had gone, nor whether they were near any land or not; and as to steering a direct course, it was almost impossible, though they did what they could to keep the ship's head to the wind, in the direction of the Celestial Country, for they were manifestly driving

swiftly, somewhere or other, and well they knew that there was no help for them but in him who brought his people through the sea and through the wilderness. 10

So they cried unto the Lord, Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; hear me speedily, O Lord, my spirit faileth; hide not thy face from me, lest I be like them that go down into the pit." They resolved, if the ship must founder, they would go down heading towards the Celestial City. Then they thought they heard a voice, When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and they remembered the promise, Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that 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. They thought also, if the case was thus provided for, of those who were walking in darkness without light, they might themselves believe that neither the absence of light, nor the presence of darkness, nor any of their perplexities or difficulties, were in themselves any proof that the Lord had deserted them, but rather a proof that he was only trying them, to see if they would stay themselves on him.

13

So they held on; hoping, though it seemed to be

10 Psa. cxxxvi. 16.

12 Isa. xliii. 2.

11 Psa. cxliii. 7, 8.

13 Isa. 1. 10.