PROVIDENTIAL TESTIMONIES. 261 



and no sooner was it clear of the lines, and in 

 a condition to be removed, than the compact 

 aggregation of ices by which it was enveloped, 

 began to relax, so that, with little further em- 

 barrassment, a channel was cleared out, and the 

 prize effectually secured. Thus, before the very 

 first day available for the fishery, after the Sab- 

 bath had come to a close, all our anxieties were 

 relieved, our forbearance compensated, and our 

 efforts crowned with the desired success. 



" After a careful examination of the journals 

 of my four last voyages in the whale fishery, 

 being the same to which the foregoing records 

 chiefly refer, I can only discover three instances 

 wherein, after resisting the pursuit of whales 

 seen on the Sabbath, we were not successful in 

 the fishery of the ensuing week. 



" As to those who may yet question the re- 

 sult of our argument that the statements here 

 presented afford decisive evidence of a providen- 

 tial blessing on the endeavour to keep the Lord's 

 day holy we would claim, at least, this fair 

 and candid admission, that our refraining from 

 Sabbath violation, when urged to it by the pros- 



