248 THE WHALE AND 



Very fervent Whale-ward. Very dull God-ward. 



" Now the scene changes. Devotion does not 

 cease, but it is turned into another channel. 

 Prayer, reading, sacred melody, exhortation, all 

 give place to the weightier matter of pursu- 

 ing this MOVING SEA-GOD ! The object of devo- 

 tion thus changed, interest, zeal, fervor, energy, 

 are all quickened and strongly developed. 



" True, most irreligious men ridicule this 

 kind of piety, and heartily despise its selfishness 

 and inconsistency ; and Lord's-day whalemen 

 often complain that it is hard to maintain re- 

 ligion, and especially so to keep up divine serv- 

 ice at sea. No doubt it is hard, and perhaps 

 it is impossible, to exercise true religion in con- 

 nection with Sabbath breaking.* The two can 



* A clergyman was once invited to preach on board a whale 



ship. The hour for service having anived, Captain 



said to the officer of the deck, " Mr. , call all hands 



aft." The crew were soon assembled in the cabin. An " old 

 salt" remaining behind, the captain inquired, " Where is 



S ?" "Down in the hold, sir; says he won't come to 



meeting, sir." He was then called again, but to no effect. 

 He had gone down into the blubber-hold, and there intrench- 

 ed himself, like a giant in his castle or a lion in his lair. He 

 was reasoned with, but all to no purpose. He refused to be 

 routed. There, in his den, he sat ; and in his den he growled 

 defiance: " I won't come up !" On this the officer left him, 

 and reported to the captain. 



The clergyman now asked the liberty to go himself and in- 



