278 THE WHALE AND 



Safer to scud before a Tempest of Sorrow than to lie to. 



After having floated off in to obscurity, and been 

 quite lost sight of for a time, they will come 

 round again, and perhaps be taken up and tow- 

 ed into port by some political novice or dema- 

 gogue, or transcendental speculator, pretending 

 to great originality of genius, or by some novel- 

 ty-hunter in religion ; by them re-ribbed, calked, 

 and coppered, perhaps razeed, and set afloat 

 anew upon the tide of speculation, with a great 

 boast of newness and a mighty press of can- 

 vass. 



As I happen to be in the mood for illustra- 

 tions, I can not help writing out one that oc- 

 curred to me lately while observing the be- 

 havior and management of our ship in the last 

 severe gale. The conclusion we all came to 

 was, that a ship in a storm or heavy sea must 

 have sail enough on to run away from the 

 waves and surmount them, or she will be bur- 

 ied by them, broaching to and being boarded by 

 a disastrous wave. 



So with the religious mind in the great waves 

 of affliction, when the waters roar and are troub- 

 led mens' hearts failing them for fear and for 

 looking after those things which are coming, it 

 is often not so well and safe to lie to and wait for 



