42 
MOBY DICK; OR 
J onah, not yet supplicating God for mercy, since he but too well knew 
the darkness of his deserts, — when wretched Jonah cries out to them 
to take him and cast him forth into the sea, for he knew that for his sake 
this great tempest was upon them ; they mercifully turn from him, and 
seek by other means to save the ship. But all in vain; the indignant 
gale howls louder; then, with one hand raised invokingly to God, with 
the other they not unreluctantly lay hold of Jonah. 
“And now behold Jonah taken up as an anchor and dropped into the 
sea ; when instantly an oily calmness floats out from the east, and the 
sea is still, as Jonah carries down the gale with him, leaving smooth 
water behind. He goes down in the whirling heart of such a masterful 
commotion that he scarce heeds the moment when he drops seething 
into the yawning jaws awaiting him; and the whale shoots-to all his 
ivory teeth, like so many white bolts, upon his prison. Then Jonah 
prayed unto the Lord out of the fish’s belly. But observe his prayer, 
and learn a weighty lesson. For sinful as he is, Jonah does not weep 
and wail for direct deliverance. He feels that his dreadful punish- 
ment is just. He leaves all his deliverance to God, contenting himself 
with this, that spite of all his pains and pangs, he will still look to- 
wards His holy temple. And here, shipmates, is true and faithful 
repentance; not clamorous for pardon, but grateful for punishment. 
And how pleasing to God was this conduct in Jonah, is shown in the 
eventual deliverance of him from the sea and the whale. Shipmates, I 
do not place Jonah before you to be copied for his sins, hut I do 
place him before you as a model for repentance. Sin not ; but if you 
do, take heed to repent of it like Jonah.” 
While he was speaking these words, the howling of the shrieking, 
slanting storm without seemed to add new power to the preacher, who, 
when describing Jonah’s sea-storm, seemed tossed by a storm himself. 
His deep chest heaved as with a ground-swell ; his tossed arms seemed 
the warring elements at work ; and the thunders that rolled away from 
off his swarthy brow, and the light leaping from his eye, made all his 
simple hearers look on him with a quick fear that was strange to them. 
There now came a lull in his look, as he silently turned over the 
leaves of the Book once more; and, at last, standing motionless, with 
closed eyes, for the moment, seemed communing with his God. 
But again he leaned over towards the people, and bowing his head 
