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that Jonah himself might feel and
confess it. When the sailors saw
that Jonah had the lot, they said all
to him, “Tell us now the truth;
why is this evil come? What hast
thou done? Who art thou? Where
is thy country? Who are thy peo-
ple? Jonah felt how much he had
sinned, and was very sorry; and he
did not try to deny, but humbly
confessed all the truth. This was
right. When we have done wrong,
and are sorry for it, we should at
once confess it humbly. So Jonah
said, “I am an Israelite; I am a
servant of God, the true God, who
made the dry land, and the sea, and
who has now sent this storm; and I
know He has sent it to punish me,
because I have disobeyed His com-
mand, and tried to flee from His
presence.” 'Then the sailors asked,
“What shall we do? How can we
make the sea quiet again?” Jonah
said, “ You must take me, and throw
me into the sea; and then it will be
calm. I know the storm is sent for
my sake, and it will not be calm
while I am in the ship.” Jonah
was willing to bear the punishment
of his sin himself, and did not like
the poor sailors to suffer for his sake ;
but they were very kind to him, and
for along while would not cast him
into the sea. They rowed very hard,
and tried to bring the ship to the
land; but they could not. God had
determined to punish Jonah, and He
would not calm the storm while he
was in the ship. Jonah told the
sailors this, and asked them again
to throw him into the sea. Then
they all prayed to God, the true God,
and asked Him to forgive them for

 

 

THE STORM.

what they were going to do. They
said, “Lord, Thou hast done as it
pleased Thee. We do not wish this
man to perish ; we cast him into the
sea, because he tells us it is Thy
will. Do not punish us for hig
death.” Then the men took up
Jonah, and threw him out of the
ship into the sea; and he wentdown
into the waters, and the men saw
him no more. But as soon as the
disobedient prophet was out of, the
ship, the wind and the storm were
calmed; and thus God showed the
ignorant sailors how great His
power is. He showed them that it
was He who sent the storm, and
why He sent it. He made them
feel that He is a holy God, who
sees sin, and punishes it; not like
their idols, which had no power to
see nor to do anything. And when
the sailors looked now at the quiet
sea, and the bright sky, and saw
their ship sailing on safely through
the water, they felt that God is
merciful as wellas just. They knew
that the God who sent the storm to
punish a rebellious sinner, took away
the storm when that disobedient
man was thrown out of the ship.
The sailors felt all this, and began
to fear the Lord, and to love Him
too.

The Bible tells us no more about
this ship, and the men who sailed in
it. The dreadful storm was sent in
mercy to them, to turn their hearts
to God ; to teach them that He alone
can make, and see, and do all things;
that He must punish sin; but that
He is always ready to have mercy,
and to forgive those who truly turn
to Him.