pleasures, and so "makes shipwreck of the faith."

F. What are the dark places and calms into which different boats enter?

C. The different temptations and dangers of the Christian life.

F. What are the threatening waves which seemed to be right ahead of the
boat?

C. The dangers and self-denials which they must meet with who will
follow Christ.

F. What is meant by the boat which turned aside, and ran upon the shoal?

C. That they who will turn aside from following Christ because danger
and self-denials meet them cannot reach heaven.

F. What is shewn in the boat which followed this one?

C. How ready we are to follow a bad example, and go beyond it.

F. What was the little company of boats which kept together?

C. A Christian family earnestly serving God.

F. Why did those who helped others find that they got on the fastest?

C. Because God, who has bid us "bear one another's burdens, and so
fulfil the law of Christ," will greatly help and bless all such.

F. What is the belt of storm and darkness which all must pass through?

C. Death.

F. Why were all separated in it?

C. Because we must die alone.

F. Who are those that generally passed through it most easily?

C. Those whose life had been most holy and obedient. "Keep innocency,
and take heed unto the thing that is right; for that shall bring a man
peace at the last" (Ps. xxxvii. 38).

F. Who were the next?

C. Those who entered on it with much prayer.

F. What was their great support in it?

C. The presence of Jesus Christ our Lord.

F. What declaration have we on this subject in God's word?

C. "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee." "I am
the resurrection and the life; he that believeth on me shall never die."

F. What lies beyond this to the faithful Christian?

C. The blessed rest of paradise and the bright glories of heaven.

The Vision of the Three States.

I saw, in my vision, two glorious creatures walking together through a
beautiful garden. I thought at first they must be angels, so bright and
happy did they seem. The garden, also, in which they were, seemed too
beautiful for earth. Every flower which I had ever seen, and numbers
which my eye had never looked upon, grew in abundance round them. They
walked, as it were, upon a carpet of flowers. The breeze was quite full
of the rich scent which arose from them. The sun shone upon them with a
brightness such