endants. Peter took everything in good part, though he was nearly
drowning in a sail triced up on deck and filled with water, when Owen
Bell jumped in and pulled him out. He made his escape as soon as the
amusements were over, and hurried to the berth to look for his book. To
his great joy he found it safe, and immediately hung it again round his
neck.

Some more weeks passed away. Hitherto Owen Bell, even on a Sunday, had
always made some excuse for not reading with Peter. At length one hot
Sunday, when the ship was becalmed in the tropics, and even Owen felt no
inclination for sky-larking, Peter got him to sit down while most of the
crew were asleep, or occupied in some of the few shady spots they could
find. Peter, opening the book, read the account of the visit of
Nicodemus to the Lord.

"He was a learned and important man, and yet you see he wanted to be
taught, and the Lord did teach him. He showed him he was a sinner by
nature, as all of us are, and that he must become a new creature."

"I cannot understand how he could become that of his own accord," said
Bell. "It's hard to tell a man to do what he cannot."

"The Lord never did that," said Peter, "when He told him that he `must
be born again.' He showed him clearly how it must be brought about.
You remember what He said about the Israelites when bitten by serpents
in the wilderness, and how they were cured immediately they looked on
the brazen serpent, taking Moses at his word when he told them to do so.
So if we only take God at His word, and look to Jesus on the cross
suffering for and bearing our sins, we shall be forgiven, and through
the power of the Holy Spirit be born again. What I am sure God wants us
to do is to take Him at His word, to believe that He will do whatever He
says; and Jesus Himself tells us that he that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life."

"What an old-fashioned little chap you are," said Owen, laughing. "You
talk like a book."

"It seems all very clear to me, and I wish that it did to you, Bell."

"Well, the truth is, that I have been such a bad fellow, and have so
many sins to answer for, that I don't fancy when God comes to count them
up He can pardon me. Even when I seemed most careless and full of
jokes, I have often had my heart pressed down with the recollection of
all the bad things I have done."

"But Jesus tells us in another place that `He came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance,'