A World of Sinners Once Was Drowned

A world of sin­ners once was drowned

A del­uge swept them all away;

One fa­mi­ly alone had found

God’s mercy in that judg­ment day.

Forewarned of wrath to come

they feared

And

taught by God

pre­pared an ark

Which o’er the waves in suns­hine steered

Where all be­low was dead and dark.

Again the Spir­it of the Lord

Moved on the form­less deep and void

And to the Pa­tri­arch’s sight re­stored

The rel­ics of that world de­stroyed:

A world with­out a breath­ing soul

Or sign of life in plant or tree;

Stretched like a corpse from pole to pole

Untraveled land

un­voy­aged sea!

Then from their hid­ing place they came

And straight­way built an al­tar there;

Whence rose to Heav’n the dou­ble flame

Of pure burnt sac­ri­fice and pray­er.

We

in an ark not made with hands

God’s own new co­ve­nant of peace

Which on the rock of ages stands

Seek re­fuge till His an­ger cease.

Then

as the cloud-born rain­bow smiled

On Noah’s ran­somed ones

we trace

Our heav’n­ly Fa­ther re­con­ciled

In our in­car­nate Sav­ior’s face.