He gathers now His angry clouds, And thick they quickly come; Bearing along the teeming rains And the devouring storm. The beauteous sky is overcast. And darkness fills the air; And lightnings flash, and thunders roll; No ray of hope is there. As if the clouds are not enough, Heaven's windows open wide, To pour upon the startled earth The overflowing tide. The clouds come down almost to earth, And seem to bend with rain; And men look up with fearful gaze, Nor can their fear restrain. Oh! fearful and majestic scene; Jehovah's awful frown Seems o'er the sinfulness of earth, In anger bending down. No sun now cheers, no light of star To those shall ever come, Who by their long continued crimes, Provoked this awful doom. VIII. THE FOUNTAINS OF THE DEEP ARE BROKEN UP. Not only did the clouds come up,-- Heaven's windows open wide;-- The fountains of the deep were stirr'd, And raged on every side. The clouds pour'd down their treasures vast, The deeps yield up their store, The proudest trembles at the form Of God's almighty power. The seas are swelling up in wrath, And break the appointed bound-- Their waters overflow the shore And fiercely rage around. The rivers rise to fearful height, And roll their torrents on, Until their highest banks are lost From sight, deep overflown. The fountains too and hidden springs, Seem bursting everywhere; Their waters flow on every side, The common rage to share. Now wave meets wave, and swells the flood In fury o'er the land, Fulfilling all the will of God, Obeying His command. O God! the power is thine alone, To punish and create; We would with reverence bow to Thee, And worship might so great And may we never dare provoke That high Almighty Power, Which once awaked against our sins, Could blast us in an hour. IX. THE FLOATING ARK. The waters lifted up the ark, Majestic it did ride Above the swelling, surging waves, Along the rolling tide. The freight of life it bore along, Secure from every harm; And though the tempest raged without, Their hearts knew no alarm. To God in humble earnest prayer, They sent their feeble cry, And He with power and love did look, Down from His throne on high. And while the raging waves did roar, And swift destruction bring, Jehovah sheltered them beneath The shadow of His wing. The ark Jehovah guided through The vast unmeasured deep; And all the life therein reposed He did in safety keep. It floated o'er the valleys low, And o'er the highest hill, For high the waters rose, and thus Obey'd the Almighty Will.