How strong that hand that can protect, When danger rages round; The mercy of our Father God, Doth every where abound. And those who put their trust in Him, And to Him ever pray, Will find it is the safest thing His counsel to obey. X. THE DROWNING WORLD. Now let us for awhile return And see the startled world, With all its pride and all its sin Swift into ruin hurl'd. The waters now are rising fast, And men are in despair; They can themselves no succur find, No ear now hears their prayer. They once derided him who preached To them the coming wo, But now no voice cries out, Repent; Ah! whither shall they go? The ark to them is firmly closed, They cannot enter in; They see the flood is rising round; They perish in their sin. Not highest trees can shelter them, Nor mountain caverns hide, For caves and heights are fill'd and lost, As onward sweeps the tide. Ah! would that they had heard the word That faithful Noah preach'd; Accepted of Jehovah's grace Which he to them out-reach'd. But now, alas! it is too late; No human power can save A single soul from perishing, Beneath the flooding wave. Oh! let us not provoke our God; But of His grace partake; And feel our sins are blotted out For His own mercy's sake. XI. THE ARK RESTS ON ARARAT. For forty days and forty nights, The waters of the flood Prevail'd o'er all the face of earth, Obedient to the word. Which God the great Jehovah spake, To drown it for its sin; His word is holy, just and right Forever sure, divine. The earth was drown'd; all living things Had perish'd from its face, Save Noah and his family, Protected by God's grace. The ark rode onward with the flood; The hand of God did guide The vessel with its freight of life, O'er all the swelling tide. The clouds do now withdraw aside; The deepest fountains cease, To pour their treasures forth on earth; The waters slow decrease. The ark moves on to Ararat, And rests upon its height; While Noah and his family, Are fill'd with great delight. They long to see the earth again, Cleansed by Jehovah's hand; They long to see the sun, great orb, Shine brightly o'er the land. They long to see the trees put forth, And beauteous flowers spring,-- The fields with verdure clothed, and hear The birds of morning sing. XII. NOAH SENDS FORTH THE RAVEN AND THE DOVE. Then Noah sent a raven forth, Out of a window high, To wander here and there, until the waters should be dry. And then again he sent a dove That he might something learn, But she could find no resting-place, And did to him return.