Noah prepared to build the
ark,
The tidings did him
grieve;
Yet it was just, and every
word
He did at once
believe.
V.
Noah preaches.
While Noah built for six score
years
The ark to ride
the flood,
He preach’d unto the
people round
The dreadful word
of God.
He show’d to them their
heinous sins,
He told them God
was just,
That He would surely punish
them
Unto the uttermost.
Not only did they break God’s
law
But they despised
His grace;
That they had most ungrateful
proved,
A hard, rebellious
race.
And though the Lord had suffer’d
long,
Nor seem’d
to notice them,
Yet soon He would arise in
might,
And loud His wrath
proclaim.
He told them of the impending
flood,
The threatening
of the Lord;
And that His counsel sure
would stand,
And ever true
His word.
But if they would repent,
perhaps
The Lord would
turn away
His anger from the earth and
thus
Avert the dreadful
day.
But if they should persist
in sin
And folly to the
last;
Then God in wrath would visit
them,—
Their day of grace
be past.
He there fore bade them all
repent,
And turn from
all their sin,
And humbly to Jehovah pray,
To stay His wrath
divine.
The time wore on, the ark
progress’d,
And Noah grew
more bold;
And to the people day by day,
God’s threatened
judgment told.
They heeded not his solemn
words,
Nor mark’d
his tearful eye;
But still continued in their
sin
Against the Lord
most high.
They mock’d him with
their taunting speech,
And call’d
him foolish, vain,
To think that God would drown
the earth
And men in floods
of rain.
They look’d up to the
heavens above,
No threatening
clouds were there;
They laugh’d, they sang,
they danced in pride,
Nor thought of
God, or prayer.
All things remained the same
to them,
For nearly six
score years;
Why should they have distress
of mind,
Or yield their
soul to fears?
Still, Noah, faithful to his
trust,
His solemn warnings
gave;
And patiently prepared the
ark,
His family to
save
And still the people wagg’d
their heads,
As they were passing
by,
And look’d first on
his monster ark,
Then upward to
the sky;—
Then smiled in scorn, and
went their way,
To sin and folly
prone;
Not dreaming, though the skies
look’d fair,
They’d soon
be left alone.