And then again he sent a dove
That he might
something learn,
But she could find no resting-place,
And did to him
return.
The waters still spread o’er
the earth,
And slowly did
abate;
For seven days more within
the ark,
He patiently did
wait.
[Illustration: The River Nile by Moonlight.]
And then he sent her forth
again,
And back she came
at eve,
And bearing in her mouth she
brought
To him an olive-leaf.
This token told him that the
flood
Was drying fast
away;
But Noah still within the
ark
For seven days
more did stay.
He now the third time sent
the dove,
Nor did he send
in vain,
The waters of the flood were
dry;—
She ne’er
returned again.
She found a resting-place
on earth,
Beneath a sunny
sky,
And with a gladsome, joyous
heart,
She round about
did fly.
Then Noah look’d forth
from the ark,
And lifted up
to God,
His thankfulness for keeping
him,
According to His
word.
XIII.
Noah comes forth from the ark.
And now the Lord to Noah spake,
And bade him from
the ark
Go forth, and stand upon the
earth,
And all his family
take.
The waters from the earth
had fled,
The ground was
clean and dry,
No threatening billows form’d
around,
No clouds were
in the sky.
So Noah left the ark, and
came
Forth to the open
air,
And all the beasts and creeping
things,
And fowls, were
with him there.
He brought them out to fill
the earth.
To multiply and
live;
That they might magnify His
name,
Who every good
doth give.
Behold the wondrous hand of
God,
How matchless
is His skill,
Who works in heaven and on
the earth,
The counsel of
His will.
How great, how awful, and
how just
Was that Almighty
word,
Which, for the sinfulness
of men,
Did call the dreadful
flood.
And while the world was perishing,
’Tis pleasing
to observe,
The loving-kindness of the
Lord,
Who did the good
preserve.
He saved them in the ark,
while fell
The overflowing
rain;
And when the flood was dried
away,
He brought them
forth again.
XIV.
Noah sacrifices to the Lord.
When Noah came forth from
the ark,
His heart was
filled with praise;
He worshipp’d God with
thankful voice,
For His abounding
grace.