The Deluge at th’Almighty’s Call

The del­uge

at th’Al­migh­ty’s call

In what im­pe­tu­ous streams it fell!

Swallowed the mount­ains in its rage

And swept a guil­ty world to hell.

In vain the tall­est sons of pride

Fled from the close pur­su­ing wave

Nor could their migh­ti­est tow­ers de­fend

Nor swift­ness ’scape

nor cour­age save.

How dire the wreck! How loud the roar!

How shrill the uni­vers­al cry

Of mill­ions in the last des­pair

Re-echoed from the low­er­ing sky.

Yet No­ah

hum­ble

hap­py saint

Surrounded with the chos­en few

Sat in his ark

se­cure from fear

And sang the grace that steered him thro’.

So may I sing

in Je­sus safe

When storms of ven­geance round me fall;

Conscious how high my hopes are fixed

Beyond what shakes this earth­ly ball.

Enter thine ark

while pa­tience waits

Nor ev­er quit that sure re­treat;

Then the wide flood

which bur­ies earth

Shall waft thee to a fair­er seat.

Nor wreck nor ru­in there is seen;

There not a wave of trou­ble rolls;

But the bright rain­bow round the throne

Seals end­less life to all their souls.