A world of sin­ners once was drowned,
A del­uge swept them all away;
One fa­mi­ly alone had found
God’s mercy in that judg­ment day.

Forewarned of wrath to come, they feared,
And, taught by God, pre­pared an ark,
Which o’er the waves in suns­hine steered,
Where all be­low was dead and dark.

Again the Spir­it of the Lord
Moved on the form­less deep and void,
And to the Pa­tri­arch’s sight re­stored
The rel­ics of that world de­stroyed:

A world with­out a breath­ing soul,
Or sign of life in plant or tree;
Stretched like a corpse from pole to pole,
Untraveled land, un­voy­aged sea!

Then from their hid­ing place they came,
And straight­way built an al­tar there;
Whence rose to Heav’n the dou­ble flame
Of pure burnt sac­ri­fice and pray­er.

We, in an ark not made with hands,
God’s own new co­ve­nant of peace,
Which on the rock of ages stands,
Seek re­fuge till His an­ger cease.

Then, as the cloud-born rain­bow smiled
On Noah’s ran­somed ones, we trace
Our heav’n­ly Fa­ther re­con­ciled
In our in­car­nate Sav­ior’s face.