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.