The Cyber Hymnal ‎#16410

16410. A World Of Sinners Once Was Drowned

1 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.

2 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.

3 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:

4 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!

5 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.

6 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.

7 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.

Text Information

• First Line: A world of sin­ners once was drowned
• Title: A World Of Sinners Once Was Drowned
• Author: James Montgomery
• Meter: LM
• Language: English
• Source: Sacred Poems and Hymns, (New York: D. Appleton, 1854)
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Notes: Alternate tunes; SPIRES from "Geistliche Lieder", ST. CRISPIN by George J. Elvey, TRURO by Thomas Williams

Tune Information

• Name: ST. CROSS
• Composer: John Bacchus Dykes (1861)
• Meter: LM
• Key: F Major or modal
• Copyright: Public Domain