OLD TESTAMENT
SCENES
AND
NARRATIVES.

HISTORY
OF
THE FLOOD.

Noah's Sacrifice.

OLD TESTAMENT
SCENES
AND
NARRATIVES.

BEING A SECOND SERIES OF
THE GOOD CHILD'S LIBRARY,

THE FLOOD.

PHILADELPHIA,

HOGAN, PERKINS & CO.

Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by HOGAN, PERKINS & CO.,

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

PUBLISHERS' NOTICE.

In the advertisement prefixed to the series of volumes already published, under the title of the "GOOD CHILD'S LIBRARY," the publishers gave notice of their intention to issue another series, similar in character and design, to be devoted to subjects from the Old Testament, as the other had been to the New. In fulfilment of this notice they have issued the present series, embellished like the Good Child's Library, with an entire new set of Illustrations, executed in Oil Colors, in the best manner. The additional attraction given thereby will, they trust, obtain for it the same favor as has already been bestowed upon the former series.

The volumes composing the SCENES AND NARRATIVES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, are separate and distinct from each other, having no other connection than similarity of form and style. The following are the titles of the different works.

The above series in connection with the volumes of the "Good Child's Library," constitute a choice and attractive Scriptural Library for Children.

THE FLOOD

CONTENTS.

THE FLOOD.

I.
THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN.

Behold how kind and merciful

Our heavenly Father was,

To bear so long with sinful men,

Who had transgressed His laws.

The hearts of men wax'd worse and worse,

They disobeyed the Lord;

They followed their own thoughts, nor walked

According to His word.

And men were multiplied on earth,

They spread both far and wide;

And there were giants in those days,

Who did God's law deride.

The Lord look'd down from Heaven to see

If there were any good;

Behold they all were turn'd aside,

Sin tainted all their blood.

Yet still the Lord was good to them—

He gave them sun and rain,

And every blessing, yet their hearts

Were foolish, wicked, vain.

There is no sin so base as that

We call ingratitude,

To use those ill, with wicked hearts,

Who seek to do us good.

And when the Great and Holy One

With kindness stoop'd to bless

The sorrows of a sinful world,

And pity their distress;—

'Twas vile ingratitude in them

To act so wickedly,

And spurn the mercy of the Lord,

The great, the good, the high.

God's goodness leads us to repent,

And give our folly o'er;—

And if we use His kindness right,

We'll go and sin no more.

II.
GOD IS PROVOKED.

But God is just as well as good,

He will not always strive;

He will assert His sovereign right,

Nor let the sinner live.

He does not seek the death of one

Of all the sinful race,

Yet He will not forever bear

With those who slight His grace.

His mercy is forever sure,

His justice too must stand,

And people must obedient be

To what He does command.

So when the world so wicked proved,

And wander'd from the Lord,

And with most stubborn hearts refused

To hear His sovereign word;—

He bore with patience long and kind,

Their steady wickedness;

But did at last withdraw His grace,

And leave them in distress.

He gave them up to their own hearts,

To work their own desire;

He threatened them with judgment vast,

And kindled was His ire.

"My spirit shall not always strive"—

Jehovah sternly said—

A Flood I'll bring which will destroy

All things that I have made.

"Why should they live in guilt and wo,

And all my words despise;

Their every work, and every thought,

Is loathsome to my eyes."

When God provoked, in anger speaks,

Who can His word withstand?

His heart is full of holiness,

And strong is His right hand.

III.
NOAH AND HIS FAMILY.

One righteous man was found on earth,

And him Jehovah loved;

His thoughts, his words, and all his deeds,

Were by the Lord approved.

He kept himself away from sin,

Nor walk'd with wicked men;

He loved the God who reigns on high,

Nor did he love in vain.

His family he train'd to know,

And love and serve the Lord;

And they were safe in keeping all

The great Jehovah's word.

The Lord remembered Noah's walk,

And did not him condemn,

When, for the wickedness of men,

He did aloud proclaim,—

That He would rain upon the earth

An overwhelming flood;

But choose him and his family—

And firm His counsel stood.

The Lord forever shows regard

To those who love His ways,

They vindicate His righteousness

And ever show His praise.

So He would not destroy this man

Who walk'd with Him in love,

But promised him that He would give

Protection from above.

Then Noah's fervent heart was fill'd

With grief for sinful men;

Yet though God's judgment was severe,

He could not once complain.

He pitied the sad state of those

Who had despised the Lord;

He saw that God would punish them,

According to His word.

IV.
NOAH COMMANDED TO MAKE AN ARK.

Jehovah unto Noah said:—

"I will destroy the earth,

For violence is in the land,

And wickedness and mirth.

"Men's hearts are full of laughter wild,

Their lives are full of sin;

And I will send destruction swift,

And show my power divine.

"I'll rain upon the earth a flood,

And drown men in the storm,

And they shall find no arm to save,

Amid their fearful gloom.

"But thee I have found true and good,

A follower of my ways;

And I will save thee from the flood,

And lengthen out thy days.

"Now therefore build thyself an ark,

According to my word;

To save thyself and family,

For ye have fear'd the Lord.

"For every thing that now has life,

And all things that have breath,

Even for the wickedness of man,

I do devote to death.

"I am the Lord, the mighty one,

I, even I, do speak;

The flood upon the earth I'll bring,

And nought my word shall break."

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.

Amid the angry storms of Heaven,

And rising waves around

Overflowing all the fields of earth,

And all the highest ground.

VI.
NOAH ENTERS THE ARK.

And now the ark was built; the day

Of wrath was drawing near;

Yet still no cloud was in the sky;

And in men's hearts no fear.

No doubt they wonder'd much what now

This foolish man would do;

And thought that they would surely prove,

His prophecy untrue.

But soon he heard Jehovah's voice;—

These words he heard Him say,—

"Come thou into the ark at once,

With all thy family."

So Noah enter'd in the ark,

He and his children too,

And beasts and birds of every kind,

Did enter two by two.

The lives of these Jehovah spared,

To fill the earth again,

When He should cause the ark to rest,

And should the flood restrain.

And when they all were in the ark,

The just and mighty God,

Prepared to bring upon the earth

The waters of the flood.

The day of grace was fully past,

No voice should now proclaim,

To sinful, faithless, scoffing men,

Jehovah's gracious name.

The righteous in God's care were safe,

From every fear of harm;

But wicked men would be o'erwhelm'd

With terrible alarm.

Babylon.

VII.
THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN ARE OPENED.

Ah! where shall now the sinner hide—

what power the storm can stay?

What pleasing charm can he call up

To drive his fears away?

Who can withstand the wrath of God!

He with a single breath,

Could vanquish all our boasted strength,

And visit us with death.

He gathers now His angry clouds,

And thick they quickly come;

Bearing along the teeming rains