1 On time's wide waste of waters
There floats a kindly bark;
O earth's lost sons and daughters,
It is Salvation's Ark!
The wreck of self will strand you
Before the voyage is o'er:
Salvation's Ark will land you
On heaven's peaceful shore.
Refrain:
Come into the Ark of safety,
Come in and be saved today;
The tempest may break tomorrow,
Come into the Ark today;
The tempest may break tomorrow,
Come into the Ark today.
2 O trust in self no longer,
For self will surely fail;
Temptations will grow stronger,
And evil will prevail.
Come, all thy fears abating,
Forsaking all thy sin;
While Mercy's Ark is waiting,
O haste to enter in. [Refrain]
3 Shall we be of the number
Who seek for souls to save;
Or shall we sink to slumber
On sin's delusive wave!
How dread would be the waking,
How fearful and how dark,
To find the tempest breaking,
And we outside the Ark! [Refrain]
4 Then come while hope is offered,
Thy coming shall be blest;
Eternal life is proffered
Within the Ark of rest.
The dove of peace shall hover
Above thee on thy way,
And God's own hands shall cover
And keep thee ev'ry day. [Refrain]
Source: The Seventh-Day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book: for use in divine worship #1278
Belden was born in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1858. He began writing music in his late teenage years after moving to California with his family. For health reasons he later moved to Colorado. He returned to Battle Creek with his wife in the early 1880s, and there he became involved in Adventist Church publishing. F. E. Belden wrote many hymn tunes, gospel songs, and related texts in the early years of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Belden was able to rapidly write both music and poetry together which enabled him to write a song to fit a sermon while it was still being delivered. He also wrote songs for evangelist Billy Sunday. Though Belden’s later years were marred by misunderstandings with the church leadership over his royal… Go to person page >
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