The ship that spreads her sails to-day,
Like bird with snowy wings,
As glad a message bears away
As angel ever brings.

Should angel spread his wings above
To cleave the starlit deep
Between us and the Land of Love,
Where none may sin nor weep,

What better news from heaven could he
Bring us with heavenly breath,
Than that good ship bears o'er the sea
To lands of sin and death?

And should an angel's lips proclaim
The news, with winged words
All fragrant with celestial flame,
And musical as birds,

He could not speak of Jesus' blood
As man, the sinner, can,
The light of God, the peace of God,
The love of God to Man!

For what could white-winged angel feel,
And what could angel know,
Of hearts that with the burdens reel
Of human guilt and woe!

Then fly, O ship! o'er billows curled,
Fly, dove! with branch of peace,
And tell a death-struck, deluged world
The deluge soon shall cease!

The wilderness shall bloom again,
And desert-sands be clad
With happy flocks and fields of grain,
And sorrowing hearts be glad.

The blind shall see, the deaf shall hear,
The sick and lame be strong,
And human homes be filled with cheer,
And musical with song.

The dead shall live, for Jesus saves,
And by atoning blood
Shall call dead nations from their graves
To stand and worship God.

The sun again shall shine, and kiss
The dead sin-deluged earth,
And earth smile back to heaven the bliss
Of her celestial birth.