James Montgomery

The various Lots of Man in Life.

One human pair, and only one,

Were form'd in youthful prime,

All else that e'er beheld the sun,

Were children in their time.

For each a mother's pangs were borne,

And many a father's eye

Wept o'er his infant born to mourn,

His infant born to die.

With millions life was but a spark,

Extinct as soon as fired;

Others, just glancing from the dark,

Wept, smiled, look'd round, retired.

Millions and millions more have pass'd

Life's various pilgrimage,

While Death at all his arrows cast,

And slew of every age.

Of these what multitudes untold

Have never known their God,

But blind, and ignorant, and bold,

In paths of ruin trod.

What guiltier multitudes have known,

Yet scorn'd Him or denied,

Lived to themselves and sin alone;

And as they lived they died.

We may not wander like the first;

Then, lest we share the lot

Of those more awfully accurst,

Who knew, but loved, Him not, --

May we hold fast the faithful word,

Our future time redeem,

Live, while we live, unto the Lord,

Die, when we die, to Him.