Hymn CLIII. Long Metre. Life and Death

Life is the time to serve the Lord, The time t'insure the great reward; And whilst the lamp holds out to burn, The vilest sinner may return.

Life is the hour which God has given, To 'scape from hell and fly to heav'n; The day of grace and mortals may Secure the blessings of the day.

The living know that they must die, But all the dead forgotten lie; Their memory and their sense are gone, Alike unknowing and unknown.

Their hatred and their love are lost, Their envy buried in the dust; They have no share in all that's done, Beneath the circuit of the sun.

No acts of pardon can be past, In the cold grave to which we haste: For no repentance can be found, Nor faith, nor hope, beneath the ground.

Then what my thoughts design to do, My soul, with all thy might pursue; Believe, and take the promis'd rest, Obey, and be forever blest.