1 I sat alone with life’s memories
In sight of the crystal sea,
And I saw the throne of the star-crown’d ones,
With never a crown for me;
And then the voice of the Judge said, come,
Of the Judge on the great white throne;
And I saw the star-crown’d take their seats,
But none could I call my own.

2 I thought me then of my childhood days,
The prayer at my mother’s knee:
Of the counsels grave that my Father gave—
The wrath I was warned to flee;
I said, “Is it then too late, too late,
Shut without must I stand for aye?”
And the Judge, will He say, “I know you not,”
Howe’er I may knock and pray.

3 I thought I thought of the days of God
I’d wasted in folly and sin—
Of the times I’d mock’d when the Saviour knocked,
And I would not let Him in;
I thought, I thought of the vows I’d made,
When I lay at death’s dark door—
“Would He spare my life, I’d give up the strife,
And serve Him forevermore.

4 I heard a voice, like the voice of God:
Remember, remember, my Son!
Remember thy ways in the former days,
The crown that thou might have won!”
I thought, I thought, and my tho’ts ran on,
Like the tide of a sunless sea—
“Am I living or dead?” to myself I said
“An end is there ne’er to be.”

5 It seemed as tho’ I woke from a dream,
How sweet was the light of day!
Melodious sounded the Sabbath bells
From towers that were far away,
I then became as a child,
And I wept afresh;
For the Lord had taken my heart of stone,
And given a heart of flesh.

6 Still oft I sit with life’s memories,
And I think of the crystal sea;
And I see the thrones of star-crown’d ones,
I know there’s a crown for me;
And when the voice of the Judge says, come,
Of the Judge on the great white throne,
I know ‘mid the thrones of the star-crown’d ones,
There’s one I shall call my own.