O Eternity

Eternity is an infinite line.  The strongest winged angel who cleaves the illimitable ether may track it, and track it forever, yet he can no more find its end than he can find the cradle or tomb of God.  The plodding and incarnated soul of man can find it just as quickly.  It is a day without a morning, a day without an evening – an eternal noon.  It was just noon when the world was made; it will be just noon when the world is destroyed – high noon forever.  O Eternity!  The idea deepens, widens, and towers, till the human mind, confounded and crushed, shrinks into infinite littleness, and frightened flies over its temple, closes all the doors, and tries to hide its little self forever.

. . . O Eternity!  Mother of cycles, and parents of ages, whose incalculable and incomprehensible value no subtraction can diminish, no addition can increase – thou only type of deity, and day of His duration – what must be thy significance when joined to the stern penalty of sin thou becomest to the lost Eternal Death.  Dreadful phrase!  It will be written with a fiery pen upon all the walls of Hell, and seared into every arch by the lightning’s blaze, and sounded through every dungeon by the thunder’s horrid breath.  It is the motto upon the seal of God which fastens the doors of woe.  There are no farewells in Heaven.  Such a word never rang in chords of breaking anguish from the harps of the redeemed, or shrieked in their harmonious preludes, or danced upon their vibrating strings – also, there are no farewells in Hell – O Eternity!  Eternity!!

O Eternity!  Let thy ages tramp, thy cycles roll, but thou canst not crumble or scar the walls of Hell, or rust and break its locks or silver the hair of God, who has sworn by His eternal self that the sinner shall die.  The pendulum of thy horologe over the gates of woe vibrates through all aeons, and says, “forever, and ever” – “forever, and ever” – “forever, and ever” – its sounding bell striking off the centuries, the ages – the cycles.  The appalling monotony of its pendulum – going – going – going – repeating still, “forever and ever” – O Eternity!  God has wound up thy clock and it will never run down – and its tickings and beatings are heard by all the lost – “forever, and ever” – “forever, and ever” – “forever, and ever”.  God being my judge, I would die to save you this day.