The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-08 00:00:00

OVER!

" It was over," said the good people of Chesterton and
Sadborough, and they were very glad. That poor boy's
fate had been hanging over them like a cloud, distressing
them like a nightmare. It had prevented their enjoying
any pleasure, or entering into anything with comfort or
with spirit; but now they could feel quite happy again,
it_was such a relief it was over, and they were very glad!
And what was over ?—and why wero they very glad ?
The life had passed away from their ken ; and that was
all, for it was not over.
How strange that people who read their Bible, and be-
lieve it to be a revelation from the Eternal God, should talk
in such a maner as this! And yet, is it not common par-
lance ?

But it is over? Has the thing, that has been, ever an
end ? Do the words once spoken, go on reverberating in
the air throughout all time ? Does the deed once perpe-
trated become photographed, to rise up again a witness at
the judgment ? This may be a truth of science, or it
may be an imagination. But, in ono sense, it is, indeed,
true.

The word that has been spoken arose from some other
word ; it will be the cause of many more ; the respon-
sibility of it endureth for ever. The act that has been
committed was caused by something that went before ; it
will bo the cause of countless others that must follow
after.

Has there ever been a first since the beginning? Shall
a requiem over bo sung over the last ? The thing that
has once had a being, shall it over have altogether an
end ?

These are hard questions—they lead out into the deep
waters. But could we once lift the veil that hides the
present world from the Eternal, we should never again
say of any departed life—" it is over." •
The phase of existence that was before us has passed
away ; the, shortest, the most insignificant, except from
its after consequences, has merged into another, and that
is all.

This much has been revealed to us. But if we place
between time and eternity a curtain of our own making—
a veil, growing thicker and thicker every day with our
own sin, and, looking at that in preference to the thing
which has been revealed, say wo cannot see, surely in this
matter our sin remaineth !

Oh! the doubt and the disbelief in every heart, coming
to light constantly by words like these ! the distrust, the
unbelief, that sin that doth so easily beset us, how are we
holden by it ! If it were not so, there never could bo
springing around us the crop that is even now, thriving
and flourishing of infidelity, and despair. The life has en-
tered within the veil, but it is not over.
_ _ _

"It is over," said the sinner, and ho went back to his
old sin ; "life is but for a little while, and death, come when
it may, is but a matter of a few minutes' suffering—it is
soon past, and then it is over."
Nay, but it is not over. Even to thyself the scene at
which thou hast been present is not over—it is only a link
in tho chain of circumstances of thy life, which it is thine
to use, which, according to the use thou makest of each,
will be a cable to draw thee up to heaven, or one that
will drag thee down for ever into hell. The time will
come when thou wilt believe all this, and when, either
for weal or for woe, let others say in their ignorance
as they will, thou wilt know for thine ownself—it is not
over!