Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-01-30
MORAL AND REL lglDws.
From Sketches Of the Three. fold Life of Man.
A VISION OF HELL.


A VISION OF HE'LL.
Folio VINO him as before, down, down
down, | entered into a vast apartment,
lighted by a most 1attering, but dubious
and unsatisfyiug gloom. Taking my seat
ss usual.1 felt the pressure Of his two
fingers again on the opposite side of my
head. .s.aT8g RS 5li.s
"What now :" he inquired.
"Ah know not what" said |. alt
is not hope-nay, It is hope: but how
strange II does not resemble such hopo
as mortals have, and yet it carries its
features well. 1t is hope in doing
wrong. 1t is centred in whatever msy
oppose itself TO good. Sin, rebellion,
mutiny, treason to heaven, and rage and
fierce revenge, and plots Of deep and
subtle purpose. such as may. perchance,
succeed against the Almighty, and hurl
him from his seat - these ore now my
hope : and yet, this hope, stabbed by
reason, maddenel by fear, condemned
by conscience, is pushed on TO power.
iul despair. Despair is powerful. ltis
the insanity Of hope; and insanity is
more powerful than sanity. 1t some
times breathes resistless valor into limid
breasts. 1t causes the fearful fawn to
turn upon its pursuer, and makes vul'
ture Of the dove. Come fell Despair,
be thou my hope; and Heaven yet may
tremble when thou shalt muster all thy
rage. Nay, but he is almighty, and he
is all good, ought not; every power
and passion Of my. nature wars, by turns,
upon my purpose; and that purpose is
nothing but the loss Of every expectation
but that Of eternal woe Come woe
come ruin, come whatever lies mex
= shows snnihilation, which | covet, bu
cannot have, and bury me in deep OBJ
livion, whore no thought OF life, no ray
Of light, no beam Of goodness, no hope
Of unwished mercy, no look Of hateful
love may ever reach me more u Nay
z O God Il will live,' this last, deepest
.deathless element survives TO torture mi
forever and forever am doomed 4
live the black death Of unchangeabl
= ,despair!" s
"New thou hast prickcd the worm
which coils eternally about thy heart, t
sting thy heart forever, and pierce the
with undying pangs. This, with thy 9th
2 er tortufes, would alone be hell. Tha
hell thou earliest in thee. II is thyse
from whom thou canst never make on
brief.remove. Always to be thyself
s, hell. Fire, and physical torture woul
be harmless here. Depraved by sill
with thy memory narrowing up the rel
5, objection Of thy better days, with tn
u reason condenlning all thy former cour'
: 's with thy Imagination filling thee vii
the most fearful shapes, with thy best q
!. fections centred ia the love Of sin, wi
.sa thy singer raging agains. the essence
"a sll good, and worst of all, with Il
4 deathless Conscience toyeuer damniz
@ itkse. with its inrolGabls rebukes thi
los, one, is hall. This III the hell !,
feel: and ihou s6Als link deeper al
us deepes insoiit, while the cycls Of e,ern
aged onwatd roll III g,s,s q
..ls thers,no reprieye !" i
s..Nenej'
.ls there no speculation, no traditi
handed down, however far away 10
ii depths of revolving ages. when Sol
,ss7s. .chenge for The betlef may arriyer
Z Zone whatever i'gi 9
ssS ss ~ sa sihess no hope that tjIe soul, wo
paip, will sink beneath its 10
Eysfy moment gives
IN 1u(fof woe. Thl