The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1855-02-09
IISlOy Gr HELl..

Following him as before, down, down, down,
] entered into another vast apartment, lighted
hv a most naitrring bu; dubious aud unsatisfv-
ing gloom. Taking my seat, as usual, felt
the pressure Of his two fingers again on the op-
posirr side of 'ry head
What now! he inquired.
Av, know not what, said I. It is not hope:
nay It is hope: but how strange! 1t does not
resemble such hope as moltalS have, and vet ii
carries its FEATURES we'll. 1t is hope in doing
wong. It is entered in whatever nav oppose
itself TO good. Sin, rebellion, treason 20 Npa-
ven, mhiny, and rage and fierce revenge and
plots OF deep and subtle purpose, such as may,
pprchaucr, succeed against the Almighty and
hur him from his seat-fhjs IS now my hope:
and vet this hope, stahbed by rrson, utadirnrd
by fear, condemned by couscirncr, is pushed
on TO powerful despair Despair is powerful.
1t is the insanity Of hope: and insanity is often
stronger titan sanity. 1t sometimes hreatheS
resistIess vai0r into timid breasts II causes the
frarful iawnto turn upon its pursuer, and makes
a vHltufe of the dove Come, then, tell deS-
pair, be thou my hope and heaven shall yet
uraibie u hen thou shalt marshall all thy rage.
Nay, but he is Almighty, | am not; he is all
good; ain not; all my powers and passions
war, by turns, upon my purpose, whfch IS no.
thing but loss OF every expectation bat that oi
eternal woe! Come woe, come ruin, come
whatever lies next above annhilatlon, which
covet, bot cannot haze, and bury me in deep o.
hIivion, where no thought of life, no ray Of
light, no beam Of goodness, no hope of mercy,
no look of love, nav ever reach NE more. Nay,
Oh, God. Il will livep' This last, deepesS,
deathess element survives 10 torture me iorev-
er; aad forever | am doomed TO live the black
death of interchangeable despair.
Now thou hast pricked the worm which coils
eternaliy about my heart to sting my soul for
ever, and pierce me with nndving pangS. This,
with thy other torures, would alone be hell
That he'll thou earliest in thee. 1t is thvse!f,
from whom thou canst never make one brief
remove. Always to be thgself is hell. Fire,
and all physical tortnres, would be harmless
here. DePraved by sin, with thy memory bar
rowing mp thy recollection Of better days, with
Thy Immagination filing thee with The most
1rarfal shapes, wth thy best affections centred
IN the love OF sin, with thy anger raging against
The essence of all good, and worst Of all, with
my deathless conscience forever damnng thee
with It's intoIerabe rebutes-this last one is
Hell. This is Hell we feel: and ihon shalt sink
toll!
Is there, then, no Feprieee!
None.
Is there no speculation, no tradition handed
oo~n, OF some period, however far away in the
defths of revolving ages, when some change for
The better may arriyel
None whatever
Is there no hope that the souls, worn ont with
WI o. nj /. a
No, never Every moment gives il new ca
pacIty to suffer woe. There will come time
when thy grown heart shall hold more torment
,han all the suffering sons Of cursed Adam ever
knew by poverty, disease, misfortune, food or
hre! Thou shalt afterwards carry more pain
'han all He'll itself now knows. Thy beings