Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-03-25
Eternal Punishment.
BY TIE LATE DR.. W. Z. MUNSEf.

BY THE LATE DR.. W. E. MUSsEY.
i TEXr-"Yhesc shall 90 a1U1y into ererlaM
tng punishment; but the righteous mto Wt
eternal. ."-Matt KY, IS.
The eternal punishment of tho wicked, the
eternal happiness Of the righteous, aud the
eternity Of God, as far as Revelation is cooccrn.
ed, form the same huiidios. Tie uoiVersais:
| hss placed bis shoulders against the basement
pillars, and if be succeed the whole structure
| tails; bat he and his colaborc!s may toll ord
sweat, aud leave their bones TO mouldcr away
10 Tie CELLARS but G3a lives oa, the righteous
shout oD, anu TIC damned gc0an oo--ihroush
ou. eterol!y-O, II .ern:ty
TIE mcaniog f auch word 10 its c)nrec-
! ton with the iuiure punishment OF tho wicked
is dreadful-O, E:erni;y! I;s sjgoifoaoca is
| as high ead wide and deep anl grand as God
! is. Ho 6lIs it, 4ud il fills J1iz, aud all the
| worlds. aId all the mco, aud all the demons.
! a.d I'll tho angels but perform thel7 parts 10
| is awful shallow. can cell you what tins Is.
but eternity c,onot be dnGocd. I.w3 cao b
| measured, beclua, ). IL Grst -. ..2-rred by the
regoIu oos of the piaoc:s acJ tbn aSnrc. OF
| the stars; because E:vlnS d hcGiaHl2s sEd 90
end its past clG bo Increased, and It's future
diminished. Ii Gu be dsiocd because Il has
parts, these parts lst,lo relations to each 9th
er and the whale-2ny one OF thcul Gao be Sc
iected out Of the whole and given nanc--lny
ono Of its paris cau iuralsu au ultimate 'or The
mind 10 reason about ell the others. Ii can be
defined bic,use havlog partSE can ba anayz.d.
But eteru!ty GaDoot BE- dehncd. B:2lnnlog-
ness and endless l. caonot be messarcd-ltS
past increased, lt3 future 1:Ic nishcd. 1t hos
% past it has 20 future, it has no Gods, It bas
40 middle, it has 10 parts-aa unauaiyzabe,
| i olt ~ o.
toe worlds were pressing upon the bralo, they
could not weigh /: down more heavily t!an
| clernity's last conception. lt iS something
which always was. and IS, and always will be.
Il is coeval With God; it bcrao whco lie began,
aud He bad 90 boaionicg; II will cnd when liz
will euj, and He will have no ending. IL is an
uDUrigiUsted. beg iDnlngless. endless, measure
less iuperishabie. iodescrlbsblc. undefaatl.,
ching. Irsef is its only deiptlon. II asked
what is eteroity? We cln only answer "E:er
nity," aud in cur answer cor :ss our weakness
and folly |: is older than the world, older
than the slo, older than the STATS, older thao
tho angels. as old IS God; get 90 older oo~
than whcu worlds, suns, STATS, add angels were
made, aod utv!r vii! bs uny Older, yet never
was sDy youogcr.
1t is niute circle. 4 Circle itself is urenl
ing. Mouot the car Of thunder, drawn by s.ecda
Of lightning. and ride arJuod the world. AMI
iud the end Of the cq1ator. Fasten your horses
to your chariot 90 che AIDES. facing to tho
east. Take the reius apply the lash, and roll
over tho h)wers. over the trees, over tho
rivers, over the cities, over the sands,
over the islands, over the c-mtuenS, over
the seas, AID giri!c the wo:Ij, and
girdo i, agaio. and girdle 1t forever.
Where The !iue begins and where it ends, you
| never will trd--O E:erDity M9uo. Ph~5us'
solar car, a1d seat yourself Dc:de the driver,
and search Ior the eGa Of the rciiD'io. Lay on
tho burning wair, and see tic fiery msocd and
| foot winged stecds dash through the cjcstcla'
| tious-adm dmfiog worlds Standing cut OF your
| tracks, and spaces abyss gaping rcuca,h you;
and DIVE 90 Ill the wheels OF your Car ahaii
shiGer, and the over driven horses dic, and ycu
are lost where 20 angel will fed your bcoes-and
you will find no cud to the ethereal circle But
.hesr circles are etinite, and while you eanno, iiod
the end, yet you, 10 ;he search iorlt, pass along
| the same track again and again. E:crnty is 40
iofoite circic, and along lis lIue yoa may travel
| forever without reachog your sartleg poln'-
au iu6oi;e circle, a1d NOW, the pOtteotous NOW.
is its centre Being iuioite, its ceora IS sny-
where aod everywhere. within Its clrcuntIrt noe.
| With reference TO us, whatever was NON, isnOU,
or will be non, is it5 centre. We we're born in
the centre of the c;rce we will Gle 10 the centre,
and remain there forever.
| Eternity is 40 i1tiei,c iioe. The strongest
winged aoge! who cicayes the iimitabls ether
| may track j., and track /. forever, Jet he can
90 more E0d is end than he co 6Gd the era.
die or lomb Of Cal. The plo1diog aud in
csrnatcd soul OF man cao lad II Just as quickly.
| Ii is o day withcu: moroiog. & day without
an evsoip2-lo eternal noon. 1t Was Just neon
when tbe world was ,nade, it will be just neon
l - t,iyt Inv
ever. q E.erulty The idea dcepecs wlGens
aud towers, till the human mind, corfour ded
ard crushc j. sbrlt * ipto ufote IItteuess, and
!tisa.en.d. flies ato It's temple, closes all tho
doors and ,ries % hid, its iis:le self forever.
o Eterriy All languages beg at thy foot
stool FER one word to tell Thy name and all
tccnces pila their s7mbll5 at thy teet, and
mpiore thee for opc illustration OF thy length.
But thy GrsceS are dumb because OF the du!ness
Of The querist-God can only be thy questioner.
Aud tLy vast pendulum besl!og 10 tho birth
and death Of worlds, ever v,!rltinG, goes and
c,nc: fcrever-and all that we c5n do is to
s~za 10 silent wonder. o Eternity Mother
OF cycles ard parent o. 'gea, whose incalculable
and lncOn Crehe hensib be y=ius no s'ib'.sc'ion can
diminish, no addition incIeasn-thou only type
of Diaty. and day oI lis tusut,cn-WhEt must
be thy Significance when jolnut - tns stern PEN
elLy Of sir, thou becUme.t to the lost Eter1ldl
> death. dreadful! phrase It will be written with
tecy pen uron ell the wslis Of hell, and scared
in every arch by the lightuina's blaze, and
sounded through every dungeon ny the tnun-
ders horrid breath. l. is tie mosto upon :he
Q seal of God which fsstens the doors OF woe;
} There are no farewells in heaven. Suca Word
never rang in chords OF breaking angui;n ron ron
the harps ot the redeemed, or shLeiSea IN tneir
Harmonious prelutes, or danced upon tn cir vi.
. brsting s.rings-s!so. there sre no farewells in
hell-O Eternity Eternity!
The thought hss msde mo restless at night.
= "Knowiag the terror tf !no Lord" May it ring
d through your ears. 1t always i. the frat motive
10 prompt d sinner 20 repeat.