At a gospel service the following was related:
A young man was working alone in a large room in which was a clock whose loud ticking suddenly seemed to him to frame itself into the words:
"Eternity!—where?”
Unable to endure any longer the reflections thus awakened, he rose from his stool and stopped the clock; but the question: "Eternity!—where?" still so haunted him, that he threw down his work, and hurrying home, determined that he would not allow anything to engage his thoughts till he could satisfactorily answer that searching question:
"Eternity!—where?”
The following lines (slightly altered) were sent anonymously to the preacher a few days afterward:—
"Eternity!—where?" It floats in the air, Amid clamor or silence, it ever is there! The question so solemn, "Eternity!—where?”
"Eternity!-where?" O, "Eternity!-where?”
With redeemed ones in glory? or fiends in despair?
With one or the other,—"Eternity!—where?”
"Eternity!—where?" is aught worth a care?
O! shall we—O! can we e'en venture to dare
Do aught till we settle "Eternity!—where?”
"Eternity!—where?" Q! friend, have a care!
Soon God will no longer His judgment forbear;
This night may decide your "Eternity!—where?”
"Eternity!—where?" O! "Eternity!—where?"
Friend, sleep not, or take in the world any share,
Till you answer this question: "Eternity!-where?”