Author: Lottie (Joiner) Porter
The word eternity occurs only one time in the Bible (Isa. 57:15); but eternity is real. There are two one-way-drive roads that lead there. There has never been known a road that leads back to earth. When once we have leaped out into eternity, we never, never can return. One of these roads is called the “Strait and Narrow way” the other is called the “Broad way.” All travelers from time to eternity are on one of these roads. No one can be on both roads at the same time but all who have reached the age of accountability have been on the broad way for a period of time, and many have never left the broad way. But some have got off the broad way and got on the strait and narrow way. The broad way leads to hell; the strait and narrow way leads to heaven. You see, there are but two places to go over into eternity and we are going to one place or the other.
While lying on my bed last night, in the quiet hours of the morning these words kept ringing over and over. My mind within me was stirred as I thought of the many dear souls that were fast approaching the long eternity, and millions of them are in a lost condition. I also thought of those that had already approached eternity from the beginning of time, and many of them know the reality of what it is to be in a lost world where all hope is gone and they know nothing but despair and woe.
As I lay there I thought of different classes of people yet coming and approaching eternity. Ah, eternity, soon all will be there! Many will leap out into the darkness of eternity’s night with horrors that can not be described by human tongue. Oh! if I could this moment have words to express out the horrors of a lost soul to you, my friend, but my words are too frail to go to the depth of the meaning of a soul being lost. There are the fearful who will be tormented with awful fear coming approaching eternity. How terrlble it is to be afraid! How dreadful to approach eternity’s door and not be ready to go! As I thought of them coming closer and closer yet so fearfully–no way to escape for they must approach eternity–my soul began to cry: “Lord, save a few more souls before too late.” Then I thought of the unbelieving who were approaching eternity, facing God whom they disbelieved. How quickly they are coming down to the borders of eternity to see God face to face, who will look down in their wicked hearts and pronounce his fiery judgment. Then there comes the abominable class–very low down in sin of all kinds, so detestible, their action will be extremely hateful. They too are fast approaching eternity. As I thought of the shrieking, moaning, and groaning that will be, it seemed the silence with me was broken for a moment; but there is no way of escape. They, too. will have to face eternity. Then as I looked down the line it seemed I could see the murderers approaching eternity with looks of despair on their faces, their hearts are stained with blood, quaking and trembling. They quickly are approaching the bank of eternity and will be hurled over into the darkness of eternity. And then come the whoremongers all stained with the vilest acts of adultery, looking fearfully tormented by the haunts of this vile spirit. On come millions of women laden with this awful sin, crying and mourning with shame, having such guilty looks on their faces. As God points out to them the millions of men that they have pulled down in sin and crime by their ungodly acts. In this world, surely, this will be an awful time for such folks. There will come numbers and numbers of sorcerers filled with all kinds of evil spirits the spirits of devils showing up as they are approaching eternity. Oh! what horror there will be as God Almighty pours out his judgments on such. Here will come idolaters by great numbers who have worshipped almost everything but God. They will face God who will look down into their inmost being and point out to them his words which say, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve.” Down this line will come millions of liars whose poison has wounded and killed many innocent souls because of the lies they told on them. And the horrors of those lies will shoot like arrows down into their own souls. All shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Rev. 21:8. And besides these, there will come the drunkards and gamblers with bowed heads, with shame and everlasting contempt, to go away from the presence of the Lord forever. And there as I kept thinking I visioned another class going down just crowds of professors approaching eternity thinking they are right yet they are deceived and God will look down into their hearts that are filled with deceit and hypocrisy. When they say, “Lord, Lord, have we not done many wonderful works in thy name and in thy name cast out devils?” Then Jesus will say, “Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, I never knew you.” All these are fast approaching eternity. Oh! eternity! how long? What an awful class of people will be in Hell! No good whatever will be there, but all that is corrupt, and, besides this the devil will add to the vile company of all these classes mentioned because hell was prepared for the devil and his angels.
Then there comes those filled with malice, envy, strife, backbiting, jealousy, and hatred, fearfully shaking as they are approaching eternity, knowing they are not ready to go. We shudder when we think of a soul being lost, lost forever in eternity’s night where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. All these classes of people are approaching eternity. How soon all will be there! These are all on the one-way-drive called “Broad Way” that leads to destruction. As I kept thinking quietly, silently, I then thought of the road that leads to eternal life and the cross that stands at the beginning of the road where every traveler on the broad way could come and bow and find forgiveness and start on this road that leads to heaven. Then as my thoughts went out on those who have served the Lord from the beginning of time, I thought: what a host of precious salnts there will be in heaven and what a blessed privilege we will have to meet those dear prophets and kings who were faithful to the Lord and to see those that come up through great tribulation for the sake of Christ. Their robes are washed in the blood of the Lamb, and as they were approaching eternity some gave their lives by being pulled apart on stretchers, other burncd at the stake, others fearfully tormented in different ways. As they near the borders of a long eternity, they approach it with victory. We, too, have the privilege of joining the faithful over on the other shore and singing the victorious song through eternity. There is a great difference in those on the broad way approaching eternity and those on the narrow way. Those on the narrow way approach eternity with joy and join in the happy chorus with the blood washed throng over on the golden shore. Many dear saints have fought the good fight while the battle was ragine in the last moment of their lives here in this world. Many dear wives have suffered persecution from husbands in their journey here on earth, because they chose to go with Jesus. Also many dear husbands have suffered the same because they chose heaven at any cost. But as they approach eternity, their happy souls are comforted because life’s battles are over. In their walk on earth their hearts were fixed in God amidst all the untold agony and persecution they pressed through.
Now in these days we’re near “approaching eternity.” Soon our reward will be given. Help us, Lord, to be faithful. I thought of some who were almost at the point of giving down under the load. The devil made it hard as they neared the banks of eternity. But as each one looked to Jesus his big arms gave strength and when he said it was enough the devil had to stand back. Jesus will surely stand by us as we are approaching eternity.
As I kept thinking, the millions of little babies come on the scene, all approaching eternity. Many little ones have been disowned by parents because they were lame or deformed in some way. God saw best to take them. Others did not have parental care and love because natural affection was gone. But oh, all these precious little babies which the Lord called to himself in infancy will beautify heaven. As they approach the pearly gates how beautiful heaven will be. All of them will be there. There comes a real desire to see how it all will be.
Then in my vision I could see those who were yet coming on, away down the line. And as they approach eternity near the end of time there will be foul spirits that will make it hard for the saints of the most High; but as they keep looking up with their eyes on Jesus, they will be kept in the narrow way and approach eternity safely.
I could in my mind see saints shouting praises to the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world and looking forward for the time of deliverence. Then there appeared the judgment. Both those on the broad way and the narrow way approach the judgment. The Savior stood there as a judge. We read in Matt. 25:31, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:… Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” verse 41 “Then shall he say also unto them on his left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels,” 46th verse, “and these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
Dear souls, let us now talk a while on the realities of eternity. How sad eternity will be for the lost. Nothing will be there to console a lost soul, all hope is gone forever. The silence of eternity will be broken by the groans and sighs of the lost. Oh! eternity without God is the most terrible thing that could be; yet there are millions of souls approaching eternity. It is very near at hand with so many, and according to God’s Word, time will soon be no more. Everything is pointing to the closing of time when time and eternity will meet. Listen, friends, in eternity we shall not have any time to make preparation to meet God. Time will be ended, the door of mercy will be closed forever. Many a pilgrim has passed out in the infinite future to be with the pure and the blest; but, oh, there have been many preclous souls that have passed out to be forever eternally lost! LOST! Eternity, oh, eternity, there to be tormented forever with the demons in hell. If everyone could hear the groans and sighs of the lost that are in eternity today, there would be no time to idle away by those that are not saved. They would not rest until they found the Saviour precious to their souls. But, alas, souls are not heeding God’s Word that tells them of a burning hell.
Now let us think of the judgment. If the judgment were all we had to face after we leave this world, it would not be so bad; but I want you to remember the above Scripture (Matt. 25:46), “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment.” Can we not believe the Word of God? This will be real over in eternity. Think of it, my friends, millions are approaching eternity today and so many unprepared to meet God, yet they must go. Every one is approaching long, long eternity. There are no clocks on the walls in eternity, no sun to shine In a lost world, no moon and stars, not a bit of happiness attached to everlasting punishment. Think of it, my friends, there is no end to it. Many will enter into the place of punishment. Listen again, “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment.” Jesus spoke the words, they will have to be true. Oh, my friends, how is it with you today? What will it mean for you to be lost? Think of the many, many souls that will be lost. Many will be there that were friends to each other while here on earth, but listen, there will be no friends over in a lost world. There will be no joy, no comfort to be found, nothing but sorrow, grief, and woe. The best of friends will be enemies. Oh, dear one, will you not think of the fate of the guilty for a moment when Christ in his glory appears? Surely, surely the stillness of eternity will be broken by the groans and the sighs of the lost, as the song “Eternity” brings out. The millions from the beginning that have been laid away in mother earth shall move at eternity’s presence and shall go to the place for which they have lived. Oh, dear souls, my heart goes out to you today: if you are lost and away from God, we pray that God will stir your souls and cause you to weep and call on Him for mercy. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and you joy to heaviness until you find forgiveness for your sins. You are approaching eternity. How soon you will be there! It is left up to you to get ready for the crossing. Your soul is on your hands, you can do with it what you will, you may feel you have a long time yet here on earth, but listen, you may approach eternity before tonight. Tomorrow’s sun may never shine for you. Your plans and your hopes may all be blighted; but one thing sure, you are approaching eternity.
Now the last part of the 44th verse says, “But the righteous unto eternal life.” How pleasant to think of eternal life in heaven, a home of joy, love, and peace for the souls that choose to serve the Lord, nothing to molest or bring sorrow, all will be well throughout eternity. Surely every one wants to go there. Then repent of your sins, call on God for mercy, and he will forgive you. Then when you approach eternity, all will be well with your soul.
