A Hundred Years!

Francis Bourdillon, 1873

A hundred years is a long time. Not one man in ten thousand lives so long. We think a man to be an old man, if he gets to eighty; and if he creeps on to ninety, he is a wonder to all. Now and then we do see in the newspapers that at such and such a place a man or woman has died above a hundred-years-old. But it is very rare; and when I say not one in ten thousand lives to that age, I am far below the mark. I might say, not one in ten times ten thousand.

A hundred years ago—you were not born. Most likely your father was not born, nor your mother either; and very likely not even your father's father. King George the Third had then only begun to reign, and he was king for sixty years; and we have had two kings since, before our dear queen came to the throne. There were no railroads or steamboats then, nor even any fast four-horse coaches. The comforts of life were not nearly so many as now, and altogether things were very different. It is a long time ago.

Now come this way for a moment. See, here is a heap of sand which the bricklayers are going to mix with lime to make mortar. Be so kind as to count the grains and tell me how many there are. You stare. You tell me that nobody could count them. You wonder how I can think of such a thing. You are quite right. Nobody could count them; the very idea is almost absurd.

But now think of this: eternity will have more hundreds of years in it, than there are grains of sand in that heap! After all, the grains could be counted, if people would take the time and the trouble. Parcel off the great heap into a thousand little heaps, and let one man count the grains in each; and so it might be done, though it would be foolish to spend time and trouble to so little purpose.

But no one could ever count the years of eternity! When you have lived for thousands of years in the world to come, you will be no nearer the end; for there is no end!

This eternity lies before us all. You and I have to live hereafter for years without end. Have you ever thought of that? Do you believe it? Are you preparing for it?

Where shall I be? Ah, what a question is that! Happiness forever, or misery forever! Heaven forever—or Hell forever! If a hundred years seem so long a time—then what will countless hundreds of years be?

We are all sinners and deserve to be shut out from Heaven. But Jesus Christ died to save us—to save us forever. He has "opened to us the gate of everlasting life." Every sinner who comes to Him, sorry for sin and seeking to be saved by His blood—is forgiven and received by God; and when he dies, will go to be with God forever. Is not this good news? Will you not come to Jesus, that you may be saved? Will you not pray for the Holy Spirit, that you may have a new heart, and may repent and believe, and henceforth live to God?