eternity

ikuisuus, iäisyys puhekieltä Existence without end, infinite time.
1829, w:John Wesley|John Wesley, Sermon LVIII: On the Eternity of God, in Sermons on Several Occasions, Volume 2, 10th edition, http://books.google.com/books?id=YkAtAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1&dq=%22eternity%22+-intitle:%22eternity%22&hl=en&ei=kAAITv7KI4bXmAWCn43BDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAAv=onepage&q=%22eternity%22%20-intitle%3A%22eternity%22&f=false page 1,

Eternity has generally been considered as divisible into two parts; which have been termed, eternity a parte ante, and eternity a parte post: that is, in plain English, that eternity which is past, and that eternity which is to come.

This theory regards creation as an act of God in eternity past.

Those who like not the company of the saints on earth will get none of it in eternity; but, as godless company is their delight now, they will afterwards get enough of it, when they have eternity to pass in the roaring and blaspheming society of devils and reprobates in hell.

We sometimes speak of eternity in contradistinction to time; and often say, "through time and into eternity;" and again "from eternity to eternity," which is simply another form of expressing the same idea, and "pass through time into eternity." in other words, time is a short period allotted to man in his probationary state—and we use the word time in contradistinction to the word eternity, merely for the accommodation of man in his finite sphere, that we may comprehend and learn to measure periods.

Its been an eternity since we last saw each other.''