Born in 1884 into a drunken family, Arthur described what he'd become "a petty criminal, a bum and a metho drinker."
His new birth from an old life in crime and sin to a new life in Christ and service, took place on the night of August 6th, 1930. This significant and spiritual turn around occurred after he heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached faithfully by Rev. R.D.S. Hammond at St Barnabas church in Broadway, Sydney.
Then years later on a Sunday night of November 14th, at his home church, the Burton Street Baptist Tabernacle, Darlinghurst, he heard "the echoes of eternity", proclaimed forthrightly by Australia's beloved evangelist- the late John G. Ridley M.C.
The little man with a big heart was challenged to go out and write the word eternity . This he did continuously and consistently for the next quarter of century till he died on July 30th, 1967.
By the time Arthur Stace was called by God to exit this world into eternity, he had left behind a legacy of an enormous value in the copperplate writing of one word – eternity.
God took his tool of one piece of chalk, his text of one word eternity and his territory of one pavement at a time in Sydney, and multiplied it abundantly.
It was witnessed first by many thousands in Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle and Melbourne. Then on the eve of the new millennium celebration, more than a million people who crammed around the Sydney Harbour Bridge saw it electronically emblazoned across the bridge of our Olympic city after a spectacular display of fireworks.
It was also beamed around the world to more than two billion viewers then, as well as at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games later on in the year.
Here is the life & legacy of Mr eternity in a song.
I'd like to tell you the story, the one of Mr. Eternity.
His real name was Arthur Stace.
This trophy of God's grace joined the human race,
back at the last century, in the Balmain slums of Sydney.
Home was hell for this young lad, with a desperate mum and a drunkard dad.
The first half of his wretched life, was torn by sin and left in strife.
He spent more time in jail than school, for breaking the law and being a fool,
and almost followed his family into a Christless eternity.
At the age of 45, utterly lost and barely alive,
he went into St. Barnabas to see,
what else he could get for free, besides a rock cake and a cup of tea.
He found God's grace and mercy with the love of Christ on Calvary.
Convicted he went out in the dark, and walked across to the park,
and under a Morton bay fig tree, he cried "Lord be merciful to me".
He trusted Christ and believed, eternal life he received,
from sin and shame he was set free, and was saved for eternity.
In November '42, God was working in and through, the evangelist John G. Ridley.
He preached so eloquently "the echoes of eternity",
and wished that all of Sydney, would hear that word eternity.
With conviction from on high, Arthur Stace began to cry,
as he left and went for a walk, he had with him a piece of chalk,
outside the church in Burton street, and right there by his small feet,
began a life long ministry, the writing of " eternity ".
In July '67, Arthur Stace went to heaven, at the ripe old age of 83.
He entered and saw finally that place he wrote of frequently,
and the Saviour he loved dearly, whom he served so faithfully.
The life of little Arthur Stace, reflects the mercy and the grace,
of God who is great in his love, He even left his throne above,
for a cruel death on this earth, to give the repentant, second birth,
and for sinners like you and me, he stepped down and crossed eternity.
Chorus- Eternity, Eternity, the lifetime of the Almighty.
You've got to meet eternity, where will you spend eternity?
Where will it be where will it be? Will heaven or hell be your destiny?
Call on God's grace and mercy, in the love of Christ on Calvary.
©Text, Words/Music - Peter Rahme 2011
For more on John G.Ridley's effective ministry and powerful sermons, go to - www.johngridley.org.au