"Richter's Dream" in De Quincy's System of the Heavens.

[One may search in vain through literature for a more beautiful description of the length and breadth, the height and depth of the universe, than is given in this extract.]

God called up a man into the vestibule of heaven, saying: "Come thou hither and see the glory of My house." And to the servants that stood around His throne He said: "Take him and undress him from the robes of flesh, cleanse his vision and put new breath into his nostrils; only touch not with any change his human heart-the heart that weeps and trembles."

It was done; and, with a mighty angel for his guide, the man stood ready for his infinite voyage; and from the terraces of heaven, without sound or farewell, at once they wheeled into endless space. Sometimes, with solemn flight of angel wings, they fled through Sahara's of darkness, through wildernesses of death that divided the worlds of life; sometimes they swept along frontiers that were quickening under prophetic motion. Then from a distance that is counted only in heaven light dawned for a time through a sleepy film; by unutterable pace the light swept to them, they, by unutterable pace, to the light. In a moment the rushing of planets was upon them; in a moment the blazing of suns was around them.

Then came eternities of twilight that revealed, but were not revealed. On the right hand and the left towered mighty constellations; here were triumphal gates whose magnificent archways rose in altitude by spans that seemed ghostly from infinitude. Without measure were the architraves, past number were the archways, beyond memory the gates. Within were stairs that scaled the eternities below; above was below-below was above to the man stripped of gravitating body-depth was swallowed up in height insurmountable, height was swallowed up in depth unfathomable.

Suddenly, as they thus rode from finite to infinite- suddenly, as they thus tilted over abysmal worlds-a mighty cry arose, that systems more mysterious, that constellations more glorious, that worlds more billowy, other heights and other depths were coming, were near-ing, were at hand!

Then the man sighed and stopped, shuddered and wept. His overburdened heart uttered itself in tears, and he said: Angel, I will go no further. For the spirit of man acheth with this infinity. Insufferable is the glory of the universe. Let me lie down in the grave and hide myself from the persecution of the infinite, for end there is none." And from all the listening stars that shone around issued a choral voice: "The man speaks truly; end there is none that even yet we have heard of. End there is none!" The angel solemnly demanded: "Is there no end, and is this the sorrow that kills you?" But no voice answered, that he may answer himself. Then the angel throws up his glorious hands toward the heaven of heavens, saying: "End there is none in the universe of God. Lo! also there was no beginning."

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Reference: http://www.persuasivespeechidea.com/persuasivespeechidea15.php
[Chapter 15. Masterpieces of Oratory, Poetry, Choice Selections, Etc.]