"My Master," he says, "has forewarned me. Daily He announces more distinctly,—'Surely I come quickly!' and hourly I more eagerly respond,—'Amen; even so come, Lord Jesus!'"
Chapter 38 · St John Rivers
Context
Near the novel's end, Jane reports on St. John's missionary work in India and quotes from his recent letter, in which he anticipates his approaching death with these words of religious devotion.
Analysis
St. John's speech collapses into pure scriptural quotation, his own voice entirely subsumed by biblical language—'Surely I come quickly' and 'Amen; even so come, Lord Jesus' are direct citations from Revelation. Where Jane's voice throughout the novel has been fiercely individual, St. John's final words contain no personal diction at all, only the repetition of received religious formulas. The parallel structure of 'Daily... more distinctly' and 'hourly... more eagerly' accelerates toward death as though it were a lover's meeting, revealing the alternative to Jane's marriage: total self-abnegation in service of an abstract ideal.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Brontë structures the novel's ending as a choice between two models of devotion—Jane's marriage allows her to retain her voice while St. John's religious calling requires the complete erasure of self, as shown by his speech becoming indistinguishable from scripture.