The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1849-01-12
Going to HE
BY T. s ARTHUR.

s s ~ aN4s#
One Of the pious company at first introduce
ed, came up at this moment, and hearing the
last remark, comprehended, to some extent its
meaning. He was one who hoped, from pious
acts Of prayer, Hastings and attendance uGon
all The ordinances Of the Church, to get ~ hea-
ven at last. In the ordinary pursuits Of life
he was eager for gain, and men Of the world
dealt warily with him-they had reason, for he
separated religious from lis business life,
"a most injurious doctrine he said, with in
dignant wdtmth. Heaven upon earth! A
man had better give all his passions the range,
and freely enjoy the world, il there is TO be no
hereafter, Pain and sorrow, and seIf-denial
make a poor kind Of Heaven, and these are all
the Christian man meets here. Far better to
live while we do live say !, if our heaven is
TO be here"
"What makes Heaven, my lriend?" calmly
asked the old man. d
"Happiness, Freedom from care, and pain,
and sorrow, and all the ills Of this wretched
life, to live in the presence Of God, and sing his
praises forever; to make one of the bless
ed company who, with the four-and.twenty
elders forever bow befofe the, throne Of God
and the lamb; to have rest, and peace, and un-
speakable felicity forever"
SHOW do you expect to gel into Heaven?-
How do you expect to unlock the golden gates
Of the New Jerusalem p pursued rhe old man
"By faith,'' was the prompt reply. "Faith
unlocks these gates."4 f~isaaag. saI
The old man shook his head, and %tlruing
to the individual with whom he had been fire.
conversing, remarked:
sYou asked me # l meant to say that there
was no Heaven for the good who braveIy battle
with evil in this life. If all the reward, Of th'
righteous was to be in this world! God for
bid! For then would l be Of all men most mis-
cradle. What l said was that Heaven woult
be found no where else but in this world, b.
man. Heaven mnst be enteted into here or !
never can be entered into when men die.'
"You speak in a strange language sail
the individual who had joined them, in a sneer
ing tone, GNo one can understand what yol
mean! Certainly / do not"
81 should not think ondid,'' quietly re
piled the old man. "But / will explain m
meaning more fully; perhaps you will beabI
to comprehend what l say. Men talk a greO
deal about Heaven, but few understand wha
it means. All admit that in this life they mus
prepare for Heaven; bu: nearly all seem I
think that this preparation consists in the dom
OF Something as a means in which they will b
entitled to enter Heaven after death, whe
thete will be sudden and wonderfu change
in all their feelings and perceptions"
sand is not that true!D asked the one VIII
had previously sPokeh s
81 do not believe that it is, in the commonl
understood SENSE"
"And pray what do you belietep,
III believe that all in heavenly societies al
engaged in doing good, and that heavenly Dc
light is that which springs from a gratifed 10y
Of beneftingoihsrs. | also believe that the b
ginning of Heaven with every one is on III
earth, and takes place where he first makes u
effort to renounce self and seek from a true d
sire to benefit them, the good Of Others.
( this coming into Heaven, a | call il, does n
take place here, it can never take place; f
".4s tie tree Falls, so IL ntnst Ie."-Whatev
is MANS eternal quality when he dies that