Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-01-03
ON TO rxRAMMV IS oBhDIENcE TO G,
RAVENTA OHIO WEDg2sDlY Jan s. s19.

turn their eyes inward aPen The little world
ofself, instead of outwaS lspon the great
social world. Few, ifan understand that
they are parts of a whqia and that any dis.
ease in any other partN Hal whole, mdst
affect the whole, and 9equentty them
selves. Were this thois ply understood,
even sel6shness would H1en'to act less
Iseffshly. We should ID eed have heaven
upon earth, if your pafs eBries could be
brought out into actual
Heaven will be foln} WlHere eIse by
man. was the replY.te8 ss :
sWhew! said the fafS ia aas pfise..-
I DO you mean to say sE8 issii heav.
righteous 10 be IN this world !'sssz Y s'.fazss
One of the pious company, at first intro.
duced, came up at this moment. and hear
ing the last remark, comprehended to Some
extent, its meaning. He was one who hop
ed, from pious acts ofprayer, fastings, and
attendance upon all the ordinances of the
church, to get to heaven at last. In the
ordinary pursuits Of life he was eager for
gain, and men of the world dealt warily
with him-ihey had reason; for he sepa-
rated his religious from his business life.
"A most impious doctrine he said, with
indignant warmth. Heaven upon earth!
A man had better give all his passions the
range, and freely enjoy the world, if there
is to be no hereafter. Pain, and sorrow,
and selfdenial make poor kind of heau
en-, and these are all the Christian man
meets here. Far better to live while we
do live, say I, if our heaven is to be here.'
w hat makes heaven, my friendp calm
ly asked the old man. d..
Happiness. Freedom from care, and
pain, and sorrow, and all the ills of this
wretched lile-to live In tho presence of
God and sing his praises forever-to make
one Of the blessed company who, with the
tour-and-twenty elders, forever bow before
the throne of God and the Lamb-to have
rest, and peace, and unspeakable felicity
forever -
show do you expect TO get into heaven?
How do you expect to unlock the golden
gates Of the New Jerusalam? pursued the
the old man. ~s--
by falth,' was the prompt reply. Faith
unlocks those gates. .-
The old man shook his head, and turn
ing to the individual with whom he had
first been conversing, remarked:
you asked me i'll meant to say, that
there was 70 heaven for the good who
bravely battle withlev in this life? If all
the reward Of tho righteous was to be in
this world? God forbid! For then would
I be, of all men, most miserable. What |
said was, that heaven would be found no
where else but in this world by man.
'Men talk great deal abou! heaven. but
few understand what it means. All admit.
that in this life they must prepare for heav-
en-; but nearl y all seem to think that this
preparation consists in doing something as
a means by which they will be entitled to
enter heaven after death, when there will
be sudden and wonderful change in all
their feelings and perceptions
sAnd is not that true?' asked the one who
had previously spoken.
4 do not believe that it is, in the COM
monty understood sense
'And pray what do you believer
4 believe that all in heavenly societies
are engaged in doing good, and that heav-
emily delight is the delight which springs
from a gratifed love of benefting others.
And also believe that the beginning of
heaven with every one is on this earth, and
takes place when he first makes the effort
to renounce self and seek from true &C.
sire TO benefit them, the good of others. Ii
this coming into heaven, as | call it, does
not take place here, it can never take
place, for, As the tree falls, so at hes.'-
Whatever is mans internal quality when
he dies, that it must remain forever. If he
have been lover Of self, and sought only
his own good, he will remain a lover of
self in the next lie. But if he have put
away self.love from his heart, and stunned
the evils to whichit would prompt him, as
sins, then he comes into heaven while still
upon earth, and when he lays aside his
mortal body, his heavenly life is continued.
Where all were unselfsh, how could one
who was utterly selfish dwell? Where all
sought the good Of others, how could one
who cared s1THPiy5for his own geed.-re.
main and be happy? It could not be. Il
you wish to enter heaven, my friend, you
must bring heavenly life into your daily
occupations.
You call R very pious man, do
you not?'
4 believe himto be so! We are Nom
bers Of the same church, and see a goot
cea! of him. He is superintendent of ou
Sabbath school, and is active in all the va
rious secular uses of the church,
do you know anything of this busines
life?'
, No.
Il do. Men Of the world call him shark
so eager is he fo- gain. He viii! not steal
nor commit murder, nor break any one Q
t the ten commandments so far as the law
| of. the State recognize those divine laws
be laws of common society. But in hi
| heart, and in act, so far as the law canno
, reach him, he violates them daily. HI wi
, overreach you in bargain, and think
: all right. your business comes in cor
. tact with his, he will use every means in hi
power to break you down, even to the ez
tent of secretly attacking your credit. H
n will leno his money on usury, and whe
: he has none to lend, will play the jackal t
!, some money-lion, and get large share {
r the spoil for himself. And further, if yo
differ in faith from him, in his heart he wi
send you to hell with as much pleasure G