Smyrna times., 1866-04-04
POET r Y .
Mo Sect in Heaven.

Talking of sects till late one eve,
OF the various doctrines the saints believe,
That night stood in troubled dream,
By the side of a darky flowing stream.
And "Churchman" down to the river came:
When heard strange voice call his name,
"Good father, stop; when you cross this tide
You mus: leave your robes OH the other side"
But the aged father did not mind,
And his long gown hoated out behind,
AS down to the stream his way he took,
His pale hands clasping gilt-edged book.
"I'm bound for heaven, and when I'm there,
l shall want my book of Common Prayer;
And though l put on a starry crown,
should feel quite lost without my gown"
Then he fixed his eye on the shining track,
But his gown was heavy and held him back,
And the poor old father tried in vain
A single step in the flood to gain.
l saw him again on tue other side,
But his silk gown floated on the tide;
And no one asked in that blissful spot
Whether he belonged to "the Church" or not.
Then down to the river Quaker strayed,
His dress of a sober hue was made;
"My coat and hat must be all of gray,
l cannot go any other way"
Then he buttoned his coat straight up TO his chin
And staidly, solcmnly waded in,
And his broad-brlmmed hat he pulled down tight
Over his forehead, cold and white.
But strong wind carried away his hat;
moment he silently sighed over that,
And then, as he gazed to the farther shore,
His coat slipped off, and was seen no more.
As he entered heaven, his suit Of gray
Went quietly saillng-away-away,
And none Of the angels questioned him
About the width of his beavers brim.
Next came DIR. Watts, with bundle of Psalms
Tied nicely up in hIs aged arms,
And hymns as many, very wise thing,
That the people in heaven, "all round, might sing
But thought that he heaved an anxious sigh,
AS he saw that the river ran broad and high,
And looked rather surprised as, one by one,
The Psalms and Hymns in the wave went down.
And after him, with his MSS.
Game Wesley, the pattern of gOdliness,
But he cried, "Dear me, what shall Go1
The water has soaked them through and through
And there on the river. far and wide,
Away they went down the swollen tide,
And the saint astonished, passed through alone,
Without his manuscripts, up to the throne.
Then, gravely walking, two saints by name,'
Down to the stream together came,
But as they stopped at the rivers brink,
l saw one saint from the other shrink
"Sprinkled or plunged, may ask you, friend,
How you attained TO lifes great end?"
THUS, with few drops on my brow"
"But have been dipped. you'll see me now.
sand really think it will hardly do,
As Fm 'close communion TO cross with you;
You're bound, know, 10 the realms of bliss,
But you must go that way, and I'll go this"
Then straghtway plunging with all his might,
Away to the left-his friend to the right,
Apart they went from this world Of sin,
But at last together they entered in.
And now, when the river was rolling on,
A Presbyterian church went down;
OF women there seemed an innumerable throng,
But the men could count as they passed along
And concerning the road they could never agree
The old or the neW way, which it could be,
Nor ever moment paused 10 think
That both would lead to the rivers brink
And sound of murmuring long and loud
Came ever up from the moving crowd,
you're in the old way, and TN in the new,
That is the false, and this is the true,"-
Or, "lm in the old way, and you're in the new,
That Is the false, and this is the true"
But the brethren only seemed to speak,
Modest the sisters walked, and meek,
And If ever one OF them chanced TO saw
What troubles she met with on the way,
How she longed TO pass TO the other side,
Nor feared to cross over the swelling tide,
voice arose frum the brethren then:
"Let no one speak but the holy men,
For have ye not heard the words OF Paul.
'Oh, let the women keep silence allP"
| watched them long in my curious dream,
Till they stood by the borders of the stream;
Then, just as thought, the two ways met,
But all the brethren were talking yet,
And would talk on. till the heaving tide
Carried them over, side by side;
Side by side, for the way was one,
The toilsome journey Of life was done,
And priest and Quaker, and all who died,
Came out alike on the other side.
No foTms, or crosses, or books had they,
No gowns of silk, or suits of gray,
No creeds to guide them, or MSS, Z"
For all had put on Christ's righteousness.