Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1868-05-08
TENN, FRIDAY, MAY s, 1868.
From tho Christian Obferver.1
No Sects I'm Heaven.

/ from tnO JnrlStlau OUferNer.l
No Sects I'm Heaven.
THE following suggestive stanzas
were placed in our hands by an esti.
mable Christian lady, to fill a column
i'm this paper. They were written by
Mrs. Elizabeth III. Jocelyn, Cleaye1
land, and published originally i'm the
Berkshire Courier:
Talking of sects quite late one eve,
What one and another of saints believe,
That night stood IA troubled dream
BY the side of adarlSly-howing stream.
And a "churchmnn" down to the river cam,
| When heard astrange voice call his name
Good father stop; when you cross this tide
You must leave your robes on the othel
side.
But the aged father did not mind,
And his long gown fioatcd out behind.
| As down to the stream his way he took,
His hands firm hold of a gilt-edged book.
" I'm bound for heaven, and when I'm there
shall want my book of Common Prayer
And though put ON starry crown,
! should feel quite lost without my gown"
Then he fixed his eyes on the shining track
But his gown was heavy and held him back
And the poor old father tried in vain,
saw him again on the other side,
But his silken gown floatcd on the tide,
me mo ONE Sc ts on tna. spT
Then down to the river Quaker strayed
His dress of sober hue was made,
" My hat and coat must be oil of grey,
/ cannot go any other way"
Then he btitt6hed his coat straight up to
his chin,
And staidly, solemnly waded in,
And his sbroad-brimmed hat he pulled down
tight ..y..-
Over his forehead, so cold and white.
But strong wind carried away his hat,
And he sighed U few moments over that,
| And then, as he gazed to the farther shore
The coat slipped of and was seen no more,
Poor dying Quaker, thy suit of grey
Is quietly sailing-away-away,
But thou'lt go to Heaven as straight rs an
Whether thy brim be broad or narrow.
Next came DR.. Watts with bundle of
Tied nicely up in his aged arms,
And hymns SO many-a very wise thing. >,
That the people in Heaven, call round,
might sing.
But thought he heaved an anxious sigh,
As he saw that the river ran broad and high,
The psalms and hymns in the waves went
down.
And after him, with his MSS,
Came Wesley, the pattern of godliness,
But he cried, "Dear me, what shall do?
The water has soaked them through and
through"
And there, on the river, far and wide,
Away they went on the swollen tide,
And the saint, astonished, passed through
without his manuscripts, up o.the throne.
Then gravely walking, two saints by name,
Down TO the stream together came,
But as they stopped at the rivers brink,
saw one saint from the other shrink.
"sprinkled or plunged, may ask you
How you attained 10 life's great end?"
"Thus. with a few drops on my BROW"
But have been dipped, Us you'll see me
now;
"And really think 1t will hardly do,
As I'm CLOSE communion to cross with
YOU'RE bound, know, to the realms of bliss,
But you must go that way and I'll go this. "
And ,straightway plunging with all his
Away to the left-his friend at the right,
Apart they went from this world of sin,
But how did the brethren center in?"
And now where the river was rolling on,
A Presbyterian church went down;
or 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 1t could be-
| Nor ever moment paused to think
That both would lead to the rivers brink
And a sound of murmuring long and loud
Came ever up from the moving crowd,
you're i'm the old way, and I'm in the
That is the false. and this is the true,"-
Or, Pm 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 chanced to say
What troubles she met with on the way,
| How she longed to pass TO the other side,
Nor feared TO cross on the swelling tide.
| A voice arose from the brethren,
T" Let no one speak but the holy men,
For have yc not heard the words of Paul
'Oh let the women keep silence ALL"
| watched them long in my curious dream
| Till they stood by the border of the stream
Then, just rs thought, the two ways met
/ But all the brethren We're 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 forms or crosses, or books had they,
No gowns of silk, or suits of grey,
| No creeds TO guide them, or Mss,
For all had put ON "Christ's righteousness. v