The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1869-01-20
Salsstea 2aetry.
No Sect In Heaven.

No Sect In Heaven.
rnlkiny Of xcctS TIL lntc ono eve, .....f g..
of the various doctrines tho saints believe,
Thnt night I stood. In troubled dream,
Hv tho sltc OF darkly flowing StrrnIn.
And +" "Churchinan" down the river came;
When heard n xtrnnge voice call hls nnmc,
4" Good fn,hcr. stop. when you reach the tid"'
y,n must lcnvc your robes on the other sid".
But the anycl father did not mind'
And his long gown aoatcd out nshinu'
4. down tho xtrcain his way he tooN'
IIlx paio hands clnspInx xilt-cdxcd oook.' w. -
=. I'm bound for heaven. md when l nj 'hee"
, shall wan, my book Of Common frnyrr;
And though put on starry crown
, should f,cl quite lost without my gown.
Thrn he fixed hlS eye on IN" shining track.
pr, his GOWN was heavy aud hrld him back
And the poor old father tried In vain
\ single step In the Ilood to gain.
SAW him again on the other Siu"'
Hut his silk gown toutcd on tho Ho"'
And no one nSlied In that bi!>Hi"' "p"'
w,,h,r h,. belonged 10 "th" Church or ho'.
Then down to the river quaker N'r'!e"'
us dress Of sober hu" was m'lr:
..>iy con, nni I'M, mus, all h" gr"F
| cunnot gn amy other wy
Then he Nu''o"sa ",/sva' straight up t" hi"
chin.
And SADLY, ~,lcmnly wad"l IN.
And his oml.brlm,nrl hat II" pulled down
tight.
,,v,.r hls forehead 10 cold and white.
Eut n strong wind carried away Ills hat:
4 moment hc silently sighed over th"t'
And then, ns he gazc,l 10 the farther shore,
rh, cox, slipped or ana Was scrh no "orc'
As be entered Heaven his suit OF gray
Went quietly Sliling-nway-n"a!'
And none OF the angels uncstionrd MI"
About the width OF his beavers hrim'
Next came DR.. Watts with buinliH "i pS'''"''
Tied nicely up In his a:'"l arms.
An,l hymns IA many-n Very wlSc 'hihE-
That the people In Heaven "nll round miSh'
sIn2.
And 7 Thought thnt hn hcnvcl M anxious sigh
\S br saw that the river ran br"nd nn'l hlIh
And looked rntl,cr surprised ~. on" by one.
rh, psalu,x and hymns In the wave went down
And after him, with his MSS.
Came Wesley. the pattern OF :"ll!n'>S:
Rut Ir cried " Dear me-! what shall do:
The water has soukctl them through ana
through"
And there. on the river. far AMI wide.
Away they went down the swollrn tide.
And the saint, a>ioniSlrd, passed through
alone.
Without his manuscripts up 10 ,h" throne.
Then grarcly walking. iw" saints by Name
ihrwu tn the stream together caih'.
Eu, a< they stopped 1t liz" rivers brink
s;,w one saint from the other shrink.
"Sprln;lc, ar plunged: Mny ask You, friend.
How you attained To- LIES great rnd:
(" Yhvs. with u few drops ON my brow.
" hut have been dipped. IN you see me now.
"hnd I really think twill hnrliy'l".
~ I'm .cloSr communion. To cross with YOU !;
You're bound. ] know, to tho realms OF hll>s'
Eut you must go Tint way, and III 80 this.
Then xtraIsh,way plungin: with all his might.
Away 10 the lrt,-his friend to tho right,
Apart they went from this world of SIN,
Hut Mt last together they entered In.
And now, when the river was rolling OH,
\ Presbyterian Church went down;
OF women there seemed an innumcrable
throng.
But the men could count ~ they paSSe"
along.
And concerning the ROAD they could never
agree,
r,,, ,,i or tho nrm way, which It could bc,
Nor never IL moment paused to think
,rh,, both would lead TO the rivers brink.
And n sound OF n,urmuring. long and loud,
Came up to us from the moving crowd,
YOU'RE In tho oil way. and I'm In the new.
That * the false. and this Is tho hue.-
or. I'm In the old wuy, and you're In tn"
mrw.
rhn. j. the f,lN, and nj, IL tho true"
rhr brethren only seemed TO speak,
Modest the sisters walked and meek,
And if ever one OF them chnnccd to say
What troubles she had met on tho way,
How she lon:cti to pass to tho other sidS'
Nor feared to cross ovor tho swelling tide,
\ voice across from tho brethren then,
"Ie, no ono speak but tho holy men,
For hnvc yc not heard the voice OF Pnnl,
oh, let the women keep silence an:'
I watched them long. In my curious dream.
Till they stood by the borders OF tho stream;
Then. just ~ l thought. the two ways mct'
Rut the brethren wcrr talking yet,
And would talk on til the hravlns tide
Carried them over. side BY side:
Side by side. for tho way was one.
Tho tollsonc journey Of life was done.
And priest and Quaker. and all who diel,
Game ont alike on the other side.
So forms. or crosscS, or hools Ind they,
No gowns OF Mix or suits OF grny,
y" crcctls to guido them. or MSS,
. For NIL hal put on Chrlst's Righteousness"