The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-06-20
NO SECT IN HEAVEN.

"Talkine of sects, till late one eve,
or tlx various doctrines the saints believe,
That night stood In troubled dream,
By the side Of a dsrkly-fowing stream;
Aud a Z. Churchman" down the river came,
When 1 heard a strange voice call his name.
Z" Good father, stop when you cross this tide,
You must leave your robes on the other sice.'
I'm. the aged father did not mind,
And his long gown hoated out behind,
A sdovn 10 the stream his way he took,
His pale hands claspihg gilt-edged book.
- I'm bound for heaven, and when I'm there,
/ shall want my book OF Common Prayer;
And h,ugh put on n starry crown,
/ should feel quite lost without gown"
Th., he arsd his eve on the shining track,
1ut his gown was heavy, and held him back;
Aud the poor old father tried in vain,
A single step in the food to gain.
/ saw him again on the other side
But his silk gown nOated on the tide;
And no one asked, in that blissful spot,
whether he belonged to So The Church" or not.
Then down to the river Quaker strayed,
His dress Of sober hue was made;
" Nv coat and hat must be all OF gray,
/ cannot go any other way.
Then ne buttoned his coat straight up TO his chlh,
And .taidly, solemnly, waded in;
And his broad brimmed hat he pulled down tignt
over his forehead, so Geld and whlte;
But n strong wind carried away his hat
A moment he silently sighed over that,
And then as he gazed to the further shore,
The coat slipped of, and was seen no more.
AS he entered heaven. his suit Of gray
Went quietly sailing away-away,
And none of the angels questioned MN
About the width OF his beavers brini.
Next came Dr. Watts, with bundle Of psalms
Tied nicely up in his aged arms,
And hymns as many-a very wise thing,
That the people in Heaven, ." all round" might
But thourht that he heaved an anxious sigh
As he saw that the river ran broad and high
And looked rather surprised, AZ one byone,
The psalms and hymns in the wave went down
And after him, with his MSS,
Came Wesley, the pattern of goodness;
But he cried, " Dear nae, what shall do q?
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 "a they stopped NJ the rivers brink,
/ saw saint from the other shrink.
"Sprinked plunged? May ask you, friend,
How you attained to life's great end?"
Thus, with few drops on my brow"
"But Ihave been dipped, as you'll see me now;
And really think it will hardly DO,
As I'm close communion to cross with you.
You're bound, l know, to the realms OF bliss,
But you must go that way, and III go this"
Then straightway plunging, with all his might,
Away to the left-hs friend to the right,
Apart they wont from this world Of sin,
But at last together they entered in.
And now, when the river was rolling on,
Presby terian church went down.
OF women there seemed an innumerable throng,
But the men l could count rs they passed along;
And concerning the road, they could never agree
The old or the neic way, which IL could be,
Nor q 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 I'm in the new,
That il the false, and this IL the true :"
Or, I'm in the old way, and you're in the new,
That is the false aud this is the true
But the brethren only seemed to speak;
Modest the sisters walked, and meek,
And if ever one Of them CHANGED To say
What troubles she met with on the way,
How she longcd to pass TO the other side,
Nor feared TO cross the swelling tide,
voice arose from the brethren then:
a. Let no speak but the holy men :
For have We not heard the words of Paul,
o, Let the women keep silence all.
] watched them long. III my curious dream,
Till they stood by the borders of the stream
Then, just as j thought, the two ways met;
But all the brethren were talking yet,
And would talk on, till the heaying tide
Carried them over, side by side.
Side by side for the way was one
The toilsome journey Of life done,
And all who in Christ, the Savior died,
Came out alike on the other side.
No FORMS or crosses, or books had they,
No gowns Of silk, or suits of gray
No creeds to guide them, or MSS,
For all had put on Christ's righteousness