The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-04-18
NO SECTs IN HEAVEN.


Talking Of sects till late one eve.
~ the various doctrines the saints believe.
1nat night stood IN troubled dream
Sy the side q darkly flowing stream
And "Churchnan" down to the river came.
When heard q strange voice call his name,
Good father, stop! when you cross this tide
You must leave your robes on the other sidep
But the aged father did not mind,
And his long gown noated out beRSnd
As down the stream his way he took
Hls Pate hand claspdng gilt-edged book.
"Tm bound for heaven, and when I'm there,
shall want my book or Common PRAYER:
a AnS "a ss3ogh g, pnt on starry crnWn,
shos1 feei quite lost without my gown
Then be hxed his eyes on the shining track.
And tee poor old father tried in vain
single step In the food to gain.
I saw him again ON the other side.
~ ~ ms snk gown aoated on the tide;
Ana no one 1sked aim, in that blissful spot,
Mhether ne belonged to the Church" i" or not.
Then down the river a Quaker strayed,
M bis Dress OF a sober hue made
? ny coat ana hat must all be gray,
cannot go any other way"
Then he buttoned his coat straight up to his chin
ana stadiJ, solenny, wsded in;
And his broad brimrned bat he pulled down tight
over his forehead so cold and white.
But strong wind carried away hts hat;
moment he silently sighed over that
And then, as he gazsd on the farther shore,
The coat slipped OF, and was seen no more
As he entered heaven, his suit Of gray
Went quietly sailing-away-away,
And hone of the angels questioned him
About the breadth Of his beavers brim-
Next came Dr. Watts with bundle Of Psalms
Tied nicely up in his aged arms,
and hymns a many, very wise thing,
That the people in heaven "all round" might sing.
But thought he heaved an anxious sigh
As he that the river broad and high,
And looked rather surprised a., one by one,
The Psalms and Hymns in the wave went down.
And after him, with his MSS,
Came Wesley, the pattern Of godliness,
But be cried, 4" Dear me, what shall do?
The water has soaked them through and through ~
And there on the river far and wide,
Away they went down the swollen tide, .s 81 G
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 they stopped at the rivers brink,
saw one saint from the other shrink.
'sprinSIsd or plunged, may ask you, friend,
How you attained TO life's great end7"
8 Thus, with few drops off thy brow"
But L have 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, 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, 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 innumerable throng,
But the men could count as they passed along.
And concerning the read, they could never agree,
The Old or the New way, which could it be,
Nor ever for a 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 in the old way, and I'm in the new,
Thai is the false and this is the true
Or, {" I'm in the old and you're in the new
That is the false, and this is the true"
But the brethren only seem to speak,
Modest the sisters walked, and meek,
And if any of them CHANGED TO say
What troubles she met with on the way,
How she lOnged to pass to the other side,
Nor feared to cross the swelling tide,
A voice arose from the brethren then
Let speak but the holy men >
For have you heard the words Of Paul,
Oh, let the woman keep silence all 2"
l watched them long in my curious dream,
Till they stood by the borders Of the stream,
Then, Just I 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 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, books had Aey,
No gowns Of silk, suits of gray,
No creeds to guide them, MSS,
For all had put on Christs Righteousness.