The Baltimore County union., 1881-07-09
NO SECT IN HEAVEN.

Talking of sects till late one eve,
OF the various doctrines the saints believe,
That night stood in o troubled dream,
By the side of darkly flowing stream.
And "Churchman" down to the river came;
When heard a strange voice call his name,
"Good father, stop when you cross this tide
You must leave your robes on 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.
"Im bound for heaven, and when I'm there,
1 shall want my book of Common Prayer;
And though put on q starry crown,
1 shall 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
single step in the food to gain.
saw him again on the other side,
But his silk gown foated 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 sober hue was made
"My coat and hat must be all gray,
I cannot go any other way"
Then he buttoned his coat straight up to his chin
And staidly, solemnly, waded in,
And his broad brimmed hat he pulled down tigh
Over his forehead, so cold and white.
But strong wind carried away his hat;
moment he silently sighed over that,
And then, ag he gazed to the farther shore,
The coat slipped off, and seen no more
As he entered heaven, his suit of gray
Went.quickly sailing-away-away,
And none of the angels questioned him
A bout the width of his beavers brim.
Next came DR.. Watts, with bundle of Psalms
Tied nicely up in his aged armq,
And hymns as many, very wise thing,
That the people in heaven, "all round" might sing
But I 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,
Came Wesley, the pattern of godliness,
But he cried, Dear me, what shall do D.!
The water has soaked them through and TIN Ough,
And there on the river, far and wide,
Away they went down the swollen tide,
And the saint astonshed, passed through alone,
Without the manuscript, up to the throne.
Then, gravely walking, two saints by name,
Down 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, friend,
How you attained to life's great end? Z"
"Thus, with a few drops my brow" now"
"But 1 have been dipped, as well as you'll see me
"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 I'll 60 this"
Then straightway plunged with all his might,
Away to the left-his friend at 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 seemd an innumerable thrOng,
But the men 1 could count as they passed along.
And concerning the road they could never agree,
The old or the way, which it could be,
Nor ever moment paused to 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 is the false, and this is the true,
Or, "I'm 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 CHANGED to say
What troubles she met with on the way,
How she longed to pass to the other side,
Nor fear to cross over the swelling tide,
A voice arose from the brethren then:
"Let no one speak but the holy men,
For have ye not heard the words of Paul,
ooh, let the women keep silence all 2"
watched them long in my curious dream,
Till they stood by the borders of the stream;
Them just 1 thought, the two ways met,
Bat 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 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.