No Strife in Heaven

An old Scottish elder had been disputing with his minister at an elders’ meeting. He said some hard things, and almost broke the minister’s heart. Afterwards he went home, and the minister went home too. Next morning the elder came down, and his wife said to him, “Eh, Jan! ye look very sad this morning. What’s the matter wi’ ye?” “Ah!” said he, “you would be sad, too, if you had had such a dream as I’ve had.” “Weel, and what did ye dream about?” “Ooh! I dreamed I had been at an elders’ meeting, and I said some hard things and grieved the minister; and as he went home I thought he died and went to heaven. A fortnight after, I thought I died, and that I went to heaven, too. And when I got to the gates of heaven, out came the minister and put out his hand to take me, saying, ‘Come along, Jan, there’s no strife up here, and I’m happy to see ye.’” The elder went to the minister to beg his pardon directly, but he found he was dead; and he laid it so to heart that within a fortnight the elder himself departed. And I should not wonder if he did meet the minister at heaven’s gates, and hear him say, “Come along, Jan! there’s no strife up here.” It would be good for us to recollect that there is no strife up there. Glorified saints have not strife among themselves; and we should love one another more in brotherly kindness if we thought more of heaven and more of our blessed Jesus.

—C. H. Spurgeon