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Dan's Vision of Hell
(As told by himself, in the words of the writer)
Two men stood side-by-side on a dark porch. One had the grave face of a doctor, and the other wore an anxious look and the tears trickled down his sunburned cheeks. At last Doctor Gordon said, "If you need me in the morning you can let me know." They shook hands, and Tom Brown stood and watched the doctor drive away. In the house on a little bed lay a small boy whose fever had burned for days, and for the last several hours he had been as still as death.
All at once he opened his eyes, and his mother asked him how he felt. "I'm better now. I've just come back from heaven." This alarmed his mother, and she sent for an old aunt who was a real child of God, saying, "Danny is dying and talking of heaven, and I can't stand to hear it." When his aunt came in, she went to him and very gently asked him what he saw in heaven. Here I will endeavor to write it as he told it to her. When he commenced to talk, he was very weak and his tongue seemed to stick to his mouth. But he seemed to want to tell what he had seen.
He began: "Someone in white clothes came and took me away to where a great broad road came right down a hill. Now this road was smooth and pretty in many ways, but at the bottom of the hill the road was narrow, and on one side was a rock so high that nobody could ever climb over it. On the other side was a deep, dark hole, and the road was between the rock and the hole.
"Right in the middle of the road was a big, 'bugger.' It looked much like a man but it was awful to see. I was afraid of him and I hid behind the one with white clothes till he said, 'You need not be afraid, if you are not on the broad road.' Well, I was not on that road, so I was not afraid of him any more.
"Then my guide said, 'Dan, look.' I looked, and there came a beautiful young girl down the road. No sooner had she met the big bugger than he caught her and threw her into the dark hole. Soon there came another, and another, but they, too, were thrown into the hole. Then up the road I saw a fine looking young man, and I said, 'Now old bugger, I guess your time has come. He can whip you.' There in the middle of the road the old bugger stamped and glared at the young man. I thought there would be a big fight, but as he came the bugger grabbed him and there was only a short struggle, and the stout young man followed all the rest. Then the bugger went on stamping and glaring as he watched for others to come.
"Soon I saw a little girl all dressed in white. She was so pretty and young that I could not stand to see the bugger catch her, so I shut my eyes. Then the one with the white clothes said, 'Dan, look.' I looked and the bugger had shied off to the side of the dark hole, and the little girl had passed him.
" 'How's that?' I asked.
" 'Only watch,' I was told. After watching, I found that she had not come by way of the broad road, but had come the narrow way, and had kept close to the rock.
"Again he told me to watch. 'Yes, I see. These on the broad road‹their clothes are all spotted and stained, and their hands are all dirty; but those who come up by the narrow way have clean hands, and their clothes are so white they seem to shine.'
"Then he took me by the hand and said, 'Come and see.' He led me to the side of the dark hole, and away down in the hole it was full of people. There was fire in the hole, and their bodies were half burned. They looked as if they were red hot. Oh, the awful groans and screams that came from that hole! I pulled back, and he said, 'Let's follow the little girl.' He led me around the big rock, far away from the sound and roar of the fire in the hole.
"We came to a big gate that was as white as snow. As we came near, it opened for us. I could see inside. Oh, how pretty it was! Something very bright shone like the sun. The guide said it was the throne of God. Oh, the pretty water and flowers, and such pretty trees! Everybody was dressed in white, and were oh, so happy. I wanted to go in, but he said, 'Not yet. Look.' I saw that on their heads were crowns of gold. Some were plain and some were trimmed in stars.
" 'Which do you want, Dan?' he asked.
" 'I want a crown with stars in it. They are so pretty.'
" 'Come and do as I tell you, and you shall have a crown with stars in it. First you must have a white robe.'
"Then he led me to a small stream of water.
" 'Where does this water come from, Dan?'
" 'From under that rock,' I said.
" 'Look again.' I looked and saw as it were an open Bible and the water came out from between the pages.
" 'Yes, you are right, Dan. You will find the stream of life in the leaves of that Book.'
"Then there came a man whose clothes were ragged and dirty. He was bent over and looked sad. You can't guess what he did. He jumped right into that pretty water! It seemed a pity to dirty it with his old dirty clothes. And don't you know, he came out as white as snow!
" 'Now, Dan, you see where they get their white robes.' As I watched him I saw that was the beginning of the narrow way.
" 'Now, Dan, you must dip into the stream if you are to wear a white robe and ever gain a crown.'
"So, I, too, dipped in the stream and came out white, and somehow everything seemed to change. I seemed so light. 'What makes the difference?' I asked.
" 'Dan, that stream not only washes white as snow, but it takes all the burdens away, and they will always be away if you keep yourself free from sin. Now come and I will show you where to get the stars to put in your crown.' He gave me a book, saying, 'Take this; it is the Word of God.'
"Then he led me over by the side of the broad road. Now along that road was a line of men and women dressed in white, with Books like mine. He took me to a place in the line where the ones dressed in white were far apart, and said, 'Now you must cry to those out on the broad road. You shall have a star for every one you can get to leave it and come by the way of the beautiful stream.'
" 'I looked out on that broad road‹' the boy stopped for a minute and seeing his father, took his hand. 'Daddy,' he said, 'there are lots of people on that old road, and‹and Daddy, I saw you and Mama out there. Your clothes were so dirty and, Daddy, won't you be my star? Won't you come, Daddy?' The child stopped for a minute and shut his eyes. 'Daddy, you and Mama had better get off that road or he will do you like he did the young man. Yes, Daddy, I saw you and I said, 'There's Daddy. I'll go get him,' but the guide laid his hand on me. 'No, you must never make one track on that road. If you do, it will spoil your white clothes. You will then have to go and wash in the stream that makes them white again. They that are on the road are not going themselves, the power of the road is just taking them. If you get out there you will find it will be hard to pull loose from that power. You will have to get tired of it and call on God without doubting, and it takes a full giving up to God to break away from the evil power. You must not get discouraged because they don't come when you call, for there are many who are called, but few really come this way. You will find that those whom you love and really want to come are the hardest to get to come. Sometimes they say hard, cold words to us, but you must keep calling until I come for you. If you hold out faithful you shall surely wear a crown.' "
This is a true story, and at a very young age Dan took the Word of God and stepped out to cry to souls on that broad road. The frost of many winters bleached his hair and feebled his step, yet he still cried by the side of the way, and turned many from the broad road of sin. But sad to say, some have gone on down the broad way until they had to meet with Dan's "bugger" and spend eternity in the dark hole where there is so much pain and sorrow, when they could have been wearing a robe and crown. ‹Susie Mustion
FAITH PUBLISHING HOUSE
P. O. Box 518, Guthrie, OK 73044
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