天堂

Heaven is commonly conceived of as a place, a locality; and somewhere in God's universe it is supposed there is a spot where elemental storms never deform the sky, where inward sorrow never cankers the heart. There is rest after labor, peace after conflict, smiles after tears, and such happiness as quenches all fiery memories of former pain; and the common or popular notion is, that when good men leave this world, they are translated, that is, transported to heaven, as an aeronaut sails off in a balloon. The falsity of this view Christ exposes, when he says, "The kingdom of heaven is within you." In the words of Holy Writ, the kingdom of heaven is to fear God, and keep his commandments. It is to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, and our neighbor as ourselves. It is to do to others as we would be done by.

HORACE MANN