_Heaven_ for the negro is an eternal resting place where he shall occupy the best place. It is a place of glory and splendor in the material sense. Nor does he think that he will fail to miss his home when he dies. _Hell_ is a place for _thieves_ and _sinners_ and _liars_, but such persons are far removed from him. His religion is the panacea for all evils and all sins, and when he has the "love of God in his heart" nothing can doom him, for has he not been "washed in the blood of the lamb?" and had not the "blood done sign his name"? His ideas of heaven are those which his mind naturally conceives of as applying to a home; his conclusions from the Scriptures are not unusual. A few of the references to heaven will give a better conception of the negro's reality and vividness of interpretation. I want to go to heaven when I die, To shout salvation as I fly. You say yer aiming fer de skies, Why don't yer quit yer tellin' lies. I hope I git dere bye an' bye, To jine de number in de sky. When I git to heaven gwine to ease, ease, Me an' my God goin' do as we please, Settin' down side o' de holy Lamb. When I git to heaven goin set right down, Gwin-er ask my Lord fer starry crown. Now wait till I gits my gospel shoes, Gwin-er walk 'bout heaven an' carry de news. We'll walk up an' down dem golden streets, We'll walk about Zion. Gwine sit in de kingdom, I raly do believe, where sabbaths have no end. Look way in de heaven--hope I'll jine de band--Sittin' in de kingdom. I done bin to heaven an' I done bin' tried. Dere's a long white robe in de heaven for me, Dere's a golden crown, golden harp, starry crown, silver slippers in heaven for me I know. O yes I'm gwine up to see my Lord; gwine all de way up to see my robe; O de heaven is shinin', shinin'. Gwine shout in hebben, gwine hab a big meetin'. If you want to go to heaven come along wid me. Take my flight up to de skies in de mornin'. O de heaven gates are open. Gwine up to heaven where my Jesus dwells. My Jesus walkin' de hebbenly road. De bell is ringin' in odder bright worl'. If you touch one strin' de whole hebben ring. De sun gib light in de hebben all round. I wish I wus in de kingdom settin' side o' my Lord. No more hard trial in de kingdom; no more tribulation, no more parting, no more quarreling, backbiting in de kingdom, No more sunshine fer to bu'n you; no more rain fer to wet you. Ev'y day will be Sunday in heaven. Sweet music in heaven jes beginning to roll. Goin feast off'n milk an' honey. The negro does not dwell upon thoughts of hell as he does of heaven. Even if he has "stepped over hell an' come back 'gain," he does not reveal so much of its character. Some conceptions, however, are definite enough. O hell is deep an' hell is wide, O hell ain't got no bottom or side. I'd rather pray myself away, Than live in hell an' burn one day.