Poems (Kimball)/"Peace and Good-will, Good-will and Peace"
"PEACE AND GOOD WILL, GOOD WILL AND PEACE."
"PEACE and good will, good will and peace!"Year after year with sweet increase The heavenly card swells: The holy tale of Jesu's birth In ever-widening circles earth With tongues unnumbered tells.
Once more the vision glorified Appears with blessed Christmas-tide— The Virgin full of grace; And in her arms the Child Divine, The God-Man born of David's line, New head of Adam's race.
The very nature that we wear, His Godhead veiled, He stoops to share In great humility; And angel legions round Him dose And Heaven with boundless praise o'erflows That such a love could be.
But neither round His infant brow The crown of thorns (pre-woven now) Created eyes behold; Nor in those infant arms that reach In mute appeal, in lieu of speech, The cross those arms infold.
Yet crown of thorns and holy rood (The tree of life, the mystic wood), His spotless sacrifice, His anguish and His triumph, all Are shadowed here in Bethlehem's stall Though hidden from our eyes.
Here, too, begins His wondrous reign; Confessors, martyrs, lead His train Of humble souls and pure; Not of this world His Kingdom is; All others fade away, but His Forever shall endure.
His sword is Truth, His armor Love; His Spirit as a tender Dove Broods o'er this troubled life; He pities, pardons, strengthens, feeds; He binds the breaking heart that bleeds; To peace transformeth strife.
Where'er the Marah waters spring Of want or wrong or suffering And men of Him entreat,His cross all crimsoned with His blood He casts into the bitter flood And makes those waters sweet.
"Peace and good will, good will and peace!"What wonder that with glad increase The heavenly carol swells;And on the story of His birth In ever-widening circles earth With wondering rapture dwells!