Poems (Kimball)/"The Blessed Company of all Faithful People"

by Harriet McEwen Kimball

"THE BLESSED COMPANY OF ALL FAITHFUL PEOPLE."

BETWEEN the gray dawn and the golden day
Methought low murmurs troubled all the land,—
Disquietude and strife where should be peace,
In the white tents of that sweet Prince of Peace
Whose hosts encamp amidst "a naughty world."
As swelled the murmurs, under all I heard
The sighing of the leaders, men of prayer,
Steadfast in faith, though sometimes faint of voice,
Worn with the heat and burden of the day,
And the half-hearted zeal of many a rank;
And harsh above their sighings louder rose
The sounds of party and opposing speech,
And louder yet the petty-tongued complaints
Of such as had not learned obedience,
That first, last law for these rebellious hearts,
Given of God and taught of Holy Church.
Anon, and piercing all the clamor through,
The Lord's own heralds blew their bugle-notes;
For He would set the faithful in array.
Then sudden silence made a little space
For the One Voice that fills the universe,
And Christ's own roll-call swept the white camp through.
And lo! the faithful noiseless moved as thought
Responsive, yet unconscious of response,
Their rapt eyes lifted to the shining morn,
As seeing Him who is invisible.
He named them, clan by clan, His chosen ones:
The poor in spirit, and the souls that mourn,
The meek, and those for righteousness athirst,
The merciful, the pure in heart, the just,
The valiant, the forbearing, named He thus.
For every clan a benediction sweet,
And sweeter promises of victory, thus:—

Blessed are the poor,
Jesus spake;
Poor in spirit for My sake;
Who seek the glory of this world no more,
Nor gather riches that shall fly away;
Of the heavenly kingdom heirs are they.

Blessed,
Blessed they who mourn, He said;
Precious are the tears they shed,
The ashes on the bowèd head.
All their sins confessèd,
They shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
Who seek
The Father's will in quietness and peace,
Caring little for all things beside;
They shall increase,
And with the fulness of the earth be satisfied.
Blessed they, He said,
After righteousness an-hungerèd;
Blessed they whose thirst
The pleasures of this world accurst
Have not stilled;
With My bread
Shall the famishèd be fed;
With My wine the parchèd lips be filled.

Blessed, blessed they
The merciful, whose ears
Are swift to hear the crying of distress;
Soft as the rain in summer fall their tears;
Their place is found beside the fatherless.
Yea,
Blessed they
To whom the outcast and the poor complain
Not in vain;
Mercies numberless
They hereafter shall obtain.

Blessed are the pure in heart, He said,
Whose feet the paths of holiness do tread,
Whose looks are God-ward, and whose hands are clean;
Through glories manifold
Shall they behold
Him whom no eye hath seen.

Blessed they who seek
To turn all strife to peace,
Whose words are as a covert to the weak,
Who make the anger of the strong to cease;
Children of God shall they
Be called for aye.

Blessed they who steadfast stand
Through persecutions dread,
Though on every hand
The wicked bend the bow
To lay them low;
Theirs the kingdom never vanquishèd.

Blessed ye when men revile
And persecute you falsely for My sake;
Ye who, walking without guile,
With Me partake
Shame and scorn awhile.

Yea, rejoice,
Ye who fly not from the arrows of the strong;
Be exceeding glad, for unto you is given
Great reward in heaven;
Even now lift up your voice
In victorious song;
For so persecuted they
The prophets in their day:
Again rejoice.

Then all the winds of heaven: Amen! Amen!