Epiphany

TO-DAY every thing preaches, in Heaven and in earth;
And all preach the same thing;
“Come and worship.”
The Shepherds preach;
For they have not done telling of Christmas night.
Bethlehem preaches;
For it shows Him born of a Virgin,
And born where the Prophet said He should be.
The Angels preach,
By the memory of their carol.
The Star preaches in the East;
And the Wise men preach, on their journey,
From beginning to end.
And, what is very remarkable,
The Scribes too, and Herod, preach;
The former unconsciously;
The latter unwillingly.
For Herod, like Caiaphas and others,
Was guided to use words of inquiry,
Which might well teach us our duty.
What can a person, seeking the Pearl of great price, say,
More to the purpose than what he said?
“Search out the Child;
“And that diligently;
“And bring your neighbors word;
“That they may come,
“And worship Him also.”
Will you not learn a lesson from him?
You know, by all this witness,
That Christ is at Bethlehem.
Will you not seek Him out there?
And do what you can in reason to let others know?
By word and conversation,
By charity, by faith, by purity.
Let them “take knowledge of you,
“That you have been with Jesus.”
That they may not only admire, but come;
And not only come, but worship.
And not, as the Magi, worship and depart,
But go on worshipping,
Through this world, and for ever;
Casting their crowns before the Throne,
As the Wise men before the Infant Jesus.
What can you wish for ore, in time and in Eternity?