The Burden of the Bells

Oh! the Christ­mas bells are ring­ing

All the world is wide awake

And the chor­us as it ech­oes

Makes the migh­ty stee­ples shake.

Miles away its tide is swell­ing

As if it would nev­er cease

And the bur­den of its mu­sic

Is a roll­ing wave of peace.

All the leaf­less branch­es

swing­ing

In the cold De­cem­ber air

Soft are breath­ing forth its ca­dence

Like the mur­mur of a pray­er;

And they bend above each oth­er

With their win­try robes of fleece

In a gen­tle bene­dic­tion

Breathing forth a hymn of peace.

So the pas­tor to his peo­ple

On this bless­èd Christ­mas day

Gives a les­son full of mean­ing

For each one to take away;

And he gen­tly bids the mourn­er

Who from grief would seek re­lease

At the cross to drop his bur­den

Where the Sav­ior giv­eth peace.

Lo! the cross is full of heal­ing

And the crown is ly­ing near

With its wealth of jew­els

gleam­ing

Like the sunl­ight of a tear.

And to­day our hearts will glad­den—

May the ec­ho nev­er cease

As we sing our love of Je­sus

Who will crown us with His peace.

Peace on earth! How dear the bless­ing

As it comes from Heav­en and here

Drops its ten­der­ness upon us

At the clos­ing of the year.

So abid­ing in God’s keep­ing

With the bells

our hearts will chime

Peace on earth! Oh

gra­cious pr­omise!

Peace on earth

at Christ­mas time.