The Christian Year Author(s): Keble, John (1792-1866) Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Description: John Keble©s prayer book contains over 100 pieces of poetry to be used for prayer, devotions, or meditations on Sunday and holidays throughout the Christian year. It was Keble©s desire that his readers would use his verses to unify their own spiritual thoughts and feelings. The Christian Year opens with morning and evening prayers, inspired by passages from Luke and Lamentations. The majority of Keble©s poems correspond with a particular Sunday in the Christian year, but the book also contains a number of poems for Christian holidays and important events, such as matrimony, commu- nion, and baptism. Keble©s surpassing talent as a poet is evident on every page. The beauty of his words and the sin- cerity of his message are inspiring to Christians and non- Christians alike. Emmalon Davis CCEL Staff Writer Subjects: Practical theology Practical religion. The Christian life Works of meditation and devotion i Contents Title Page 1 Advertisement 2 Morning 3 Evening 6 Advent Sunday 8 Second Sunday in Advent — The Signs of the Times 11 Third Sunday in Advent — The Travellers 13 Fourth Sunday in Advent — Dimness 16 Christmas Day 19 St. Stephen’s Day 22 St. John’s Day 24 The Holy Innocents 26 First Sunday after Christmas — The Sun-dial of Ahaz 28 The Circumcision 31 Second Sunday after Christmas — The Pilgrim's Song 34 The Epiphany 37 First Sunday after Epiphany — The Nightingale 40 Second Sunday after Epiphany — The Secret of PerpetualYouth 42 Third Sunday after Epiphany — The Good Centurion 45 Fourth Sunday after Epiphany — The World is for Excitement, the Gospel for 48 Soothing Fifth Sunday after Epiphany — Cure Sin and you cure Sorrow 50 Sixth Sunday after Epiphany — The Benefits of Uncertainty 53 Septuagesima Sunday 56 Sexagesima Sunday 58 Quinquagesima Sunday 61 ii Ash Wednesday 64 First Sunday in Lent — The City of Refuge 66 Second Sunday in Lent — Esau's Forfeit 68 Third Sunday in Lent — The Spoils of Satan 71 Fourth Sunday in Lent — The Rose-bud 73 Fifth Sunday in Lent — The Burning Bush 76 Sunday next before Easter — The Children in the Temple 79 Monday before Easter — Christ waiting for the Cross 81 Tuesday before Easter — Christ refusing the wine and myrhh 84 Wednesday before Easter – Christ in the Garden 86 Thursday before Easter — The Vision of the Latter Days 89 Good Friday 91 Easter Eve 93 Easter Day 96 Monday in Easter Week — St. Peter and Cornelius 99 Tuesday in Easter Week — The Snow-drop 101 First Sunday after Easter — The restless Pastor reproved 104 Second Sunday after Easter — Balaam 107 Third Sunday after Easter — Langour and Travail 110 Fourth Sunday after Easter — The Dove on the Cross 112 Fifth Sunday after Easter — The Priest’s Intercessor 115 Ascension Day 118 Sunday after Ascension Day — Seed time 120 Whitsunday 123 Monday in Whitsun-week — The City of Confusion 125 Tuesday in Whitsun-week — Holy Orders 129 Trinity Sunday 132 First Sunday after Trinity — Israel among the ruins of Canaan 135 Second Sunday after Trinity — Charity the Life of Faith 137 Third Sunday after Trinity — Comfort for Sinners in the Presence of the Good 140 Fourth Sunday after Trinity — The Groans of Nature 142 Fifth Sunday after Trinity — The Fishermen of Bethsaida 146 iii Sixth Sunday after Trinity — The Psalmist repenting 149 Seventh Sunday after Trinity — The Feast in the Wilderness 151 Eighth Sunday after Trinity — The Disobedient Prophet 154 Ninth Sunday after Trinity — Elijah in Horeb 156 Tenth Sunday after Trinity — Christ weeping over Jerusalem 159 Eleventh Sunday after Trinity — Gehazi reproved 161 Twelfth Sunday after Trinity — The Deaf and Dumb 163 Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity — Moses on the Mount 166 Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity — The Ten Lepers 170 Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity — The Flowers of the Field 172 Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity — Hope is better than Ease 174 Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity — Ezekiel’s Vision in the Temple 176 Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity — The Church in the Wilderness 179 Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego 183 Twentieth Sunday after Trinity — Mountain Scenery 185 Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity — The Red-breast in September 187 Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity — The Rule of Christian forgiveness 189 Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity — Forest Leaves in Autumn 191 Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity — Imperfection of Human Sympathy 194 Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity — The two Rainbows 197 Sunday next before Advent — Self-examination before Advent 199 St. Andrew’s Day 202 St. Thomas the Apostle 204 Conversion of St. Paul 207 Purification of St. Mary the Virgin 211 St. Matthias’ Day 214 Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary 216 St. Mark’s Day 219 St. Philip and St. James’ Day 221 St. Barnabas the Apostle 223 St. John Baptist’s Day 226 St. Peter’s Day 229 iv St. James the Apostle 232 St. Bartholomew the Apostle 234 St. Matthew the Apostle 237 St. Michael and all Angels 240 St. Luke the Evangelist 243 St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles 247 All Saints’ Day 249 Holy Communion 251 Holy Baptism 254 Catechism 256 Confirmation 258 Matrimony 260 Visitation and Communion of the Sick 262 Burial of the Dead 264 Churching of Women 267 Commination 269 Forms of Prayer to Be Used at Sea 271 Gunpowder Treason 273 King Charles the Martyr 276 The Restoration of the Royal Family 278 The Accession 280 Ordination 282 Index of First Lines 284 Indexes 287 Index of Scripture References 288 v This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. 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Written permission is required for commercial use. vi Title Page Title Page THE CHRISTIAN YEAR Thoughts in Verse FOR THE SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BY THE REV. JOHN KEBLE In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. ISAIAH XXX.15 1 Advertisement Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT. Next to a sound rule of faith, there is nothing of so much consequence as a sober standard of feeling in matters of practical religion; and it is the peculiar happiness of the Church of England to possess, in her authorized formularies, an ample and secure provision for both. But in times of much leisure and unbounded curiosity, when excitement of every kind is sought after with a morbid eagerness, this part of the merit of our Liturgy, is likely in some measure to be lost, on many even of its sincere admirers: the very tempers which most require such discipline, setting themselves, in general, most decidedly against it. The object of the present publication will be attained, if any person find assistance from it in bringing his own thoughts and feelings into more entire unison with those recommended and exemplified in the Prayer Book. The work does not furnish a complete series of com- positions; being, in many parts, rather adapted with more or less propriety to the successive portions of the Liturgy, than originally suggested by them. Something has been added at the end concerning the several Occasional Services: which constitute, from their personal and domestic nature, the most perfect instance of that soothing tendency in the Prayer Book, which it is the chief purpose of these pages to exhibit. MAY 30th, 1827 2 Morning Morning MORNING His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Lament. iii. 22, 23. Hues of the rich unfolding morn, That, ere the glorious sun be born, By some soft touch invisible Around his path are taught to swell; — Thou rustling breeze so fresh and gay, That dancest forth at opening day, And brushing by with joyous wing, Wakenest each little leaf to sing; — Ye fragrant clouds of dewy steam, By which deep grove and tangled stream Pay, for soft rains in season given, Their tribute to the genial heaven; — Why waste your treasures of delight Upon our thankless, joyless sight; Who day by day to sin awake, Seldom of Heaven and you partake? Oh! timely happy, timely wise, Hearts that with rising morn arise! Eyes that the beam celestial view, Which evermore makes all things new!1 New every morning is the love Our wakening and uprising prove; Through sleep and darkness safely brought, Restored to life, and power, and thought. New mercies, each returning day, 1 Revelation xxi. 5. 3 Morning Hover around us while we pray; New perils past, new sins forgiven, New thoughts of God, new hopes of Heaven. If on our daily course our mind Be set to hallow all we find, New treasures still, of countless price, God will provide for sacrifice.