The Christian year thoughts in verse for the Sundays and holidays throughout the year ... hundredth edition [by John Keble] |
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St. Philip and St. James.
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 | The Christian year |  |
244
St. Philip and St. James.
Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: but
the rich, in that he is made low.
St. James i. 9, 10.
Dear is the morning gale of spring,
And dear th' autumnal eve;
But few delights can summer bring
A Poet's crown to weave.
And dear th' autumnal eve;
But few delights can summer bring
A Poet's crown to weave.
Her bowers are mute, her fountains dry,
And ever Fancy's wing
Speeds from beneath her cloudless sky
To autumn or to spring.
And ever Fancy's wing
Speeds from beneath her cloudless sky
To autumn or to spring.
Sweet is the infant's waking smile,
And sweet the old man's rest—
But middle age by no fond wile,
No soothing calm is blest.
And sweet the old man's rest—
But middle age by no fond wile,
No soothing calm is blest.
Still in the world's hot restless gleam
She plies her weary task,
While vainly for some pleasant dream
Her wandering glances ask.—
She plies her weary task,
While vainly for some pleasant dream
Her wandering glances ask.—
O shame upon thee, listless heart,
So sad a sigh to heave,
As if thy Saviour had no part
In thoughts, that make thee grieve.
So sad a sigh to heave,
As if thy Saviour had no part
In thoughts, that make thee grieve.
As if along His lonesome way
He had not borne for thee
Sad languors through the summer day,
Storms on the wintry sea.
He had not borne for thee
Sad languors through the summer day,
Storms on the wintry sea.
245
Youth's lightning-flash of joy secure
Pass'd seldom o'er His spright,—
A well of serious thought and pure,
Too deep for earthly light.
Pass'd seldom o'er His spright,—
A well of serious thought and pure,
Too deep for earthly light.
No spring was His—no fairy gleam—
For He by trial knew
How cold and bare what mortals dream,
To worlds where all is true.
For He by trial knew
How cold and bare what mortals dream,
To worlds where all is true.
Then grudge not thou the anguish keen
Which makes thee like thy Lord,
And learn to quit with eye serene
Thy youth's ideal hoard.
Which makes thee like thy Lord,
And learn to quit with eye serene
Thy youth's ideal hoard.
Thy treasur'd hopes and raptures high—
Unmurmuring let them go,
Nor grieve the bliss should quickly fly
Which Christ disdain'd to know.
Unmurmuring let them go,
Nor grieve the bliss should quickly fly
Which Christ disdain'd to know.
Thou shalt have joy in sadness soon;
The pure, calm hope be thine,
Which brightens, like the eastern moon,
As day's wild lights decline.
The pure, calm hope be thine,
Which brightens, like the eastern moon,
As day's wild lights decline.
Thus souls, by nature pitch'd too high,
By sufferings plung'd too low,
Meet in the Church's middle sky,
Half way 'twixt joy and woe,
By sufferings plung'd too low,
Meet in the Church's middle sky,
Half way 'twixt joy and woe,
To practise there the soothing lay
That sorrow best relieves:
Thankful for all God takes away,
Humbled by all He gives.
That sorrow best relieves:
Thankful for all God takes away,
Humbled by all He gives.
| The Christian year | |