Christian Classics
‹ The Christian Year
Contents
AdvertisementMorningEveningAdvent SundaySecond Sunday in Advent — The Signs of the TimesThird Sunday in Advent — The TravellersFourth Sunday in Advent — DimnessChristmas DaySt. Stephen’s DaySt. John’s DayThe Holy InnocentsFirst Sunday after Christmas — The Sun-dial of AhazThe CircumcisionSecond Sunday after Christmas — The Pilgrim's SongThe EpiphanyFirst Sunday after Epiphany — The NightingaleSecond Sunday after Epiphany — The Secret of PerpetualYouthThird Sunday after Epiphany — The Good CenturionFourth Sunday after Epiphany — The World is for Excitement, the Gospel for SoothingFifth Sunday after Epiphany — Cure Sin and you cure SorrowSixth Sunday after Epiphany — The Benefits of UncertaintySeptuagesima SundaySexagesima SundayQuinquagesima SundayAsh WednesdayFirst Sunday in Lent — The City of RefugeSecond Sunday in Lent — Esau's ForfeitThird Sunday in Lent — The Spoils of SatanFourth Sunday in Lent — The Rose-budFifth Sunday in Lent — The Burning BushSunday next before Easter — The Children in the TempleMonday before Easter — Christ waiting for the CrossTuesday before Easter — Christ refusing the wine and myrhhWednesday before Easter – Christ in the GardenThursday before Easter — The Vision of the Latter DaysGood FridayEaster EveEaster DayMonday in Easter Week — St. Peter and CorneliusTuesday in Easter Week — The Snow-dropFirst Sunday after Easter — The restless Pastor reprovedSecond Sunday after Easter — BalaamThird Sunday after Easter — Langour and TravailFourth Sunday after Easter — The Dove on the CrossFifth Sunday after Easter — The Priest’s IntercessorAscension DaySunday after Ascension Day — Seed timeWhitsundayMonday in Whitsun-week — The City of ConfusionTuesday in Whitsun-week — Holy OrdersTrinity SundayFirst Sunday after Trinity — Israel among the ruins of CanaanSecond Sunday after Trinity — Charity the Life of FaithThird Sunday after Trinity — Comfort for Sinners in the Presence of the GoodFourth Sunday after Trinity — The Groans of NatureFifth Sunday after Trinity — The Fishermen of BethsaidaSixth Sunday after Trinity — The Psalmist repentingSeventh Sunday after Trinity — The Feast in the WildernessEighth Sunday after Trinity — The Disobedient ProphetNinth Sunday after Trinity — Elijah in HorebTenth Sunday after Trinity — Christ weeping over JerusalemEleventh Sunday after Trinity — Gehazi reprovedTwelfth Sunday after Trinity — The Deaf and DumbThirteenth Sunday after Trinity — Moses on the MountFourteenth Sunday after Trinity — The Ten LepersFifteenth Sunday after Trinity — The Flowers of the FieldSixteenth Sunday after Trinity — Hope is better than EaseSeventeenth Sunday after Trinity — Ezekiel’s Vision in the TempleEighteenth Sunday after Trinity — The Church in the WildernessNineteenth Sunday after Trinity — Shadrach, Meshach, and AbednegoTwentieth Sunday after Trinity — Mountain SceneryTwenty-first Sunday after Trinity — The Red-breast in SeptemberTwenty-second Sunday after Trinity — The Rule of Christian forgivenessTwenty-third Sunday after Trinity — Forest Leaves in AutumnTwenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity — Imperfection of Human SympathyTwenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity — The two RainbowsSunday next before Advent — Self-examination before AdventSt. Andrew’s DaySt. Thomas the ApostleConversion of St. PaulPurification of St. Mary the VirginSt. Matthias’ DayAnnunciation of the Blessed Virgin MarySt. Mark’s DaySt. Philip and St. James’ DaySt. Barnabas the ApostleSt. John Baptist’s DaySt. Peter’s DaySt. James the ApostleSt. Bartholomew the ApostleSt. Matthew the ApostleSt. Michael and all AngelsSt. Luke the EvangelistSt. Simon and St. Jude, ApostlesAll Saints’ DayHoly CommunionHoly BaptismCatechismConfirmationMatrimonyVisitation and Communion of the SickBurial of the DeadChurching of WomenComminationForms of Prayer to Be Used at SeaGunpowder TreasonKing Charles the MartyrThe Restoration of the Royal FamilyThe AccessionOrdination

John Keble · 73 of 110

Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity — The Rule of Christian forgiveness

Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? St. Matthew xviii. 21.

What liberty so glad and gay, As where the mountain boy, Reckless of regions far away, A prisoner lives in joy?

The dreary sounds of crowded earth, The cries of camp or town, Never untun’d his lonely mirth, Nor drew his visions down.

The snow-clad peaks of rosy light That meet his morning view, The thwarting cliffs that bound his sight, They bound his fancy too.

Two ways alone his roving eye For aye may onward go, Or in the azure deep on high, Or darksome mere below.

O blest restraint! more blessed range! Too soon the happy child His nook of homely thought will change For life’s seducing wild:

Too soon his alter’d day-dreams show This earth a boundless space, With sun-bright pleasures to and fro Sporting in joyous race:

While of his narrowing heart each year, Heaven less and less will fill, Less keenly, thorough his grosser ear, The tones of mercy thrill.

It must be so: else falls The Saviour’s voice unheard, While from His pard’ning Cross He calls, “O spare as I have spar’d?”

By our own niggard rule we try The hope to suppliants given! We mete out love, as if our eye Saw to the end of Heaven.

Yes, ransom’d sinner! wouldst thou know How often to forgive, How dearly to embrace thy foe, Look where thou hop’st to live; —

When thou hast told those isles of light, And fancied all beyond, Whatever owns, in depth or height, Creation’s wondrous bond;

Then in their solemn pageant learn Sweet mercy’s praise to see: Their Lord resign’d them all, to earn The bliss of pardoning thee.