Thanks to Steve Miller for his knowledge of John Keble's life and ministry. I just became acquainted with Keble's hymn, Sun of My Soul, and am encouraged to sing this as a prayer on a regular basis. The story behind the hymn, and the extra mostly unknown verses, truly add to the hymn's beauty and grace.
John Keble was born in the tiny village of Fairford, Gloucestershire, Scotland. Keble was the son of a pious and humble country vicar and a Godly mother. His father contributed much to his education before he won a scholarship to Oxford at the age of 15. Within 3 years of his entry at Oxford, John Keble had won 2 first prizes, one for Latin and the other for his "Essay" in English. With the exception of Sir Robert Peel, he was the only man ever to have done so up to that time.
Keble remained at Oxford as a professor until the death of his mother, when he went to be his father's curate at Coln St. Aldwyn, near Fairford, where he was born. It was here in peaceful surroundings of gentle rolling hills of green that Keble was inspired to write much of his best poetry.
As he took his walks in the early morning or evening, his mind seemed to be washed of all the cares of the world, and his soul was alone with his God and his Savior. In the course of time the young curate found that he had a poem for every day of the year, and his 'Christian Year' was the result. The 'Christian Year' went through 8 editions during the author's lifetime, and it was at one time the most frequently read book of poems in the English language. The morning hymn "New every Morning", containing the oft quoted lines: "Help us this day, to live more nearly as we pray", are from a longer poem first published in the 'Christian Year'. The most popular of his hymns, "Sun of My Soul", was first published in the same volume. The hymn was written November 25, 1820, and originally it had 14 verses. On Keble's memorial in Westminster Abbey are the words: "In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength" (Isa. 30:15). These words of scripture Keble inscribed on the title page of his 'Christian Year'.
Upon one occasion the poet, Tennyson, was entertaining a friend in his garden. His friend had asked him what he thought of Christ, and the poet was silent for a time; then leaning over a flower, he said, "What the sun is to that flower, Jesus Christ is to my soul. He is the Sun of my Soul." And so whether the expression was original with Keble or whether he borrowed it from Tennyson, it matters not. As we bow our hearts and sing the hymn, we seem strangely warmed by the Sun of Righteousness. - 'More Living Hymn Stories' by Wilbur Konkel
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Here are the rest of the 14 verses in Keble's original poem:
1 'Tis gone, that bright and orbèd blaze,
Fast fading from our wistful gaze;
Yon mantling cloud has hid from sight
The last faint pulse of quivering light.
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2 In darkness and in weariness
The traveler on his way must press;
No gleam to watch on tree or tower,
Whiling away the lonesome hour.
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3. hymnal.net #1
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4. When round thy wondrous works below
My searching, rapturous glance I throw,
Tracing out wisdom, power, and love,
In earth or sky, in stream or grove;
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5 Or by the light Thy words disclose
Watch Time's full river as it flows.
Scanning Thy gracious providence,
Where not too deep for mortal sense:
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6 When with dear friends sweet talk I hold
And all the flowers of life unfold,
Let not my heart within me burn,
Except in all I Thee discern.
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7-8 hymnal.net #2 & 3
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9 Thou Framer of the light and dark,
Steer through the tempest Thine own ark:
Amid the howling wintry sea
We are in port if we have Thee.
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10 The rulers of this Christian land,
'Twixt Thee and us ordained to stand,
Guide Thou their course, O Lord, aright;
Let all do all as in Thy sight.
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11 Oh, by Thine own sad burden, borne
So meekly up the hill of scorn,
Teach Thou Thy priests their daily cross
To bear as Thine nor count it loss!
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12-13 given by me below on Sep 25, 2013
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14 hymnal.net #4
Lord Jesus, abide with me from morning til evening each day, for without You I cannot live. Remind me to eat and behold Your face every morning as the Bread of the Presence. This is my prayer Lord!
The prophet Malachi called the Messiah the Sun of Righteousness, who would rise with healing in His wings. So John Keble was using a familiar title for Jesus when he wrote this poem. Keble first published "Sun of my Soul" in a book called "The Christian Year", which included poems to be used by believers for worship throughout the church year. An extremely modest man, Keble published this book anonymously. He used the proceeds from the sale of his book to maintain the small village church near Oxford in which he served for more than 3 decades.
Throughout his ministry, Keble was known as an outstanding preacher and a careful Bible scholar. He wrote over 700 hymns. In 1869 Keble College was founded at Oxford University as a tribute to him. - Great Songs of Faith by Brown & Norton
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There are 2 additional touching stanzas which come before the last stanza above:
If some poor wandering child of Thine
has spurned today the voice divine,
now, Lord, the gracious work begin;
let him no more lie down in sin.
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Watch by the sick, enrich the poor
with blessings from thy boundless store;
be every mourner's sleep tonight,
like infants' slumbers, pure and light.