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Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand, The shadow of a mighty Rock Within a weary land; A home within the wilderness, A rest upon the way, From the burning of the noontide heat, And the burden of the day. |
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Oh, safe and happy shelter! Oh, refuge tried and sweet! Oh, trysting place where heaven’s love And heaven’s justice meet. As to the holy patriarch That wondrous dream was given, So is my Savior by the cross A ladder up to heaven. |
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There lies beneath its shadow, But on the farther side, The darkness of an awful grave That gapes both deep and wide; And there between us stands the cross, Two arms outstretched to save, Like a watchman set to guard the way From that eternal grave. |
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Upon that cross of Jesus Mine eye at times can see The very dying form of One, Who suffered there for me; And from my smitten heart, with tears, Two wonders I confess, The wonders of His glorious love, And my own worthlessness. |
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I take, O cross, thy shadow For my abiding place; I ask no other sunshine than The sunshine of His face; Content to let the world go by, To know no gain nor loss, My sinful self my only shame, My glory all the cross. |
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Tennessee, United States
The line is actually correct in the original hymn:
The wonders of my stricken heart, with tears, Two wonders I confess-
The wonders of redeeming love
And my own worthlessness.
It has been changed, in my opinion, because it has been changed from divine truth to something much lower to make people comfortable.
Smitten instead of stricken?? Is our love not as strong anymore?
Love is glorious but not redeeming- because that might offend some people.
Worthlessness changed to unworthiness because we want to lead people to believe there’s some amount of respectability left in them even though they may be headed to Hell?
Be careful how hymns have been changed to meet the world’s standards today... dumbing things down to make them more comfortable.
Northport, Alabama, United States
A cross hangs on my wall near the sofa. I sat and turned to the cross. I thought, I am beneath the Cross of Jesus. Then recalling this hymn I could remember the first 4 lines if this song from long ago as a kid !
Refreshing my memory today, I wanted to rehearse this tune. It is the season of Lent. I have a pennent ❤. Coming back to the fold and in the arms of Jesus.
Glory be to the Father.
Chichester, NY, United States
I lost one of my parakeets and feel so sad and with Jesus constant love I will comfort the remaining parakeet and I sang this song to her it comforted her and myself.
Northwood, Ohio, United States
I was going to sleep tonight, praying for our Great Land, the United States of America and our Dear President who has tried and tried to keep us safe. As iI closed my eyes to sleep, I remembered this beautiful song. Content to let the world go by. To know no gain or loss. My sinful self my only shame. My glory all the cross. I know our Lord has a wonderful plan for every soul , so tonight I'll rest in knowing , how much He loves each and every one. Amen 🙏🏻
West Columbia, South Carolina, United States
After a life of selfishness I found this great song again. What a wonderful and comforting song for my heart. The last two lines brings me great peace. No loss - no gain only Jesus. Wow
Monument, CO, United States
Earl: another look at ""My sinful self my only shame" but don't understand the last line "My glory all the cross". My mind wants it to say "MY glory on the cross".
In this context Earl, the symbolism is that Jesus has become one with the cross. The ultimate humiliation. Jesus likely hung fully naked, his body raked with blood, with cuts. We look at this cross, which hung our savior, and recognize that Jesus' only purpose there was to suffer our sins. The nails, the thorns, the whippings are the physical manifestations of our sins. We recognize that we put him there.
Placing ourselves beneath the cross of Jesus is the ultimate facing of our true selves, and our acknowledgement.
Phoenix, AZ, United States
Before I went to bed tonight I just had to listen to this! My glory all the Cross!
Dimapur, Nagaland, India
This song has been my comfort from thr first time I got to listen. wherever I go, I sing this song with whoever knows this song!!
Pacific Grove, CA, United States
I believe your rendition of the last lines of verse 4 are incorrect. It should read: "two wonders I confess, the wonders of His glorious love, and my unworthiness. ”
Regardless, thanks for keeping these great hymns alive!
United States
Elizabeth Cecilia Douglas Clephane, ( 1830-1869) one of the few women writers of Scotland, was born Edinburgh but grew up in Melrose, Scotland in the area of Abbotsford, near the old bridge described by the famous Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott, in his book ‘The Abbot and the Monastery’.
Her father was a county sheriff and her mother a descendant of the famous Douglas family. Elizabeth was one of three sisters but she suffered physical frailties. Even despite her limitations she ( and her sisters) served the poor and sick of her community. Elizabeth was affectionately well known in her community as “The Sunbeam. ” She enjoyed writing poems and had several published in a Scottish Presbyterian Magazine called the ‘Family Treasury. ’ However the majority of these poems appeared anonymously in this magazine in 1872, three years after her early death at age 39.
“Beneath the Cross of Jesus” was written by Elizabeth in 1868, one year before her death. It was not published until 1872, when it appeared anonymously in the ‘Family Treasury’ with several of her other poems. The original poem consisted of five stanzas but today only three are used in most hymnals. Her hymns are filled with Biblical symbolism and imagery.