Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross

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Jesus, keep me near the cross--

There a precious fountain,

Free to all, a healing stream,

Flows from Calv'rys mountain.

(Chorus)

In the cross, in the cross

Be my glory ever,

Till my ruptured soul shall find

Rest, beyond the river.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,

Love and mercy found me;

There the Bright and Morning Star

Sheds its beams around me.

(Chorus)

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,

Bring its scenes before me;

Help me walk from day to day

With its shadow o'er me.

(Chorus)

Near the cross I'll watch and wait,

Hoping, trusting ever,

Till I reach the golden strand

Just beyond the river.

(Chorus)

~Fanny Jane Crosby

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Fanny Jane Crosby 

(1820 - 1915)

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This is another Fanny Crosby/William H. Doane collaboration. But with this hymn Doane's tune came first and Crosby's words came later. When hymns are composed this way the words sometimes seem stilted and unnatural, but not here. Crosby was masterful at hearing the message in the music. She would often say, "That tune says to me...." and then write a stirring text.

Interestingly, the subject here is nearness. Once again, the focus is the Cross of Christ. Crosby realized that the Cross is the central point of history. Without the Cross, there is no salvation, no eternal life, no hope. Even in Crosby's time, some scholars and preachers were beginning to focus on the moral teaching of Jesus, the virtue and goodness that He modeled for us. This was all well and good, but they were also seriously downplaying Jesus' sacrificial crucifixion. But Crosby echoed the apostle Paul, "May I never boast except for our Lord Jesus Christ." (Galatians 6:17)

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It was thought that His Son did that God cleared a path for everything to come to Him--all thing in heaven and on earth--for Christ's death on the Cross had made peace with God for all by His blood. This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were His enemies and hated Him and were separated by Him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now He has brought you back as His friends.

Colossians 1: 20 - 21