| Near the Cross | |
| Composer: | Fanny Crosby |
| Genre: | Hymn |
| Written: | 1869 |
| Meter: | 7.6.7.6 with refrain |
| Melody: | "Near the Cross" by William Howard Doane |
"Near the Cross", alternatively titled "Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross" or "In the Cross", is a Christian hymn written by Fanny Crosby and published in 1869.[1]
The tune was composed by William Howard Doane before Crosby wrote the lyrics.[2] The song is in F major and time. It remains one of Crosby's best-known hymns and has been translated into several languages, including German,[3] Russian,[4] Haitian Creole,[5] and Spanish.[6]
Jesus, keep me near the cross;
There a precious fountain,
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calvary's mountain.
Refrain:In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.
Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me,
There the Bright and Morning Star
Shed its beams around me.
Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Brings its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day,
With its shadows o'er me.
Near the cross I'll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand
Just beyond the river.
[7]