On The Cross be My Glory Ever - Hymn With Lyrics

1. Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain;
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calv'ry's mountain.

Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever,
Till my ransomed soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

2. Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the Bright and Morning Star
Shed His beams around me. [Refrain]

3. 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. [Refrain]

4. Near the cross! I'll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever;
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river. [Refrain] 

Scripture; Psalm 36:9; Isaiah 41:18; Zechariah 13:1; 

Mark 13:37

 

The hymn that includes the line “On the cross be my glory ever” is “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross”, written by Fanny J. Crosby in 1869, with music composed by William H. Doane.

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🔹 The Story Behind the Hymn:

Fanny J. Crosby (1820–1915) was one of the most prolific and beloved hymn writers in Christian history. Though she became blind shortly after birth, she never considered her blindness a handicap. Instead, she believed it allowed her to see with spiritual clarity.

Crosby wrote over 8,000 hymns, many of which focus on personal devotion, Christ’s sacrifice, and heaven. “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross” is a reflection of her deep faith and humility. The hymn was written during a time when Crosby was intensely focused on the centrality of the cross in Christian life — both as a symbol of salvation and as a place of continual spiritual renewal.

The line “In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever” expresses Crosby’s desire to boast only in Christ’s sacrifice, echoing the words of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:14:

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

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🔹 Themes of the Hymn:

• Closeness to Jesus: A prayer for spiritual nearness to Christ.

• The centrality of the cross: Emphasizing the cross as the place of salvation and strength.

• Hope and healing: The cross as a source of peace, healing, and eventual rest in heaven.

• Glory in the cross: Not in earthly achievements, but in Christ’s redemptive work.