Preaching Psalm 85 tonight I was reminded of the phrase in the second verse of Beneath The Cross Of Jesus, thinking about the cross as the place where heaven’s love and heaven’s justice meet. Psalm 85 speaks of steadfast love and faithfulness meeting, of righteousness and peace kissing each other. That is the ground at the foot of the cross.
I’ve hunted around for the five verses listed below.
It’s lovely poetry by Elizabeth Cecilia Clephane and Frederick Charles Maker’s ST CHRISTOPHER is universally favoured as the tune. No real need for new tunes for this one.
The lyrics.
1.
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.
2.
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.
3.
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.
4.
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.
5.
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.
There’s not a great variety of this on youtube, but this is a beautiful choral rendition.
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