Cross and Comfort

The Old Rugged Cross

Words:
George Bennard, 1913. Music and Setting: 'The Old Rugged Cross' George Bennard, 1913.
Metre:
12 8 12 9 9 9 9 9
  1. 1On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,The emblem of suff'ring and shame;And I love that old cross where the dearest and bestFor a world of lost sinners was slain.So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,Till my trophies at last I lay down;I will cling to the old rugged cross,And exchange it some day for a crown.
  2. 2O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,Has a wondrous attraction forme; For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above To bear it to dark Calvary.So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,Till my trophies at last I lay down;I will cling to the old rugged cross,And exchange it some day for a crown.
  3. 3In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,A wondrous beauty I see,For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,To pardon and sanctify me.So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,Till my trophies at last I lay down;I will cling to the old rugged cross,And exchange it some day for a crown.
  4. 4To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;Its shame and reproach gladly bear;Then He'll call me some day to my home far away,Where His glory forever I'll share.So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,Till my trophies at last I lay down;I will cling to the old rugged cross,And exchange it some day for a crown.

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In the hymnals

  • Written in 1913, the words are in 457 hymnals indexed by Hymnary.org. Their history →
  • The tune, Old Rugged Cross, is in 384 hymnals. The tune →

Words, music and setting are in the public domain. The score is from the Open Hymnal Project (Brian J. Dumont), which places its own work in the public domain. Further sheet music is from PDHymns.com. The piano is the FluidR3 General MIDI sound font (MIT licence). How many hymnals print a hymn, and when it was written, is from Hymnary.org.

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