Traditional Hymns
Beneath the Cross of Jesus
Beneath the Cross of Jesus
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Beneath the Cross of Jesus Piano (.mp3)
Beneath the Cross of Jesus (.midi)
Beneath the Cross of Jesus (.mp3)
Beneath the Cross of Jesus Bells Version (.mp3)
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. 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 stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess: the wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.
3. 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.
Story of the Hymn "Beneath the Cross of Jesus"
Elizabeth Cecilia Clephane (1830–1869) was a Scottish poet and hymnwriter born in Edinburgh on June 18, 1830, the third daughter of Andrew Douglas Clephane, Sheriff of Fife and Kinross.
Orphaned young and in frail health throughout her short life, she lived primarily in Melrose, Roxburghshire, where she and her sister devoted themselves to caring for the poor and sick, often giving away much of their resources.
Known locally as "The Sunbeam" for her cheerful spirit and generosity, Clephane wrote poetry privately, sharing it mainly with family.
"Beneath the Cross of Jesus" was written in 1868, shortly before her death at age 38 on February 19, 1869. It draws profound inspiration from Isaiah 32:2 ("Each one will be like... the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land"), portraying the cross as a place of shelter, rest, and refuge in life's wilderness.
The hymn reflects Clephane's personal meditation on Christ's sacrifice, contrasting the cross's horror with its redemptive love, and expresses her own sense of unworthiness alongside awe at divine grace.
Published posthumously in 1872 in the Presbyterian magazine The Family Treasury (edited by Rev. William Arnot) under the series "Breathings on the Border," it appeared alongside her other famous hymn, "The Ninety and Nine."
American evangelist Ira D. Sankey discovered it and included it in his Gospel Hymns (1875), helping popularize it widely. The tune most commonly associated today is ST. CHRISTOPHER, composed in 1881 by Frederick Charles Maker.
