Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross NEAR THE CROSS by William H. Doane

This hymn is another one of the thousands of great hymns penned by Fanny Crosby with music by William Doane! This hymn is published in 603 hymnals. This is also known by the title of the tune, which is "Near the Cross"

The refrain of this hymn echoes the words of the apostle Paul, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14 ESV) The stanzas are a prayer that the Christian would always remember the redemptive work of Christ on the cross, and live faithfully in that memory.

In 1869, Fanny Crosby was shown a tune by William Doane, for which she wrote this text. The text and tune were published together in Bright Jewels for the Sunday School in 1869. Crosby wrote four stanzas and a refrain, which most hymnals have kept. The fourth stanza (“Near the cross I'll watch and wait”) is occasionally omitted.

The first line of each stanza contains the phrase “near the cross,” emphasizing the value of Christ's redeeming work there. Each stanza has a slightly different aspect of the main theme. The first stanza describes redemption through Jesus' blood, and the second, the need of humanity for salvation. The third stanza is a prayer that the Christian would always remember God's love as shown on the cross, and the fourth looks forward to heaven.