He Bore the Cross

He bore the cross, the heavy cross

Author: Thomas O. Chisholm
Tune: [He bore the cross, the heavy cross]
Published in 3 hymnals

Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 He bore the cross, the heavy cross,
Out through the city’s gate,
No rest or food, so weak and worn,
He sank beneath its weight;
And yet His foes heaped on Him still
Their bitter scorn and hate,
They carried Him to Calvary,
And there He suffered death for me.

“Must Jesus bear the cross alone
And all the world go free?
No! there’s a cross for ev’ry one,
And there’s a cross for me.”

2 He bore the cross, the cruel cross,
There was no other way
To save a lost and helpless world,
Some one the debt must pay—
And so He paid it all Himself
On that Atonement Day,
But oh! how deep and dark the flood,
Thro’ which He bro’t our souls to God.

“Must Jesus bear the cross alone
And all the world go free?
No! there’s a cross for ev’ry one,
And there’s a cross for me.”

3 He bore the cross, the shameful cross,
And shall I then go free?
I hear Him say, “Take up thy cross,
My child and follow me;
Unless the corn of wheat will die
It cannot fruitful be;
If thou wilt seek thy life to save,
Then lose it with me in the grave.”

“Must Jesus bear the cross alone
And all the world go free?
No! there’s a cross for ev’ry one,
And there’s a cross for me.”

4 O hallowed cross, O mighty cross!
On which my Saviour died;
O precious cross, whereon, with Him
I, too, am crucified;
I die with Him, I live in Him,
I have no life beside;
I choose the death and shame to bear,
The glory of His crown to share.

“The consecrated cross I’ll bear
Till death shall set me free,
And then go home, a crown to wear,
For there’s a crown for me.”

Source: Uplifting Songs #43

Author: Thomas O. Chisholm

Thomas O. Chisholm was born in Franklin, Kentucky in 1866. His boyhood was spent on a farm and in teaching district schools. He spent five years as editor of the local paper at Franklin. He was converted to Christianity at the age of 26 and soon after was business manager and office editor of the "Pentecostal Herald" of Louisville, Ky. In 1903 he entered the ministry of the M. E. Church South. His aim in writing was to incorporate as much as Scripture as possible and to avoid flippant or sentimental themes. Dianne Shapiro, from "The Singers and Their Songs: sketches of living gospel hymn writers" by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (Chicago: The Rodeheaver Company, 1916)… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: He bore the cross, the heavy cross
Title: He Bore the Cross
Author: Thomas O. Chisholm
Refrain First Line: Must Jesus bear the cross
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 3 of 3)
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Kingdom Songs #115

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The Church School Hymnal #50

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Uplifting Songs #43

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