It Was A Cross, The Cruel Bed They Made Him

1 It was a cross, the cruel bed they made Him
Who came to save the sinners that betrayed Him.
With sinful scorn they cursed Him in their blindness
Who spotless walked among them, full of kindness.

2 And now the cross, that emblem of salvation,
Is seen on spires in ev'ry land and nation.
The golden cross reflects the sunset glory
And thousands praise it now in song and story.

3 It waves aloft on banners o'er the ocean,
And multitudes regard it with devotion.
Where Christ leads on, with palms and songs they hail Him;
But who will bear the cross, and never fail Him?

4 We lightly lay the cross upon our neighbor;
To bear our own is painful toil and labor,
But if at sunset thou wouldst see salvation,
Then follow Christ through trials and temptation.

5 For you, who walk with Him in pain and sadness,
The gate of death will open wide to gladness;
And if the cross be here our staff, it braces
Our weary feet in rough and stony places.

Source: Hymnal for Church and Home (2nd ed.) #111