Scripture Verse

They cast their crowns before the throne, singing. Revelation 4:10

Introduction

Words: Eli­za­beth R. Charles, in The Fa­mi­ly Trea­su­ry, Feb­ru­ary 1860.

Music: Alet­ta Will­iam B. Brad­bu­ry, Ju­bi­lee (New York: Ma­son Bro­thers, 1858), page 232 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Charles (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
William B. Bradbury (1816–1868)

Lyrics

Never fur­ther than Thy cross,
Never high­er than Thy feet;
Here earth’s pre­cious things seem dross,
Here earth’s bit­ter things grow sweet.

Gazing thus our sin we see,
Learn Thy love while gaz­ing thus,
Sin, which laid the cross on Thee,
Love, which bore the cross for us.

Here we learn to serve and give,
And, re­joic­ing, self de­ny;
Here we ga­ther love to live,
Here we ga­ther faith to die.

Symbols of our li­ber­ty,
And our ser­vice here unite;
Captives, by Thy cross set free,
Soldiers of Thy cross, we fight.

Pressing on­ward as we can,
Still to this our hearts must tend;
Where our ear­li­est hopes began,
There our last aspir­ings end.

Till amid the hosts of light,
We in Thee re­deemed, com­plete,
Through Thy cross made pure and white,
Cast our crowns be­fore Thy feet.