On a Hill Far Away (The Old Rugged Cross)

228 On a Hill Far Away

1 On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
   The emblem of suff'ring and shame;
   And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
   For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:
   So I'll cherish the cross, the old rugged cross,
   Till my trophies at last I lay down;
   I will cling to the cross, the old rugged cross,
   And exchange it some day for a crown.

2 O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
   Has a wondrous attraction for me;
   For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
   To bear it to dark Calvary. [Refrain]

3 In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
   A wondrous beauty I see;
   For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died
   To pardon and sanctify me. [Refrain]

4 To the old rugged cross I will ever be true,
   It's shame and reproach gladly bear.
   Then He'll call me some day to my home far away,
   Where His glory forever I'll share. [Refrain]
                         George Bennard
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
I've mused on this hymn in the past. See here and here.

I was and wasn't surprised to see that it only occurs in about 450 hymnals. He wrote the hymn in 1913. </idle musing>