Shelter Near the Cross

When the tem­pest ga­thers round me

And the sea is dashed to foam

When the light­nings flash above me

And the thun­der shakes the dome:

’Mid the fierce and wild com­mo­tion

While the rag­ing bil­lows toss

Comes to me a gentle whis­per:

There is shel­ter near the cross.

When the waves are mad­ly dash­ing

And the dark­ness veils the skies

When in wild des­pair and ang­uish

Burning tear­drops blind my eyes:

From afar

be­yond the ocean

Tho’ the bil­lows wild­ly toss

Comes to me in sweet­est ac­cents

There is shel­ter near the cross.

As the morn­ing light ap­proach­es

Slowly dis­ap­pears the night

Bright across the foam­ing bil­lows

Gleams the stead­fast bea­con light;

Soon I’ll reach the crys­tal har­bor

Purified from sin and dross

Where my soul shall rest for­ev­er

In the shel­ter near the cross.