Page images
PDF
EPUB

CHRISTIAN LYRE;

A COLLECTION

OF

HYMNS AND TUNES

ADAPTED FOR SOCIAL WORSHIP, PRAYER MEET-
INGS, AND REVIVALS OF RELIGION.

THE WORK COMPLETE, TWO VOLUMES IN ONE,
WITH A SUPPLEMENT.

BY JOSHUA LEAVITT.

EIGHTEENTH EDITION, REVISED.

NEW-YORK:

PUBLISHED BY LEAVITT LORD & Co.
180, Broadway.

BOSTON: CROCKER AND BREWSTER,

47, Washington Street.

HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY

1861

Southern District of New York, 88.

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the sixteenth day of October, A. D. 1830, in the fifty-fifth year of the Independence of the United States of America, Joshua Leavitt, of the said District, has deposited in this office, the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as author, in the words following, to wit:

"The Christian Lyre. By Joshua Leavitt."

In conformity to the Act of Congress of the United States, entitled, "An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the time therein mentioned." And also to an Act, entitled "An Act, supplementary to an Act, entitled an Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the tinies therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints." FRED. J. BETTS,

Clerk of the Southern District of New York.

VERY person conversant with revivals must have observed, whenever meetings for prayer and conference assume a special interest, there is a desire to use hymns and music of a different character from those ordinarily heard in the church. Nettleton's Village Hymns in a good degree meets the first want. Jocelyn's Zion's Harp partially supplies the other. But both are felt to be incomplete, as they are wanting in many pieces, which have proved of great use in revivals.

The usefulness also of many excellent hymns in all our modern collections, has been prevented by the inability of singers to find tunes adapted to the various subjects and metres. The "Christian Lyre" is undertaken with a view to meet both these deficiencies. It is intended to contain a collection of such pieces as are specially adapted to evening meetings and social worship, and chiefly such as are not found in our common collections of sacred music.

As the work is not designed to please scientific musicians, so much as to profit plain christians, reference will be had, chiefly, to the known popularity and good influence of what is selected. And it is intended to embrace the music that is most current among different denominations of christians.

As the number of parts is apt to distract the attention of an audience, or to occupy them with the music instead of the sentiment, the tunes here printed will generally be accompanied with only a simple bass, and sometimes not even with that. In a vast multitude of cases the religious effect of a hymn is heightened by having all sing the air only. Possessing no musical skill beyond that of ordinary plain singers, I send out my work, without pretensions. If it aids the progress of Christ's cause, I shall be rewarded. If not, I shall be accepted according to what I had, and not according to what I had not. And it will prepare the way for some other person to do it better.

OBSERVE,

In the treble the lines and spaces, beginning at the space beneath the lower line, are callea, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G. In the bass they are F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B.

The natural place of Mi is in B.

If B be flat, Mi is in E.

If B and E be flat, Mi is in A.

If B, E, and A be flat, Mi is in D.
If B, E, A, and D be flat, Mi is in G.

If B, E, A, D, and G be flat, Mi is in C.
If F be sharp, Mi is in F.

If F and C be sharp, Mi is in C.

If F, C and G be sharp, Mi is in G.

If F, C, G and D be sharp, Mi is in D.

If F, C, G, D and A be sharp, Mi is in A.

A REPEAT, shows what part of a tune is to be sung over again.

DA. CAPO. means that the tune is to close, by repeating the first strain.

4

BENEVENTO. 8 lines 7's.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

2. TURN, WHY WILL
YE DIE.

1 SINNER'S, turn, why will ye die?

God, your Maker, asks you
why?

God, who did your being give,
Made you with himself to live;
He the fatal cause demands,
Asks the work of his own hands,
Why, ye thankless creatures,
why

Will ye cross his love, and die?

2 Sinners, turn, why will ye die? Christ your Savior, asks you why?

He who did your souls retrieve,
Died himself that ye might live.
Will you let him die in vain?
Crucify your Lord again?
Why, ye ransom'd sinners, why
Will ye slight his grace, and
die ?

3 Sinners, turn, why will ye die ? God, the Spirit, asks you why? He who all your lives hath strove,

Woo'd you to embrace his love:
Will ye not his grace receive?
Will ye still refuse to live?
Why, ye long sought sinners
why

Will you grieve your God, and
die ?

« PreviousContinue »