Sinai - Billings, William

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"First published in ''The Suffolk Harmony'', 1786, pp. 45-46. Words by James Relly, 1758, his Hymn 69 of Part 1. Billings used the first of thirty stanzas of Relly's hymn."

⌛ Period → Classical ◈ Genre → Sacred

♯ Key D minor

⁄ Time Signature 3/2

♬ Voicing → SATB

◆ Difficulty

Beginner

↕ Range A2 – D5

¶ Language → English

Measures 23

Texture mixed texture

Parts 4

Instruments A cappella

Pages 1

CPDL # 35334

Editor Barry Johnston

Posted 2015-05-08

License Public Domain

♫Pitch Ranges

Treble

F4 – D5

Counter

C#4 – A4

Tenor

F3 – F4

Bass

A2 – B-3

¶Lyrics / Text

1. All you who make the law your choice, Attend and hear its dreadful voice, The voice of words, on Sinai heard, That voice which Israel greatly feared; So feared as humbly to implore That they might hear its sound no more. 2. Lightning, with horrid glare were seen, Tremendous thunders roared between; Darkness, with flames encircled round: The trump of God, its awful sound, Louder and louder rent the air, And smote their hearts with deep despair. 3. The trembling multitude, they heard All that the voice of words declared; The darkness, fire, and smoke they saw, The dreadful pomp of Moses’ law, Who, while the mountains base did make, Most terribly did fear and quake. 4. I am the Lord, thy God, says He; Nor shalt thou worship ought but me: Nor to thyself shalt thou e'er make An image, nor the likeness take Of ought in heaven, or earth below, With reverence unto it to bow. 5. Thou shalt not take My name in vain, Left thou incur the guilty stain: Remember keep the Sabbath day, Thou shalt not work, nor idly play: To parents thou shalt honor give, If in the land thou long wouldst live, 6. Murder, never shalt thou do it: Nor vile adultery commit Thou shalt not steal: (my statutes hear) Nor witness falsely shalt thou bear: Thou shalt not covet, lusting in What is thy neighbor’s; this is sin. 7. Nor only keep from sin thine hands; A word, desire, or look offends; A moment's lust, the smallest flaw, So fully breaks My holy law, Though it be but in heart conceived, As ne'er by thee can be retrieved. 8. Holy and just are God's commands; Woe to the man who e'er offends In one small Point, he on him draws The curse of all the broken laws; All join in one to damn the wretch Who's guilty of the smallest breach. 9. In awful truth hath God declared, The sinner never can be spared; On his own head shall be his blood, Who trespasses against his God: The soul that sinneth, it shall die, Here and in Hell eternally. 10. Nor can they for their sin atone; Their sacrifices He'll hav