Page 284
MAJESTY.
C.
M.
"And
behold,
there
was
a
great
earthquake:
for
the
angel
of
the
Lord
decended
from
heaven,
and
came
and
rolled
back
the
stone
from
the
door,
and
sat
upon
it."
Matt
28-2.
Key
of
F
Major.
Wm.
Billings,
1785.
1.
The
Lord
de
-
cend-ed
from
a-bove,
And
bow'd
the
heav'ns
most
high;
And
un
-
der
-
neath
his
feet
he
cast
the
dark
-
ness
of
the
sky
Fullroy-al-ly
he
rode,
Came
flying
all
abroad,
And
on
the
wings
of
mighty
winds
And
on
the
wings
of
mighty
winds
Came
flying
all
abroad
On
che;
ubs
and
on
cherubims.
Williams
Billings
was
born
in
Boston
in
1746
and
died
there
in
1800,
He
is
buried
in
the
old
Granary
burying
ground
in
the
city
of
his
birth.
He
was
self-taught
in
music.
He
was
criticised
by
many
musicians
and
music
writers,
and
while
he
did
not
believe
so
much
in
rules,
he
wrote
some
very
fine
music,
His
first
book
was
New
England
Psalm
Singer,
the
next
was
called
Billing's
Best.
He
published
Several
other
books
and
wrote
and
composed
many
national
tunes
that
the
people
of
the
United
States.
Many
of
his
tunes
still
remain
in
the
note
and
hymn
books
of
the
different
churches.
Easter
Anthems,
Heavenly
Vision,
Rose
of
Sharon,
and
many
other
anthems,
known
to
many
people
of
the
South,
were
composed
by
him.
Majesty
and
Chester
are
considered
Billing's
master
compositions,
both
published
in
his
early
books.
Majesty
mentioned
above
as
well
as
others
he
composed
before
the
19th
century.
The
words
appear
in
the
early
editions
of
Loyds
hymn
books,
as
well
as
revised
edition
page
11
in
the
one
we
have
before
us,
also
tune
and
words
appear
in
the
Lute
of
Zion,
page
126.
See
other
sketches
about
Billings
connected
with
his
tunes.