A Yorkshire Almanac Comprising 365 Historical Extracts, Red-letter Days and Customs, and Astronomical and Meteorological Data
David Kitchen. 2021. The Journal of John Yeadon (1764-1843). Norfolk: David Kitchen. Reproduction by kind permission of the author. Get it:
.The meetings increased in frequency and intensity day by day, thus things went rapidly on and increased in one short week to a most alarming degree, so that on Sunday February 2nd at night it was thought advisable to throw open the preaching house doors and the gallery was filled immediately. I went over about nine o’clock and notwithstanding I had been a member of this society better than 16 years and had seen many revivals both at Yeadon and elsewhere, yet this surpassed all. I heard them to the distance of more than one hundred yards like the rushing of mighty waters. I took my stand in the gallery and in a few moments heard a voice cry very loudly “God be merciful to my poor soul.” I felt that moment sympathy, pity, love and a moving of every tender passion within my heart. I got with difficulty to him, prayed with him, and felt God to bless me in the doing. Do not let it be supposed that this was the only distressed person in the chapel, there was scores more. If you looked over the gallery, you could see at any time five, six or ten companies all worshipping God. Some praying, some singing, others shouting the high praises of God, and scores crying with all their strength in the most pitiable way.
Here is the full hymn, for which I am unable to find Beaumont’s musical setting:
TRIUMPHANT HYMN.
Come Angels! seize your harps of gold,
The song of love to man unfold;
Assist our joys, exalt your praise,
Another sinner sav’d by grace:
Glory, glory, let us sing,
While heav’n and earth with glory ring,
Hosanna to the Lamb of God.A leper wash’d from ev’ry stain,
Requires a higher, louder strain;
The Spirit’s stamp’d and seal’d within,
The blood of Christ hath cleans’d from sin:
Satan feels his pow’r is gone,
He falls like light’ning from his throne,
Hosanna to the Lamb of God.Come let us sing, and pray and praise,
For soon this warring strife shall cease;
When lost in love – o’erwhelm’d with God,
With Christ we take our blest abode:
Hark! the trumpet speaks him nigh,
Hark! hark! he comes! while myriads cry,
Hosanna to the Lamb of God.We little flock, by all contemn’d,
O’erlook’d, unknown, despis’d, condemn’d;
With names traduc’d, and lives abhorr’d,
We suffer with our murder’d Lord:
If the flames ascend the higher,
We’ll burn triumphant in the fire,
Hosanna to the Lamb of God.
The prefatory remarks on Nonconformist church music performance practice are splendid:
In order to conduct this Part of Divine Worship to Advantage, a few Things are necessary to be observed.
- Always suit the Nature of the Tune to the Subject of the Words.
- Let some proper Person be appointed to fix the Tune, and take the Lead in every Congregation.
- Sing with Spirit, Life, and Vivacity, the contrary makes it dull, lifeless, and formal.
- Sing exactly together, not one lagging behind another.
- Sing no louder than to be able to hear those who lead the Tune, except at proper Times.
- Sing perfectly in Tune, not one above or below another.
- Let the Women always take their Parts alone, in the Repeats.
- Let some Person always take the Bass, not making false Notes.
- Let the Words, as well as the Notes, be properly attended to.
- Get what is sung off by Art, if possible, because much Talk interrupts and gives Offence, during Divine Service.
- If convenient, sing some short and well-chosen Piece before the Sermon; it not only promotes Tranquillity, but gives Time for all to be comfortably seated, before the Text be taken.
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In the latter part of 1805 our (Methodist) Society in Yeadon consisted of 140 members divided into six classes.
In the back end of 1805 ten or more souls joined our classes, but on January 27th 1806, on a Monday night at a small prayer meeting some began to cry aloud for salvation. The neighbours heard them, and went to see for themselves and these touched by the finger of God fell on their knees and cried aloud for mercy … this night be then might be called the first night of the Great Revival, and God was pleased to grant every encouragement to the gracious work by convincing and converting, by setting souls at liberty, by freely giving his pardoning love.
The meetings increased in frequency and intensity day by day, thus things went rapidly on and increased in one short week to a most alarming degree so that on Sunday February 2nd at night it was thought advisable to throw open the preaching house doors and the gallery was filled immediately. I went over about 9 o’clock and notwithstanding I had been a member of this society better than 16 years and had seen many revivals both at Yeadon and elsewhere yet this surpassed all. I heard them to the distance of more than one hundred yards like the rushing of mighty waters.
I took my stand in the gallery and in a few moments heard a voice cry very loudly “God be merciful to my poor soul.” I felt that moment sympathy, pity, love and a moving of every tender passion within my heart. I got with difficulty to him prayed with him and felt God to bless me in the doing. Do not let it be supposed that this was the only distressed person in the chapel there was scores more. If you looked over the gallery you could see at any time 5, 6 or 10 companies all worshipping God. Some praying, some singing others shouting the high praises of God and scores crying with all their strength in the most pitiable [way?].
It was common for these to be four, five and six hours on their knees without once rising, and some so many hours for several nights together but when God was pleased to speak peace to a troubled breast, they instantly jumped up and with heaven in their countenance declared the happy change, and never failed to give all the glory to their God and saviour. It is worth remark, that in general (indeed I do not know of one exception) their load of guilt was removed and the witness of the Holy Spirit was given at the same time. When they thus arose praising God those that were nearest them always sang that verse:
Come Angels! Seize your harps of gold
The song of love to man unfold;
Assist our joys, exalt your praise,
Another sinners saved by grace:
Glory! Glory! Let us sing,
While heaven and earth with glory ring
Hosanna to the Lamb of God!
Our meetings began at 6’clock at night every night, and could not be broken up until 3, 4 or 5 next morning and it was common for scores to be waiting before the doors were thrown open at night for the meeting to begin, and continued thus for months. After some time we endeavoured to meet Class again from 6 to 8 o’clock and then the prayer meeting began.
At these class meetings held in the gallery you found yourself in the midst of two hundred souls and 3 or 4 leaders were employed to speak to each in disorder to finish by 8 and these were precious times indeed, immediately after these loosed without going home our prayer meetings commenced when there were 4 or 5 hundred persons present. In one of these meeting it was no uncommon thing for 10 or 15 souls to find liberty, to be saved from guilt the condemning power and be truly adopted into God’s dear family.
If you had taken a ramble through our streets by day, you would have heard souls in their own houses crying in the most heart breaking language for mercy, others praying as if heaven must suffer violence and the violent take it by force, others singing the praises of God their redeemer with all the united strength of soul and body, again, if at 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning when the meeting was loosening you happened to be in your own house you would have been delighted to hear persons when retiring to their own houses make the streets echo with the praises of God.
On Lord’s Day March 9th after noon preaching a double list was made out, the first for all that had found liberty, the second for all that were fully determined. To seek the Lord in these two lists were entered the names of 270 persons and soon after was added 60 more.
Also on Lord’s Day March 30 Isaac Muff held our Great Love Feast and people flocked in such numbers from all quarters having heard the report of our revival. It was absolutely necessary to keep it in the open air in a field before Mr Slater’s house which they kindly offered on this occasion. I think that there could be not be much fewer at this Love feast than 10 thousand souls. Remember?
A Methodist Love Feast at Yeadon and in the open air where 10 thousand souls were supposed to be present eternal glory be to God.
This Love Feast began at noon and the goodness power and love of our God seemed to pervade the whole. Towards night we withdrew into the preaching house and the Love Feast was continued there to a late hour, this was a time to be remembered for good to very many.
The next evening, namely March 31 the Love Feast was resumed again at about 7 o’clock and continued till near midnight. For simplicity, love and ready speaking I know not I ever hears it’s equal.
On Lords Day April 13th and the three following days Mr Crosby our Superintendent spent in preaching, speaking to and [?] this people. The whole number joined in Society now in Yeadon alone (which is but a small village) amounted to 480 members. Thus amazing to relate 340 souls were added in about 10 weeks.
1080 words.
The Headingley Gallimaufrians: a choir of the weird and wonderful.
Music from and about Yorkshire by Leeds's Singing Organ-Grinder.