Henry Alford Prayed Earnestly to Honor the Office of Priest
Most often remembered for a Thanksgiving hymn, Alford was also an all-around Bible scholar.
ON THIS DAY 6 November 1834, Anglican churchman Henry Alford wrote in his journal, “I went up to town and received the Holy Orders of a Priest; may I be a temple of chastity and holiness, fit and clean to receive so great a guest; and, on so great a commission as I have now received, O my beloved Redeemer, my dear Brother and Master, hear my prayer.”
If they know him at all, most churchgoers today know Alford for his hymn, “Come, Ye Thankful People Come.” But he also produced a commentary on the Greek New Testament still used by biblical scholars. Church historians remember him as Dean of Canterbury. Librarians know him for an edition of Donne’s poems, a translation of Homer’s Odyssey, and even possibly for his novel Netherton on the Sea.
Even as a boy Alford was serious about holiness. At sixteen he wrote in his Bible: “I do this day, as in the presence of God and my own soul, renew my covenant with God, and solemnly determine henceforth to become His, and to do His work as far as in me lies.” At college he kept clear of sins common to young men, cultivating friendship with the likes of Alfred Lord Tennyson. Alford became an outstanding scholar and entered the church as a deacon in 1833.
It was at Wymeswold that Alford first displayed to the world his deep concern for people. This small parish had been sadly neglected. He changed that by visiting every soul in it. He taught through the Bible on Sunday afternoons, explaining every book for simple folk. This attracted large crowds. At Wymeswold, he also married his cousin Fanny, who bore him four children.
In 1857, worn out with work, he accepted a position at Canterbury Cathedral that would allow him more time to write. As at Wymeswold, he began a series of Sunday afternoon services, which again attracted large crowds.
Alford died suddenly in 1871. His own hymns were sung at his funeral, including these lines:
Jesus, when I fainting lie,
And the world is flitting by,
Hold up my head:
When the cry is, “Thou must die,”
And the dread hour draweth nigh,
Stand by my bed!
—Dan Graves
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