Henry Alford (1810–1871) was a multifaceted English churchman, theologian, scholar, poet, hymnodist and writer.
Born in London, Alford was a child prodigy who wrote several Latin odes and a history of Jews before the age of ten.
He attended Trinity College, Cambridge and was ordained, serving eighteen years as a vicar in Wymeswold, Leicestershire.
He joined the Cambridge Camden Society and was a member of the Metaphysical Society. In 1857, he advanced to the deanery of Canterbury.
Notably, Alford was a talented artist, musician and editor of the works of John Donne.
His most renowned work is his monumental edition of the New Testament in Greek, which significantly impacted New Testament exegesis.
Related: Albert Barnes Quotes from the American Theologian and Albert Mohler Quotes from the American Evangelical Theologian
Alford also published hymns, translated the Odyssey and wrote a manual of idiom, among other works.
I have listed below some of the famous quotes by Henry Alford.
Best Henry Alford Quotes
Thou canst not tell how rich a dowry sorrow gives the soul, how firm a faith and eagle sight of God. ~ Henry Alford.
I used to be svelte but with age I have svelled. ~ Henry Alford.
The poor man’s hand is the treasury of Christ. ~ Henry Alford.
Life is so short, So Fast The Lone Hours Fly, We Ought To Be Together, You and I. ~ Henry Alford.
Law is king of all. ~ Henry Alford.
Man’s life is of God, not of his goods, however abundant they may be. ~ Henry Alford.
There is no accounting for the ignorance of unbelief, as any minister of Christ knows by painful experience. ~ Henry Alford.
I know not if the dark or bright shall be by lot; if that wherein my hopes delight be best or not. ~ Henry Alford.
If you are afraid of death, you are afraid of life, for living your life leads to death. Until you face death and see its beauty, you will be afraid to really live – you will never properly burn the candle for fear of its end. ~ Henry Alford.
Contrary to popular opinion, manners are not a luxury good that’s interesting only to those who can afford to think about them. The essence of good manners is not exclusivity, nor exclusion of any kind, but sensitivity. To practice good manners is to confer upon others not just consideration but esteem; it’s to bathe others in a commodity best described by noted speller Aretha Franklin. ~ Henry Alford.
Elegance of language may not be in the power of all of us; but simplicity and straightforwardness are. Write much as you would speak; speak as you think. If with your inferiors, speak no coarser than usual; if with your superiors, no finer. Be what you say; and, within the rules of prudence, say what you are. ~ Henry Alford.
Famous Henry Alford Quotes
The Holy Spirit of God dwelling in us, knowing our wants better than we, Himself pleads in our prayers, raising us to higher and holier desires than we can express in words, which can only find utterance in sightings and aspirations. ~ Henry Alford.
My bark is wafted to the strand
By breath Divine;
And on the helm there rests a hand
Other than mine. ~ Henry Alford.
Truth does not consist in minute accuracy of detail, but in conveying a right impression; and there are vague ways of speaking that are truer than strict facts would be. When the Psalmist said, “Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy law,” he did not state the fact, but he stated a truth deeper than fact, and truer. ~ Henry Alford.
If the way in which men express their thoughts is slipshod and mean, it will be very difficult for their thoughts themselves to escape being the same. If it is high flown and bombastic, a character for national simplicity and truthfulness cannot long be maintained. ~ Henry Alford.
Come, ye thankful people, come, Raise the song of harvest-home; All is safely gathered in, Ere the winter storms begin. ~ Henry Alford.
Ten thousand times ten thousand In sparkling raiment bright, The armies of the ransomed saints Throng up the steeps of light: ‘Tis finished! all is finished, Their fight with death and sin: Fling open wide the golden gates, And let the victors in. ~ Henry Alford.
So these were the 17 top Henry Alford quotes and sayings.
If you like these quotes and sayings, then you can also read my other posts on John Piper quotes and Kay Arthur quotes.
