Happy 200th Birthday Joseph A. Alexander!

Joseph Addison Alexander was born 200 years ago on April 24, 1809 in Philadelphia. The son of Archibald Alexander and brother of James Waddel Alexander (and William Cowper Alexander -- Cowper, the poet, was certainly appreciated in the Alexander family), J.A. Alexander went on to become one of America's premier 19th century Biblical scholars.

He wrote commentaries on Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, Acts and the Psalms. His sermons were published (and highly regarded), along with other works including a geography of the Bible (with his brother James) and essays on primitive church polity. His literary output was rich, especially considering that he died young, in his 52nd year of life. His letters and a few poems have been published as well. He died without last words, seemingly suddenly, and he was mourned by all. After his death at Princeton, where he had graduated and served the seminary in various capacities as professor for many years, in 1860, Charles Hodge addressed the next meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America with a moving tribute to his dear friend as he sought for the appointment of a new professor to be assigned to Princeton.

A.A. Hodge, The Life of Charles Hodge, pp. 444-445:

In the death of Joseph Addison Alexander we have lost our great glory and defense....I regard Dr. Joseph Addison Alexander as incomparably the greatest man our church has ever produced. His intellect was majestic not only in its greatness but in its harmonious proportions. No faculty was in excess, and none was in defect. His understanding, imagination and memory were alike wonderful. Everything was equally easy to him. Nothing he ever did seemed to reveal half his power. His attainments in classical, oriental and modern languages and literature were almost unexampled. His stores of biblical, historical and antiquarian knowledge seemed inexhaustible. To all these talents and attainments were added great force of character, power over the minds of men, and a peculiar facility in imparting knowledge. His thorough orthodoxy, his fervent piety, humility, faithfulness in the discharge of his duties, and reverence for the Word of God, consecrated all his other gifts. His complete mastery of every form of modern infidelity enabled him to vindicate the Scriptures as with authority. He glorified the Word of God in the sight of his pupils beyond what any I ever saw had the power of doing. Princeton is not what it was, and can never expect to be what it has been. You cannot fill his place. The only compensation for such a loss is the presence of the Spirit of God.

He was buried in the family plot at Princeton Cemetery, but "he being dead yet speaketh" (Heb. 11.4), and his beloved memory is cherished by those who have read his rich writings. As Matthew Poole said, "Ministers are living Books, and Books are dead Ministers; and yet though dead, they speak. When you cannot heare the one, you may read the other."

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to rightousness as the stars for ever and ever. Dan. 12.3