Come, ye thankful people, come

545 St. George's Windsor. 7. 7. 7. 7. D.

1 Come, ye thankful people, come,
   raise the song of harvest home;
   all is safely gathered in,
   ere the winter storms begin.
   God our Maker doth provide
   for our wants to be supplied;
   come to God's own temple, come,
   raise the song of harvest home.

2 All the world is God's own field,
   fruit as praise to God we yield;
   wheat and tares together sown
   are to joy or sorrow grown;
   first the blade and then the ear,
   then the full corn shall appear;
   Lord of harvest, grant that we
   wholesome grain and pure may be.

3 For the Lord our God shall come,
   and shall take the harvest home;
   from the field shall in that day
   all offenses purge away,
   giving angels charge at last
   in the fire the tares to cast;
   but the fruitful ears to store
   in the garner evermore.

4 Even so, Lord, quickly come,
   bring thy final harvest home;
   gather thou thy people in,
   free from sorrow, free from sin,
   there, forever purified,
   in thy presence to abide;
   come, with all thine angels, come,
   raise the glorious harvest home.
                         Henry Alford
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

<idle musing>
Alford published a Greek New Testament, for which is he better known than for his hymns. The biography linked to above says this, rather accurately, about Alford as a hymnwriter:

As a hymn-writer he added little to his literary reputation. The rhythm of his hymns is musical, but the poetry is neither striking, nor the thought original. They are evangelical in their teaching, but somewhat cold and conventional. They vary greatly in merit.

</idle musing>