# Gems from Andrew Bonar



## jambo

I have always felt sorry for Andrew Bonar. When people mention him they nearly always add the suffix "brother of the hymn writer" or else "biographer of M'Cheyne" Yet his own diary is spiritual treasure. Although he was a small man, he was a spiritual giant. His daughter Marjory wrote a book entitled "Heavenly Springs" in which she gathered some of her fathers sayings putting them together as Sunday meditations. I try to read one section each Sunday morning. Here is a selection from the section "God in Christ" that I read recently.

Visit us with thy salvation-for there are folds and folds of the robes of righteousness that we would fain have thee unfold to us.

It is a time of great political excitement. But I am less moved by all such changes; my time on earth may be soon finished. The atoning blood is more than ever precious to me. The righteousness of Christ is more than ever glorious in my view.Christ himself is altogether lovely

I can hardly believe that man is a Christian who does not every day betake himself to the atoning work of Christ. 

If you can do without the blood, you are a backslider.

Do not put religion in the place of Christ. The heart of religion is to know Christ, and to know Him better, and to know him still better. then to see him as He is, and to be made like Him.

Many want salvation but they do not want the Saviour.

Each plant needs a whole sun and each of us needs a whole Saviour

A God not seen through Christ is no god at all.

Christ does not say,'I will show you the way' but 'I am the Way.' He does not merely say 'I will give you the bread of life,' but 'I am the Bread of Life'


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## Pergamum

> Do not put religion in the place of Christ. The heart of religion is to know Christ, and to know Him better, and to know him still better. then to see him as He is, and to be made like Him.



Too bad Bonar didn't have a blog or a youtube video or he would have had 1,000 reformed counter-bloggers posting angry rebuttals to him trying to correct his phraseology!


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## Pilgrim

I suppose one could "feel sorry" for Horatius Bonar as well. He is apparently thought of as largely having been a hymn writer but he wrote many helpful books, perhaps most notably, _The Everlasting Righteousness. _He also produced a weighty tome (_Prophetical Landmarks) _as well as a journal propagating what would now be called Historic Premillennialism. 

Gems from A. Bonar? Yes indeed. A pastor friend of mine thinks highly of his commentary on Leviticus as well. A while back I picked up a small book by A. Bonar, "The Person of Christ." I'm sure it will be quite profitable. 

There are "gems" aplenty from many of those FCoS men. "Rabbi" Duncan is pithy, but others are eminently quotable too. As Pergy may know, they were quite involved in foreign missions too, perhaps especially to the Jews.

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Pergamum said:


> Do not put religion in the place of Christ. The heart of religion is to know Christ, and to know Him better, and to know him still better. then to see him as He is, and to be made like Him.
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> Too bad Bonar didn't have a blog or a youtube video or he would have had 1,000 reformed counter-bloggers posting angry rebuttals to him trying to correct his phraseology!
Click to expand...


Not to mention their support of the evangelistic campaigns of Moody and Sankey, etc. That was controversial enough in their day without blogs and Twitter. Spurgeon also supported Moody and If I recall correctly had him preach at the Met Tab. The closest thing in recent times that I can think of to compare that to is Piper inviting Warren to the DG Conference a couple of years ago, although there are clear differences between the two. But if someone wants to get into that, best to start another thread, in my opinion. (Am I the worst thread hijacker in PB history? Well I can blame Pergy for this one!)


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## Pergamum

Interesting...I am glad for the hijack...didn't know these things (though I did start reading Mc'Ceyne's account of going to the Middle East....was that with Bonar?....I stopped the book shortly after starting because I found it sort of boring).


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## jambo

Bonar and two other ministers went with M'Cheyne to Palestine having been commissioned by the Church of Scotland's mission board to investigate the plight of the Jews in Palestine. In M'Cheyne's absence from his church in Dundee WC Burns (who went on to serve as a missionary in China and had a big influence over Hudson Taylor when he arrived in China later) took charge and there was something of a revival in Dundee whilst M'Cheyne was abroad.



Pergamum said:


> I stopped the book shortly after starting because I found it sort of boring).



Gasp!


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