GLASGOW, 14th Jan. 1863.
MY DEAR MR. WILSON,
—I have been hearing tidings of your state of health that are not very pleasant.
Will you, if convenient, drop me a few lines letting me know? For you know Paul, had he been in our day, would have sent Tychicus 'to let us know' his affairs and how he was 'doing.' I have often been led to muse on the number of sick labourers mentioned in the Epistles, — Epaphroditus, Timothy, Trophimus, Gaius, —all of them unhealed, though companions of men who healed others, and though able probably themselves to work miracles. There must be much blessing conveyed in this way not only to the afflicted one himself, but to his flock. What sermons will they thus be made to hear! 'Cease ye from man.' 'God liveth.' 'Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.' Be of good cheer, brother, the Master has laid His own hand on you. He has done it too at the best time, no doubt. O for grace to live for such a Master and for none else!
When you get access and are remembering your friends, will you think on me and ask some gift? If you are to get a time of honour by being sent up the hill as one of the 'Aaron and Hur' company, think of some of us who pray little, and with little faith.—Yours truly in the Lord,
ANDREW A. BONAR.
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(EXTRACT FROM LETTER TO REV. DR. J. H. WILSON ON THE DEATH OF HIS AUNT)
Janry. 1882.
. . . . You will be saying 'The post has come from the Celestial City,' and the contents of the letter are just such as Christiana found in hers. 'Hail! good woman, I bring thee tidings that the Master calls for thee to stand in His presence in clothes of immortality!' And do you remember that while part of the household wept, Mr. Greatheart and Mr. Valiant-for-Truth played upon the well-tuned cymbal and harp for joy that she had gone to be with the King? In process of time (if the Lord delay His coming to us) the post will sound his horn at our chamber door, saying, 'I am come to tell thee that thy Master hath need of thee, and that, in a very little time, thou must behold His face in brightness!'
Meanwhile, let us 'occupy.' —With kindest regards and sympathy,
believe me, yours truly in Him who doeth all things well,
ANDREW A. BONAR.
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GLASGOW, 14th Febry. 1891.
MY DEAR DR. WILSON,
—I thought you might perhaps give an old minister who needs a colleague rest from extra work! But I cannot refuse to be with you; it is always a pleasant time, for 'iron sharpeneth iron.' And then I make reprisals on you, as in time past. . . Is not the 'joy in heaven' communicated by the Shepherd to the 'friends and neighbours '—that is, Christ the Shepherd is rejoicing, and invites angels and redeemed ones to share with Him.
When you are addressing the students and professors at Aberdeen do you not think the subject of personal visitation should be pressed on them? How much professors could do if they had the heart for face-to-face dealing with the students, and what a lesson it would be to their students for after-years! I am persuaded that if our young ministers gave themselves more really to this kind of work—dealing with the individuals of their people in visitation, and doing this from year to year, it would have two results: (1) It would cure some of them of their vague intellectual preaching, and bring them back to the simple gospel; (2) It would go far to keep up the liveliness of spiritual life in their elders and Christian people.
But this is Saturday! so good-bye. - Peace be with with you and yours, dear brother,
ANDREW A. BONAR.
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Andrew Bonar (1810 - 1892)
He was a well-known pastor in Scotland with the Free Church. His brother Horatius was another well-known minister who was contemporary with Robert Murray Mchyene and others in those days. They saw a move of revival in their churches where the Spirit brought many immediate conversations in a short period of time.He is best known for his work on compiling the life of the prophet of Dundee: Robert Murray Mchyene: "Memoir and Remains of Robert Murray McCheyne." One cannot read this volume and feel the sobriety of eternity and the fear of the Lord. He also wrote a wonderful volume on Leviticus.
Andrew Alexander Bonar was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland, and the youngest brother of Horatius Bonar.
He studied at Edinburgh; was minister at Collace, Perthshire, 1838 - 1856 (both in the Church of Scotland and the Free Church); and of Finnieston Free Church, Glasgow, 1856 till his death.
He was identified with evangelical and revival movements and adhered to the doctrine of premillennialism. With Robert Murray McCheyne he visited Palestine in 1839 to inquire into the condition of the Jews there. During the visit of Dwight L. Moody to Britain in 1874 and 1875, Moody was warmly welcomed by Bonar, despite the latter receiving considerable criticism from other Calvinist ministers in the Free Church.
Andrew Bonar preached from the whole Bible, the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation. When one of his friends remarked on his originality in finding subjects for preaching, and wondered where he got all his texts, he just lifted up his Bible. He did not ignore any part of it, but explained it all. He did not shy away from any passages that might be seen as unpopular or unpleasant. Even the first chapters of Chronicles became 'God calling the roll of mankind.' He made it come alive as a history of men and women, living in their time, as we live in ours, accountable to God.
Christ and Him crucified was at the centre of all his preaching, in all parts of the Bible. He declared 'the whole counsel of God', and was deeply aware of his responsibility as a man of God. He spent hours every day in prayer and meditation of the Scriptures, and asking for the Holy Spirit to show the truth to him, so that he might pass it on to his flock. He wrote in a letter: "Persevering prayerfulness is harder for the flesh than preaching."
Above all, he was aware that his personal holiness would be of crucial importance to his preaching, as his remark shows: "Sins of teachers are teachers of sins."