Horatius Bonar 19 December 1808-31 July 1889. 

The son of James Bonar, Solicitor of Excise for Scotland, he was born and educated in Edinburgh. He came from a long line of ministers who have served a total of 364 years in the Church of Scotland. One of eleven children, his brothers John James and Andrew Alexander were also ministers of the Free Church of Scotland. He had married Jane Catherine Lundie in 1843.

In 1853 Bonar earned the Doctor of Divinity degree at the University of Aberdeen. Bonar's wife, Jane Catherine Bonar, died in 1876. He died 31 July 1889. They are buried together in the Canongate Kirkyard in the lair of Alexander Bonar, near the bottom of the eastern extension. "Please don't write a biography of me." Racked with pain in the Summer of 1889, Horatius Bonar knew he was dying. He also knew that people would be interested in his life, but during his ministry, his one interest had been the glory of Christ, and he wanted to keep it that way. "Point men to Christ, not to Bonar," he might have said. That is what his sermons had always done: "If Christ is not the substitute, he is nothing to the sinner. If he did not die as the sin-bearer, he has died in vain. Let us not be deceived on this point nor misled by those who, when they announce Christ as the deliverer, think they have preached the gospel. If I throw a rope to a drowning man, I am a deliverer. But is Christ no more than that? If I cast myself into the sea and risk myself to save another, I am a deliverer. But is Christ no more? Did He risk His life? The very essence of Christ's deliverance is the substitution of himself for us--his life for ours! He did not come to risk his life; he came to die! He did not redeem us by a little loss, a little sacrifice, a little labor, a little suffering: 'He redeemed us to God by His blood' (I Peter 1:18,19). He gave all he had, even his life, for us. This is the kind of deliverance that awakens the happy song, 'To Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood' (Revelation 1:5)." 

Christ's deliverance wakened happy songs in Bonar. Although many of his hymns were originally written for children, they were so brim full of sound teaching that adults loved to sing them too.

 When Horatius Bonar died on this day, July 31, 1889, his wish was respected; no biography was written of him. Just a few memories and a short sketch of his life have come down to us. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he studied at Edinburgh University. Early on, he allied himself with three of the most spiritual men of his day: Thomas Chalmers, William C. Burns and Robert Murray McCheyne. As a young pastor, he earnestly preached in villages and farmhouses throughout his district. He saw evangelization in a different light from his contemporaries. "We think if we can but get men converted, it does not much matter how. Our whole anxiety is, not 'How shall we secure the glory of Jehovah?' but 'How shall we multiply conversions?'" To Bonar, Christ had to come first. When the evangelical party formed the Free Church, Bonar was with them heart and soul. In his eyes, the old church with its civil service pastors, had failed in its responsibility to arouse the faith of the nation.

A man of prayer and song, Bonar was also a man of sorrow. five of their young children died in succession. Towards the end of their lives, one of his widowed daughter and her five children had to move in with him. Many grandparents would groan at the added burden, but Bonar rejoiced. To him it was as if God had given him five children to replace those he had lost. His hymns, which number over 140, include:

·         All That I Was

·         Fill thou my life, O Lord, my God

·         I heard the Voice of Jesus say

·         I Was a Wandering Sheep

·         Thy way, not mine, O Lord

·         Here, O my Lord, I see Thee face to face

·         A few more years shall roll

·         Come Lord and tarry not

·         O love of God, how strong and true.

Some of his books include:

·         Words to Winners of Souls. Nabu Press. 2011. ISBN 978-1-24772-723-3.

·         The Everlasting Righteousness. Banner of Truth. 1996. ISBN 978-0-85151-655-4.

·         God's Way of Holiness. Christian Focus Publications. 1999. ISBN 978-1-85792-503-6.

·         How Shall I Go to God. Baker Book House. 1977. ISBN 978-0-8010-0713-2.

·         Night of Weeping. Christian Focus Publications. 1999. ISBN 978-1-85792-441-1.

·         God's Way of Peace ISBN 1-4590-9630-4

·         Follow the Lamb ISBN 0-906731-63-1

·         Light & Truth: Bible Thoughts and Themes on The Acts & Larger Epistles –commentary on Acts, Romans, and 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians ASIN B002ZJRS9K

·         Light & Truth: Bible Thoughts and Themes on Revelation - commentary on the Book of Revelation ASIN B002ZRQ55U

Our Prayer Focus

 BIBLE TEXT: ROMANS 12

1) I want us to rededicate our lives to the Lord afresh and ask that Father please I surrender to you afresh oh God, my all I lay it down afresh.
2) Jesus be the centre of my existence oh Lord. 2Corinthians 5:14-15, Deu 10:12-13
3) Jesus keep me near the cross. Luke 22:31-34. Lord please pray for me too as you did for Peter.
4) Father please help me that many will come to know you through me also.