"I have fought a good fight, I
have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid
up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge,
shall give me at that day:
and not to me only, but unto all them also that
love his appearing."
2 Timothy 4:7,8
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1810
On May
29Andrew Alexander Bonar is born in Edinburgh, Scotland.
He is the
seventh son of James and Marjory Bonar. When he is 11 years old, his father
dies, but his elder brother James helps his mother to look after the
family.
1815(Battle of Waterloo)
1821
Andrew goes to Edinburgh High School, and
the Rector says he is "the best Latin scholar" who has ever been there during
his time. He develops a love of Greek as well, and of Hebrew. He is quiet and
loves to study, and writes a 'History of the Rabbits'. In 1825 he gains
the Dux Gold Medal of the High School, and says nothing about it when he gets
home. He produces it only when his mother asks who had got it. A typical early
example of his modesty.
1828
He starts
writing his diary on 21st August: "About this time I thought of marking
occasionally my thoughts and God's dealings." For the next two years his main
complaint is that he is not saved. "I am still without Christ and without hope.
I have no hatred of sin; I seek Christ with little ardour, rather because not
happy in the world than because of anything else."
1830 (World's first passenger steam railway - Liverpool and
Manchester)
At the end of this year he reads
William Guthrie's
'Saving Interest' and begins to hope that he really has 'believed on the
Lord Jesus'. He writes to his brother John asking him for advice. On 26
December he is then examined in the faith by Dr. Jones and is admitted as a
communicant.
1831
His first Communion is
on 9th January. He writes: "I sought beforehand that at this season I
might get more love to the souls of men, more understanding of the Word of God,
and more power to keep my thoughts from wandering. I felt little excitement,
but much calmness at the Table. I believe I have got increase of power to look
at God".
In the same year he also enters the Divinity Hall. He had kept
back from this until he was in Christ, and that meant he waited two years.
On Saturday 19th November he and several
others start the 'Exegetical Society' at 6.30 A.M. "It is to meet for the
purpose of Biblical Criticism, begun and concluded with prayer ; in some sort a
prayer-meeting over our studies in the Bible. The members of this society
included among others Robert Murray M'Cheyne. A
document signed by them can be seen on a separate
page.
1832 (First Reform Act in
Parliament)
1833 (Britain abolishes slavery)
1835
Having finished his studies, he starts
pastoral work on trial in Jedburgh in July. His first sermon, prepared
with much anxiety and care, is on Isaiah 55:1-3 on 5th of July.
The
Thursday of the following week is Fast-Day of the Church of Scotland, and he
preaches to the prisoners in Jail in the morning and at Fendyhall in the evening. He writes: "Between sermons
meditated on the evils of sin".
1836
He
is engaged as a missionary assistant to Dr. Robert Smith Candlish in
St.George's, Edinburgh. There is an interesting
letter from him to Mr. Maclagan in 1874, about some of his experiences
here.
1838
On
20th September he is ordained at Collace in
Perthshire. As soon as he awakes in the morning, he reads the confession of
sins for ministers and preachers, drawn up by the Assembly in 1661 and applies
it to himself. He writes: "O that Isaiah 11:1-9 may be fulfilled to me, that I
may be like Christ, daily His witness, His Spirit of wisdom and understanding
teaching me the Scriptures".
He mentions that among those present are
Robert M'Cheyne, his closest friend. An old friend and minister says to him:
"Remember, it is a remark of old and experienced men, that very few men, and
very few ministers, keep up to the end the edge that was on their spirit
at the first."
Collace Church and Manse (1865 map)
For
separate page of photographs and information click here.
1839(Photography becomes public in Britain)
In
March he receives a letter appointing him to go to the Jews in Europe
and Palestine, together with M'Cheyne, Wodrow and Dr. Black. (Rev. Dr. Keith
took the place of Wodrow).
He is very vexed at having to leave his people
behind for six months, and his people are alarmed at being left without a
shepherd. (One old woman, when told he would go to Egypt first and then to
Palestine, held up her hands and exclaimed, 'Oh, then, we'll no see him again
for forty years!')
From 21st March until November 22ndhe is
away.
1840 (Introduction of penny post in
Britain)
1841
There have been
instances of revival, and he writes: "I felt uncommonly overawed in preaching
to-day, just in reading the words of my text, Isaiah 6: 'Holy, holy, holy,' and
for a few minutes the same feeling seemed to prevail throughout the church. I
think it was the Spirit resting on me". At the end of June, another
entry in his diary reads: "Several people much impressed, several in
tears".
1842.
The book
Narrative of a mission of inquiry to the Jews From the
Church of Scotland in 1839 is published, which he has written
together with Robert Murray M'Cheyne.
1843
On Saturday 25th Marchhe writes: "This afternoon about five o'clock, a
message has just come to tell me of Robert M'Cheyne's death. Never, never yet
in all my life have I felt anything like this. It is a blow to myself, to his
people, to the Church of Christ in Scotland. O Lord, work, for Thine own
glory's sake. Arise, O Lord, the godly ceaseth and the faithful fail. My heart
is sore. It makes me feel death near myself now....There was no friend whom I
loved like him."
After he has been to Dundee, he writes: "During prayer,
the cries and lamentations of the people resounded through the church, as if
their hearts were bursting.......and when I gazed upon Robert's face, I cannot
tell what agony it was to think he was away. His face as he lay, was so calm,
so expressive, [with] the very indentation that used to mark it when he spoke.
Oh, it is bitter!"
Almost every year afterwards he remembers M'Cheyne's
death and writes about it in his diary. It had affected him very deeply. A few
months later he writes: "I dreamed two nights ago that I was at the side of his
coffin again, and woke in tears."
When he visits the grave in July,
he feels very strongly that "More nearness to God is what we need, more
retirement, more prayer, more fellowship."
In September of the same
year, he begins to write Robert M'Cheyne's Memoir, which fills up all his
leisure time. He finishes it in December.
This year is also the year
of the 'Disruption', when about half the ministers and members of the Church of
Scotland leave, and form the 'Free Church'. In May, the building of a
new church is begun in Kinrossie, and in November it is opened.
1844
A diary entry on March 4th:
"The Memoir of Robert M'Cheyne is now just
about to appear. O that it may be blessed!"
A few weeks later he writes:
"Several of us are to observe Monday as a season Of special prayer and fasting
to ask blessing on the Memoir, and the
raising up of many holy men."
1845
In
August, as he has done before, he visits a synagogue for worship:
"Jewish synagogue; it moves my compassion deeply."
In October he
finishes his notes on Leviticusand makes it
ready for the press. "Praise the Lord, who alone can bless it."
 The new Free Church and Manse at Kinrossie (map 1865) |
 Andrew Bonar at age 35 1845 |
1848
His marriage to
Isabella Dickson is on the 4th of April and they move to the new
Manse of the Free Church.
1850
October
19th: "At a few minutes past one the servant hastily knocked at the door of
my study to tell me that I had got a little daughter (Isabella). Praise to the
Lord!"
A few weeks later he finds a letter waiting "which told me the good
tidings of a soul saved through reading my Commentary
on Leviticus - the captain of a steamer in the Thames. My soul has
been as glad ever since as I was at the birth of my little daughter."
1851 (Crystal Palace built in London for the Great
Exhibition in May of that year.)
1852
27th September: "'Thou preventest us
with the blessings of Thy goodness.' Scarcely had we time to be anxious to-day
when the Lord sent us a little boy. 'Bless the Lord, O my soul.'"
1855
December 23rd: "Before seven
o'clock this morning another little girl (Marjory) was sent us by the Lord. O
how many mercies may be crowded into the short space of a few hours!"
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