ANDREW BONAR

ANDREW BONAR
by David Smithers     

Truly great men, seldom recognize their own worth. Such a great
man, was Andrew Bonar. His diary is a virtual text book on the
qualities of brokenness and humility. Almost every page seems
to be filled with expressions of his transparency and sense of
unworthiness apart from Jesus Christ. For the true saint, the path
of brokenness leads straight to the throne of grace. Andrew Bonar
was no exception to this divine rule. Majory Bonar, Mr. Bonar's
daughter, describes his diary as a "revelation of one who prayed
always and who prayed everywhere." John J. Murray wrote of
Andrew Bonar, "He did not believe in any shortcut to holiness and
usefulness in the work of God. He knew that the one and only
way to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ
was daily and hourly communion with the Father and the Son".
Andrew Bonar, himself wrote, "There is too much time taken up
with active work for the Kingdom. Surely if God's servants are to
speak and preach in the power of the Holy Spirit they must again
give themselves continually to prayer. . ."

Andrew Bonar was just one of many Scottish ministers used of
God during the Kilsyth Revival of 1839-1840. The ministers most
honored by Christ's presence during this time of refreshing were
W. C. Burns, Robert Murray McCheyne, Alexander Moody Stuart
and Andrew Bonar. All of these men were close friends who
encouraged one another in the practice of constant prayer. Soon
after the decline of the Kilsyth Revival, Andrew Bonar Said, "I have
learned by experience that it is not much labor but much prayer
that is the only means to success." Mr. Bonar was able to
accomplish much with men in public because he spent much
time with Jesus Christ in private. The daily entries of Bonar's diary
testify of this fact. He wrote on January 3rd, 1856, "I have been
endeavoring to keep up prayer at this season every hour of the
day, stopping my occupation, whatever it is, to pray a little. I seek
to keep my soul within the shadow of the throne of grace and Him
that sits thereon." Sabbath, March 8th - "I feel afraid of myself on
the ground that I am less prayerful than I used to be, although
often more helped in preaching then ever . . ." Wednesday, 24th,
"Oh my God, never let me walk even in the green pastures, without
thee! I feel glad to live as a pilgrim and stranger, and more, far
more than before, I seek by prayer and strong crying in secret to
see God glorified in the salvation of souls."

In a letter to a close friend Andrew Bonar wrote, "Oh brother pray;
in spite of Satan, pray; spend hours in prayer, rather neglect friends
than not pray, rather fast, and lose breakfast, dinner, supper and
sleep too - than not pray. And we must not talk about prayer - we
must pray in right earnest. The Lord is near. He comes softly while
The Virgins Slumber." Andrew Bonar lived in a time of revival and
yet he was always praying for more of God's revival power. His
diary again makes this clear. Wednesday, 21st, - "Enabled to
spend nearly the whole day in prayer, praise and confession. I
was led to deep humiliation for our church, and prayer for the
outpouring of the Holy Ghost on my people. I spread out several
promises before the Lord, and my heart was sore with desire and
yet glad with expectation of what this day may obtain for me. But
I find true what Samuel Rutherford wrote: 'A bed watered with tears,
a throat dry with praying, eyes a fountain of tears for the sins of
the land are rarely to be found among us.'"

Andrew Bonar was a man who was intimately acquainted with
Jesus Christ. As a result he saw what Jesus saw and therefore
cared, wept and prayed like Jesus. Far too often our own eyes
are dry because our eyes are blind to the needs around us. Many
of us have become blinded by the temporal, till we can no longer
see the eternal reality of the holiness of heaven and horrors of hell.
Lord draw us back to the prayer closet where blind eyes see and
hardened hearts are broken. Lord, have mercy and bring us to brokenness!

-Source-

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