Andrew A. Bonar > Quotes

“If we are growing holier, we are growing kinder.”
― Andrew Bonar

“If it be good to come under the love of God once, surely it is good to keep ourselves there. And yet how reluctant we are!”
― Andrew Bonar, Memoir and Remains of R.M. M'Cheyne

“Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle.”
― Andrew Bonar

“The redeemed, through all eternity, will never taste one of the pleasures of sin; yet their happiness is complete. It would be my greatest happiness to be from this moment entirely like them.”
― Bonar, Andrew A., The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“Awake, my soul! Why should I give hours and days any longer to the vain world, when there is such a world of misery at my very door? Lord, put thine own strength in me; confirm every good resolution; forgive my past long life of uselessness and folly.”
― Andrew Bonar, Memoir and Remains of R.M. M'Cheyne

“It has always been my aim, and it is my prayer, to have no plans with regard to myself, well assured as I am, that the place where the Saviour sees meet to place me must ever be the best place for me.”
― Bonar, Andrew A., The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“It must always be best to be alive to Thee, whatever the quickening instrument.”
― Andrew Bonar

“Prayer is seed sown on the heart of God.”
― Andrew A. Bonar, Heavenly Springs

“His morning hours were set apart for the nourishment of his own soul; not, however, with the view of laying up a stock of grace for the rest of the day--for manna will corrupt if laid by--but rather with the view of "giving the eye the habit of looking upward all the day, and drawing down gleams from the reconciled countenance." He was sparing in the hours devoted to sleep, and resolutely secured time for devotion before breakfast, although often wearied and exhausted when he laid himself to rest. "A soldier of the cross," was his remark, "must endure hardness.”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“If ye abide in Me’—that is faith. ‘And My words abide in you’—that is fellowship.”
― Andrew A. Bonar, Heavenly Springs

“First, consider how much God has done to save your souls. He has provided a great Savior, and a great salvation. He did not give man or angel, but the Creator of all to be the substitute for sinners. His blood is precious blood. His righteousness is the righteousness of God; and now "to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted to him for righteousness" (Romans 4:5).”
― Andrew A. Bonar, McCheynne, Sermons and Letters

“As much depended on the priest's willingness to listen to his imploring cry, a leprous Israelite would often go up to the spot whence he could call on him desponding or fearful. And the priest, however willing, might be busy so as not to be able to come at once. As, with most wistful eye, the man gazes on the living, cheerful camp, he sees one and another meet the priest and pour some message or entreaty into his ear—so that the priest is detained, and hurried away to this and that part of the camp, while the trembling, weary leper waits at the gate. In this we see that our high priest hath the pre-eminence— never too busy—never unwilling—never unable. "He waits that he may be gracious." (Isa. 30.18). Neither the business nor the bliss of heaven will detain him from a wretched soul. He who in the days of his flesh forgot to eat, and even ceased to feel faintness, when a soul stood before him in his leprosy, has nothing now to keep him from instant compassion. He who on the cross, under the dark shade of the approaching cloud of wrath and of death, heard the heaving of his mother's bosom and the rush of anguish through her heart—has nothing now to hinder him freely to direct his ever ready compassions towards the coming leper. Even as this is true in regard to those already come, so also is it to the coming.”
― Andrew Bonar

“I must never think a sin too small to need immediate application to the blood of Christ.”
― Bonar, Andrew A., The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“while popularity is a snare that few are not caught by, a more subtle and dangerous snare is to be famed for holiness. The fame of being a godly man is as great a snare as the fame of being learned or eloquent. It is possible to attend with scrupulous anxiety even to secret habits of devotion, in order to get a name for holiness.”
― Bonar, Andrew A., The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“Must not the disease be dangerous, when a tender-hearted surgeon cuts deep into the flesh? How much more when God is the operator,”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“If, however, there be some whose prejudice is from the root of envy, let such hear the remonstrance of Richard Baxter to the jealous ministers of his day. "What! malign Christ in gifts for which He should have the glory, and all because they seem to hinder our glory! Does not every man owe thanks to God for his brethren's gifts, not only as having himself part in them, as the foot has the benefit of the guidance of the eye, but also because his own ends may be attained by his brethren's gifts as well as by his own?... A fearful thing that any man, that hath the least of the fear of God, should so envy at God's gifts, that he would rather his carnal hearers were unconverted, and the drowsy not awakened, than that it should be done by another who may be preferred before them." [17”
― Andrew A. Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“Are we never afraid that the cries of souls whom we have betrayed to perdition through our want of personal holiness, and our defective preaching of Christ crucified, may ring in our ears forever?”
― Bonar, Andrew A., The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“His morning hours were set apart for the nourishment of his own soul; not, however, with the view of laying up a stock of grace for the rest of the day--for manna will corrupt if laid by--but rather with the view of "giving the eye the habit of looking upward all the day, and drawing down gleams from the reconciled countenance." He was sparing in the hours devoted to sleep, and resolutely secured time for devotion before breakfast, although often wearied and exhausted when he laid himself to rest. "A soldier of the cross," was his remark, "must endure hardness." Often he sang a psalm of praise, as soon as he arose, to stir up his soul. Three chapters of the Word was his usual morning portion. This he thought little enough, for he delighted exceedingly in the Scriptures: they were better to him than thousands of gold or silver. "When you write," he said to a friend, "tell me the meaning of Scriptures." To another, in expressing his value for the Word, he said, "One gem from that ocean is worth all the pebbles of earthly streams." His chief season of relaxation seemed to be breakfast time. He would come down with a happy countenance and a full soul; and after the sweet season of family prayer, immediately begin forming plans for the day. When he was well, nothing seemed to afford him such true delight as to have his hands full of work. Indeed, it was often remarked that in him you found--what you rarely meet with--a man of high poetic imagination and deep devotion, who nevertheless was engaged unceasingly in the busiest and most laborious activities of his office. His”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“Every sin is something away from my greatest enjoyment ... The devil strives night and day to make me forget this or disbelieve it. He says, Why should you not enjoy this pleasure as much as Solomon or David? You may go to heaven also.”
― Andrew A. Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“No man careth for our souls' is written over every forehead. Awake, my soul! Why should I give hours and days any longer to the vain world, when there is such a world of misery at my very door? Lord, put thine own strength in me; confirm every good resolution; forgive my past long life of uselessness and folly." He”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“make way for commissions.”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“conviction of sin is the only true origin of dependence on another's righteousness, and therefore (strange to say!) of the Christian's peace of mind and cheerfulness. "Sept.”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“finished on Friday last. My last appearance there. Life itself is vanishing fast. Make haste for eternity.”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“Sabbath-Rose early to seek God, and found Him whom my soul loveth. Who would not rise early to meet such company?”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“Jeremy Taylor recommends: "If though meanest to enlarge they religion, do it rather by enlarging thine ordinary devotions than thy extraordinary." This advice describes very accurately the plan of spiritual life on which Mr. McCheyne acted. He did occasionally set apart seasons for special prayer and fasting, occupying the time so set apart exclusively in devotion. But the real secret of his soul's prosperity lay in the daily enlargement of his heart in fellowship with his God. And the river deepened as it flowed on to eternity; so that he at least reached the feature of a holy pastor which Paul pointed out to Timothy (4:15): "His profiting did appear to all.: In”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“When you begin to pray always get into this position, leaning on His bosom. Don’t pray to some one far off. Don’t pray even to some one in the same room.”
― Andrew A. Bonar, Heavenly Springs

“He himself regarded these as days of ungodliness—days wherein he cherished a pure morality, but lived in heart a Pharisee.”
― Andrew A. Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“Why should I give hours and days any longer to the vain world, when there is such a world of misery at my very door? Lord, put thine own strength in me; confirm every good resolution; forgive my past long life of uselessness and folly." He”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne