lawyer,
but he came from a long line of eminent Scottish ministers. His mother
was a gentle, pious woman, and it was largely through her influence that
her three sons, John, Horatius and Andrew, entered the ministry of the
Church of Scotland. Andrew became a noted Bible commentator.

After completing his course at the University of Edinburgh, Horatius
began mission work in Leith, under Rev. James Lewis. In one of the most
squalid parts of the city he conducted services and Sunday school in a
hall. The children did not seem to enjoy singing the Psalm paraphrases,
which were still exclusively used by the Church of Scotland at that late
date, and therefore Bonar decided to write songs of his own. Like Luther,
he chose happy tunes familiar to the children, and wrote words to fit
them. His first two hymns were "I lay my sins on Jesus" and "The morning,
the bright and beautiful morning." Still others were "I was a wandering
sheep" and "A few more years shall roll." Needless to say, the children
sang and enjoyed them.

At this time, also, he wrote his first hymn for adults, "Go, labor on!
Spend and be spent!" It was intended to encourage those who were working
with him among the poor of his district.

After four years Bonar was ordained as a minister of the Church of
Scotland, assuming charge of a new church at Kelso. He was a man of
prayer, and his first sermon to his people was an exhortation to prayer.
It is said that a young servant in his home was converted by his prayers.
Hearing his earnest supplications from his locked study, she thought: "If
he needs to pray so much, what will become of me, if I do not pray!"

Many stories are related of his methods of dealing with seeking souls. A
young man who was troubled by a grievous sin came to Bonar for help. The
latter told him that God was willing to forgive and that the blood of
Jesus His Son cleanseth from all sin. The despairing young man seemed
unable to believe the gospel message, however, and continually reminded
Bonar of the greatness of his transgression. Finally an inspiration came
to the pastor. "Tell me," he demanded, "which is of greater weight in the
eyes of God--your sin, black as it is, or the blood of Jesus, shed for
sinners?" Light dawned on the soul of the troubled young man, and he
cried joyfully, "Oh, I am sure the blood of Jesus weighs more heavily
than even my sin!" And so he found peace.

Bonar was a man of boundless energy. When he was not preachi