Saturday, July 17, 2010

Glory Be to God the Father – Horatius Bonar


Horatius Bonar was a Scot and man of God’s word in the mid-19th Century, whom some labeled a prince. He was “the prince” of his country’s hymnists, and is credited with writing over 600 church songs in his lifetime, including “Glory Be to God the Father” that he wrote in 1866. There’s plenty that could be said about Bonar’s life, lots that could be attributed to this ‘prince’. But, the words of the song he composed indicate he would have wanted the spotlight to shine elsewhere. Nevertheless, a peek inside a life so well lived is helpful. What circumstances might have compelled Horatius Bonar to pour forth his praise to God in this hymn?

It was 1866, and Bonar was 58 years old. He had already experienced much that was challenging, mingled with contentment and happiness too. He had been part of the “Disruption” of 1843, when part of Scotland’s faithful broke with the Church of Scotland and formed the Free Church of Scotland because they felt their spiritual liberties were being violated. Bonar was part of a long line of Bonars who were ministers, and one can imagine the 1843 split was heart-rending. He married the same year, a joyous event, but over the following years he and his wife Jane endured the death of five of their children. He earned a doctorate in divinity in 1853, a mark of success and undoubtedly one of the blessings in his life from God. By 1866, he had written many hymns, including several like “Glory Be to God the Father” that became part of his third series known as Hymns of Faith and Hope. His time in ministry, since his ordination in 1838, was approaching the 30-year mark by 1866, all of it spent in Kelso in far southeastern Scotland. The next year, he and his family left Kelso, moving to Edinburgh where he spent the remaining 23 years of his life. So, looking back, 1866 might seem like a hinge-point. By the mid-1860’s what did he think about the great stresses, juxtaposed with the blessings he’d seen in life?

Life after the move to Edinburgh showed that Bonar was not one to rest on his accomplishments or wallow in struggles. He continued to write, including at least two biographies in 1869 and 1884 about ministers he had known, while also serving as an editor of two Christian publications. In 1883, he was elected as Moderator of the church; the following year, 1884, his wife Jane died. Through it all, it’s said that Bonar maintained a humble position, asking that no biography be written of him. The ‘Scottish prince’ was a learned scholar, poet-hymnist, preacher, and activist. Yet, if one tried reading Bonar’s doctoral dissertation or paging through his diary to know this man, you might find his heart by merely reading what he wrote in “Glory Be to God the Father”. ‘Don’t look at me’, he says. ‘Give glory to Him, and just stand in that reflection’. That’s good advice from a prince.

 The following sites provide biographies of Horatius Bonar:

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