Absolutely Basic

by Horatius Bonar

Two well-known writers and preachers of the nineteenth century (J.C.Ryle and Horatius Bonar) describe the twofold work of God that is needed to make us Christians. These works have been updated and shortened. The book can be used on your own, one to one, or in a small group. Horatius Bonar (1808-1889) explains the work of God that Christ has done for us so that we can be accepted as righteous for ever by God. His book is a great help in appreciating what Christ has done and contains much comfort and encouragement for believers. J. C. Ryle (1816-1900) unfolds the work of God that the Holy Spirit does within us to make us new creatures and children of God. Simply and clearly, he sets out the need to be born again, explains how it happens and what results may be expected. Ryle gives us a concise definition of the new birth as "a change through which we once more recover something of the Divine nature,and are renewed in the image of God.It is a complete transformation of all the inner being."

95 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2009

About the author

Horatius Bonar (19 December, 1808 – 31 May, 1889) was a Scottish churchman and poet.

The son of James Bonar, Solicitor of Excise for Scotland, he was born and educated in Edinburgh. He comes from a long line of ministers who have served a total of 364 years in the Church of Scotland. One of eleven children, his brothers John James and Andrew Alexander were also ministers of the Free Church of Scotland. He had married Jane Catherine Lundie in 1843 and five of their young children died in succession. Towards the end of their lives, one of their surviving daughters was left a widow with five small children and she returned to live with her parents. Bonar's wife, Jane, died in 1876. He is buried in the Canongate Kirkyard.
In 1853 Bonar earned the Doctor of Divinity degree at the University of Aberdeen.

He entered the Ministry of the Church of Scotland. At first he was put in charge of mission work at St. John's parish in Leith and settled at Kelso. He joined the Free Church at the time of the Disruption of 1843, and in 1867 was moved to Edinburgh to take over the Chalmers Memorial Church (named after his teacher at college, Dr. Thomas Chalmers). In 1883, he was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland.