Letters: Mr. Robert Young Edinburgh (1)
The speaker finds comfort in the promise of Christ's love and the reunion of loved ones in Heaven after the sudden passing of his wife.
Andrew Bonar reflects on the sudden death of his wife, Isabella, expressing deep sorrow and the bewilderment of loss. He shares the comfort found in knowing she leaned on Jesus in her final moments and the hope of reunion in glory. Bonar acknowledges the profound emptiness left behind and the importance of prayer for strength and understanding during this difficult time. He emphasizes the promise that God will take care of those left behind, filling the void left by loved ones.
Text
AFTER MRS. BONAR'S DEATH GLASGOW, 17th Oct. 1864. MY DEAR MR. YOUNG, --This has been an awfully sudden and solemn stroke. All went well till the afternoon of Friday--nothing indeed to startle us till about six o'clock, and in three hours all was over. . . . During the three hours she was at last only half-conscious--no pain at all--but rapid breathing and restlessness. Not long before she passed away I said, 'I know you are leaning on Jesus.' She tried gently to speak, but in vain, and soon the breathing became lower and lower, till she sank, we believe, into the arms of Him who loved her more than any of us ever did, for He gave Himself for her.
It is bewildering still--so sudden. . . .
O how stunning the thought from time to time, 'Isabella gone!' What an awful blank! for there could not be a happier home than she made mine to be. But the Lord has said, 'Them that sleep in Jesus He will bring with Him.' O that the day were come! . . . I know how Mrs. Young will feel. It is the quenching of a long and happy friendship till it be relighted up in Glory. You will both pray for me and mine. We need it--for it would be bitterer still were we to suffer all this in vain. Will you ask that the children may know (and I also) what that means, 'When . . . mother leaves me the Lord will take me up,' --becoming Himself mother in every way, and Himself taking her place to do and to be all.--Yours truly, my dear Mr. Young, ANDREW A.
BONAR.
Sermon Outline
- The Sudden Passing of Mrs. Bonar
- The Comfort of Christ
- The Importance of Faith
- Understanding the promise of Christ's love
- The role of faith in times of sorrow
Key Quotes
“O how stunning the thought from time to time, 'Isabella gone!' What an awful blank!” — Andrew Bonar
“Them that sleep in Jesus He will bring with Him.” — Andrew Bonar
“When . . . mother leaves me the Lord will take me up,” — Andrew Bonar
Application Points
- We can find comfort in the promise of Christ's love during times of grief.
- Faith helps us understand the role of prayer in times of sorrow.
- The promise of reunion with loved ones in Heaven gives us hope in times of loss.