Blessèd night, when first that plain
Echoed with the joyful strain,
“Peace has come to earth again.”
Alleluia!
Blessèd hills, that heard the song,
Of the glorious angel throng
Swelling all your slopes along.
Alleluia!
Happy shepherds, on whose ear
Fell the tidings glad and clear,
“God to man is drawing near.”
Alleluia!
Thus revealed to shepherds’ eyes
Hidden from the great and wise,
Entering earth in lowly guise:
Alleluia!
We adore Thee as our King,
And to Thee our song we sing,
Our best offering to Thee bring,
Alleluia!
Blessèd Babe of Bethlehem,
Owner of earth’s diadem,
Claim and wear the radiant gem
Alleluia!
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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.