Thursday, May 24, 2007

Robert Murray M'Cheyne


Robert Murray M'Cheyne is one of those vibrant, Spirit-empowered preachers from the past whose writings I cherish and whose ministry had far-reaching impact.

Perhaps his best known quote is one that I wish I could recall when God seems far away and the heavens seem like brass.

Here it is:

"If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He IS praying for me!" - Robert Murray M'Cheyne

Let's not forget that fact. He is always interceding for us, His beloved!


Here's a quote about M'Cheyne and a few other statements by him:

"No Christian can read the biography or the writings of Robert Murray M'Cheyne without realizing that the true measure of life is not its length, but its usefullness. He ministered but a short seven and a half years and died at the age of 29, yet the fruitfulness of that brief life remains to this day. Nor does the amount of our activity or our words reflect the true value of our life. M'Cheyne left notes of only some 300 sermons when he died in 1843, but his own counsel to a fellow minister explains why these sermons brought such abundant blessing, not only to 'the noisy mechanics and political weavers' of Dundee but, later, to all parts of the English-speaking world."

Here's that wise counsel to fellow ministers:

"Get your texts from God - your thoughts, your words, from God... It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God. A word spoken by you when your conscience is clear, and your heart full of God's Spirit, is worth ten thousand words spoken in unbelief and sin."

"Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them." - Hebrews 7:25 (NIV)

"...Christ Jesus...is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." - Romans 8:34 (NIV)

2 comments:

  1. Dear Pilgrim David.
    For the last hour i have been reading the online biography of Mr. M'Cheyne and how good it is!

    I always enjoy to hear how a person was saved and I was not disappointed in reading his story of salvation.

    The first time that it really struck him was in the death of his beloved brother who was only 26.
    These are some lines that I really enjoyed...Quote.."There can be no doubt that he, himself, looked upon the death of his eldest brother, David, as the event which awoke him from the sleep of nature, and brought the first beam of divine light into his soul.
    By that providence, the Lord was calling one soul to enjoy the treasures of grace, while He took the other into the possession of glory."

    So nice David.

    He wrote so many great poems too!

    It will take a lot more than one hour to read the book and they allow you to download it, so I just might do that!!
    That way I can put it on my lap top and read it anytime!

    Thanks for such a great post!..From Pigrim Pal, Terry

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  2. I first heard of M'Cheyne in quotes included in a book by EM Bounds, "Preacher and Prayer". Since then I found some material about him.

    His advice to, "Get your texts from God" is the best that any one could give or receive.

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