Transcript Robert Murray M‘Cheyne (1813 – 1843)

Robert Murray M‘Cheyne
(1813 – 1843)
Minister of St. Peter’s Church,
Dundee, Scotland
An illustrated talk by David F Haslam for the Lent Course
St Mary’s Church, Cheadle - 2005 March 9
Robert Murray M‘Cheyne
Ever yours till glory
Robt Murray M‘Cheyne.
Memoir and Remains….
Written & compiled by Andrew A Bonar
– First published in 1843
– Contents:
Biographical memoir (6 chapters)
M‘Cheyne’s letters (61)
M‘Cheyne’s sermons (28)
Sermon outlines (7)
Lectures (2)
Previously published items (11)
Songs of Zion (14)
– Banner of Truth edition 1973 still available
Resurgent interest in M‘Cheyne
Biography:
Constrained by His Love
– translation of
(Leen J van Valen)
Gedreven door Zijn Liefde
Awakening
(David A Robertson)
Sermons:
From the Preacher’s Heart
The Passionate Preacher
Old Testament Sermons
New Testament Sermons
Sermons on Hebrews
(CFP)
(CFP)
(BoT)
(BoT)
(BoT)
M‘Cheyne timeline (1)
1813 born Edinburgh
– Adam M‘Cheyne
– Lockhart Murray Dickson
1821 Old High School
1827 University
– Classical education
1828 his brother dies
– David Thomas M‘Cheyne
1831 Divinity Hall
– Thomas Chalmers
– Learns Hebrew
1835 July
– Licensed to preach
Presbytery of Annan
1835 November
– Assistant to John Bonar
Larbert & Dunipace
1836 November
– Ordained as the minister
of St. Peter’s Church of
Scotland, Dundee
1837 pens the hymn
– I am a debtor
St Peter’s Church, Dundee
St Peter’s Church
M‘Cheyne’s pulpit
M‘Cheyne timeline (2)
1838 December
– Becomes seriously ill
moves to Edinburgh
to recuperate
1839 January
– 1st Pastoral Letter
1839 April
– Missionary journey
Palestine & the Jews
– Deputy at St Peter’s
William Chalmers Burns
Mission of Inquiry
1.
2.
3.
4.
Alexander Black
Alexander Keith
Robert M‘Cheyne
Andrew Bonar
Route out
France
Italy
Malta
Egypt
Palestine
Mission of Inquiry to the Jews
Places they visit
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Jerusalem
Bethlehem
Hebron
Bethany
Gibeon
Sychem
Samaria
Carmel
Beyrout (Beirut)
Further places
– SyroPhoenecia
– Galilee
Return journey
Bouja (nr. Smyrna)
– M‘Cheyne’s fever
Constantinople
Wallachia
Moldavia
Austrian Poland
Prussia & Hamburg
Revival in Scotland
1839 revival begins
– W C Burns preaches
Kilsyth
Dundee
– Wonderful work of God
1840 revival proceeds
– M‘Cheyne & Burns
Dundee
Carse of Gowrie
1840 June 11
– Another Lily Gathered
James Lang d aged 11
1841 December 18
– Sermon
I love the Lord’s Day
1842 December 30
– Bible reading calendar
Daily Bread
Mission of Discovery
Republished 1996 (Christian Focus)
– The Beginnings of Modern Jewish Evangelism
– The Journal of Bonar & McCheyne’s
Mission of Inquiry…, (1842).
Detailed account of their
– Visits to synagogues in Europe & Palestine
– Conversations with the Jews they met
M‘Cheyne travels extensively in Britain & Ireland
– not only as an evangelist, but also to urge the
importance of preaching the gospel “To the Jew first”
– sermon “Our duty to Israel” (Romans 1:16)
First preached 1839 November 17.
M‘Cheyne’s death & after
1843 March 25
– dies in Dundee
Typhus epidemic
March 30
– Funeral at St. Peter’s
Andrew Bonar
preaches
– Burial in graveyard
all Scotland mourns
May 18
– “The Disruption”
1843 December
– Memoir & Remains
1846
– Additional Remains
1848 May
– Familiar Letters
M‘Cheyne’s grave & memorial
M‘Cheyne’s grave
The inscription
Robert Murray M‘Cheyne
Winsomeness
Spirituality
– Quotations
Memorable words
Lengthier passages
Holy affections
– Self-examination
Friendships
– “Of Common Ilk”
Read widely
– Great writers of the past
Sermons
– Many in print
Translations
– Example
Doctrine &
Application
Poetry
Though Baxter’s lips…
Experiential Calvinism
– Westminster standards
– Theory and practice
‘The making of a Man of God’
1993 EL lecture by John J Murray
– What can we learn from M‘Cheyne?
Four lessons for preachers:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Our first need as ministers is to be men of God
We need to know what to preach
We need to know the end of preaching
We need to recover the right method of preaching
The free offer of the Gospel
–
M‘Cheyne the Calvinist urges all to enter in:
men, women & children
Some final observations
Best book to give to a charismatic?
– Andrew Bonar’s “Robert Murray M‘Cheyne”
Remark by Geoffrey Thomas of Aberystwyth
– A worthy role model even for today
Contrast between two Scottish preachers
– Edward Irving (1792 – 1834)
– Robert Murray M‘Cheyne (1813 - 1843)
For further information
See my web-pages on M‘Cheyne
– http://web.ukonline.co.uk/d.haslam/m-cheyne.htm
Sermons & lectures on-line
Books
– Some on-line books or on-line extracts from books
– Comprehensive bibliography - both in print & out of print titles
Articles
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On-line at my own web-site
Elsewhere on the world wide web
Published in various journals
Recorded talks and CD-ROMs
‘Songs of Zion’ & ‘Daily Bread’
and lot’s more as well…….