Robert Murray M'cheyne Quotes

“The redeemed, through all eternity, will never taste one of the pleasures of sin; yet their happiness is complete. It would be my greatest happiness to be from this moment entirely like them.”
― Bonar, Andrew A., The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“It has always been my aim, and it is my prayer, to have no plans with regard to myself, well assured as I am, that the place where the Saviour sees meet to place me must ever be the best place for me.”
― Bonar, Andrew A., The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“His morning hours were set apart for the nourishment of his own soul; not, however, with the view of laying up a stock of grace for the rest of the day--for manna will corrupt if laid by--but rather with the view of "giving the eye the habit of looking upward all the day, and drawing down gleams from the reconciled countenance." He was sparing in the hours devoted to sleep, and resolutely secured time for devotion before breakfast, although often wearied and exhausted when he laid himself to rest. "A soldier of the cross," was his remark, "must endure hardness.”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“Must not the disease be dangerous, when a tender-hearted surgeon cuts deep into the flesh? How much more when God is the operator,”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“I must never think a sin too small to need immediate application to the blood of Christ.”
― Bonar, Andrew A., The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“while popularity is a snare that few are not caught by, a more subtle and dangerous snare is to be famed for holiness. The fame of being a godly man is as great a snare as the fame of being learned or eloquent. It is possible to attend with scrupulous anxiety even to secret habits of devotion, in order to get a name for holiness.”
― Bonar, Andrew A., The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“From the first he fed others by what he himself was feeding on. His teaching was in a manner the development of his soul's experience. It was a giving out of the inward life.

He loved to come up from the pastures wherein the Chief Shepherd had met him - to lead the flock entrusted to his care to the spots where he found nourishment.”
― Andrew Bonar, Robert Murray M'cheyne

“He himself regarded these as days of ungodliness—days wherein he cherished a pure morality, but lived in heart a Pharisee.”
― Andrew A. Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“Every sin is something away from my greatest enjoyment ... The devil strives night and day to make me forget this or disbelieve it. He says, Why should you not enjoy this pleasure as much as Solomon or David? You may go to heaven also.”
― Andrew A. Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“The interest that this proposed journey excited in Scotland was very great. Nor was it merely the somewhat romantic interest attached to the land where the Lord had done most of His mighty works; there were also in it the deeper feelings of a Scriptural persuasion that Israel was still 'beloved for the fathers' sake.' For some time previous, Jerusalem had come into mind and many godly pastors were standing as watchmen over its ruined walls (Isaiah 62:6), stirring up the Lord's remembrancers. Mr. M'Cheyne had been one of these. His view of the importance of the Jews in the eye of God, and, therefore, of their importance as a sphere of missionary labour, were very clear and decided. ...In his preaching he not infrequently said on this subject, 'We should be like God in His peculiar affections; and the whole Bible shows that God has ever had, and still has, a peculiar love to the Jews.”
― Andrew Bonar;R. M. McCheyne, Robert Murray M'cheyne

“If, however, there be some whose prejudice is from the root of envy, let such hear the remonstrance of Richard Baxter to the jealous ministers of his day. "What! malign Christ in gifts for which He should have the glory, and all because they seem to hinder our glory! Does not every man owe thanks to God for his brethren's gifts, not only as having himself part in them, as the foot has the benefit of the guidance of the eye, but also because his own ends may be attained by his brethren's gifts as well as by his own?... A fearful thing that any man, that hath the least of the fear of God, should so envy at God's gifts, that he would rather his carnal hearers were unconverted, and the drowsy not awakened, than that it should be done by another who may be preferred before them." [17”
― Andrew A. Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne

“His morning hours were set apart for the nourishment of his own soul; not, however, with the view of laying up a stock of grace for the rest of the day--for manna will corrupt if laid by--but rather with the view of "giving the eye the habit of looking upward all the day, and drawing down gleams from the reconciled countenance." He was sparing in the hours devoted to sleep, and resolutely secured time for devotion before breakfast, although often wearied and exhausted when he laid himself to rest. "A soldier of the cross," was his remark, "must endure hardness." Often he sang a psalm of praise, as soon as he arose, to stir up his soul. Three chapters of the Word was his usual morning portion. This he thought little enough, for he delighted exceedingly in the Scriptures: they were better to him than thousands of gold or silver. "When you write," he said to a friend, "tell me the meaning of Scriptures." To another, in expressing his value for the Word, he said, "One gem from that ocean is worth all the pebbles of earthly streams." His chief season of relaxation seemed to be breakfast time. He would come down with a happy countenance and a full soul; and after the sweet season of family prayer, immediately begin forming plans for the day. When he was well, nothing seemed to afford him such true delight as to have his hands full of work. Indeed, it was often remarked that in him you found--what you rarely meet with--a man of high poetic imagination and deep devotion, who nevertheless was engaged unceasingly in the busiest and most laborious activities of his office. His”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“Jeremy Taylor recommends: "If though meanest to enlarge they religion, do it rather by enlarging thine ordinary devotions than thy extraordinary." This advice describes very accurately the plan of spiritual life on which Mr. McCheyne acted. He did occasionally set apart seasons for special prayer and fasting, occupying the time so set apart exclusively in devotion. But the real secret of his soul's prosperity lay in the daily enlargement of his heart in fellowship with his God. And the river deepened as it flowed on to eternity; so that he at least reached the feature of a holy pastor which Paul pointed out to Timothy (4:15): "His profiting did appear to all.: In”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“finished on Friday last. My last appearance there. Life itself is vanishing fast. Make haste for eternity.”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“No man careth for our souls' is written over every forehead. Awake, my soul! Why should I give hours and days any longer to the vain world, when there is such a world of misery at my very door? Lord, put thine own strength in me; confirm every good resolution; forgive my past long life of uselessness and folly." He”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“Why should I give hours and days any longer to the vain world, when there is such a world of misery at my very door? Lord, put thine own strength in me; confirm every good resolution; forgive my past long life of uselessness and folly." He”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“Sabbath-Rose early to seek God, and found Him whom my soul loveth. Who would not rise early to meet such company?”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“conviction of sin is the only true origin of dependence on another's righteousness, and therefore (strange to say!) of the Christian's peace of mind and cheerfulness. "Sept.”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“make way for commissions.”
― Andrew Bonar, The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne

“Are we never afraid that the cries of souls whom we have betrayed to perdition through our want of personal holiness, and our defective preaching of Christ crucified, may ring in our ears forever?”
― Bonar, Andrew A., The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne