His brief ministry of seven-and-a-half years ‘stamped an indelible impress on Scotland,’ and though he died in his twenty-ninth year, more was wrought by him that will last for eternity than most accomplish in a lifetime. If we could summon but one life from the past, the lessons of which would apply most directly to this slothful and careless generation, perhaps it would be the life of Robert McCheyne. After his death, a fellow minister wrote, “Indolence and levity and unfaithfulness are sins that beset me; and his living presence was a rebuke to all these, for I never knew one so instant in season and out of season, so impressed with the invisible realities, and so faithful in reproving sin and witnessing for Christ.”

McCheyne was known for his emphasis on personal holiness. Writing to a fellow minister, he said, “Above all things, cultivate your own spirit. Your own soul is your first and greatest care. Seek advance of personal holiness. 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.”

“It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus.”

McCheyne was also ever concerned to deepen his ministry by continual study. “Few,” says Andrew Bonar (his biographer), have maintained such an “undecaying esteem for the advantages of study”. Though always conscious that souls were perishing every day, he never fell into the error of thinking that a minister’s main work consists of outward activity. “The great fault I find with this generation is that they cry that ministers should be more in public; they think that it is an easy thing to interpret the Word of God, and to preach. But a minister’s duty is not so much public as private.”

In his last year at St. Peter’s (the church he ministered in) we find him preaching with terrible clearness on the eternal punishment of the unconverted. He ever dreaded the reproach a dying woman addressed to John Newton – “You often spoke to me of Christ; but oh you did not tell me enough about my danger.” “Brethren,” McCheyne warned fellow ministers, our people “will not thank us in eternity for speaking smooth things, and crying Peace, peace, when there is no peace. No, they may praise us now, but they will curse our flattery in eternity.”

Robert Murray McCheyne died on Saturday, March 25th, 1843, seven years after his ministry began. “Live for eternity. A few days more and our journey is done.” The truth, he had so often preached was accomplished. His desire was fulfilled – “Oh to be like Jesus, and with Him to all eternity!”

The attitude of a man to the Scriptures is indicative of the state of his soul before God. The language of the Christian is, “O how I love thy Law.” Believers, like Joshua, are commanded to search and meditate in this Book day and night (Joshua 1:8), but those who fail to tremble at the authority of this Word (Isaiah 66:2), and carelessly despise its divine origin, “shall be destroyed.” (Prov. 13:13). Judge the state of your soul by whether you have learned this fear of God, and His Word.

From THE BANNER OF TRUTH MAGAZINE 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION   (my current “devotional” volume for reading)