Reading
M’Cheyne

I have been tagged in the cyberspace playground twice in the last month…once by my friend Huguenot John and just the other day by my friend Matt at Hot Orthodoxy. At my age, I am “over-the-hill” for playground games. And, as a contrarian I usually do not respond well to the populist concepts of gathering and passing on information. But, I do take this opportunity to respond with what I believe is the most important book I have read that is not inspired by the Holy Spirit.

There are many candidates. Pilgrim’s Progress which gives the most accurate portrait of the Christian life ever written. Redemption Accomplished and Applied, which is the most complete and Biblical account of the atonement around. Knowing God, which clarifies Who God is which is neither mere propositions to be understood nor a bare emotional experience. And, The Sovereignty of God, which is an antidote to the Enlightenment enthronement of man in the place of God.

But for me, Memoirs and Remains of R.M.M’Cheyne by Andrew Bonar is the most influential book. It is a biography of an outstanding Scottish divine who died before his 30th birthday! Yet what he accomplished in God’s Name in his short life is stunning. The book contains a biography, memorials spoken of him at his death, letters written to his parishioners, sermons, sermon outlines, Songs of Zion he wrote and his Bible Reading Calendar. This is a Christian treasure trove. When I am struggling I often return to his letters for comfort and I use them as comfort for others. I look for sermons of his when I have a question on a passage of Scripture. And, the Bible Reading Calendar is used by millions, from public figures I know to spiritual children of mine.

This book will challenge you. It will cause you to examine your life. Murray M’Cheyne gives us a glimpse of what God can do with a life that is separated unto Him. That can be me, that can be you, but it requires a commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Are you ready to be used by Him? This book will prepare you for that by being a wonderful example of that. So, I am not tagging anyone but challenging everyone who reads this, as you trek to the Celestial City because of the salvation accomplished by Christ and applied to you by the Holy Spirit and as you understand, experience, love and serve the sovereign Triune God of the universe, be used of and by Him so that as the Holy Spirit conforms you more and more to the image of Christ, folks will see in you what is seen in the life of Robert Murray M”Cheyne. You’re it!