The Piety of Robert Murray M’Cheyne: Reflected in his Life and Ministry

The personal history of Robert Murray M’Cheyne has been recorded for the Church in the famous biography by Andrew Bonar.  These memoirs detail the life of Rev. M’Cheyne and show what made him a great preacher of God, and how he was used by God for the furthering of His Kingdom in Scotland.  The most significant aspect of M’Cheyne’s life that stands out is his personal piety.  He reflected this in every aspect of his life.  Preachers of today can learn much from M’Cheyne’s personal life in a day when personal holiness for preachers and pastors is at a premium as they struggle with conformity to the world.  M’Cheyne’s godly example provides a healthy antidote to the competition of a world that seeks to encroach on a minister’s life, study and pulpit.  He stands as one of the most powerful figures in history. He was a man who walked day-by-day with his God, sought the eternal welfare of his people with tears and combined these two in a passionate ministry pleading for people to repent and be reconciled to God because their souls were at stake.  This paper then seeks to examine how M’Cheyne’s personal piety was reflected in his preaching and how that might offer encouragement to men who struggle in the milieu of 21^st century ministry.

The paper is by Maarten Kuivenhoven, a pastor of Heritage Netherlands Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is currently a Th.M. student at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary where he received his M.Div. degree.  He is married to Jennifer and has two children.

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