AN ALL-SURPASSING FELLOWSHIP
Learning from Murray M’Cheyne’s communion
with God
By David P Beaty
Reformation Heritage Books. 164 pages.
£9.24
ISBN 978 1 601 783 158
M‘Cheyne died in 1845 aged 29 after seven years of ministry, but his influence on evangelicalism has been huge.
It ‘flows from the depth and vibrancy of his walk with God. His love for Jesus overflowed in a life of holiness and humility that was evident to those who knew him or heard him preach.’ Beaty examines his communion with God – his prayer life, Bible study and pursuit of holiness – with a view towards application: ‘learning from him the attitudes and actions that can help us walk more closely with Christ’. In Part 1 he gives a brief overview of M’Cheyne’s life, in Part 2 he focuses on his communion with God and in Part 3 he applies the lessons to our own lives.
The brief biography is a helpful, concise summary of M’Cheyne’s life and ministry. However, as with many biographies, I would like to have heard more of his weaknesses and struggles and seen more emphasis given to God’s work in and through M’Cheyne and so on His glory.
Love for God
The section on M’Cheyne’s communion with God looks at his love for God, which motivated his commitment to time alone with him in study of his word and prayer, his joyful pursuit of personal holiness, his focus on eternity and passion for evangelism and his reliance on the Holy Spirit. M‘Cheyne’s Bible-reading plan is well-known; his approach to prayer outlined in this section is equally helpful. Perhaps the weakness of this section of the book is its focus on individualism and the lack of consideration of M’Cheyne’s understanding of the role of the body of Christ in his spiritual life.
The book is deeply challenging to our often casual attitude to our relationship with God and the lack of priority we give to it. However, M’Cheyne was clearly a singularly-gifted man, and one who didn’t marry and whose adult life was spent in full-time ministry. These things set him apart from most who will read this book, who are not academically exceptional and much of whose time is rightly taken up with the responsibilities of secular work and family concerns. Many people may therefore feel discouraged as much as challenged by the application section. It would be helpful to have more on how we can apply M’Cheyne’s principles and practices in the midst of our 21st-century daily lives. And although Beaty begins the application section with a chapter on the importance of dwelling on the gospel and the Holy Spirit’s work, the danger is that we will focus on the things we should be doing rather than on growing in the love for Christ which will motivate them.
