RO BE RT M URRAY M C CH EY N E D L X N D . D R SM LL . A E A E E IE , “ AUTH OR O F IN TH E HO UR O F SILE NCE ! “ ME N O O V N AN l’ C F TH E C E T, E . But a t my back 1 a lways lzear ’ ' ' ’ ‘ ’ ‘ Tzme s wangea c/za r zot lmr rying m ar Aml yon der a ll bqfore m lie D eser ts (f vast E tern ity . ANDREW MARV ELL LONDON NATIONAL CO UNCI L OF EV ANG ELICAL FREE CH URCHES F. B. M Y M M L LL E . E E O . R , E RIA HA , C THE G O OF GOD L RY , A N D I N M E M O R Y O F R OBE RT MURRAY MCCH E YNE PREFACE T H I S little b o o k may be said to have a double o f parentage . The first suggestion it came from s Dr . F . B . Meyer and tho e associated with him i f in the Co u n c l . o the E nglish Free Churches . s Of They desired to include , in their serie L ea der s o Reviva l f , a volume which should o f M c Che n e m o f treat y and Willia Burns , and that work o f grace in Scotland with which these shining name s are u nbreakably linked ; and they were good enough to ask me to write the volume . s But then , some months afterward , in a curious was t o and quite unexpected way , there sent me W . o f . s S from Mr J ame Macdonald , , E dinburgh , an altogether priceles s box of Mc Ch e yn e manu — his scripts letters to and from family and friends , s notebooks , sermons , and document of different kind I f s . o Mr . Macdonald knew nothing Dr . 1 Th t i n n n e ts t e ts . se s box , wi h co , Mr Macdo ald propo t o give t o th e J e wi sh Com m itte e of th e Un it e d Fre e t n t o b e e s e e in th e L o f Church of Sco la d , pr rv d ibrary th e Ne w e e E n It was t h im Coll g , di burgh . bough by m n f th e f w . m tt n o e o e fro Mr Willia Sco , of Thor hill , s n urvivi g re lative s o f th e Mc Ch e yn e s . A youn ge r broth e r 1X Prefac e ’ Meyer s previous invitation ; a nd it seemed strange that I should have this twofold call t o M h n write about Robert Murray c C e y e . But now I had t o expand somewhat the scope f o the book . I f I were to take advantage o f the treasure - trove Of manuscripts put at my t o disposal , it became evident that I must try portray McCh e yn e n o t only as a leader o f revival but in more personal aspects o f his — s o n character as a , a brother , a friend , and o f o f a minister the Gospel Christ . I fear that this alteration o f plan may have been disappointing o ffice - to the bearers of the Free Church Council , although they have shown themselves exceedingly magnanimous and patient throughout . Yet surely it wo uld have been a pity not to utilize the new material to which I had been given access . o f s I am the debtor also Mis Marjory Bonar , who has helped me very kindly and effectively , allowing me to avail myself of her father ’s memoranda and marginalia , and herself clearing away more than o ne difficulty . o f The illustrations will , I think , be found o f special interest . Some them the reader ’ o f m Mc Ch e n e R e t s t e was m Ada y , ob r fa h r , Willia , who t t o m e an d e t e e . H e s o n e migra e d A rica di d h r had a , ’ n d m e s s te was e n Mc Ch e n e Jam e s ; a Ja daugh r J a y , who Sh t o o e few e s . m e tt . e arri d Mr . Sco , , di d a y ar ago X Prefac e t wh o fo r f o . o owes Mr Macdonald , , the sake ’ M cChe ne s y memory , has taken endless pains n and spared himself o trouble . Others have — t o been drawn with , as it seems me , a beau —b tiful care and skill y Mrs . Struthers , the artist o f W e M ai/ ma that incomparable magazine , g Walea. o f I t is , course , impossible , even with such u t o conspicuo s assistance as I have had , add ’ ’ much t o what is recorded in the M emoze a n a Rem n . ai s . Once for all , Dr Andrew Bonar has limned the features o f his friend ; and he wh o comes after Dr Bonar can only be , like ’ the Arab physician; a picker - up Of learning s crumbs . But I shall be glad if I succeed in sending some new readers t o a biography w hich is , and will always be , a possession o f fo r the heart ; and , the rest , if, in the f o ne o r t wo pages that ollow , I have caught human and homely glimpses o f a white - robed s ai nt . I t has been a wonderful and sacred e t o t c privileg be permit ed , in his entenary year, t o lay a s tone o f re membrance o n Robert ’ Mc h n s c n C e y e ai r . A. S . Felm ae 1 y, 19 3 . CONTENTS CHAPTER I WINTER PASSETH AFTER THE LONG DELAY CHAPTER II THE TRAININ G O F A G OOD HUS BANDMAN CHAPTER III A SOWER WENT FORTH TO SOVV CHAPTER IV IN LABOURS MORE A BUNDANT CHAPTER V THOSE HOLY FIELDS CHAPTER V I TH E N DROP S FROM HEAV EN FE LL ! ! iii Contents CHAPTER V II A P LENTIFUL RAIN AND THE P LENTEOUS HARV EST CHAPTE R V III TO THE E ND 0 ’ THE DAY AND THE LAST LOAD HOME CHAPTER IX AFTERMATH INDEX x iv ILLUSTRATIONS ROBERT MURRAY M c CH E YNE Fr on tzspzeee D ra wn b him s l a n d ou n d in a little ocket Note ook belou m to th e y e f, f p b g g r T r 1 r r a yea 1843 . he Autog aph 3 of a n ea lie d te TO FACE P AG E D AV ID THOMAS M cCH E YNE 16 Fr om a m im a ture ROBERT M c CH E YNE ’s MOTHER Fr om an old photogra ph A ! UARTETTE OF FAMI LY P ORTRAITS Dra wn b Rober t McCh e n e m a n Al um belou m to the ea rs — y y , b g g y tr u rs 2 C b L. S 18 0 18 . o zed A t e 3 3 p y . h ’ P E TE R s H CH D ST. C UR , UNDEE L t rut ers D r a wn by A. S h A D EP UTY AFTER A LONG D AY’S RIDE D W B N R (AN RE A . O A ! D ra wn by Robert McCheyn e in one of h zs Travel Noteb ooks ROBERT M c CH E YNE ’s V ESTRY r L S m h rs D awn by A. t t e CLARENCEFIELD COTTAG E AT RUTHWELL Dra n A L Str ut/le i s w by . S OME FACES OF FRIENDS D ra wn b Ro ert McCh e ne i1z a n Al um belou m to th e ea rs — y b y , b g g y d b A L. trut er 1 18 2 . C z S 83 0 3 op e y . h s V T IN P T ’ H H TH E G RA ES ONE ST. E ER S C URC YARD D r A r u r L. St t s a w n by . he XV ROBERT MURRAY MG CHEYNE C H APT E R I W INTE R PASS ETH AFTE R TH E LO NG D E LAY BETWEEN the Scotland o f the seventeenth century and its succe s s or o f the eighteenth the contrasts are many and notable . M ountains divide them , ” o f . o f and the waste seas Outwardly , the changes the new e ra were entirely fo r the better . Political stability and rest were substituted fo r turmoil and war . Social progress went forward by leaps and bounds . The prosperity and the wealth of the country were vastly increased . B ut religion did not gain ground ; it waned and receded .