Love to Christ: Robert Murray M’Cheyne and the Pursuit of Holiness is published by Reformation Heritage Books, and is a part of the “Profiles in Reformed Spirituality” series. This volume is edited and introduced by Jordan Stone, pastor of Redeemer PCA in Texas.
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I greatly enjoyed this little book and its format! The book is small, and it comes in under 150 pages. But not only that, the format of this book makes for a great reading experience.
The first part of this book is on the piety of M’Cheyne (essentially a mini bio of him). That was about 40 pages long. After that, however, each chapter is about 2 pages long. The reason that I enjoyed that is because it can be read in a devotional manner with little nuggets at a time. Apart from the introduction by Stone, the remainder of the book is nothing but sections of M’Cheyne’s own writing, nicely grouped together by topic.
Section One is on the nature of holiness. Section Two is on the foundation of holiness (dealing with the Father’s sovereignty, the Son’s beauty, and the Spirit’s efficacy). Section Three is on the means of holiness (with topics such as holiness through the Word, sacraments, prayer, the Sabbath, etc.). Section Four is on the reward of holiness, and Section Five is on the ministry of holiness (preaching Christ, pastoral piety, and evangelism).
This book is really inexpensive, and for that reason, I would say that Stone’s introduction is worth the price of the book itself. BUT…the remainder of the book is really where the gold is found. Don’t read too fast. Seriously. All you need is two pages at a time. Reflect and wonder at what you read. M’Cheyne has a passion for Christ that is certainly contagious. You will find your affections being stirred up as you read this book. There’s a reason the title is “Love to Christ”. You will also be challenged to pursue holiness for the glory of Christ.
After reading through M’Cheyne’s Memoirs and Remains, I can say that this book is a great format for most Christians. Taking M’Cheyne’s writing in bite sizes is probably the best plan of attack if you’re wanting to benefit from his writings. I can’t recommend this little gem highly enough. Tolle lege, take up and read!
Disclaimer: My thanks to Reformation Heritage Books for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Matt became a joyful follower of Jesus at the age of 21. He is very grateful to be a husband to Lindsey, and a father to four boys. He is an ordained minister (teaching elder) in the PCA. He previously served as a pastor of biblical counseling and is currently a corporate chaplain in southern Delaware. Matt received his Master of Divinity degree in Biblical Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and holds an advanced certification in biblical counseling from the Association of Biblical Counselors. In his free time, he loves playing with his boys, traveling with his wife, and reading (and buying!) books.
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