What do you think?
Rate this book
The Seven Churches of Asia
Robert Murray M'Cheyne was a Scottish Presbyterian minister, best known for his years at St. Peter's Church (in Dundee) before his untimely death at 29 during a typhus epidemic.
His sermons, far too few of which have been preserved, are gems of spiritual earnestness and love for Christ. This volume contains his messages on Christ's words to the seven churches of Asia Minor as related in Revelation 2 and 3 — the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Loadicea.
"Jesus knows your good works too," M'Cheyne reminds us. "Jesus knows your good works too; He knows every cup of water given for His sake; He knows every throb of love in your bosom for Himself — every act of affection to His people, to the brethren. Every believer feels that his own works are nothing, and it is right that he should feel so; every believer looks upon them in this way, because he feels there is so much vileness in everything he does — such a mixture of motives. For instance, if you were to be kind to a stranger, you may have in doing so but one grain of love to Christ, and a hundred grains of other feelings; perhaps love of praise, or a desire to be thought well of. Now I will tell you what Christ does; He sprinkles the hundred grains with His own blood, He forgets them all, and treasures up the one grain of love to Himself, and says unto you, 'I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience.'"
His sermons, far too few of which have been preserved, are gems of spiritual earnestness and love for Christ. This volume contains his messages on Christ's words to the seven churches of Asia Minor as related in Revelation 2 and 3 — the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Loadicea.
"Jesus knows your good works too," M'Cheyne reminds us. "Jesus knows your good works too; He knows every cup of water given for His sake; He knows every throb of love in your bosom for Himself — every act of affection to His people, to the brethren. Every believer feels that his own works are nothing, and it is right that he should feel so; every believer looks upon them in this way, because he feels there is so much vileness in everything he does — such a mixture of motives. For instance, if you were to be kind to a stranger, you may have in doing so but one grain of love to Christ, and a hundred grains of other feelings; perhaps love of praise, or a desire to be thought well of. Now I will tell you what Christ does; He sprinkles the hundred grains with His own blood, He forgets them all, and treasures up the one grain of love to Himself, and says unto you, 'I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience.'"
55 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 31, 1969
4 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Robert Murray M'Cheyne
176 books28 followersRobert Murray M'Cheyne a minister in the Church of Scotland from 1835 to 1843. He was born at Edinburgh, was educated at the University of Edinburgh and at the Divinity Hall of his native city, where he was taught by Thomas Chalmers. He first served as an assistant to John Bonar in the parish of Larbert and Dunipace, near Falkirk, from 1835 to 1838. After this he served as minister of St. Peter's Church (in Dundee) until his early death at the age of 29 during an epidemic of typhus.
Not long after his death, his friend Andrew Alexander Bonar edited his biography which was published with some of his manuscripts as The Memoir and Remains of the Rev. Robert Murray M'Cheyne. The book went into many editions. It has had a lasting influence on Evangelical Christianity worldwide.
In 1839, M'Cheyne and Bonar, together with two older ministers, Dr. Alexander Black and Dr. Alexander Keith, were sent to Palestine on a mission of inquiry to the condition of the Jews. Upon their return, their official report for the Board of Mission of the Church of Scotland was published as Narrative of a Visit to the Holy Land and Mission of Inquiry to the Jews. This led subsequently to the establishment of missions to the Jews by the Church of Scotland and by the Free Church of Scotland. During M'Cheyne's absence, his place was filled by the appointment of William Chalmers Burns to preach at St. Peter's as his assistant.
M'Cheyne was a preacher, a pastor, a poet, and wrote many letters. He was also a man of deep piety and a man of prayer. He never married, but he did have a fiancée at the time of his death, Jessie Thain, who died heartbroken.
M'Cheyne died exactly two months before the Disruption of 1843. This being so, his name was subsequently held in high honour by all the various branches of Scottish Presbyterianism, though he himself held a strong opinion against the Erastianism which led to the Disruption.
M'Cheyne designed a widely used system for reading through the Bible in one year. The plan entails reading the New Testament and the Psalms through twice a year, and the Old Testament through once.
Not long after his death, his friend Andrew Alexander Bonar edited his biography which was published with some of his manuscripts as The Memoir and Remains of the Rev. Robert Murray M'Cheyne. The book went into many editions. It has had a lasting influence on Evangelical Christianity worldwide.
In 1839, M'Cheyne and Bonar, together with two older ministers, Dr. Alexander Black and Dr. Alexander Keith, were sent to Palestine on a mission of inquiry to the condition of the Jews. Upon their return, their official report for the Board of Mission of the Church of Scotland was published as Narrative of a Visit to the Holy Land and Mission of Inquiry to the Jews. This led subsequently to the establishment of missions to the Jews by the Church of Scotland and by the Free Church of Scotland. During M'Cheyne's absence, his place was filled by the appointment of William Chalmers Burns to preach at St. Peter's as his assistant.
M'Cheyne was a preacher, a pastor, a poet, and wrote many letters. He was also a man of deep piety and a man of prayer. He never married, but he did have a fiancée at the time of his death, Jessie Thain, who died heartbroken.
M'Cheyne died exactly two months before the Disruption of 1843. This being so, his name was subsequently held in high honour by all the various branches of Scottish Presbyterianism, though he himself held a strong opinion against the Erastianism which led to the Disruption.
M'Cheyne designed a widely used system for reading through the Bible in one year. The plan entails reading the New Testament and the Psalms through twice a year, and the Old Testament through once.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 3, 2024
A solid look at the letters to the churches in Revelation by a nineteenth century Scot’s preacher .
June 27, 2013
A short, concise, powerful exposition of the letters to the seven churches and how they show us Christ's character, promises and warnings.
November 19, 2017
A soul stirring book, worth going through slowly.
January 5, 2021
A collection of very warm-hearted sermonettes on Rev. 2-3 (letters to the seven churches). Exegesis is sometimes a little lacking, but the expositions and applications are nonetheless edifying. I would recommend this to anyone interested in an easy read through the seven letters.
Read
February 8, 2024Undoubtably a honorable and lovely book, It just wasn’t as heart stirring for me right now as other spiritual works. Perhaps, I can revisit it in a different season and it’ll be more effectual to me. :)
October 19, 2021
a tiny book. but so good. the order to the book highlights the unique addresses to each church.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews