Robert Murray McCheyne’s Diary Entries

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“Two things that defile this day in looking back are love of praise running through all and consenting to listen to worldly talk at all.  Oh that these may keep me humble and be my burden, leading me to the cross.  Then, Satan, thou wilt be outwitted.”

“When I was laid aside from the ministry, I used often to say, ‘Now God is teaching me the use of prayer.’  I thought I would never forget the lesson, yet I fear I have grown slack again when in the midst of my work.”

“Private meditation exchanged for conversation.  Here is the root of all evil―forsake God, and He forsakes us.”

“Sabbath―very happy in my work.  Too little prayer in the morning.  Must try to get early to bed on Saturday, that I may ‘rise a great while before day.’” “Rose early to seek God, and found Him Whom my soul loveth.  Who would not rise early to meet such company?” ―How They Prayed, page 52.

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A Place to Pray

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It came to my heart with a lesson,
As the day was beginning to dawn,
As the day, with its cares and trials
And its blessings, was drawing on,

How Jesus, the world’s Redeemer,
Arose before it was day,
And, feeling His human weakness
Found in secret a place to pray.

Not even the three disciples
Who followed the Lord the best,
Were there in His sanctuary;
They slumbered as did the rest,

And only the stars of heaven
With, perchance, the silvery moon,
Looked down upon their Creator,
Who would suffer and die so soon.

If Jesus, the King of glory,
Commander of hosts on high,
Must petition for daily succor,
What about such a worm as I?

I rest at ease in the morning,
Before me a puzzling day;
I know not how I shall meet it;
But my Savior arose to pray.  

How foolish our human blindness!
How hard are our hearts of stone!
Why rise we not in the morning,
And pray to our God alone?

There’s help for the daily duties,
And spiritual strength and power,
There’s victory for the conflict,
To be gained in the morning hour.

If we walk in the Master’s footsteps,
And follow the path He trod,
We must find, in the early morning,
A quiet place with God.

We must pour out our heart before Him,
And let Him into the life,
If we ever shall be the winner
Of victory over strife.

                            ―Minnie Embree Parker.
―In Biblical Evangelist.

Barclay Buxton, leader of the Japan Evangelistic Band, wrote to his Christian workers and converts:  “Do you rise early?  None of us ought to be in bed after six, so that we may have at least one quiet hour with God for prayer and reading of His Word before we meet others, and the day’s work begins.  At special times we must get more―but no Christian can afford to take less than that.”

Pour Thyself through Me

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Spirit of the living God, pray Thy mind through me;
Nothing less than Spirit-power do I ask of Thee.
Purge me, urge me, guide me, hide me—
Spirit of the living God, pray Thy mind through me.

Power of the eternal God, flow Thy power through me;
Holy, Pentecostal power do I ask of Thee.
Lowly, holy, for Thy glory—
Power of the eternal God, flow Thy power through me.

Mercy of the living God, channel love through me;
Nothing less than Calvary love meets the need for me.
Love that’s burning, love that’s yearning—
Mercy of the living God, channel love through me.

Grace of God, eternal grace, reach the lost through me;
Tenderness for every race do I ask of Thee.
Love them, lift them, reach them, teach them—
Grace of God, eternal grace, reach the lost through me.

Life of God, eternal life, pour Thyself through me;
Nothing less than Thine own life do I ask of Thee.
Life compelling, life that’s telling—
Life of God, eternal life, pour Thyself through me.

—Heart Breathings, Leonard Ravenhill.

As Different As Chalk Is from Cheese: They Knew Their God Vol.6

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As Different As Chalk Is from Cheese: They Knew Their God Vol.6

Continuing our study into the variety of characters cited in the series, They Knew Their God, here is Volume 6, noting, as with Volume One, the nationality, denomination, vocation, and the century in which they were born as relating to each character.

 

Volume 5: 14 characters described in 14 sketches.  

Nationality: 1 Syrian, 4 Scots, 5 English, 3 American, 1 German.

Century: 1 from 4th century, 7 from 18th century; 5 from 19th century, 1 20th century.

Denomination:  1 RC, 4 Anglican, 1 Lutheran, 1 CIM (China Inland Mission), 3 Presbyterian, 1 Baptist, 1 Salvation Army.

Vocation—original and final.  

Church Father/bishop/author

Cowherd/teacher—minister, commentator

Anglican vicar/advisor/author

Missionary pioneer

Student/prayer-warrior

Academy Principal—minister

Cooper/itinerant preacher

Missionary

Dentist—missionary

Housewife—missionary

Politician/abolitionist/reformer

Preacher/temperance advocate/abolitionist

Pastor/exorcist

Lawyer—preacher/intercessor/author.

 

Sex: 2 women. 12 men

As Different As Chalk Is from Cheese: They Knew Their God Vol. 5

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As Different As Chalk Is from Cheese: They Knew Their God Vol. 5

Continuing our study into the variety of characters cited in the series, They Knew Their God, here is Volume 5, noting, as with Volume One, the nationality, denomination, vocation, and the century in which they were born as relating to each character.

 

Volume 5:12 characters described in 12 sketches.  

Nationality: 1 Welsh, 1 Spanish,  6  English, 1 Scots, 1 Canadian,  1 Swiss, 1 French,

Century: 1 from 16th century; 2 from 17th, 3 from 18th century; 6 from 19th century.

Denomination:  1 RC, 4 Anglican, 1 Lutheran, 1 CIM (China Inland Mission), 3 Presbyterian, 1 Baptist, 1 Salvation Army.

Vocation—original and final.  

Nobleman/public orator—Anglican vicar/poet

Nobleman/R.C. priest

Tutor/chaplain/Anglican curate/author

Tutor—Anglican vicar/author

Philanthropist/deaconess

Scholar—missionary/minister/philanthropist

Bank clerk—missionary

Minister/poet

Missionary pioneer

Housewife/missionary/author

Salvation Army officer/soul-winner

Minister/author

 

Sex: 3 women, 9 men.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Different As Chalk Is from Cheese: They Knew Their God Vol. 4

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As Different As Chalk Is from Cheese: They Knew Their God Vol. 4

Continuing our study into the variety of characters cited in the series, They Knew Their God, here is Volume 4, noting, as with previous volumes, the nationality, denomination, vocation, and the century in which they were born as relating to each character.

 

Volume 4. 13 characters described in 12 sketches.  

Nationality: 3 American, 6 English, 1 Irish, 2 German, 1 Finish,

Century: 2 from 17th century; 3 from 18th century; 8 from 19th century.

Denomination: 2 Anglican, 3 Methodist, 1 RC/Lutheran, 1 Presbyterian, 5 inter-denominational, 1 Plymouth Brethren.

 Vocation—original and final.  

Anglican vicar.

Anglican vicar—Bible commentator

Methodist itinerant preacher

Hostess

Scholar—Christian theologian and pastor

Farmer—missionary

Homemaker/prayer warrior

Nobleman—missionary/philanthropist

Dr. of philosophy—evangelist/prison reformer

Businessman/manufacturer/philanthropist/home missionary

Homemaker/Sunday School teacher/home missionary

Noblewoman—prison reformer

Trainer of missionaries

 

Sex: 5 women; 8 men.

 

 

 

 

 

As Different As Chalk Is from Cheese: They Knew Their God Vol. 3

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As Different As Chalk Is from Cheese: They Knew Their God Vol. 3

Continuing our study into the variety of characters cited in the series, They Knew Their God, here is Volume 3, noting, as with previous volumes, the nationality, denomination, vocation, and the century in which they were born as relating to each character.

 

Volume 2. 13 characters described in 13 sketches.  

Nationality: 2 French, 8 English, 2 Scots.

Century: 1 from 17th century; 5 from 18th century; 7from 19th century.

Denomination: 1 RC, 1 Quaker, 2 Baptist, 3 Methodist, 1 SA, 1 Faith Mission, 2 inter-denominational, 2 Anglican.

Vocation—original and final.  

Nobleman—philanthropist

Nobleman—itinerant evangelist

2 Ministers/prayer-warriors

Prayer-warrior

Brick-layer/colporteur

Salvation Army colonel

Founder of the Faith Mission/Bible School Director

Preacher/author/chaplain

Secretary—editor

Vicar/Bible expositor

Missionary/nurse

Minister—bishop

 

Sex: 3 women; 10 men.

 

 

 

 

North Carolina Flooding

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Thanks to Hurricane Florence, flooding is on most of our minds just now. Evidently, however, flooding in North Carolina has been happening for a very long time. In the children’s book, Asking Father, we read of how God used a flood to answer prayer!  Many years ago, a group of believers wanted to build a church in downtown Swan Quarter, NC.  but the owner of the  building lot refused to sell it to them because he knew a business would be willing to pay more money.  The believers reluctantly built their wooden, whiteboard Church on the edge of town. During a flash flood, however, this little building was lifted from its foundations. It floated downtown, landing on the disputed building site. The owner acknowledged the hand of God in this situation and let the church remain.  Asking Father contains other encouraging stories of answered prayer, written especially for children.

As Different As Chalk Is from Cheese: They Knew Their God Vol. 2

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As Different As Chalk Is from Cheese: They Knew Their God Vol. 2

Continuing our study into the variety of characters cited in the series, They Knew Their God, here is Volume 2, noting, as with Volume One, the nationality, denomination, vocation, and the century in which they were born as relating to each character.

 

Volume 2. 20 characters described in 17 sketches.  

Nationality: 1 Latvian, 1 German, 1 Chinese, 3 Irish, I Welsh, 3 Scots, 3 English, and 7 American.

Century: 1 from 17th century; 2 from 18th century; 15 from 19th century; 2 from 20th century.

Denomination:  1 Baptist, 1 Pietist, 3 CIM (China Inland Mission), 1 YWCA, 2 Quaker, 3 Methodist, 2 Anglican, 2 Presbyterian, 3 AEB (Africa Evangelistic Band), 1 JEB (Japan Evangelistic Band, 1 Christian Brethren.

Vocation—original and final.  

Anglican curate

Author and hymn-writer

Book-keeper—traveling Quaker evangelist and philanthropist

3 Deaconesses

Farmer—Methodist bishop

Homemaker—author, and preacher

6 Missionary pastors/evangelists

2 Pastors/authors

Philosophy professor—Quaker mystic.

Presbyterian minister

Ribbon weaver —Pietist recluse

Scholar— pastor

 

Sex: 7 women; 13 men.

 

 

 

As Different As Chalk is From Cheese: They Knew Their God Vol. 1

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As Different As Chalk Is from Cheese

They Knew Their God Vol. 1

One thing that hits you as you begin to read any of the books in the They Knew Their God series is how varied the stories are. I thought it might be an interesting study to note the nationality, denomination, vocation, and the century in which they were born as relating to each character, using a different blog for each volume.

Volume 1. 18 characters described in 18 sketches. 

Nationality: 2 Swiss; 2 German; 1 Welsh; 6 English; 5 American; 1 Irish; 1 African.

Century of Birth: 1 13thcentury; 1 14th century; 4 18th century; 12 19th century.

Denomination: 2RC; 1 Baptist; 6 Methodist; 1 Reformed; 1 Christian Brethren; 1 Quaker;

1 A .M. B. (Algiers Mission Band); 1 S.A; 1 Presbyterian; 2 non-denominational; 1 S. I. M. (Sudan Interior Mission).

Vocation—original and final:

African prince—student preacher

Army sergeant—philanthropist/pastor/divine

Artist—missionary pioneer/author

Bible teacher

Home-maker/evangelist

Lawyer—preacher/counselor/Bible teacher

Merchant—lay preacher/mystic/martyr

Merchant—preacher

Minister

Missionary pioneer

Missionary/prayer-warrior

Noblewoman—deaconess

2 Preachers/evangelists

A. Colonel/preacher/writer

Scholar—mystic/preacher/author/divine

Servant-girl—prayer-warrior

Teacher—Christian educator

Sex: 7 women; 13 men.