Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s holy life was legendary in his century. Spurgeon counted him among the “best and holiest men,” and good Bishop Ryle listed him as one of the “holiest men of modern times.”

His holiness had a direct effect on the power of his preaching. John Shearer points this out in his work Old Time Revivals by saying,

M’Cheyne was himself his greatest sermon, and here is the secret of his success. He walked with God in the beauty of holiness. Our Lord’s presence seemed to envelop him, diffusing a holy aroma. His very manner, his bearing as if a man standing in God’s presence, was often the means of awakening indifferent sinners, so that men who could not remember a word he said found themselves with an unforgettable impression that God had drawn very near to them. – Quoted in Beaty, An All-Surpassing Fellowship, 27-28.

Pastor, pray and labor for this kind of holiness. May you shine and burn in the adornment of godliness when you ascend to the sacred desk this weekend.