Thanks for sharing God's truth. Me too learnt that we serve the God who embraces us regardless of who we are.

We serve God who is able to work beyond our expectations.

Be blessed.

I also love the verse not mentioned above:-

2 When I hear the wicked call

on the rocks and hills to fall,

when I see them start and shrink

on the fiery deluge brink,

then, Lord, shall I fully know,

not till then, how much I owe

It is the reality of Hell that brings home the true extent of God's mercy & grace towards us....

I love the last stanza not shown above:

4 Chosen not for good in me,

Wakened up from wrath to flee;

Hidden in the Savior’s side;

By the Spirit sanctified;

Teach me, Lord, on earth to show,

By my love, how much I owe.

We simply need to use our time loving the Lord, building up of the body, as preparation of the bride...

Thank you for depth of insightful information which has lifted my prayer & hymn life to include this man of God, alongside such saints as Tyndale, Wycliffe, Cranmer, Ridley etc as well as those that die unknown.

God bless all your efforts on His behalf.

Robert Murray McCheyne had a Godly older brother, David. Robert took to the world having loved the froth and the tinsel. One night when he went home and heard his brother agonizing in prayer for him, he asked, "Am I that bad, Davie?" ...

David was 8 years older than Robert. His health was poor. At 18, Robert enrolled at Edinburgh University. He won award after award. It was in that year that David passed away. Robert was heartbroken, but he was never to be the same. He began to seek the Lord as his Savior. Shortly after finding the Savior, Robert wrote his first hymn, "Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our Righteousness". (You can find it on YouTube.) It is a personal testimony to his conversion, and to his having rested on his own righteousness until awakened by the fervent prayers of an elder brother.

He excelled in art and languages, math and theology. At 23 he began his famous ministry at St Peter's church in Dundee, Scotland. After 3 years his congregation often numbered over 2,000 and many were seeking the Lord.

He was only 29 when he died due to ministering to the sick and dying of a Typhus epidemic. His friend, Andrew Bonar, has engraved him on the pages that belong to the ages. It is one of the finest biographies of a man of God ever written.

A visitor who went to St. Peter's Church many years later found a sexton there who had known McCheyne. The young clergyman visitor said he wanted to know everything he could about McCheyne.

The old sexton took the young man into the study. There were books which had belonged to McCheyne still lying on the desk. The sexton said, "Now sit down in his chair. Now, put your elbows on the table. Now, put your head in your hands, so. Now, let the tears flow. That was the way Mr. McCheyne used to do."

Those who knew him said it was not what he said to them that put them under conviction. It was that he looked, or appeared to them to be standing in the immediate presence of the Most High God. When he prayed he seemed to be looking into the very eyes of his God and talking to Him face to face. - "Hymn Stories" by Wilbur Konkel

This verses of this hymn are actually an abbreviation of McChenyne's 1837 Poem called "I am Debtor."

The entire beautiful poem is as follows:

When this passing world is done,

When has sunk yon glaring sun,

When we stand with Christ in glory,

Looking o'er life's finished story,

Then, Lord, shall I fully know -

Not till then - how much I owe.

When I hear the wicked call

On the rocks and hills to fall,

When I see them start and shrink

On the fiery deluge brink, -

Then, Lord, shall I fully know -

Not till then - how much I owe.

When I stand before the throne,

Dressed in beauty not my own,

When I see thee as thou art,

Love thee with unsinning heart,

Then, Lord, shall I fully know -

Not till then - how much I owe.

When the praise of heav'n I hear,

Loud as thunder to the ear,

Loud as many water's noise,

Sweet as harp's melodious voice,

Then, Lord, shall I fully know -

Not till then - how much I owe.

Even on earth, as through a glass

Darkly, let Thy glory pass,

Make forgiveness feel so sweet,

Make Thy Spirit's help so meet,

Even on earth, Lord, make me know

Something of how much I owe.

Chosen not for good in me,

Wakened up from wrath to flee,

Hidden in the Saviour's side,

By the Spirit sanctified,

Teach me, Lord, on earth to show,

By my love, how much I owe.

Oft I walk beneath the cloud,

Dark, as midnight's gloomy shroud;

But, when fear is at the height,

Jesus comes, and all is light;

Blessed Jesus! bid me show

Doubting saints how much I owe.

When in flowery paths I tread,

Oft by sin I'm captive led;

Oft I fall - but still arise -

The Spirit comes - the tempter flies;

Blessed Spirit! bid me show

Weary sinners all I owe.

Oft the nights of sorrow reign -

Weeping, sickness, sighing, pain;

But a night Thine anger burns -

Morning comes and joy returns;

God of comforts! bid me show

To Thy poor, how much I owe.

Thank You for the music and the rest of the words to Robert Murray McCheyne's great song, "When This Passing World Is Done"! I have known only the 2nd verse, which is far and away my favorite hymn-verse of all time. I never heard or knew the tune, and now I have both the sheet music AND a MIDI file to listen to. I am sure our music director will want to teach this great old song to our congregation.

May God's richest blessings be yours!

C"R"B

Here is the 4th verse:

Chosen not for good in me, wakened up from wrath to flee , Hidden in the Savior's side, By the Spirit sanctified; Teach Me,Lord, on earth to show, By my love how much I owe.