There is a wide difference between preaching doctrine and preaching Christ.  Mr. M’Cheyne preached all the doctrines of Scripture as understood by our Confession of Faith, dwelling upon ruin by the Fall, and recovery by the Mediator.  “The things of the human heart, and the things of the Divine Mind,” were in substance his constant theme.  From personal experience of deep temptation, he could lay open the secrets of the heart, so that he once said, “He supposed the reason why some of the worst sinners in Dundee had come to hear him was, because his heart exhibited so much likeness to theirs.”  Still it was not doctrine alone that he preached; it was Christ, from whom all doctrine shoots forth as rays from a centre.  He sought to hang every vessel and flagon upon Him.  “It is strange,” he wrote after preaching on Revelation 1:15:  “It is strange how sweet and precious it is to preach directly about Christ, compared with all other subjects of preaching.”  And he often expressed a dislike of the phrase “giving attention to religion,” because it seemed to substitute doctrine, and a devout way of thinking, for Christ himself.

It is difficult to convey to those who never knew him a correct idea of the sweetness and holy unction of his preaching.  Some of his sermons, printed from his own MSS. (although almost all are first copies), may convey a correct idea of his style and mode of preaching doctrine.  But there are no notes that give any true idea of his affectionate appeals to the heart and searching applications.  These he seldom wrote; they were poured forth at the moment when his heart filled with his subject; for his rule was to set before his hearers a body of truth first,—­and there always was a vast amount of Bible truth in his discourses,—­and then urge home the application.  His exhortations flowed from his doctrine, and thus had both variety and power.  He was systematic in this; for he observed:  “Appeals to the careless, etc., come with power on the back of some massy truth.  See how Paul does (Acts 13:40), ‘Beware, therefore, lest,’ etc., and (Hebrews 2:1), ‘Therefore we should,’” etc.

He was sometimes a little unguarded in his statements, when his heart was deeply moved and his feelings stirred, and sometimes he was too long in his addresses; but this also arose from the fulness of his soul.  “Another word,” he thought, “may be blessed, though the last has made no impression.”

Many will remember forever the blessed Communion Sabbaths that were enjoyed in St. Peter’s.  From the very first these Communion seasons were remarkably owned of God.  The awe of his presence used to be upon his people, and the house filled with the odor of the ointment, when his name was poured forth (Song 1:3).  But on common Sabbaths also many soon began to journey long distances to attend St. Peter’s,—­many from country parishes, who would return home with their hearts burning, as they talked of what they had heard that day.