BY THE REV. KENNETH BAYNE, GREENOCK.
III.
(Continued from p. 336.)
“Being confident of this very thing that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. i. 6).
[18TH October 1818, Lord’s Day.—Mr Bayne came to the third particular thing, in which he had said the people of God made progress, spiritual comfort and some degree of peace and happiness. After a full recapitulation of his former discourses, he showed that God was the author of all true comfort, as well as, of knowledge and holiness. He mentioned sundry scriptures to prove that the saints grew in comfort, and showed that this growth in comfort would bear proportion to their growth in holiness, and the evidence they had of such growth, and also in proportion to the witness which the Spirit of God bore to it. He then made three preliminary observations in order to prevent mistakes before he came to give the direct sources of comfort.]
I. That we were not to imagine persons did not enjoy the comforts of religion, though they might look grieved or had sorrowful countenances, though they were not always cheerful, laughing, dancing, and rejoicing.
Many thought so, but they judged wrongly. Real, inward joy might be in persons where it did not much appear outwardly.
II. We were not to expect more from religion than it was able to produce.
We were not to expect that in every case it would alter men’s tempers, natural dispositions. . . . We should not imagine that religion would make all melancholy persons of an opposite habit. [He said though melancholy in general was against religion in some respects, yet it was advantageous to it in others, because such persons were, as a rule, more thoughtful than others. They were, also, more ready to be susceptible to impressions, and were more accurate in discernment.]
III. We are not to think because some persons are frequently grieved and sorrowful that they have no spiritual joy or comfort.
Inward spiritual joy is consistent with outward grief and sorrow. Such persons do not consider the causes of the saints’ sorrows. These arise from a sense of the continual operation of sin in themselves—from beholding the practice of sin in others about them and with whom they are connected—from the view they have of sin and of the state of the cause of God in the world. [He said he should not esteem the religion of Glasgow much this day if there were not much sorrow and grief in it on account of the loss to the Church of God in general, and Glasgow in particular, in the death of Dr Balfour on the 13th inst. He then came to mention the positive sources of comfort the people of God had, and showed on each point how they made progress in it, in proportion as they became acquainted with these.]
I. The being of God and His holy providence.
The thought of such a God and of our being in His hand and at His disposal was a ground of comfort.
II. The knowledge of the way of access to and reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ was calculated to give comfort.
III. A sense of being in a justified state before God through faith in Christ was a ground of comfort.
IV. A knowledge that the power and dominion of sin was broken and that many lusts were subdued was so.
V. A well-grounded assurance of salvation was also a ground of comfort.
VI. And the hope of eternal life was so also.
Application
[In the application he exhorted the people of God to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure, and to be steadfast and unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. And then he had a few sentences to such as had no true grounds of comfort. All the particulars were fully illustrated.]
[On the 25th October Mr Bayne had a discourse on Phil. i. 6, in the way of answering a question.] If it was really so that there were so many grounds of comfort and happiness, whence was it that so many of God’s own people lived the most of their time in this world in a mourning, doubting, and comfortless condition? [This he answered in so many particulars. But on account of family affliction on this day I did not hear this discourse, nor did I find any afterwards that could inform me about it.]
[On 15th November, Mr Bayne was still on the former text, Phil. i. 6, and dealt with the saints being perfected in the day of Christ or at the general judgment. He first mentioned some Scriptures proving that they would then be perfected. And then showed, in general, that the perfection of the saints in heaven would consist in their being perfectly freed from all sin and in the perfect exercise of all the faculties and powers of their souls, and of all the graces of the Spirit. On their being freed from all sin he was very full in his illustrations, and showed that the understanding, will, affections, conscience, and memory, would all be perfectly freed from the infirmities and evils which at present was natural to them. And on the other hand he showed how all the powers and gracious affections of the soul and all the graces would be perfected. He then more particularly showed that this state of the saints would consist
(1) in perfect knowledge;
(2) in perfect holiness;
(3) in perfect happiness.
These were all fully illustrated.]
Application
I. We may see from this discourse how unreasonable it is to imagine religion to be a gloomy thing, uncomfortable, and unpleasant. Is not knowledge pleasant? Is not holiness amiable? Is not happiness desirable?
II. See from this subject that heaven must be begun in this present life in some measure, or else it will never be begun. Hell is begun here in part in those who shall finally go to it, and so must heaven, too, be begun in those who are to go there.
III. Make application, then, of this discourse to yourselves, and try to get heaven begun in yourselves now ere it be too late.
[On 22nd November, Mr Bayne continued on the same text. He dealt with the last head, viz., the grounds of the Apostle’s confidence that this good work would be perfected. He mentioned six grounds of confidence.]
I. The being and nature of God.
He is perfect and all His works are perfect. Though God takes time to accomplish His works, it is not for want of ability to perfect them at once.
II. The purposes of God are grounds of confidence (Roms. viii. 28; Eph. i. 3).
III. The design of the work of grace in the people of God was a ground.
IV. The purpose of the coming and work of Jesus Christ.
V. The perfecting of God’s work in believers might be argued from their own prayers.
VI. It was for the glory of God that He should perfect His begun work.
Application
I. There are some in whom the good work has not yet been begun. They have no evidence for it. He appealed to themselves if it was not so, and exhorted them to seek the Lord while He was to be found.
II. There are some who have this good work begun in them and yet are in much doubt about it. They know not if it is so, and are much afraid it is not so. To such he would say the blame is their own—something is wrong, they have been slothful or indolent, or at ease too much, or living in some sin. [He called on such to give all possible diligence to make their calling sure—to add one grace to another—to grow in every grace, to strive to enter in at the strait gate.]
III. There be some who know the good work is begun in them, and they hope for its being perfected in due time. He exhorted such to be thankful—to bless God for it, to persevere, to beware of sin, for it will soon darken your evidences.