Notes of Sermons

Preached by the Rev. Kenneth Bayne, Gaelic Chapel, Greenock, on Sabbath, 15th October 1818.

(Continued from p. 291.)

“Quench not the Spirit” (I. Thess. v. 19).

[H]E after his ordinary recapitulation was to show more particularly wherein professors of religion quenched the Spirit in His influence and operations. I. He would mention some of the ways in which unconverted persons did so, and II. speak of the ways in which converted persons did so.]

I. Unconverted persons quenched the Spirit in His influences, first by shunning and evading His convictions and operations. [Among other things on this particular head he had the following.] Did we not know that men had built chapels and places of worship for themselves, in order to shun and evade convictions? Did we not know that men had left some places of worship where there were convictions at some times and where the presence of God was at times experienced, but was dreaded by them as something awfully evil and dangerous, and they had gone to other places of worship in order to shun convictions? Did we not know that many go to Sabbath evening schools and to Sabbath evening lectures in order to shun convictions, whereas they ought to be at home in their families, instructing them or meditating upon, or examining themselves by, the things they had been hearing through the former parts of the day? [He made many similar observations, particularly, men evaded convictions], (1) by chasing them away and wasting them as a man would chase away and waste his father or mother (Prov. xix. 26); (2) by a positive hatred of them, as Ahab is said to hate the prophet Micaiah (I. Kings xxii. 8).

1. Unconverted persons quench the Spirit by positive opposition to His influences and convictions. Men opposed convictions by applying the truths that occasioned them to others, and by remaining away from hearing these truths, and by doing what they could to shun them as above.

2. By stifling, smothering, and extinguishing them. This was done by running with carnal company, by reading in carnal books, by worldly and carnal thoughts and businesses, by attending fashionable amusements,

and often by intemperance. Some were convinced it was not with them as formerly, and yet they did not make exertions to be brought back to a former sense of spiritual things, nor did they truly mourn over themselves, but by their lying still in their present condition, stifle these motions of the Spirit so that He left them, and they lost the precious opportunity.

1. By boldly and openly resisting the convictions that had already taken place in their own minds and were fixed there. Such resistance the Jews of old gave to the Holy Spirit mentioned by Stephen in Acts vii. 51.

2. By trusting in their convictions as all the religion they thought necessary. By putting convictions in the place of Jesus Christ and His salvation, and not flying to Him for deliverance from sin.

3. By not cherishing and encouraging these convictions, accounting them a great blessing and so falling in with the design of them.

Application.—1. It was God we had to do with, for the Spirit whom we quenched was the true God. 2. Let us believe that if we resisted God in His strivings with us we need not expect ever to be saved, for there was none stronger to convert us. 3. Let the saints of God cherish His work in them and His workings with them, and let them be thankful.

[In the course of the above discourse, he referred to Pharaoh hardening his heart in Egypt, to the children of Israel hardening their hearts in the wilderness, and to the Jews hardening their hearts during the time Jesus Christ was on earth.]

[22nd Oct. 1820. His design this day was to show in what respects or in what ways some of the real children of God quenched the Spirit, and after his usual recapitulation he said he would first make some remarks in order to the better understanding how it might be said that the saints quenched the Spirit, and he observed] 1. That the Spirit of God was given to believers to dwell and abide in them, so as never to leave them (I. Cor. vi. 19; Roms. viii. 11; John xiv. 16-17). 2. If this is so, then believers can never finally perish—the Spirit of God who is in them will keep them from falling finally and totally—Jesus Christ will lose none of His sheep, they shall never perish, nor shall any pluck them out of His hands. 3. Though this was the case, yet the people of God might fall often and very foully though saved at last. Take, for instance, the cases of Samson and David as to the great sins of their lives, yet

both were saved in the end without doubt, as was clear from Hebs. xi. 4. If it is so that the saints of God may and have fallen so foully, then this is a loud call for watchfulness, for repentance and deep humiliation from the people of God.

The saints quenched the Spirit when they neglected to live under a continual sense of their own weakness and inability of themselves for anything that is good and of their constant dependance on God for all things. This was difficult to learn truly; it required a long time ere the saints came to learn it after much experience. But the more holy a person grew, the more sensible they would be of their own weakness and of their own dependance upon God. The holiest saint in the world would find himself farthest from understanding the full meaning of our Saviour’s words when He said to His disciples—”Without me ye can do nothing.” 2. The people of God quench the Spirit by not watching the movements of the Spirit, by praying and not looking for an answer to their prayers, as Ps. v. 8. This was a denying of the sovereignty of God, who was free to give or withhold these influences as He pleased; therefore, they were to be constantly watched for (2) without watchfulness they could not be thankful to God when He gave these influences, because they would not observe them. (3) Neither could they concur with the Holy Spirit when He visited them unless they watched His movements. (4) It was an insult to the Most High to pray for these influences and not to look for an answer to their prayers.

1. The saints of God quenched the Spirit by not working with God (II. Cor. vi. 1). Some were for working to merit salvation; others were for no work at all, but to trust in God and leave all works to Him. Neither of these was right. We ought to work with God—to be on His side—to do His will in the strength of His grace, and if we were not wanting to ourselves, God would never be wanting to us; and it was because we were wanting to ourselves that He was at any time wanting to us.

2. The saints quenched the Spirit by the omission of duties which the Spirit impressed on our minds to do, and particularly some special duties which, if we missed the present opportunity, might never have it again. Some thought sins of omission less criminal than those of commission, but he thought all were alike criminal, though of different aggravations. For sins of omission were disobedience to the commands of God,

and sins of commission were transgressions of them. We ought constantly to notice and obey these suggestions and impressions of the Holy Spirit in regard to our duties.

1. The people of God quenched the Spirit by committing sins that were opposite and contrary to the will and work of the Spirit. At this time he would conclude by reading two catalogues of sins from which we might see that there could be many discourses were he to enlarge. See Gal. v. 19, and Eph. iv. 25.

Gleanings from Many Fields: The Sinking of the Well.