January/February 1967 | Assembly Testimony Magazine

LONG before the time the hall was seated to capacity, with many standing, and others unable to get in. It was estimated that five hundred people were inside the building, when Mr. J. K. Duff announced the opening hymn at 1.50 p.m.—“My chains are snapt, the bonds of sin are broken . . . .”

Mr. T. McKelvey read from Lev. 8. 14, 22-25, 28; Rom. 12.1; 16. 1-6, and said:

The occasion of our gathering to-day is one of great sadness to us all. This large company of believers from all over Ulster extends its deep and sincere sympathy to Mrs. Bunting and her family, and to our beloved brother’s aged mother, now 88, and his brother Joshua, who arrived home from South Africa on Wednesday morning, the 14th, just in time to have a little conversation with his brother Willie before he became unconscious, and passed into the Presence of the Lord at 6 a.m. on the 15th December.

We are all mourners to-day, for there has passed from our midst one of our best known and well taught Evangelists, whose passing leaves us with a sense of sorrow and loss.

Mr. Bunting was mightily used in the salvation of souls. As a Teacher he built up the saints in their most holy faith.

What made our brother a great man of God? Was it accidental? Or was there something divine in it? To answer these questions we suggest three things.

First—(Lev. 8)—Salvation and its Price.

“Without the shedding of blood there is no remission”. Sin brings death, and death for sin there must be. In Lev. 8 the blood of the bullock was “poured out at the bottom of the altar.” Chapter 4 adds, “All the blood thereof”, and chapter 5, “The blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar. It is a Sin Offering.” The typical suggestion is this—that nothing less than all the blood of the offering could meet the demands of God for sin.

This truth in the Old Testament becomes the subject of Fundamental Doctrine in the New Testament. In Romans it is “Justifying blood”; in Ephesians it is “Redeeming blood; in Colossians it is “Reconciling blood”, in Hebrews it is “Cleansing blood”.

“For my cleansing this I see,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

For my pardon this my plea,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

Sitting under the preaching of the late Dr. Wm. Matthews in the town of Lisburn 48 years ago Willie Bunting experienced spiritual awakening for sin, but realized the sufficiency of the blood of Christ to meet his need. This was our brother Bunting’s first beginning of spiritual things, that was to have such tremendous effect upon the whole of his life. There can be no beginning in God’s things apart from this.

Secondly—(Romans 12)—Salvation and its Purpose.

In Lev. 8 the blood of the bullock was poured out for sin, but in the same chapter we are told of “The Ram of Consecration”. The Ram was slain “and Moses took the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot”.

The typical teaching of this to Aaron was, “You are mine. Not only your soul for eternity, but your body for the years of time. Not part of it, but all of it—Ear, Hand and Foot. I have bought you with the price of blood, now I consecrate you to My service, and the service of My people”.

This same truth is taught in Romans 12. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”.

Forty three years ago our brother Bunting began to realise how demanding these “mercies” were. They sent him to his home—to his knees, where before his God he enquired how much of his life God required—and the answer was—“I need it ALL”.

“What shall I give Thee, Master? Thou hast given all for me.

Thou didst leave Thy Home above, to die on Calvary;

What shall I give Thee, Master? Thou hast given all for me.

Not just a part, or half of my heart. I will give ALL to Thee.’’

We believe he did that. For all those years, with the commendation of his brethren, at home, in Canada and the U.S.A. he served God devotedly and fruitfully. To-day, the account of his stewardship is closed, to be disclosed and rewarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ. And to-day, his remains are surrounded in honour by his brethren. His garment unspotted by the world.

Thirdly—(Romans 16)—Salvation and its Praise.

In the closing chapter of Romans some twenty seven brethren and sisters are mentioned by name. Many others are referred to, all of them favourably because of their service for Christ and the Church. Some “laboured”, some “laboured much”. Others are said to have been “helpers”, “beloved”, “approved”. Phebe, Priscilla and Aquilla come in for special mention. All these are “saluted” and “greeted”. They stood high in Paul’s regard.

Speaking by inspiration as he does, Paul reveals net only his own mind about these workers and their work, but what is of greater importance, he reveals the Lord’s mind about them also.

To-day, we take our leave of one who stood high in our esteem. The secret of his life-long consecrated service for God was in his salvation, and after that the solemn realisation that his life belonged to God. “Whose I am, and whom I serve” (Acts 27. 23).

Mr. Samuel Jardine commended the sorrowing friends to the God of all comfort—until that day when we shall meet to part no more.

ADDRESS AT GRAVESIDE

by JAMES G. HUTCHINSON

2 Samuel 3. 38.

ON behalf of this large company I would like to express to Mrs. Bunting and the family circle, our sincere Christian sympathy in the great loss they have sustained. We trust God will use His Word to their comfort and help, and to the blessing of all who have gathered to pay their respects to a brother beloved, an esteemed and valued servant of God.

The words of David concerning Abner are applicable and suit our present circumstances. “A prince and a great man is fallen”. Let nothing confuse our thinking, let no issue cloud our vision; William Bunting was “a prince and a great man”.

He was born in 1903. In this respect his birth was not royal; his parents were a respectable, God-fearing couple, who sought to bring him up in “the nurture and admonition of the Lord”. In 1919 at meetings conducted by Dr. W. J. Matthews, in the mercy and grace of God he was saved. His first birth gave him a place in a human family and fitted him to live on earth, his second birth gave him a place in God’s family, and because of it, the dear man is to-day “with Christ”, and will forever be in heavenly glory. Solemn for us all to note, if he had missed salvation, despite his parentage and godly training, he would have lived in his sins and died in darkness without hope. God’s weighty and searching words are: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”.

But David said Abner was not only a prince, he was a “great man”. Some princes are not great men, some great men are not princes. Abner was both, so I feel was Mr. Bunting. He was a great man in a variety of ways. I know it is not always wise to make comparisons, but from what I knew, I would feel free to say, that amongst the many good men we have in the work of the Lord in the North of Ireland, likely Mr. Bunting was one of the best “all round” men we had.

Soon after his conversion he took an active interest in the Gospel, and in 1924 his own assembly in Lisburn heartily commended him to the work of the Lord. For the past 42 years he has laboured earnestly and faithfully with much success and blessing.

In recent years I have met on the prairies of Canada, in the cities of the United States, and in different parts of South Africa, those who were saved under his gospel preaching, some who to-day are full-time workers, and others leaders in assemblies. Likely many around the grave to-day could testify to having been brought to Christ under his ministry.

He was a “great man” in ministry. In earlier years it was mostly oral, in later years he did a good deal of writing. editing the magazine, and contributing to other magazines, as well as writing booklets and tracts. God only knows how much His people in many places owe to our brother’s ministry. Two elderly brethren told me recently in Capetown that assembly work there “took a decided turn for the better as a result of Mr. Bunting’s visit 30 years ago”. Would to God we had many more men of his type, who could preach the Gospel with power, as well as feed and edifv the people of God.

His ministry was varied, he could with ease handle all aspects of truth. His devotional messages were warm and comforting, his practical words solemn and searching. We have heard him teach Church truth effectively, and when the need arose he could take up prophetic matters and “confirm the souls of the saints in the things most surely believed”.

But now for him this is all over, the faithful labourer’s task is finished, the warrior has put off his armour, the diligent student has closed his book, the pen of the ready writer has been laid down. He has gone, to see his Lord, to rise in His presence, to receive His reward. We are about to turn away from his grave; as we do, what are our feelings? and what will our attitude be?

We certainly have feelings of sorrow, but thank God, “we sorrow not as others that have no hope”. Not a shadow of doubt arises in our hearts, our beloved brother is “with Christ”, and all is well for ever. We have feelings of loss, these will be very marked in the family, in the assemblies, and in many of our lives. We have lost a kind, courteous, helpful man, but despite this we will not leave discouraged and downcast. No. “God buries his workmen, but carries on His work”. When Moses died, God said to Joshua: “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go . . .”, that is, take up where he left off, carry on for God. This man who preached the Gospel so well will never do it again, but it is still ours to do it! This man who helped the saints so much by his life and ministry will never have opportunity to do it any more, but we have. Of Samson we read, “more were slain at his death than in his life”. During the lifetime of our brother many heard the voice and call of God; it may be, that at his death, others will hear God’s call, perhaps someone just now, thinking of days to come and the need in the work of God, the language of their heart would be, “Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to Thee”. Beside the cold remains of this noble servant, in God’s presence and in view of Eternity, I put it to my own heart and to yours: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what is done for Jesus will last”. What a tragedy for us to allow anything to turn us from the pathway of the will of God.

We leave these precious remains in the keeping of an all wise Creator, to await the Coming of the Lord. Then they will be raised and we shall be changed, and together we will be “caught up” to be forever with the Lord. Then we will be able to sing in truth, “Earth’s sad story, closed in glory, on yon shore”.

Until then, we commend Mrs. Bunting and her family to the Lord, and trust that they and ourselves will know the abiding presence and blessing of God.

Mr. Fairfield closed in prayer.