01. TEXT opened—Doctrine raised. That singular Christians will perform singular actions

Doctrine;—that singular Christians will perform singular actions.

This is the well from which I shall draw the water, and the foundation upon which I shall raise the superstructure. You cannot rationally imagine that you will be supplied with bitter streams from so sweet a spring, or that I should make a bowing wall or tottering fence with such choice materials. Those who collect pearls from this spot, will leave as many behind them as they carry with them.

As the disciples of Christ are more than others, so the disciples of Christ do more than others. A hypocrite may move beyond a sodomite; but a Christian moves beyond them both. Though the naturally dead can do nothing, yet the spiritually dead may do something. Though they can do nothing to merit the grace of life, yet they may do something as to using the means of life.

Cicero complains of Homer, “that he taught the gods to live like men;” but grace teaches men to live like gods. It is lamentable that we should live so long in the world, and do so little for God; or that we should live so short a time in the world, and do so much for Satan. Other creatures are not more below a sinner, than a saint is above a sinner. Man is the excellency of the creature, the saint is the excellency of man; grace is the excellency of the saint, and glory is the excellency of grace.

Believers are among others, as Saul was among the Israelites, the tallest by the head and shoulders. Their birth is truly low, who are not born from above. What are such earthly shrubs, compared with heavenly cedars; or such thorns of the world’s brake, to the willows of God's brook? Those trees which have their top branches of hope in heaven, will have their lower boughs of activity on earth. Those who look for a heaven made ready, will live as though they were already in heaven.

Grace not only makes a man more a man, but it also makes him more than a man. The primitive Christians were the best of men. None were more lowly in their dispositions, or more lovely in their conversation. Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generation. He was not a sinner among saints, but he was a saint among sinners. Who would have looked for so fair a bird in so foul a nest? Though he once acted as the sons of men do, yet he was numbered with the sons of God. A field of wheat may be good, and yet have a weed in it. A saint is not free from sin, that is his burden; a saint is not free to sin, that is his blessing. Sin is in him, that is his lamentation; his soul is not in sin, that is his consolation.

Mark how an immaculate Saviour glories in one of these singular saints: And the Lord said unto Satan, hast thou considered my servant Job? Why, what is there in him so considerable? There is none like him in all the earth. Though there were none in heaven so bad as Job, yet there were none on earth so good as Job. He was a man so like unto God, that there was no man like him.

A gracious person once hearing how far an hypocrite might go, said, 'Let hypocrites proceed as far as they can in that which is laudable; and when they can advance no further, I will go beyond them.' A true Christian not only does more

B 3 than others will do, but he also does more than others can do. Whatsoever is not above the top of nature, is below the bottom of grace. There are some who pretend to believe, but work not; there are others who work, but believe not: but a saint does both; he so obeys the law, as if there were no gospel to be believed; and so believes the gospel, as though there were no law to be obeyed. Religion consists not singly in believing, or doing, but in both.

There are four sorts of things in the world:

1. There are some things which are neither good nor pleasant; as envy and detraction. The eclipsing of another's sun will not make thine own shine with brighter beams. O pare off those envious nails, which are ever disfiguring that face which is fairer than thine own. Why do you wound yourself with that plaster, which is laid upon your brother's sore; or weep at every shower, which falls beside your own inclosure? Who would envy an ox that pasture, which only fits it for the slaughter; or the malefactor that carriage, which only conveys him to the place of execution? You have no less, because others have much; nor have they much, because you have little. Another's wealth is no more the cause of your want, than Leah's fruitfulness was the cause of Rachel's barrenness. O never pine at your neighbour's prosperity, and you shall never pine away through your own scarcity. He enjoys much who is thankful for a little. A grateful mind, is a great mind.

2. There are some things which are pleasant, but not good, as youthful lusts and worldly delights. These bees carry honey in their mouths, but they have a sting in their tails. When this Jael brings forth her milk and her butter, then beware of the nail and the hammer. Death is in the pot while you are tasting the soup. The world always presents a deadly potion in the gilded cup of worldly pleasure. If the cup be sinful, do not taste it; if it be lawful, carouse not over it. Reason forbids you, either to taste known poison, or to be intoxicated with pleasant wine. The fish is caught upon the hook, by leaping at the bait. Sin is like a river, which begins in a quiet spring, but ends in a tumultuous sea.

3. There are some things good, but not pleasant, as sorrow and affliction. Sin is pleasant, but unprofitable; and sorrow is profitable, but unpleasant. By affliction, the Lord separates the sin that he hates, from the soul that he loves. He does not always ordain it, to take your spirit out of your flesh, but your flesh out of your spirit. It is not sent to take down the tabernacle of nature; but to rear up the temple of grace within you. As waters are purest when they are in motion, so saints are generally holiest when in affliction. A foul fescue frequently points to a fair lesson. Some Christians resemble those children, who will learn their books no longer than while the rod is on their backs. It is well known, that by the greatest affliction the Lord has sealed the sweetest instruction. Many are not bettered by the judgments they see, when they have by the judgments they have felt. The purest gold is the most pliable. That is the best blade, which bends well, without retaining its crooked figure.

4. There are some things both good and pleasant, and those are, gracious operations on the soul. A believer's bed of graces is more fragrant than the most precious bed of spices. He who freely gives his image to us, must of necessity love his image in us. How illustrious do the heavens appear, while the sun is radiating them with his beams! Now, my brethren, 'Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, lovely, and of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.'

But, as you cannot see so well by a candle under a bushel as upon a table, I shall therefore hold up the subject to your view in the following light:

First, I shall touch upon the explanation of that which is doctrinal.

Secondly, Upon the application of that which is practical.

The former is like cutting the garment out; the latter is like putting the garment on.

I am first to treat of that which is doctrinal. And here I shall shew, first, why a believer does more than others; and, secondly, what he does more than others.

I begin with the first. Why do Christians do more than others?

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