The Nonsuch Professor
00III. The Nonsuch Professor
What do ye more than others?— Mt 5:47.

In a mountain the law was propounded to Moses, in a mountain the law was expounded by Jesus; the former to a man of God, the latter by the Son of God: the one to a prophet of the Lord, the other by the Lord of the prophets.

As the works of Christ were miraculous, so the words of Christ were mysterious; they were such a depth which none could sound but those whom God had furnished with the plummet of an enlightened understanding. Before any one can peruse the Scriptures to profit, the Lamb of God must open the seven seals.

In this chapter, the soul-justifying Saviour condemns the self-justifying Scribes and Pharisees. Never did men make more boast in the law, but never had men less cause. They knew but little as to the letter, but less of its spirit. They were better acquainted with the customs of nature, than the canons of Scripture. Alas! how shall the blind see when the seers are blind! They who should have put the eyes of others in, had put their own out.

The righteous laws of God cannot connive at the unrighteous lives of men, they not only require truth without, but within also. The rays of this sun enter the most secret chambers of the heart, therefore he that lusteth after, and he that lieth with a woman are both adulterers. He is a murderer whose heart is full of hatred, though his hands be free from violence. Thus the lusts of men may be predominant, when the lives of men are not inordinate; as guests may be in the house, when they look not out of the windows. He who begins religion where it should end, will end religion where it should be begun.

But as the suburbs direct to the city, and the portal leads to the palace, so the context will guide us to the text. ‘If ye love them that love you, what reward have you? do not the Publicans the same?’

As an echo returns the voice it receives, so many will shew kindness where kindness is shewn; but shall Publicans be as godly as the Lord’s disciples? Shall the sons of men equalize the sons of God? Shall the law of nature swell to so high a tide as the law of grace? This were for the dribbling rivulet to vie with the drowning ocean; this were for royalty to degenerate into beggary; and for the meridian sun to yield no more light than midnight shades.

‘If you salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?’

I shall not curiously dissect these words, lest I should present to your view a frightful skeleton; nor shall I lavishly paint these windows, lest my deep colours should shut out the light. The native comeliness of Scripture scorns the unnatural colour of a bewitching Jezebel. One rough diamond is of more value than many smooth counterfeits.

My subject treats not of oratory, but divinity; and my design in it is rather to express affections, than to affect expressions. Though the sweetness of the sauce may yield pleasure to the palate, yet it is only the soundness of the meat that can administer nourishment to the blood.

This text is like a precious jewel, small in quantity, but great in quality. The words contain two parts:

I. An action propounded.

II. A question proposed.

1. An action propounded, touching that which is lawful: because salutation is only a pledge of affection, it is the overflowing of the heart at the lips. There is a kiss of subjection and obedience, that is the subject’s kiss; there is a kiss of wantonness and temptation, that is the harlot’s kiss; there is a kiss of dissimulation, that is the traitor’s kiss; there is also a kiss of tenderness and affection, and that is the brother’s kiss.

Now this Scripture enjoins you, not only to salute your friends, but your enemies also. Party esteem is but withered fruit, and falls rather from Sodom’s, than Sion’s trees. There is therefore a kiss of pity and forgiveness, and that is the Christian’s kiss: if this be wanting, the others are vain. For, if ye salute your brethren only, then observe what follows: which is,

2. A question proposed, ‘What do ye more than others?’

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 Israelities, 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 a 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 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. 0 pare off those envious nails, which are ever disfiguring that face which is fairer than thine own. Why do you wound yourself with that plaister which is laid upon your brother’s sore? or weep at every shower which falls beside your own enclosure? 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. 0 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 Peasant, 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 portion 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 affection. 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:

Firstly, 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?