The Mind of Christ # 4

The Mind of Christ # 4

See, my dear friends, what true religion is - not, as I have had frequent occasion to remark, mere churchmanship or dissent; not episcopacy, Presbyterianism, independency, Methodism, or baptism; not orthodoxy of creed, or gorgeousness of ceremony; not a matter of church government, or of spiritual organization. No! No! True religion is having the mind of Christ. Did it ever occur to you to examine how little is said by the sacred writers, about observing the sabbath and the sacraments; about public worship and religious ceremonies; compared with what is said about holiness, benevolence, and humility? But, alas! Alas! how much more eager are the multitudes of professors about the one than the other, inverting Christ's order, and setting forms above the Holy Spirit - just because it is so much more easy, and so much more congenial with all the feelings of our proud and corrupt nature to hear a sermon, observe a sacrament, and repose for safety upon the trueness of our church - than to mortify the corruptions of our own mind, and to transplant into it the virtues and the graces of the mind of Christ.

For what purpose have four different pens been employed by the hand of inspiration, in writing the Gospels - but to show us the mind of Christ for our imitation, as well as His atoning work for our salvation, and by this quadruple delineation of His beautiful character, to impress us not only with its charms - but with the necessity of our resembling it!

See how the life of piety is to be promoted - by reading the Gospels, and that not only to learn how sin is to be pardoned - but what holiness is, and how it is to be promoted. Religion in us is no fancy sketch; no original picture; but a copy, and Christ is the original. To this we must sit down, with the determination, and the hope, of producing, by the help of Divine grace, something resembling it in ourselves; and like artists keeping their eyes constantly upon the original they are copying, not for the purpose of admiring it merely, though they do this, and their admiration helps their object in copying - but for the purpose of producing as perfect a resemblance as possible. So must we, in reading the Gospels, keep our minds intently fixed upon the conduct and spirit of Jesus, not merely to see and say, "How beautiful!" but to copy it!

If nothing short of this be true religion, how comparatively little of it is there in our world. If the mind of Christ in us be necessary to make out our claim to the character of a Christian, how many must forgo the honor. It is enough to make us all tremble for ourselves and one another. Where and in whom is to be seen the union of holiness, benevolence, and condescension, which formed the character of the Saviour? is this holiness to be found in those professors who, though they are free from external vice and immorality, allow the corruption of their heart to go unmortified; and who indulge, instead of crucifying, the passions and lusts of the flesh? Is His benevolence to be found in those who are so fond of the world, so grasping, and so hoarding, that little or nothing can be extorted from their reluctant hands for the salvation of sinners, and the glory of God? And then where is His humility to be seen in His followers? Is it to be found in those who will never forgo a single point of precedence, or one punctilio of etiquette; who will have their rights, and all their rights, at whatever cost of principle or peace; who are so tenacious of all that belongs to them, not only in the way of property - but of influence and respect, that they will not brook the least slight - but resent the smallest possible neglect of their claims, or infringement of their prerogative, or opposition to their will, with all the boilings of wounded pride, and mortified vanity? They are so filled with high notions and excessive admiration of their own fancied greatness and excellence, that if they are not flattered and caressed, they will feel as if they were robbed of their rights, and retire in disgust and indignation.

Oh, is this the mind that was in Christ?? It is matter of little astonishment that the people of the world should not evince the Christian temper; but that the professed disciples of Christ should be so lacking in it, is as surprising as it is painful. It might have been expected that in the school of such a Master, self-denial and humility would have been accounted by His disciples cardinal virtues; that all would commence the cultivation of these Christlike virtues the moment they took their place at His feet; and that the post of honor and ambition with them, would be the lowest instead of the highest place. Yet how widely different is the case. It would seem as if men had yet to learn either what the mind of Christ really is, or that this mind was binding upon them; and as if it were the design of Christianity to form the proud, intolerant, and selfish ecclesiastic professor - rather than the holy, meek, and humble Christian.

~John Angell James~

(continued with # 5)