VII.

THE MIND THAT WAS IN CHRIST.

PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST PETER'S, MARITZBURG, ON SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 25, 1866.

PHIL. II. 5-8.

6 LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS: WHO, BEING IN THE FORM OF GOD, THOUGHT IT NOT ROBBERY TO BE EQUAL WITH GOD; BUT MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION, AND TOOK UPON HIM THE FORM OF A SERVANT, AND WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN; AND, BEING FOUND IN FASHION AS A MAN, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, AND BECAME OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH, EVEN THE DEATH OF THE CROSS.'

'LET this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.' With these words St Paul sums up and enforces his earnest exhortation to the Philippian Christians that they would live in love with one another, 'in brotherly-kindness, perferring one another, bearing one another's burdens, and so fulfilling the law of Christ.'

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Lt nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."

And our Church brings before us this passage at this time, when we are called more especially to consider the sufferings of Christ and the glory that has followed. These words are the watchword, as it were, which is given us, that we may come in the right spirit to consider the great subject of Passion-Week, and to celebrate the joy of Easter-Day.

'Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.'

As I observed on a former occasion, we cannot indeed find

in the separate actions of our Lord's life on earth an example to be followed in every separate action of our own lives. There are innumerable circumstances, in which as men and women we may find ourselves, for which no type can be found in the Gospel narratives. But the 'mind that was in Christ,' the spirit which was the ruling principle of his life, must be cherished continually-must grow more and more-in us, if we would please God,-if we would be true followers of Christ, the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty.'

The text before us directs our attention especially to one characteristic of that 'mind which was in Christ' his humility and condescension, his readiness to become a servant, to make himself of no reputation, if so he might do the Will of God, and be the minister of light and life to the children of men,-his willingness, at God's command, for declaring His Name and bearing witness to the Truth, to be brought to the lowest depths of shame and sorrow, to become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.'

'Let that mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.'

6

The Apostle cannot, of course, mean to say that our Lord existed in Heaven with human body and soul, before he was born on earth of his human mother. But he does mean to say that in him, whom he elsewhere calls the man Christ Jesus,' the Eternal Word, who is the Light and Life of men, -who was with God,' who 'was God,' as St John tells us or, as St Paul says in the text, 'who was in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God,'-language, with which the human mind, in its imperfect forms of speech, tries to express the glimpses which have been vouchsafed to it into the mysteries of the Divine Nature,-in him, I say, that Living Word was dwelling, and showed forth transcendantly the Divine condescension and grace. He does mean to assert that the words and acts of Jesus,-his pure and loving life, his tender pity and compassion, his holy hatred of sin, and yet his yearning love for the sinner, his truthfulness, his faithfulness even unto death-were exhibiting continually

the brightness of his Father's character. In his whole life long our Lord Jesus Christ was thus manifesting his Father to us, as John the Baptist said,

'He, whom God sent, speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him,'—

as Christ himself said,

'My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me,'—

'I do nothing of myself, but, as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things,'

'I have not spoken of myself, but the Father, which sent me, He gave me Commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak,'

Whatsoever I speak, therefore, even as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak,'

The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself; but the Father, that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works.'

It was the Father, then, who by the Living Word was dwelling in him, that did all the works that Jesus did,those works of grace, and tender pity, and love; it was the Father, that spoke by his lips those words of life, by which our spirits are quickened and gladdened. In 'the likeness of men,' in 'the form of a servant,' in a lowly, humble form, in the person of Jesus, the Father's Love was manifested continually, enduring the weakness, the foolishness, the sinfulness, of men,-compassionating the sorrowful and suffering, the fallen and out-cast, the sinstrickened and sin-oppressed,-embracing the returning prodigal,-seeking and saving that which was lost. Every word which Jesus spoke, declaring God's Truth and publishing His Grace to the children of men, was a word from God, an utterance of the Living Word, a manifestation of our Father's Love. Every act of Christ, in which he soothed the sorrows or relieved the sufferings of man, was an act which he did in his Father's Name and as manifesting forth his Father's character :—

Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me,
Philip? He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father.'

And still to the end the 'mind that was in Christ' was showing forth the mind of God. It was the Father that dwelt in him,'-that did not forsake him, when for a moment he thought he was forsaken, as he hung on the accursed tree and cried—

'My God! my God! why hast Thou forsaken me?'

It was the Living Word, that was the Light and Life of his soul, as a Son of Man, as He is also the Light and Life

of the souls of us, his brethren, that strengthened him to glorify God on earth, to finish the work which He had given him to do,' by being obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,' that enabled him to endure the cross, and despise the shame,' till he cried, 'It is finished!'

And this is the example which is set before us to-day: 'Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.' Let us consider in what sense these words will apply to And here, let us remember that our Lord Jesus Christ is set forth in the Scripture as the type of living men, the Elder Brother of us all; as St John says,— 'Because as he is, so are we in this world,'

us.

or as the apostle to the Hebrews writes,

'It became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one, [all children of one Father,]— for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, "I will declare Thy Name unto my brethren, in the midst of the Church I will sing praise unto Thee,' -and again, "I will put my trust in Him,' [like any other of the sons of men,]-and again, "Behold I and the children which God hath given me.""

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And hence we are told that the same Divine Word, who dwelt among us, in the person of Jesus Christ, manifesting forth the glorious brightness of the Father's character,the same who was with God,' and who was God,' who was in the beginning with God,' 'by whom all things were made,' and 'without whom was not anything made that was made,'-is also the Light and Life of men, and 'lighteneth every man that cometh into the world.' He is the Light, therefore, and the Life, of all Humanity: the Living Word, the Eternal God, condescends to dwell in the hearts of men.

Applied, indeed, to the Divine Word, such expressions as these, which speak of His condescension-His humiliation or His exaltation-are obviously improper. The Infinite can neither be high nor low; for these are merely terms of relation, and cannot be used with reference to Him, who is beyond all comparison or comprehension. Nothing to Him is mean or little; nothing can add to the sublime glories of His Throne, can bring glory to His Infinite Majesty. But to us, in our limited sphere, it seems incredible that the Creator of this stupendous Universe, which swallows us up, as it were, in its vastness, should

concern Himself about such a creature as man. It would, at least, seem incredible, if we did not see that the same Power which built the heavens is occupied around us with infinitesimal creatures which we despise, the end or meaning of whose existence is beyond the ken of our reason,—if we did not see that the heart and lungs of the animalcule are as curiously and completely fashioned as those of the gigantic elephant, or of man himself. Our reason, in fact, like a lantern, throws but a feeble glance into space, and only sheds a clear light upon the narrow path we have ourselves to walk in.

To our eyes, then, the indwelling of the Divine Word in a human being-in each one of us-must appear as an act of the greatest imaginable humiliation, as one of amazing condescension and grace. It seems to us most strange that He should be in the world,' the world that was 'made by Him,' and yet that the world should 'know Him not 'that He should 6 come unto His own,' and yet His own ' receive Him not.' Surely, we might think, the Eternal Son of God, the Living Word, if He comes to dwell among men, must reign over them, must be recognized at oncemust be acknowledged by them all-as their Lord and King,-must at any rate not be exposed, when He visits the hearts of men, to rejection, insult, contradiction, contempt. And, indeed, He is recognized oftentimes, as the only rightful Lord of our inner being, even when he may not be acknowledged and obeyed. Men hear His Voice speaking within them; in His Light they see light, showing them their path of duty, that they may walk in it; and they know that they ought to obey that gracious Voice, that they ought to walk in that Divine Light; and yet they turn aside into the by-paths of sin; they reject, and grieve, and contradict their Living Lord; they sow unto the flesh,' and of the flesh reap corruption.'

And He endures it still, as He did of old, in the person of the man Christ Jesus, 'who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.' Our God and Father is still pitiful, patient, long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.'

The

mind which was in Christ,'-the same Divine Mind, of Fatherly, forgiving mercy, of boundless grace, combined with a holy abhorrence of sin and a perfect love of right