Transcriber’s Note
Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently corrected.
The following minor typographical errors have been corrected:
Title page: duplicate word “of” removed
p9: Verse number “2.” added to “Mark, viii.” for consistency
p23: “brethern” changed to “brethren”
p106: “vail” changed to “veil”
p124: duplicate word “one” removed
p126: “the its great fountain” changed to “its great fountain”
p128: “frowed” changed to “frowned”
THE
MIND OF JESUS.
BY
JOHN R. MACDUFF, D.D.
AUTHOR OF “MORNING AND NIGHT WATCHES,” “THE WORDS OF JESUS,”
“FAMILY PRAYER,” “FOOTSTEPS OF ST. PAUL,” “MEMORIES OF GENNESARET,”
“BOW IN THE CLOUD,” “STORY OF BETHLEHEM,” ETC.
NEW YORK
ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS,
No. 530 BROADWAY.
1860.
The Mind of Jesus! What a study is this! To attaina dim reflection of it, is the ambition of angels—higherthey can not soar. “To be conformed to the image ofHis Son!”—it is the end of God in the predestinationof His Church from all eternity. “We shall be likeHim!”—it is the Bible picture of heaven!
In a former little volume, we pondered some of thegracious Words which proceeded out of the mouth ofJesus. In the present, we have a few faint lineamentsof that holy Character which constituted the living expositionand embodiment of His precepts.
But how lofty such a standard! How all creature-perfectionshrinks abashed and confounded before a Divineportraiture like this! He is the true “Angel standingin the sun,” who alone projects no shadow; so bathed inthe glories of Deity that likeness to Him becomes likethe light in which He is shrouded—“no man can approachunto it.” May we not, however, seek at least toapproximate, though we can not adequately resemble?It is impossible on earth to associate with a fellow-beingwithout getting, in some degree, assimilated to him. So,the more we study “the Mind of Christ,” the more weare in His company—holding converse with Him as ourbest and dearest friend—catching up his holy looks andholy deeds—the more shall we be “transformed into thesame image.”[Pg iv]
“Consider,” says the Great Apostle (literally ‘gaze on’)“Christ Jesus” (Heb. iii. 1). Study feature by feature,lineament by lineament, of that Peerless Exemplar.“Gaze” on the Sun of Righteousness, till, like gazing longon the natural sun, you carry away with you, on yourspiritual vision, dazzling images of His brightness andglory. Though He be the Archetype of all goodness,remember He is no shadowy model—though the InfiniteJehovah, He was “the Man Christ Jesus.”
We must never, indeed, forget that it is not the mind,but the work of Immanuel, which lies at the foundationof a sinner’s hope. He must be known as a Saviour,before He is studied as an Example. His doing and dyingis the center jewel, of which all the virtues of His holylife are merely the setting. But neither must we overlookthe Scripture obligation to walk in His footstepsand imbibe His Spirit, for “if any man have not theSpirit of Christ, he is none of His!”
Oh, that each individual Christian were more Saviour-like!that, in