they are members of Christ they are members of Christs body and they should be of the mind of the head the members are ruled and governed by the head now all true Churches and Christians are the members of Christ Eph. 4.15 But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ O speak the truth in love saith he or truth it in love and grow up in him in Christ in all things which is the head you must grow up into his mind because ye are members and he is the head so in 2 Col. 7. Rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith stablished in the Doctrine of Christ abounding therein with Thanksgiving Why because we are members of Christ we should therefore grow up in the faith of Christ and in the doctrine and mind of Christ Thirdly We should be of the same mind with Christ because the Lord Christ became like unto us therefore we should be like unto him v. 7. and was made in the likeness of men and so in Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh Christ was like us in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemned sin in the flesh now what a vast distance was there between Christ and us when Christ was in Heaven the Son of God had not he came down from Heaven and taken our nature upon him and been made like unto us we could never have been made like unto him for he must take away that black Image and corruption of our nature and deformity that we might be made like unto him now the Lord Christ having done thus we should be like unto him upon that account and if we be not of his mind we shall never come to be like him 1 Joh. 3.2 3. beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Then shall we be perfectly like him and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure If you have hope to be perfectly like him hereafter you must be of his mind here and purifie your selves even as he is pure so that upon that account that Christ became like unto us in our nature we should be of his mind that we may be like unto him in his nature Fourthly we should be of the same mind with Jesus Christ because if we be not of his mind we shall be of an evil mind we shall be either of the worlds mind and the worlds mind is bad enough it lyes in wickedness or of the Devils mind and that 's worse or of the flesh's mind and that 's worst of all for the Devil and the world work by our flesh now saith the Apostle to be carnally minded is death and the carnal mind is enmity unto God it is not subject unto God neither can it be Now if you be not of Christs mind you are either of the worlds mind or the Devils mind or the flesh's mind and that 's death and will end in death eternal and you cannot please God Fifthly we should be of the same mind that Christ is because this is a way to keep us from falling into errors and corrupting opinions and from damnable Heresies and the like those have Christs mind will admit of nothing but truth they will not admit of the spirit of Antichrist and the spirit of errors of which you read 1 Joh. 4.3 6. There 's the spirit of Antichrist and the spirit of errors now if men be of Christs mind they will never admit of those errors and Antichristian Doctrines The Doctrine of Antichrist is the worshipping of Images now if you have Christs mind you will never worship Images Babes keep your selves from Idols Antichrists mind is that Priests must not marry if you be of Christs mind Marriage is honourable in all and it will never admit of that Doctrine So transubstantiation that 's Antichrists mind but if you be of Christs mind you will never admit of that Acts 3.20 He shall send Jesus Christ which before was Preached unto you whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things he shall send him he dont send him wherever the Sacrament is and there turn the bread into Christs flesh and the wine into Christs blood but he shall send Jesus Christ which before was Preached unto you whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things here 's the mind of Christ now and those that have the mind of Christ will not receive the mind of Antichrist So invocation of Saints that 's the mind of Antichrist an erroneous and a damnable Doctrine but here 's the mind of Christ Joh. 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name not in Maries name or Peter's name or this or that Saints name but in Christs name So for the Popes Supremacy and the Lordliness of his Prelates if you have Christs mind you will never entertain any thing of that Luke 25. and he said unto them the Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise authority upon them are called Benefactors But ye shall not be so but he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger and he that is chief as he that doth serve What you my Disciples and you to have Supremacy you to have the Titles of Lords and Holy and Gracious and the like it shall not be so among you here 's the mind of Christ so in 1 Pet. 5.3 Neither as being Lords over Gods Heritage but being ensamples to the Flock no Lordliness no domâ—nion power greatness nor glorious titles and the like here 's the mind of Christ so that if we have the mind of Christ we shall be kept from eâ—rors So all traditions and ordinances of men and impositions inventions of men Mat. 15.9 In vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men That 's a vain worship which is worshipping in vain and v. 6. ye have made the Commandments of God of none effect by your traditions So in 2 Col. 20. wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the world why as though living in the world are ye subject to ordinances c. after the Commandments and Doctrines of men Here 's the mind of Christ you must not be subject to ordinances and impositions of men and their additions to the worship of God but have the mind of Christ and you will admit of nothing but what is from Christ Sixthly we should be of Christs mind because it is the way to union to meeken and sweeten spirits and to make harmony between all sorts and to much unity Isa 11.6
Christs mind you will act as Christ acted Christ went up and down doing good as in Acts 10. a man will not live idely and out of a Calling that hath the mind of Christ a man will not be negligent in his Calling and he will aim at Gods glory and his neighbours good in his Calling more then in getting of the world honouring God and doing good to his Neighbour and those he lives among if he have the mind of Christ Christ had nothing of the world but he would do good Christ was much in Prayer so will he Christ was watchful so will he Christ denyed himself and he will deny himself he will walk even as Christ walked 1 Joh. 2.6 he that saith he abides in Christ ought himself so to wolk even as he walked if you have the mind of Christ you will abide in Christ and Christ will abide in you now if it be so you must walk as Christ walked and be in the world even as he was 1 Joh. 4.17 because as he is so are we in this world By these things you may know whether you have the mind of Christ yea or no. In the next place it is an use of exhortation to us that we would be of Christs mind First to those that are of another mind and Secondly to those that are of his mind that they would be more and more of his mind First to those that are not of Christs mind there are many in the world that are of other minds of the Devils mind of the worlds mind and the fleshes mind froward minds bitter minds contentions minds Eph. 2.3 he shews you there what minds people are of Among whom also we all had our Conversation in times past in the lusts of our slesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the Children of wrath even as others We were in an ill condition when we were of that mind and did such things in James 3.14 15. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lye not against the truth this wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual Devilish For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work If it be so men have not Christs mind and there is much envying and strife and bitterness in the world in these dayes O what double minds have men what covetous minds what proud minds what hypocritical minds if we have not the mind of Christ we are not true Christians and if we dye we shall perish and be undone for ever Well how shall we get the mind of Christ First lay down your own minds wills if you would have the will of Christ if the Pitcher be full of muddy water you cannot put in Wine Milk or Oyl but you must empty the Pitcher before it can receive any of these Liquors so if you would have the mind of Christ you must empty your selves of your own minds look into 1 Cor. 3.18 Let no man deceive himself if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world you think you are wise and have parts and learning and education and the like they are good in their places but they are nothing to the mind of Christ but if any man seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise Our wisdom is enmity unto God and till you have lay'd down your own wisdom you will never have the mind of Christ nor the wisdom of Christ Secondly if you would have the mind of Christ give up your selves to be Disciples of Christ that is search the Scriptures and study the Gospel especially Joh. 5. Search the Scriptures they are they that testifie of me Secondly I come to those that have something of Christs mind that they would la bour to have more of it day by day There is a natural desire and itch in all men to know more and more O that there might be such a spiritual itch and desire in you to know more of the mind of Jesus Christ Paul had it 1 Cor. 2. We have the mind of Christ yet saith he I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him Crucified his great desire was to know Christ and the mind of Christ to have the knowledg of Jesus Christ for which he accounted all things but loss and dung O this is the onely knowledge and the excellent knowledge and the soul-saving knowledge and the soul comforting knowledge to have the mind of Christ and to know the things of Jesus Christ and he would have it more and more though he knew it the most of or more than all the men in the world did in that day And why should we labour to have more of this knowledge First because it is the end of the Ministry and of the Gospel the Lord Christ hath given out ordinances a Church is an ordinance and the Officers are ordinances and it is the end of them look into 4 Eph. and see to what end they are appointed v. 11.14 And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God Mark here 's the knowledge of the Son of God that 's the mind of Christ unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that we henceforth be no more Children tossed too and fro and carried about â—ith every wind of Doctrine Why all the Ordinances and all the Officers in the Church are for this end to help you to come to the mind of Christ to his mind the fulness of it the perfection of it therefore as you would have the end accomplished so labour to be more and more of the mind of Jesus Christ Secondly you should be so because it is the excellency of a Christian to have the mind of Christ more and more the more consormable to Christ who is compleat and perfect the more excellent you are 't is the very substance of a Christian to have his will his thoughts his affections his ends and aims to be the same with Christ when I have Christs thoughts and Christs will and Christs understanding and Christs affections and Christs ends what a Christian am I then he is the most excellent Christian that hath most of the mind of Christ therefore let us labour to know more of the mind of Christ and to have Christs mind in us Thirdly Lastly it is that which adds to your happiness it is a part of your happiness here in this world to be of Christs mind Wherein lay the happiness of man and wom an at first in the Image of God and it lay in knowledge and righteousness and holiness there was the Image of God Adam was
man love Sodom that lay in wickedness the world is a Sodom that lyes in wickedness Solomon tells you 'T is vanity and vexation of Spirit and will you love vanity and vexation of Spirit and in the next verse to the Text saith he All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and these are not of the Father but of the world All these strengthen our lusts and the more our lusts are strengthened the more grace is hindered and the worle we grow but let not the painted bravery of the world deceive and cheat you what is there in an estite in power c. men have strange apprehensions of these things but see what John saith The fashion of this world passeth away it 's all a shew a Scheme there 's no substance in it That men have low thoughts of that they never dote upon If a woman have low thoughts of a man she will never love him the lower thoughts you have the looser will your love be what 's this world e're long it will be turned to ashes and will you love ashes Ephraim feeds upon ashes and upon the wind vain things vain worship and traditions and inventions of men and things of this nature men and women feed upon ashes poor low things well judge lowly of the world and account not highly of the world nor any thing in the world for it 's a world that lyes in wickedness a world that is evil The more you do ponder upon these things the more will your hearts be taken off Secondly If you would not love the world take pains with your own hearts mortifie your lusts mortifie the lusts that are in your hearts 't is our lusts make us love the world 't is from the wisdom of the flesh that men do love the world and the things of the world in Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be Rich why cease from thine own wisdom saith he 't is thine own wisdom 't is but the wisdom of thy flesh and of thy corrupt nature that thou wouldest be rich Labour not to 〈◊〉 rich cease from thine own wisdom and the wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now in the 13 v. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Mortifie these Iusts our lusts are deceitful things unruly things they are craving things and they have their pretences Do but hearken to me in this one thing and if you would but hearken to me now I will trouble you no more but if you do they will come again and again and never have done therefore the best way for us is to mortifie our lusts and if we would do so we should not love the world From whence come wars and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members ye lust and have not ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain ye fight and war yet ye have not because ye ask not ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts Your lusts will set a praying to have the world to have honour and power and riches and you have them not but now if our lusts were mortified all these things would be at an end presently but we seek to gratifie our lasts and they undo us Thirdly If we would not love the world nor the things of the world then let us look much at the other world there is another world Heb. 2.5 For unto the Angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come There is a world to come and that world 's a better world than this world for in the 11 ch 16 v. But now they desire a better countrey that is an heavenly Abraham and Isaac and the Prophets they look'd at a better countrey there 's a better world above better things above then are here in this world And if so be we would look at that world the glory of it the riches of it the pleasures of it the company of it the latitude of it we should soon bid farewel to this world and look upon it as a dream a shadow a picture as nothing 2 Cor. 4. last While we look not at things which are seen but at things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal There are things not seen eternal things eternal riches the eternal God the Lord Jesus glorious Angels the Saints at one Rivers of pleasure at the right hand of God look at these things and then your hearts will be taken off of this world Fourthly If we would get our hearts off from the world which is a thing very necessary then keep your hearts with all diligence look as narrowly to thy heart as to thy eyes to the meat thou eatest to thy life keep it with all diligence look to your affections and let them not rove and wander up and down in the world and range here and there look to your fear many are afraid of poverty and afraid they shall not have to live and pay every man his own and so are filled with fears that they shall want but Matth. 6.26 saith Christ Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on is not the life more than meat and the body than rayment Behold the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feedeth them are ye not much better than they poor creatures dont fear saith he dont fear want and poverty and that ye shall not have meat and drink and cloaths the fowls of the air are never afraid they have no body to look after them you feed your tame fowls indeed but who provides for the wild-fowls God provides for them look well to your fear now that makes men love the world and scrape and rave that they might have meat and drink and clothes So look well to your love that you take complacency in no creature whatsoever but love the Lord take complacency in God and Christ you know what Christ saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy strength c. Now if God have all what shall the creature have But the creatures have all and God hath little or nothing here 's a great failing yet here 's all put four times with all thy soul with all thy strength c. God should have all and the creatures have little or none So look well to your desires men are desiring O that I had this or that but thou shalt not covet saith God be content with what thou hast we should not covet any thing of the world but follow our