But in the application of this principle one caution has been suggested to me by a very thoughtful friend: viz. this,—that in an endeavour to attain to the proportionate place of any particular truths, we must take into consideration not merely the frequency with which they are repeated, but the urgency with which they are pressed upon our attention. There are some subjects in which our opinions are formed from historical reference to the practice of the early Church, such as Episcopal Government and infant baptism, and however important they may appear, they must clearly be put in a different category from those where we have the clear command of God, or the clear declaration that they concern the essentials of life eternal. Again some subjects may cover a greater space in Scripture, and still be of less importance than other short passages which have been solemnly uttered as containing the very essentials of salvation. The broadest band in the prism is not the brightest, and the brightness of the one is quite as important as the breadth of the other. The historical books of the Old Testament, _e.g._, must none be neglected; but, though they occupy nearly one-third of the whole Book, they do not outweigh in importance that single sentence of our blessed Redeemer: “Truly, truly, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Some portions again are only preparatory to the final development of the perfect plan of life, and they clearly occupy a position of different proportionate importance to the plan itself. Each portion of God’s truth has its own place in the complete plan, and the importance attached by the inspiring Spirit to each part, and to the place of each part, is that which we really want to ascertain. We want to take a comprehensive view of the great salvation as complete in the finished work of our blessed Redeemer, and the outpouring of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost. We want not merely to look at the completed system, but at all that God appointed to prepare the way for it, and then without reserve, and without preference, yield ourselves to the Divine teaching, and make it our earnest prayer that in all His proportions, and in all His perfections, we may be taught of God to exhibit Christ.