It is a wise thing to study the exactness and Scripture proportion of God's teaching, and not to deviate from it, even with the best intentions. The Spirit will not be with us if we distort or misapply the Word, even with the purpose of exalting Christ.
It is well to keep before us that while the grand leading theme of the Spirit in the Holy Scriptures is to tell forth God's thoughts about His Son, in His Person, work, relationships, and glories, yet if there had been no redeemed saints on earth, there would have been no Scriptures written; and God would not have them to be overlooked.
The Old Testament was given to Israel; and both Old and New Testaments were given to the Church. What happened in the past has been written for the present. "All these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." Luke tells us that the Lord, "beginning at Moses and all the prophets,... expounded unto, them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself' (and to give an exposition of Scripture was the first work of the risen Savior); yet 1 Corinthians 10:1111Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (1 Corinthians 10:11) tells us that besides "the things concerning Himself" there are things in these Scriptures, concerning the people of Israel, which are "written for our admonition." The saints of the Church were an object to the Holy Ghost in His causing these things to be written.
I set down these two or three things as samples of due proportion in the Holy Scriptures, that I may beseech my brethren to observe the divine proportion and balance of the truth in the Word of God for the revelation of God and the guidance of man, and to be careful to act upon it, and avoid distorting, dislocating, alienating, or exaggerating Scripture; for this can be only displeasing to God, and damaging to His saints. Such an interpretation, for example, as that we find Christ everywhere in the book of Psalms, and the remnant of the coming day nowhere, cannot be pleasing to the Spirit, nor honoring to Him, because it is not true; nor is it pleasing to Him that we should ignore all that the Spirit says regarding ourselves and our practical everyday life, by way of exalting Him.
Let us not dare to improve upon the Holy Ghost's method, variety, and fullness from a false notion that our way is more glorifying to Christ; for not only is Christ before the mind of the Spirit in His testimony, but Christians in their privilege and responsibility are so too, though in their own subordinate, y e t important, place.
The teaching that sees nothing but Christ and His glory in God's Holy Scriptures is apt to lead to antinomianism. It has become a grave question why there is so much of loose living in connection with the enjoyment of high truth in our day; and it has become a question whether teachers can have been rightly dividing the word of truth, and giving the practical side of truth in the same proportion and with the same frequency as we find it in the Holy Scriptures. It is, no doubt, difficult for weak, erring creatures like us to take in God's Word as He has written it, and to hold the balance even between what speaks of God's grace and what speaks of the saints' responsibility, and yet not to exaggerate the one side nor to abate one jot from the other. (John 14:26; 16:1326But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26)
13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. (John 16:13).) T h e Scripture proportion of both grace and responsibility is the thing that is wanted. How much we all need the teaching of the Holy Ghost to give us power to divide the Word correctly, take it in spiritually, and live it out practically in our daily life!
The teaching of the Puritans exaggerated the Spirit's work in the soul, and its progress in knowledge and experience; and while there was much seeking after God, there was little deliverance known; but some of the present teaching seems to ignore the exigencies of the inner life, or its health, growth, and progress, and discountenances all thought of spiritual advancement in divine attainment of Christ, and dwells all but exclusively on objective truth. But the Word of God has it otherwise; and all honest saints who are really spiritual know that it is a very different thing from this too in their practical experience. There must be growth, progress, and attainment of Christ, if Scripture injunctions are heeded by us.
The Word gives exhortations to grow, to fight, to run, to make progress, etc. "Grow up into Him in all things"; "Desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby"; "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"; "Your faith groweth exceedingly"; "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:1212Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12); see also vv. 13, 14); "Whereto we have already attained (in like-mindedness] let us walk by the same"; "We beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more"-in love. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service"; "If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." (See also Titus 2:11-1511For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 15These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. (Titus 2:11‑15).)