NO EDUCATION WITHOUT THIS PRINCIPLE.

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nor the Spirit do testify, but on the contrary both against you; is it not, I say, in consequence of the violence which the kingdom suffereth through you, that there are so many who "have not," and from whom, therefore, is "taken away even that which they have?" How is it possible that any good can be done in education, unless it be done by a power of goodness? And what other power of goodness is there, but He by whom every thing was made, who was with God, and God from the beginning; who was made manifest in the flesh in the person of Jesus, to make known unto men the source of all life and light? What duty, or what right, has any parent or any other man, to hold communication with, or exercise influence over the child, except in the communion of that power? If that power be not in the child, if the child be entirely given up to his own nature, which we know to be totally defiled and corrupted, what can man hope to effect by his education, but to foster the growth of the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts? If we impart knowledge to the child, without the agency of that power within his mind, if it be the understanding of the old man, that receiveth our instruction, what can we hope to plant, but that knowledge which puffeth up, the wisdom of this world, which is foolishness with God? If we enforce the practice of virtue, if we form habits of good conduct in the child, without the agency of that power within his heart; if it be the old man, that is made to follow after righteousness, is it not evident that he will not attain it? Wherefore? Because the righteousness is not sought by faith in the power of righteousness, but as it were by the works of the law. If we teach the letter of revelation, if we inculcate the doctrines of it, without the agency of that power in the child's soul, if it be the old man that receiveth the word, and receiveth the interpretation, how is it possible otherwise, than that his faith should stand in the wisdom of men, and not in the power of God? What can knowledge profit, if we take away the key of knowledge?

68.

GOD'S PURPOSE UNIVERSAL.

What can we expect from the work of education, when undertaken without faith in him who is all and in all, but that it make clean the outside of the cup and platter, and leave the inward part full of ravening and wickedness? And what better answer can be given to those, who would refer the declaration, "that he is the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world," to Christ's appearance in the flesh, or to the written record of his covenant, and not to the universal of his presence and agency Spirit, than the reproof of our Saviour: "Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without, make that which is within also ?"

What is the whole import of Scripture, from beginning to end? What is the sum and substance of all God's dispensations to a fallen world? What is the result of our spiritual communion with the searcher of hearts? Is it not, that by sin "death hath passed upon all men ?” but that there is a "living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe," and "who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth;"—that for this great, holy, and merciful purpose, God hath granted unto men forgiveness of sins, through the sacrifice of his Son, who "gave himself a ransom for all," and hath caused to shine, in the darkness of their fallen natures, "that true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Does it require any farther testimony to prove that God's purpose of salvation is an universal purpose, that the means appointed by him for its fulfilment are universal means, universally appointed and granted? The question is not here, whether or not these means are universally embraced. Let it be, that there are many who "have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God,"-many who receive not the light, and, in this sense, “have not the Spirit of Christ." I have nothing to do with this; for it concerneth judgment, and judgment is the Lord's; what concerneth me and my duty, is the question, whether Christ have

THE MEANS TO IT UNIVERSALLY GRANTED.

:

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given himself a ransom for all, or merely for a few; whether his light be given to every man that cometh into the world, or only to some of them; whether the purpose of God be universal or partial; and, if it must be admitted to be universal: whether God, at the same time that he included all men in his purpose, have excluded most men, or any one man, from the possession of the means, by which alone this purpose can be attained? The question is, whether the Omnipresent be omnipresent in space only, and not in spirit; and, if his omnipresence in spirit, his presence in the heart of every creature, cannot be denied: whether his presence be effectual or ineffectual, whether it be felt or not felt by the creature, by the obedient as a power of love, and faith and life everlasting,-by the disobedient as a power of wrath, of reproof, and of condemnation. Whether it be of the flesh or of the spirit, of letter or of life, of the name or of the power, that the Lord spoke, when he said: "He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” what meaneth the baptist, when he testifieth, "He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Let these questions be satisfactorily answered; let not this primitive power of seeing the truth, and of obeying it, this standard of right, without which the heathen could never have been 66 a law to themselves," this soul-stirring, reproving, correcting, enlightening and strengthening influence, be confounded with those higher gifts of grace the new birth of the soul, whereby Christ, being received by us, becometh in us the hope of glory, and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit-let these things, as they are spiritual, be spiritually discerned; but let not the blasphemous notion be entertained, that God, the

Or

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RULE OF EDUCATION, LAID DOWN BY CHRIST.

giver of every good and perfect gift, who has declared that

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every one that asketh receiveth;" that "he that seeketh, findeth;" has withheld from any man that, without which no man could have an idea, or a motive, the will or the power, of asking or of seeking. Let not God's gracious promise, that he will give more abundantly to those that ask him, be turned into a sinful disregard and forgetfulness, of what he has given to all, before any could ask. Let not the weak be offended, and the proud ensnared, by a vain and perplexing doctrine, which either consigns man to the indolent inactivity of predestinarianism, or impresses him with the profane and dangerous notion, that he is to make, as it were, the first advances for reconciliation with his God. But "hear the righteousness which is of faith, on what wise it speaketh: Say not in thine heart: Who shall ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring down Christ from above) or, Who shall descend into the deep?' (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? THE WORD IS NIGH THEE, EVEN IN THY MOUTH, AND IN THY HEART."

It is in this faith only, that we can ever enter into the spirit of that memorable declaration of our Saviour, which is the golden rule of all education : "WHOSO SHALL RECEIVE ONE SUCH LITTLE CHILD IN MY NAME, RECEIVETH ME!" And here, again, I would wish, that our great leaders of doctrine, our scribes and lawyers, with whom the letter availeth so much, would for once keep to the letter. Hear their interpretation: "Whoso shall receive one such little child in my name," i. e., whoso shall, from motives of Christian charity, provide for the instruction of such a little child, in a school conducted upon one of "the most approved systems," (where, in addition to other knowledge, calculated to fit him for some trade, he will be made to spell over the letter of the Gospel, and to learn, by rote, the catechism of the party to which his benefactor belongs, so as to give him a chance of becoming a professor of the same party,

WHAT IT IS TO RECEIVE A CHILD IN HIS NAME. 71

if he retain the knowledge so acquired, and a Christian, if, in spite of this instruction, grace should be added from above;) whoso does this "receiveth me," i. e. shall be rewarded as if Christ had been. in such a helpless condition, and the same service had been rendered to him. Is this the life and spiritis it even the letter of the declaration of our Lord ?-Why, then, is it not taken literally: "Whoso shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me;" i. e. whoso having undertaken the rearing of one such little child, shall humbly acknowledge, that he himself can do nothing for it, but that there is one mightier than himself, even the everlasting Word, who hath both the will and the power of influencing the heart and mind of the little child-whoso, in this faith, shall make it his whole and sole object, to become an instrument in the hand of that holy power, for the purpose of aiding to bring the child into a state, in which he will be ready to listen to the instructions, and to submit to the dictates, of that inward teacher and ruler, he, says our Lord, in truth and in reality receiveth me. Born from above, and one with me, his soul holds intercourse, in holiness, truth, and love, not with the selfish feelings, or the corrupt tendencies, which arise from the fallen and sinful nature of the child, but with my own pure and undefiled nature, which I have deposited in the child's heart, as a spark, ready to burst forth into a sacred flame, as soon as it is kindled by the congenial flame of my spirit, manifested through one of my faithful and single-hearted servants. And he who doeth so, looketh for no reward, for he hath his reward.

Here is the basis on which our education must be founded, to be a Christian education, in the true sense of the word; an education by the means, and to the ends of Christ; far different from those lifeless systems, which prevail so largely among us, and which have, some of them at least, a form of godliness, viz., Scripture reading and catechisation, but deny the power thereof, viz., the direct