of the treachery of our own hearts, fhould fill us with humility and jealoufy of ourselves; but the true way to reconcile the heart to duty, and to break the power of fin, is to reft our hope upon divine mercy for pardon, and on the promise in the covenant of the Holy Spirit to fanctify us wholly. Many retard their reformation, as well as obftruct their comfort, by yielding to a spirit of bondage and flavish fear. We fhould rather pray in the words of Zechariah, Luke i. 74. "That we being delivered," &c. 5. It is contrary to the freenefs of falvation and the covenant of grace, to boast of our own righteoufness, or in any degree to trust in our own ftrength. The motto of a Chriftian fhould be in the words of the prophet, Ifa. xlv. 24. " Surely, fhall one fay," &c. It is not merely the pardon of fin, but the fanctification of the nature, and ftrength for daily obedience, that is promised in the covenant; and both must be received from the Mediator's hand, and afcribed to him as their proper fource. It is an admirable expreffion of the apoftle Paul, who fays, "I obtained mercy to be faithful ;" accounting that a fubject of gratitude, and a mercy received, which others would have reckoned an occafion of boafting. Nothing is more contrary to the fpirit of the gofpel than felf-dependence, and indeed the whole fubftance of this difpenfation has been defigned to abase the pride of man, and to exalt the grace of God. To profeffing believers, the whole duties of the law of God are to be preached, for believers are not without law to God, but under the law to Christ. The laws of the gospel are to be inculcated as the fruits of faith, and the evidence of a faving change. There is a great difference between confidering duties as going before, and as following faith and reconciliation; the firft is legal, the last evangelical. You need not be afraid but that duties may be preached as ftrictly in the last way as in the first, and it will certainly be done with much greater fafety. LETTERS ON EDUCATION. LETTER I. FTER fo long a delay, I now fet myself to fulfil my promife of writing to you a few thoughts on the education of children. Though I cannot wholly purge myself of the crimes of lazinefs and procrastination, yet I do affure you, what contributed not a little to its being hitherto not done, was, that I confidered it not as an ordinary letter, but what deferved to be carefully meditated on, and thoroughly digefted. The concern you fhow on this fubject is highly commendable; for there is no part of your duty, as a Christian or a citizen, which will be of greater service to the Public, or a fource of greater comfort to yourself. The confequence of my thinking fo long upon it, before committing my thoughts to paper, will proVOL. VIII. P |