234 ON INSTRtcrION BY CATECHISMS. the gospel, and their amazing success in converting both Jews and Gentiles. 3 There should be inserted also some of those incidents of the Old Testament which are rehearsed in the new to some very considerable and valuable purposes in the christian religion ; such are the affairs of Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses and Aaron, Joshua and David, Elijah and Elisha, Jonah and Daniel, &c. 4. Such as will give occasion to a child easily to draw some moral or religious lesson by plain and short inferences, and par- ticularly such as relate to parents and to children, in which their stage of life had) a very peculiar interest. Therefore it may be, proper to insert thé carriage of Cain to his brother, and that of Ham, ahem and Japheth to their father, and of Joseph to his brethren ; the carriage of Eli to his sons, the characters of Samuel and Josiah, of Timothy and of Christ himself in their younger years. For the saine reason it isfit to mention the rebel- lion and death of Absalom, the leprosy which was inflicted on Gehazi, and death on Ananias and Sapphira for telling a lie, the slaughter of the children that mocked Elisha by a bear, &c. that childrenmay be warned against those sins to which they are most liabld. 5. Such histories should have some place here as are most universally known by all christians, and are most frequently men- tioned in conversation, and taught in religious families ; espe- cially if they have any.thing marvellous or extraordinary in them ; for this more sensibly attracts-the minds of children and gives them most delight in learning. Upon this account in the Old Testament the books of Genesis and Exodus may perhaps have rather a larger share in these catechisms. It may be observed also in the description of the character of a person we need not always use that character which is most considerable in itself, but that which will most sensibly strike the minds of children : And so in the "description of places we need say little or nothing of their geographical situation which would be useless to children, but we should rather describe them by the most remarkable circumstance of scripture history that related to them. Nineveh is the great city where Jonah was sent to preach, and Antioch should be described as the city where thedisciples of Christ where first called Christians. In like manner in the stories or narratives, we may better neglect some action really more considerable in itself to insert another which some readers may think less considerable, if it strikes young minds more powerfully and agreeably, andmay also be of more use to children. There is another rule which may be observed in composing the catechism of names, and the historical catechism,viz. in di catechism of names it is best to put the name of the person into the question, and give the character of the person in the answer;
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