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Best Mode of Religious instruction

"God, the only wise God, who having made us, know
what is in man, & what is necessary to him. has given us the lar-
gest proportion of the Old & New Testaments in the form of history
& [biography?]. Is it not, therefore, strange that public instruction
should lose sight of God's method, & be always getting into the
commonness of declaration, or the dryness of speculation dis=
cussion? "A story" says [Cesil?]," will hold a child by the ear
for an hour together", and "men are but children of lar-
ger growth"_" Dr [W'?] Jay's autobiography- Vol. 1. p 164.

Death of [Mr?] [J. Foster's?] son John- his only son.

He was about 16, and until the last stage of the dis-
ease (consumption), of which he died, had made no pro-
fession of religion, nor was known to have thought made
about it, though remarkable for the [?] of his conduct.

His father, some weeks before his death, informed him
in express terms that his life was drawing infallibly to a close
"I never shall forget" says he "the delight not unmingled
with a degree of surprise, which was caused by his reply."
"With the most entire calmness, & easy simplicity of manner,
be said he had her for a good while pat convinced in
his own mind that he could not recover; and that his
thoughts had been deeply exercised with his solemn pros-
pects, & that he had an humble hope in the divine mercy.
He talked with perfect freedom; his long & invincible [?]
second to have left him all at once, without an effort; and
it appeared as if a new, or hitherto latent character was
suddenly developed before me." [?]'s life & [?]

"His three or four immediate relations, the physician, & the
old affectionate servants, was assembled in the room, & he spoke
continuously for considerable time, with apparently little dif-
iculty of utterance, & with the most perfect composure & com-
mand of mind & language; addressing, or admiting to each
of us, expressing a grateful sense of the kindess he had ex-
perienced; his request to be forgiven anything in which he
had ever been blameable towards any of us; his wish that each
one might receive one more religious admonition from his
death; his trust that we shall all meet again in a happi-
er world; and his hope in the divine mercy through Jesus