210
The Adventist Home
remembered that children are not to be treated as though they were
our own personal property. Children are the heritage of the Lord, and
the plan of redemption includes their salvation as well as ours. They
have been entrusted to parents in order that they might be brought up
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, that they might be qualified
to do their work in time and eternity
Mothers, deal gently with your little ones. Christ was once a little
child. For His sake honor the children. Look upon them as a sacred
charge, not to be indulged, petted, and idolized, but to be taught to
live pure, noble lives. They are God’s property; He loves them, and
calls upon you to co-operate with Him in helping them to form perfect
characters
If you would meet God in peace, feed His flock now with spiritual
food; for every child has the possibility of attaining unto eternal life.
Children and youth are God’s peculiar treasure
The youth need to be impressed with the truth that their endow-
ments are not their own. Strength, time, intellect, are but lent treasures.
They belong to God, and it should be the resolve of every youth to put
them to the highest use. He is a branch, from which God expects fruit;
a steward, whose capital must yield increase; a light, to illuminate the
world’s darkness. Every youth, every child, has a work to do for the
honor of God and the uplifting of humanity
[281]
The Path to Heaven Is Suited to Children’s Capacity—I saw
that Jesus knows our infirmities and has Himself shared our experience
in all things but in sin; therefore He has prepared for us a path suited
to our strength and capacity and, like Jacob, has marched softly and in
evenness with the children as they were able to endure, that He might
entertain us by the comfort of His company and be to us a perpetual
guide. He does not despise, neglect, or leave behind the children of
the flock. He has not bidden us move forward and leave them. He has
not traveled so hastily as to leave us with our children behind. Oh,
no; but He has evened the path to life, even for children. And parents
5
The Signs of the Times, September 10, 1894
.
6
The Signs of the Times, August 23, 1899
.
7
Letter 105, 1893
.
8
Education, 57, 58
.