Purity
83
early to inculcate pure thoughts, by fitting up their rooms in a cleanly,
tasteful, attractive manner
Guard the Associations—If parents desire their children to be
pure, they must surround them with pure associations such as God can
approve
With what care parents should guard their children from careless,
loose, demoralizing habits! Fathers and mothers, do you realize the
importance of the responsibility resting on you? Do you allow your
children to associate with other children without being present to know
what kind of education they are receiving? Do not allow them to be
alone with other children. Give them your special care. Every evening
know where they are and what they are doing. Are they pure in all
their habits? Have you instructed them in the principles of moral
purity? If you have neglected to teach them line upon line, precept
upon precept, here a little and there a little, let not another day pass
without confessing to them your neglect to do this. Then tell them that
you mean now to do your God-appointed work. Ask them to take hold
with you in the reform
Neighbors may permit their children to come to your house to
spend the evening and the night with your children. Here is a trial
and a choice for you, to run the risk of offending your neighbors by
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sending their children to their own home, or gratify them, and let them
lodge with your children, and thus expose them to be instructed in
that knowledge which would be a lifelong curse to them. To save my
children from becoming corrupted, I have not allowed them to sleep
in the same bed, or in the same room, with other boys, and have, as
occasion has required, when traveling, made a scanty bed upon the
floor for them, rather than have them lodge with others. I have tried to
keep them from associating with rough, rude boys and have presented
inducements before them to make their employment at home cheerful
and happy. By keeping their minds and hands occupied, they have had
but little time, or disposition, to play in the street with other boys and
obtain a street education
4
Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 142, 143
.
5
Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 142
.
6
Manuscript 119, 1901
.
7
A Solemn Appeal, 56
.