Dangers of the Young
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been neglected. Children’s minds will be active, and if not engaged
in physical labor, or occupied with study, they will be exposed to evil
influences. It is a sin for parents to allow their children to grow up in
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ignorance. They should supply them with useful and interesting books,
and should teach them to work, to have hours for physical labor, and
hours to devote to study and reading. Parents should seek to elevate
the minds of their children and to improve their mental faculties. The
mind left to itself, uncultivated, is generally low, sensual, and corrupt.
Satan improves his opportunity and educates idle minds.
Parents, the recording angel writes every impatient, fretful word
you utter to your children. Every failure on your part to give them
proper instruction, and show them the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and
the final result of a sinful course, is marked against your name. Every
unguarded word spoken before them, carelessly or in jest, every word
that is not chaste and elevated, the recording angel marks as a spot
against your Christian character. All your acts are recorded, whether
they are good or bad.
Parents cannot succeed well in the government of their children
until they first have perfect control of themselves. They must first learn
to subdue themselves, to control their words, and the very expression
of the countenance. They should not suffer the tones of their voice to
be disturbed or agitated with excitement and passion. Then they can
have a decided influence over their children. Children may wish to
do right, they may purpose in their hearts to be obedient and kind to
their parents or guardians; but they need help and encouragement from
them. They may make good resolutions; but unless their principles
are strengthened by religion and their lives influenced by the renewing
grace of God, they will fail to come up to the mark.
Parents should redouble their efforts for the salvation of their chil-
dren. They should faithfully instruct them, not leaving them to gather
up their education as best they can. The young should not be suffered
to learn good and evil indiscriminately, with the idea that at some
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future time the good will predominate and the evil lose its influence.
The evil will increase faster than the good. It is possible that the evil
they have learned may be eradicated after many years; but who will
venture this? Time is short. It is easier and much safer to sow clean
and good seed in the hearts of your children than to pluck up the weeds
afterward. It is the duty of parents to watch lest surrounding influences