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Testimonies for the Church Volume 2
and spirits. But Christ has bought you, and you are His property.
And now it is for you to work in union with Christ, in union with
the holy angels that minister unto you. It is for you to keep the
body under and bring it into subjection. Unless you do this you will
certainly lose everlasting life and the crown of immortality. And yet
some will say: “What business is it to anybody what I eat or what I
drink?” I have shown you what relation your course has to others.
You have seen that it has much to do with the influence you exert in
your families. It has much to do with molding the characters of your
children.
As I said before, we live in a corrupt age. It is a time when Satan
seems to have almost perfect control over minds that are not fully
consecrated to God. Therefore there is a very great responsibility
resting upon parents and guardians who have children to bring up.
Parents have taken the responsibility of bringing these children into
existence; and now what is their duty? Is it to let them come up
just as they may, and just as they will? Let me tell you, a weighty
responsibility rests upon these parents. “Whether therefore ye eat,
or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Do you
do this when you prepare food for your tables and call your family
to partake of it? Are you placing before your children only the food
that you know will make the very best blood? Is it that food that
will preserve their systems in the least feverish condition? Is it that
which will place them in the very best relation to life and health? Is
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this the food that you are studying to place before your children? Or
do you, regardless of their future good, provide for them unhealthful,
stimulating, irritating food?
Let me tell you that children are born to evil. Satan seems to have
control of them. He takes possession of their young minds, and they
are corrupted. Why do fathers and mothers act as though a lethargy
were upon them? They do not mistrust that Satan is sowing evil
seed in their families. They are as blind and careless and reckless
in regard to these things as it is possible for them to be. Why do
they not awake, and read and study upon these subjects? Says the
apostle: “Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to
knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience,” etc. Here is a
work which rests upon every one who professes to follow Christ; it
is to live upon the plan of addition.