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Indulged Daughter
493
Keep clear of the boys. In their society your temptations become
earnest and powerful. Put marriage out of your girl’s head. You are
in no sense fit for this. You need years of experience before you
can be qualified to understand the duties, and take up the burdens,
of married life. Positively guard your thoughts, your passions, and
your affections. Do not degrade these to minister to lust. Elevate
them to purity, devote them to God.
You may become a prudent, modest, virtuous girl, but not with-
out earnest effort. You must watch, you must pray, you must medi-
tate, you must investigate your motives and your actions. Closely
analyze your feelings and your acts. Would you, in the presence
of your father, perform an impure action? No, indeed. But you do
this in the presence of your heavenly Father, who is so much more
exalted, so holy, so pure. Yes; you corrupt your own body in the
presence of the pure, sinless angels, and in the presence of Christ;
and you continue to do this irrespective of conscience, irrespective
of the light and warnings given you.
Remember, a record is made of all your acts. You must meet
again the most secret things of your life. You will be judged accord-
ing to the deeds done in the body. Are you prepared for this? You
are injuring yourself physically and morally. God has enjoined upon
you to preserve your body holy. “Know ye not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost, ... and ye are not your own? For ye are
bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your
spirit, which are God’s.” Will not God judge you for debasing to
lust the passions and affections when He claims the wealth of your
affections and your entire being to be devoted to His service?
Again I warn you as one who must meet these lines in that day
when the case of everyone shall be decided. Yield yourself to Christ
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without delay; He alone, by the power of His grace, can redeem you
from ruin. He alone can bring your moral and mental powers into
a state of health. Your heart may be warm with the love of God;
your understanding, clear and mature; your conscience, illuminated,
quick, and pure; your will, upright and sanctified, subject to the
control of the Spirit of God. You can make yourself what you
choose. If you will now face rightabout, cease to do evil and learn
to do well, then you will be happy indeed; you will be successful in