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precept upon precept, that all those whose names are upon the church
records may hear and obey the word of the Lord. Parents cannot
rightly train their children unless they learn how to cooperate with the
Lord in his work upon the heart. The first essential in educating your
households in the fear of God, is consecration of yourself and your
all to God. Let parents begin with heart work; for out of the heart are
the issues of life. Let the prayer ascend from contrite hearts, “Behold,
thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou
shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall
be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear
joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create
in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast
me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free
spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be
converted unto thee.” [
Psalm 51:6-13
.]
What a prayer is this! How evident it is that sinners in the house-
hold are not to be treated with indifference, but that the Lord looks
upon them as the purchase of his blood. In every household where the
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unconverted are, it should be the work of those who know the Lord to
work in wisdom for their conversion. The Lord will surely bless the
efforts of parents, as in his fear and love they seek to save the souls of
their household. The Lord Jesus is waiting to be gracious. O that the
work might begin at the heart! “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else
would I give it; thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of
God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou
wilt not despise.” [
Psalm 51:16, 17
.] Then let it be understood by all
the members of the household that the work must begin at the heart.
The heart must be subdued and made contrite through the creating,
regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. Realizing the aid of this mighty
agency, cannot parents work for the conversion of their children with
more zeal and love than ever before?—Extract from an article in the
The Review and Herald, March 14, 1893
.
Pre-natal Influences.—God had an important work for the
promised child of Manoah [Samson] to do, and it was to secure for
him the qualifications necessary for this work, that the habits of both
the mother and the child were to be carefully regulated. “Neither let