Parental Vigilance and Help
353
kept clean and free from any offensive odor. Nothing of an irritating
character should touch the bodies of children, nor should their clothing
be allowed to bind them in any way. If more attention were given to
this subject, far less impurity would be practiced
Do Not Release From Exercise—They [the youth] are excused
from physical exercise to a great degree for fear they will overwork.
The parents bear burdens themselves which their children should bear.
Overwork is bad, but the result of indolence is more to be dreaded.
Idleness leads to the indulgence of corrupt habits. Industry does not
weary and exhaust one-fifth part as much as the pernicious habit of
self-abuse. If simple, well-regulated labor exhausts your children, be
assured, parents, there is something, aside from their labor, which is
enervating their systems and producing a sense of constant weariness.
Give your children physical labor, which will call into exercise the
nerves and muscles. The weariness attending such labor will lessen
their inclination to indulge in vicious habits
Indolence an Open Door to Temptation—Mothers, give your
children enough to do.... Indolence will not be favorable to physical,
mental, or moral health. It throws open the door and invites Satan in,
which opportunity he improves, and draws the young into his snares.
By indolence not only the moral strength is weakened, and the impulse
of passion increased, but Satan’s angels take possession of the whole
citadel of the mind and compel conscience to surrender to vile passion.
[463]
We should teach our children habits of patient industry
God Will Not Leave the Repentant to Perish—You should
present encouragements before your children that a merciful God
will accept true heart repentance and will bless their endeavors to
cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. As Satan
sees that he is losing control over the minds of your children, he will
strongly tempt them and seek to bind them to continue to practice
this bewitching vice. But with a firm purpose they must resist Satan’s
temptations to indulge the animal passions, because it is sin against
God. They should not venture on forbidden ground, where Satan can
claim control over them. If they in humility entreat God for purity of
thought and a refined and sanctified imagination, He will hear them
13
Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 142
.
14
Testimonies For The Church 2:348, 349
.
15
An Appeal to Mothers, 18, 19
.