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Child Guidance
profess to be Christ’s followers. Their whole religious experience is
affected by their bringing up in childhood. The same self-will often
appears; there is the same lack of self-denial, the same impatience
under reproof, the same love of self and unwillingness to seek counsel
of others, or to be influenced by other’s judgment, the same indolence,
shunning of burdens, lack of bearing responsibilities. All this is seen
in their relation to the church. It is possible for such to overcome,
but how hard the battle! How severe the conflict! How hard to pass
through the course of thorough discipline which is necessary for them
to reach the elevation of Christian character! Yet if they overcome at
last, they will be permitted to see, before they are translated, how near
the precipice of eternal destruction they came, because of the lack of
right training in youth, the failure to learn submission in childhood
[474]
Fortify Against Corrupting Influences—Parents, you have
taken the responsibility of bringing children into the world without
any voice of theirs, and you are responsible for the lives and souls
of your children. They have the attractions of the world to fascinate
and allure. You can educate them so as to fortify them against its
corrupting influence. You can train them to bear life’s responsibilities
and to realize their obligations to God, truth, and duty, and the bearing
that their actions will have upon their future immortal life
The youth of our day are ignorant of Satan’s devices. Parents
should therefore be awake in these perilous times, working with perse-
verance and industry, to shut out the first approach of the foe. They
should instruct their children when sitting in the house, or walking by
the way, when rising up or lying down
Eternal vigilance must be exercised, that the children may be led
in the paths of righteousness. Satan begins his work upon them from
earliest childhood and creates desires for that which God has for-
bidden. The safety of children depends largely upon the vigilance,
watchfulness, and care of the parents over them
9
Testimonies For The Church 1:219, 220
.
10
The Signs of the Times, December 9, 1875
.
11
The Signs of the Times, February 26, 1880
.
12
The Review and Herald, March 13, 1894
.