Responsibility for Eternal Interests
365
the children for useful lives and fitting them for the immortal kingdom.
The artist’s work is small and unimportant compared with that of the
parent. The one deals with lifeless material, from which he fashions
forms of beauty; but the other deals with a human being whose life
can be shaped for good or ill, to bless humanity or to curse it; to go
out in darkness, or to live forever in a future sinless world
Make Perfection the Goal—Christ was once a little child. For
His sake honor the children. Look upon them as a sacred charge, not
to be petted and idolized, but to be taught to live pure, noble lives.
They are God’s property. He loves them, and He calls upon you to
co-operate with Him in teaching them to form perfect characters. The
Lord requires perfection from His redeemed family. He expects from
us the perfection which Christ revealed in His humanity. Fathers and
mothers especially need to understand the best methods of training
children that they may co-operate with God
Converted Parents Needed—Day and night I am burdened with
the thought of our great need of converted parents. How many there
are who need to humble their hearts before God and come into right
relation to heaven if they would exert a saving influence over their
families. They should know what they must do to inherit eternal life,
if they would train their children for the inheritance of the redeemed.
Every day they should be receiving the light of heaven into their souls,
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every day be receiving the impressions of the Holy Spirit upon heart
and mind. Every day they should be receiving the Word of truth and
letting it control the life
Great responsibilities rest upon parents, and they should strive
earnestly to fulfill their God-appointed mission. When they see the
need of bending all the energies of the being to the work of training
their children for God, a great deal of the frivolity and unnecessary
pretense that is now seen will be put away. They will consider no
sacrifice or toil too great that will enable them to prepare to meet the
Lord with joy. This is a most precious part of their service as followers
of God, and one that they cannot afford to neglect
22
Pacific Health Journal, May, 1890
.
23
Manuscript 19, 1900
.
24
Manuscript 53, 1912
.
25
Manuscript 27, 1911
.