Love the Constraining Power
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of children who are now without God and without hope in the world,
will be added to the church.
When conversion of the youth shall be the great burden upon the
hearts of the parents and teachers, efforts will constantly be made to
discipline the character, to direct the tastes and desires in the heavenly
channel. Every soul is capable of being built up in solid virtues. Each
soul may reach heights, depths, and breadths of knowledge in spiritual
things, and be fitted for the higher life. When parents take the first
steps, making their own habits and practices in eating, dressing, and
living, as simple and natural as possible, with an eye single to the
glory of God, there will be order in the home, and the children will
not be neglected; but time will be devoted to their instruction and
development.
The children should be surrounded by the best of influences and
associations. Parents who undertake this work in the fear and love of
God, will guard every word, that they may hear nothing that would
pain them when their own conversation is repeated by the children.
They will seek to supply the weakness, ignorance, and deficiency in
their children by high moral instruction, that they may grow up strong
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in purity, with well-established habits that tend to health and happiness.
With such an education they will gather up that kind of knowledge that
will perfect the character in symmetry and strength.
If the youth are left to pick up an education, they will find that every
facility will be furnished. From a variety of sources the knowledge
of evil will be brought to the mind, and, perhaps, in after life it can
never be wholly effaced. When parents neglect their duty in laying
the foundation of character for their children, bringing the very best
principles as timbers for their character building, this neglect will
be supplied by the enemy of God and man, and the youth will be
indifferent to virtue and truth. The home should be made the most
pleasant place in the world. What is the outward and the artificial
compared with the true and the natural? The Lord has given to the
children faculties that need the most careful training from both parents
and teachers.
Those to whom God has committed the responsibility of disci-
plining the youth should be in a condition to cooperate with Him in
developing the precious gifts of mind and heart, that they may gain