Testimonies for the Church Volume 1 - A New You Ministry

companions, such as cannot help them, but will give them bad advice. Girls and boysget together and chat, and laugh, and joke, and drive Christ out of their hearts, andangels from their presence, by their foolish nonsense. Unprofitable conversation uponthe acts of others, small talk about this young man or that girl, withers noble, devotionalthoughts and feelings, and drives good and holy desires from the heart, leaving it coldand destitute of true love for God and His truth.Children would be saved from many evils if they would be more familiar with theirparents. Parents should encourage in their children a disposition to be open and frankwith them, to come to them with their difficulties, and when they are perplexed as towhat course is right, to lay the matter just as they view it before the parents and asktheir advice. Who are so well calculated to see and point out their dangers as godlyparents? Who can understand the peculiar temperaments of their own children as wellas they? The mother who has watched every turn of the mind from infancy, and is thusacquainted with the natural disposition, is best prepared to counsel her children. Whocan tell as well what traits of character to check and restrain, as the mother, aided bythe father?Children who are Christians will prefer the love and approbation of theirGod-fearing parents above every earthly blessing. They will love and honor theirparents. It should be one of the principal studies of their lives, how to make theirparents happy. In this rebellious age, children who have not received right instructionand discipline have but little sense of their obligations to their parents. It is often thecase that the more their parents do for them, the more ungrateful they are, and the lessthey respect them. Children who have been petted and waited upon, always expect it;and if their expectations are not met, they are disappointed and discouraged. This samedisposition will be seen through their whole lives; they will be helpless, leaning uponothers for aid,392