The Children for Christ by Andrew Murray

not teaching, not commanding, but something higher than all these;
that without which the teaching and commanding is often more harm
than good. It is not only telling a child what to do, but showing him how
to do it and seeing that it is done, taking care that the advice or the
command we give is put into practice and adopted as a habit.
What is needed for such training we can understand easily if we look at
the way in which a young horse is trained. How it is made to yield its
will to its master’s, until at last it is in perfect sympathy with him, and
yields to his slightest wish! How carefully it is directed and accustomed
to do the right thing until it becomes a habit, a second nature! How its
own wild native tendencies, when needful, are checked and restrained!
How it is encouraged and helped to the full exercise of its powers in
subjection to this rule, and everything done to make it bold and
spirited! With what thoughtful care I have seen a coachman watch his
young horses, and sit ready,at any difficulty, to help them with voice
and hand, lest they should lose their confidence or be overcome by
some difficulty they had to surmount! And I have thought, Would that
parents bestowed somewhat of this care on training children in the way
they should go!
Training may now thus be defined: accustoming the child to do easily
and willingly what is commanded. Doing, doing habitually, doing from
choice — this is what we aim at.
Doing. The parent who wishes to train not only tells or commands, but
sees that the thing is done. To this end he seeks to engage the interest
and affection of the child on the side of duty _ generally, as well as of
the duty specially to be performed. Knowing how naturally thoughtless
and fickle a child’s nature is, he urges or encourages, until the thing,
which involves self-denial or difficulty, is performed. He is careful not
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