he work will be thorough, the reform certain. They will
not feel sorrow merely because their sins are known; but they
will view their sinful practices in their aggravated character,
and will be led to confess them to God, without reserve,
and will forsake them. They will feel to sorrow for their
wrong course, because they have displeased God, and sinned
against him, and dishonored their bodies before Him who
created them, and has required them to present their bodies a
living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto him, which is their
reasonable service.
“What! know ye not that your body is the temple of
the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God,
and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price;
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which
are God’s.”
You should present encouragements before your children
that a merciful God will accept true heart repentance, and
will bless their endeavors to cleanse themselves from all
filthiness of the flesh and spirit. As Satan sees that he
is losing control over the minds of your children, he will
strongly tempt them, and seek to bind them to continue
to practice this bewitching vice. But with a firm purpose
they must resist Satan’s temptations to indulge the animal
passions, because it is sin against God. They should not
venture on forbidden ground, where Satan can claim control
over them. If they in humility entreat God for purity of
thought, and a refined and sanctified imagination,