Chapter 48—Heaven’s Estimate of Children
      
      
        Children Are the Purchase of Christ’s Blood—Christ placed
      
      
        such a high estimate upon your children that He gave His life for them.
      
      
        Treat them as the purchase of His blood. Patiently and firmly train
      
      
        them for Him. Discipline with love and forbearance. As you do this,
      
      
        they will become a crown of rejoicing to you and will shine as lights
      
      
        in the world
      
      
      
      
        The youngest child that loves and fears God is greater in His
      
      
        sight than the most talented and learned man who neglects the great
      
      
        salvation. The youth who consecrate their hearts and lives to God
      
      
        have, in so doing, placed themselves in connection with the Fountain
      
      
        of all wisdom and excellence
      
      
      
      
        “Of Such Is the Kingdom of Heaven.”—The soul of the little
      
      
        child that believes in Christ is as precious in His sight as are the angels
      
      
        about His throne. They are to be brought to Christ and trained for
      
      
        Christ. They are to be guided in the path of obedience, not indulged in
      
      
        appetite or vanity
      
      
      
      
        If we would but learn the wonderful lessons which Jesus sought
      
      
        to teach His disciples from a little child, how many things that now
      
      
        seem insurmountable difficulties would wholly disappear! When the
      
      
        disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom
      
      
        of heaven? ... Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the
      
      
        midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted,
      
      
        and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of
      
      
        heaven
      
      
      
      
         Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child,
      
      
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        the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
      
      
        God’s Property Entrusted to Parents—Children derive life and
      
      
        being from their parents, and yet it is through the creative power of
      
      
        God that your children have life, for God is the Life-giver. Let it be
      
      
        1
      
      
         The Signs of the Times, April 3, 1901
      
      
        .
      
      
        2
      
      
         Messages to Young People, 329
      
      
        .
      
      
        3
      
      
         The Review and Herald, March 30, 1897
      
      
        .
      
      
        4
      
      
         Manuscript 13, 1891
      
      
        .
      
      
        209