“Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he
will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6
I suppose that most professing Christians are acquainted with the
text at the head of this page. The sound of it is probably familiar
to your ears, like an old tune. It is likely you […]

1. First, then, if you would train your children rightly, train them
in the way they should go, and not in the way that they would.
Remember children are born with a decided bias towards evil, and
therefore if you let them choose for themselves, they are certain to
choose wrong.
The mother cannot tell what her tender infant may […]

2. Train up your child with all tenderness, affection, and patience.
I do not mean that you are to spoil him, but I do mean that you
should let him see that you love him.
Love should be the silver thread that runs through all your conduct.
Kindness, gentleness, long-suffering, forbearance, patience, sympathy, a
willingness to enter into childish troubles, […]

3. Train your children with an abiding persuasion on your mind that
much depends upon you.
Grace is the strongest of all principles. See what a revolution
grace effects when it comes into the heart of an old sinner — how it
overturns the strongholds of Satan, how it casts down mountains,
fills up valleys, makes crooked things straight, and […]

4. Train with this thought continually before your eyes — that the
soul of your child is the first thing to be considered.
Precious, no doubt, are these little ones in your eyes; but if
you love them, think often of their souls. No interest should weigh
with you so much as their eternal interests. No part of them […]

5. Train your child to a knowledge of the Bible.
You cannot make your children love the Bible, I allow. None but
the Holy Ghost can give us a heart to delight in the Word. But you
can make your children acquainted with the Bible; and be sure they
cannot be acquainted with that blessed book too soon or […]

6. Train them to a habit of prayer.
Prayer is the very life-breath of true religion. It is one of
the first evidences that a man is born again. “Behold,” said the
Lord of Saul, in the day he sent Ananias to him, “Behold, he prayeth”
(Acts 9:11). He had begun to pray, and that was proof enough.
Prayer was […]

7. Train them to habits of diligence, and regularity about public
means of grace.
Tell them of the duty and privilege of going to the house of God,
and joining in the prayers of the congregation. Tell them that
wherever the Lord’s people are gathered together, there the Lord
Jesus is present in an especial manner, and that those who […]

8. Train them to a habit of faith.
I mean by this that you should train them up to believe what you
say. You should try to make them feel confidence in your judgment,
and respect your opinions, as better than their own. You should
accustom them to think that, when you say a thing is bad for them, […]

9. Train them to a habit of obedience. This is an object which it is
worth any labour to attain. No habit, I suspect, has such an
influence over our lives as this. Parents, determine to make your
children obey you, though it may cost you much trouble, and cost them
many tears. Let there be no questioning, and […]