with the same object daily set before the minds of
the children. Whenever their wishes are crossed, or their wills subdued,
they can be taught, that all this is done, not merely to please the
parent, or to secure some good to themselves or to others; but as a part
of that merciful training, which is designed to form such a character,
and such habits, that they can hereafter find their chief happiness in
giving up their will to God, and in living to do good to others, instead
of living merely to please themselves.

It can be pointed out to them, that they must always submit their will
to the will of God, or else be continually miserable. It can be shown,
how in the nursery, and in the school, and through all future days, a
child must practise the giving up of his will and wishes, when they
interfere with the rights and comfort of others; and how important it
is, early to learn to do this, so that it will, by habit, become easy
and agreeable. It can be shown, how children, who are indulged in all
their wishes, and who are never accustomed to any self-denial, always
find it hard to refrain from what injures themselves and others. It can
be shown, also, how important it is, for every person, to form such
habits of benevolence, towards others, that self-denial, in doing good,
will become easy.

Parents have learned, by experience, that children can be constrained,
by authority and penalties, to exercise self-denial, for _their own_
good, till a habit is formed, which makes the duty comparatively easy.
For example, well-trained children can be accustomed to deny themselves
tempting articles of food, which are injurious, until the practice
ceases to be painful and difficult. Whereas, an indulged child would be
thrown into fits of anger or discontent, when its wishes were crossed,
by restraints of this kind.

But it has not been so readily discerned, that the same method is
needful, in order to form a habit of self-denial, in doing good to
others. It has been supposed, that, while children must be forced, by
_authority_, to be self-denying and prudent, in regard to their own
happiness, it may properly be left to their own discretion, whether they
will practise any self-denial in doing good to others. But the more
difficult a duty is, the greater is the need of parental authority, in
forming a habit, which will make that duty easy.

In order to secure this, some parents turn their earliest efforts to
this object. They requi