The Sunday School is a great help to the poor mother. Cultivate religious occupation. _e.g._ Find texts—repeat hymns—sing hymns, &c. III. Observe the promise. Isa. lvi. 2–7: lviii. 13, 14. XI. COMPANIONS. I. Danger of bad companions. One bad companion corrupts many. ‘A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.’ 1 Cor. v. 6. ‘Evil communications corrupt good manners.’ 1 Cor. xv. 33. Eph. v. 11. Prov. xxii. 24, 25. You are warned in the Scriptures against making companions of: 1. Fools. Prov. xiii. 20. 2. Riotous. Prov. xxviii. 7. 3. Thieves. Isa. i. 23. 4. Depraved. Prov. xxix. 3. 1 Cor. v. 9. 5. Irreligious. 2 Thess. iii. 14. Jam. iv. 4. If important for yourselves, doubly so for the young, unformed minds of your children. II. Form good friendships. ‘The friendship of the world is enmity with God.’ Jam. iv. 4. David chose his friends from those who feared God. Ps. cxix. 63. Heb. x. 33. III. Observe three rules for the sake of your _children_, as well as _yourselves_. 1. Never harbour bad guests. Lodgers—workpeople. 2. Never associate with the wicked, unless obliged to do so, or with a view to doing them good. Even this needs caution. 3. Remember, ‘A man is known by his friends.’ You and your children will be judged by the company you keep. XII. SLOTH. I. The command to be diligent is plain. Rom. xii. 11. 2 Thess. iii. 10, 11. II. See the miserable results of sloth. 1. It leads to tattling. 1 Tim. v. 13. 2. Decay. Eccles. x. 18. 3. Difficulties. Prov. xv. 19. 4. Waste. Prov. xviii. 9. 5. Want. Prov. xx. 4; xxiv. 30, 34. III. Contrast excellent woman (Prov. xxxi. 27) with the slothful person. Prov. xix. 24; xxiv. 30; x. 26. IV. Learn a lesson from the ant for yourselves—for your children. Prov. vi. 6, &c. Give your children something to do. Remember, they must be _set to work_, though it is often more trouble to you to teach _them_ to do it, than to do it _yourself_—yet persevere. V. If not slothful in your temporal affairs, above all be not slothful concerning the salvation of your souls. Heb. vi. 11, 12. 2 Pet. i. 10. XIII. THE WATCHFUL MOTHER. No eye should be so wakeful and watchful as a mother’s. I. Watch over your children _in infancy_. Exod. ii. 8. 1 Sam. i. 23. It is described as next to impossible for a woman to forget her sucking child. Isa. xlix. 15. A well-watched infancy, under God’s blessing, avoids many future ills. II. Watch over your children’s _education_. Judg. xiii. 8. In every minute particular. Learning—clothing, &c. 1 Sam. ii. 19. Prov. xxxi. 21, 23. Contrast the dirty, unmended clothes of the poor, uncared-for child, with the clean and neatly mended garments of him whose childhood is guarded by the watchful eye of a mother. III. Watch them in times of sickness and death. No eye so quick to discover a hidden ill.