A Practical Directory for Young Christian Females | Page 6

Christ is exhibited. The glory of Christ is manifested by the
holy walk of his people, just as the glory of the sun appears by the reflected light of the
moon.
3. The glory of God is promoted by making others acquainted with the exhaustless riches
of free grace, and bringing them to Christ; for, by that means, they receive spiritual light
to behold the beauty and glory of the divine perfections, and his image is stamped upon
their souls. But your usefulness in this respect depends mainly upon the measure of grace
you have in your own heart. The reason why many Christians do so little good in the
world is, that they have so little piety. If you would be eminently useful, you must be
eminently holy.
But, you may ask, "What is the standard at which I must aim?" I answer: The law of God
is the only true standard of moral excellence; and you have the pattern of that law carried
out in action, in the perfect life of our blessed Lord and Master. No standard short of this
will answer the requirements of the word of God. "He that abideth in him, ought himself
also so to walk, EVEN AS HE WALKED." All that we fall short of this is sin. There is
no want of ability in the case, but what arises from our own voluntary wickedness of
heart. Christ says that he came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it. "We are not released
from the obligation of perfect obedience; though grace has taken away the necessity of
such obedience as the ground of our acceptance with God." The law is not made void, but
established, by grace. We cannot be saved by our obedience; because we have already
broken the law, and we cannot mend it. But, while we trust alone in Christ, independent
of anything in ourselves, for justification before God, the signs or evidences of our faith
must be found within us. There must be a new and holy principle in our hearts; and just

as far as this principle prevails, so far it will show itself in obedience to the law of God.
There is no resting-place, in the agonizing conflict, till we are "_holy as God is holy_." I
do not say that Christians ever do become perfectly holy in this life. The contrary appears,
from the testimony both of Scripture and experience, to be the universal fact. But this is
the measure of obligation, and we should strive after it with all the earnestness of which
we are capable.
We must not settle down contented with our attainments, while one sin remains
unsubdued in our hearts. The Scriptures are full of this doctrine. The apostle Paul
expresses far more earnestness of desire after higher attainments in the divine life than is
ever felt by such Christians as have only a feeble and glimmering hope of entering the
abodes of the blessed. "If by any means," says he, "I might attain unto the resurrection of
the dead;" or that state of perfect holiness which the saints will have attained at the
resurrection. And the kind of effort which he put forth to obtain the object of his desires
is most forcibly described in the passage quoted at the beginning of this letter. In view of
this standard, you will be able to see, in some measure, the exceeding sinfulness of sin;
and it will drive you more entirely out of yourself to the cross of Christ. You will see the
necessity of daily renewing your repentance, submission, and faith.
You see, from what the apostle says of his own experience, that high spiritual attainments
are not to be expected without great labor and strife. True piety is indeed the work of the
Holy Spirit; but the fact that God works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure, is
made the ground of Paul's exhortation to work out our own salvation with fear and
trembling.
The attainments of eminent saints are too generally looked upon as out of the reach of
common Christians. They seem to think God is not willing to give all his children the
same measure of grace. But he could not have said more than he has in his holy word, to
convince them to the contrary. "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." Our Lord
repeatedly assures us that God is more willing to give good things to those that ask him,
than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their children. And whoever will read the
lives of such eminent Christians as Edwards, Whitefield, Brainerd, Martyn, Payson, Mrs.
Edwards, Mrs. Anthony, Mrs. Huntington, James B. Taylor, and many others which
might be mentioned,--and take notice