A Practical Directory for Young Christian Females | Page 7

of the means which they used, will not be surprised
at their attainments. The Bible represents the Christian as in the constant exercise of holy
affections; and we should never rest with anything short of this. Some of the persons I
have mentioned did arrive at such a state of feeling. President Edwards enjoyed, for many
years, the constant light of God's countenance, and habitual communion with him. And
so did Mrs. Edwards, James B. Taylor, and many others.
She, for a long time, enjoyed, as she said, "THE RICHES OF FULL ASSURANCE." She
felt "an uninterrupted and entire resignation to God, with respect to health or sickness,
ease or pain, life or death; and an entire resignation of the lives of her nearest earthly
friends." She also felt a "sweet peace and serenity of soul, without a cloud to interrupt it;
a continual rejoicing in all the works of nature and Providence; a wonderful access to
God by prayer, sensibly conversing with him, as much as if God were here on earth;
frequent, plain, sensible, and immediate answers to prayer; all tears wiped away; all

former troubles and sorrows of life forgotten, except sorrow for sin; doing everything for
God's glory, with a continual and uninterrupted cheerfulness, peace, and joy." At the
same time, she engaged in the common duties of life with great diligence, considering
them as a part of the service of God; and, when done from this motive, she said they were
as delightful as prayer itself. She also showed an "extreme anxiety to avoid every sin, and
to discharge every moral obligation; she was most exemplary in the performance of every
social and relative duty; exhibited great inoffensiveness of life and conversation; great
meekness, benevolence, and gentleness of spirit; and avoided, with remarkable
conscientiousness, all those things which she regarded as failings in her own character."
How did these persons arrive at this eminence in the Christian life? Although by free
sovereign grace, yet it was by no miracle. If you will use the same means, you may attain
the same end. In the early part of his Christian life, President Edwards says,--"I felt a
burning desire to be, in everything, a complete Christian, and conformed to the blessed
image of Christ. I had an eager thirsting after progress in these things, which put me upon
pursuing and pressing after them. It was my continual strife, day and night, and constant
inquiry, how I should be more holy, and live more holily, and more becoming a child of
God, and a disciple of Christ. I now sought an increase of grace and holiness, and a holy
life, with much more earnestness than ever I sought grace before I had it. I used to be
continually examining myself, and studying and contriving for likely ways and means,
how I should live holily, with far greater diligence and earnestness than ever I pursued
anything in my life; yet, with too great a dependence on my own strength--which
afterwards proved a great damage to me." "Mrs. Edwards had been long in an uncommon
manner growing in grace, and rising, by very sensible degrees, to higher love to God,
weanedness to the world, and mastery over sin and temptation, through _great trials and
conflicts, and long-continued struggling and fighting_ with sin, and earnest and constant
prayer and labor in religion, and engagedness of mind in the use of all means. This
growth had been attended, not only with a great increase of religious affections, but with
a most visible alteration of outward behavior; particularly in living above the world, and
in a greater degree of steadfastness and strength in the way of duty and self-denial;
maintaining the Christian conflict under temptations, and conquering, from time to time,
under great trials; persisting in an unmoved, untouched calm and rest, under the changes
and accidents of time, such as seasons of extreme pain and apparent hazard of immediate
death."
You will find accounts of similar trials and struggles in the lives of all eminent saints.
This is what we may expect. It agrees with the Christian life, as described in God's word.
It is "through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of heaven." This is the way in
which you must go, if you would ever enter there. You must make religion the great
business of your life, to which everything else must give place. You must engage with
your whole soul in the work, looking to the cross of Christ for strength against your
spiritual enemies; and you will come off "conqueror at last," through him that hath loved
us, and given himself for us.
Your affectionate Brother.

LETTER II.
_The Importance of a thorough Knowledge of the Doctrines of Christianity--means of
obtaining it._
"Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word