TO A RECENT WOMAN CONVERT: Jonathan Edwards
A young woman, who had lately made a profession of faith, requested Mr. Edwards to give her advice as to the best manner of maintaining a religious life. In reply, he addressed to her the following letter:
Do not leave off seeking, striving, and praying for the very same things that we exhort unconverted persons to strive for, and a degree of which you have already had in conversion.
Pray that your eyes may be opened, that you may receive sight, that you may know yourself and be brought to God’s footstool, that you may see the glory of God and Christ and be raised from the dead, and have the love of Christ shed abroad in your heart. Those who have most of these things have need to still pray for them; for there is so much blindness and hardness, pride and death remaining that they still need to have that work of God wrought upon them, further to enlighten and enliven them…
When you hear a sermon, hear for yourself….let the chief intent of your mind be to consider, “In what respect is this applicable to me? And what application ought I to make of this for my own soul’s good?” When you engage in the duty of prayer, come to the Lord’s Supper, or attend any other duty of divine worship, come to Christ, as Mary Magdalene did (Luke 7:37-38).
When the exercise of grace is low and corruption prevails, and by that means, fear prevails, do not desire to have fear cast out by any other way than by the reviving and prevailing of love in the heart. By this, fear will be effectually compelled, as darkness in a room vanishes away when the pleasant beams of the sun are let into it. In your course, walk with God and follow Christ as a little, poor, helpless child.
Take hold of Christ’s hand, keeping your eye on the marks of the wounds in His hands and side, whence came the blood that cleanses you from sin, and hiding your nakedness under the skirt of the white, shining robes of His righteousness.
Virtuous Womanhood - FGB Chapel Library.
Do not leave off seeking, striving, and praying for the very same things that we exhort unconverted persons to strive for, and a degree of which you have already had in conversion.
Pray that your eyes may be opened, that you may receive sight, that you may know yourself and be brought to God’s footstool, that you may see the glory of God and Christ and be raised from the dead, and have the love of Christ shed abroad in your heart. Those who have most of these things have need to still pray for them; for there is so much blindness and hardness, pride and death remaining that they still need to have that work of God wrought upon them, further to enlighten and enliven them…
When you hear a sermon, hear for yourself….let the chief intent of your mind be to consider, “In what respect is this applicable to me? And what application ought I to make of this for my own soul’s good?” When you engage in the duty of prayer, come to the Lord’s Supper, or attend any other duty of divine worship, come to Christ, as Mary Magdalene did (Luke 7:37-38).
When the exercise of grace is low and corruption prevails, and by that means, fear prevails, do not desire to have fear cast out by any other way than by the reviving and prevailing of love in the heart. By this, fear will be effectually compelled, as darkness in a room vanishes away when the pleasant beams of the sun are let into it. In your course, walk with God and follow Christ as a little, poor, helpless child.
Take hold of Christ’s hand, keeping your eye on the marks of the wounds in His hands and side, whence came the blood that cleanses you from sin, and hiding your nakedness under the skirt of the white, shining robes of His righteousness.
Virtuous Womanhood - FGB Chapel Library.
