The Way of Holiness

Book excerpt: Phoebe Palmer's excellent Christian devotional is filled with lessons on attaining spiritual closeness to God, and living a life of a true believer with the Bible close to heart. Superb for her thoroughness in selecting the finest lessons from scripture, Phoebe Palmer begins each chapter of this book with a short yet poignant verse or quotation. This work is an account of the author's own discovery of faith, given in the order of spiritual awakenings she received in the process of becoming a good Christian. With her talent for plain explanation through both poem and text, the author mentions chapters of the Bible most useful for readers to reference. Part of this work is introspective, as Palmer observes the gradual change in her spirit as she endeavors to attain true nearness to God. Yet her narration is also part-biographical, recounting incidents and encounters with people who had a lasting effect on her spiritual journey. As one of the first female Christian writers, Palmer is conscious of her gender and the potential that this book might inspire and awaken the spirits of fellow women. Above all however, she is focused upon the path and way to holiness; a journey on which all believers must walk in mindful reverence of the divine.