PIETY.
There is a passage in the book Ecclesiastes, which that contemptible class of men—the satirists of the female sex—have delighted to quote and misapply. “One man among a thousand have I found, but a woman amongst all these have I not found.” Solomon did not mean that there were fewer good women than good men in the world. This reference was to the members of that royal household; and judging from that class of women with whom unhappily he associated, we do not wonder at the experience he left on record. The wisest of men did not mean, as a satirist, to libel one half of the human race, but as a penitent to admonish others against the snares into which he had fallen. It cannot be doubted that there are far more pious women in every quarter of the globe than pious men.
The benign and benevolent religion of Jesus, independent of its spiritual attractions, met perhaps with a kindlier welcome from woman, on account of her constitutional sympathies, which are more in harmony with its messages of mercy and its designs of love than those of man. It came to purify the springs of domestic life,—and for such work woman was always ready; to wrap the bandage round the broken heart,—and for that kind office woman was always prepared; to heal the sick,—and woman was ministering at their couches; to throw open the gates of immortality to the dying,—and woman was tending their pillows. “I have ofttimes noted,” says Luther, “when women receive the doctrine of the gospel, they are far more fervent in faith, they hold to it more stiff and fast than men do; as we see in the loving Magdalene, who was more hearty and bold than Peter.” The eminent Dr. Doddridge, was of opinion that in the sight of God they constituted decidedly the better half of the human race. The celebrated President Edwards considered the proportion within the limits of his observation as at least two to one. While Professor Dwight says, “women are naturally more religious than men.” On a retrospect of their ministry, we believe most divines will find that they have been doubly useful among the female sex, and have admitted twice as many of them as of their own sex into the fellowship of the Church. Not one female can be numbered amongst Christ’s enemies. Even Pilate’s wife advised her husband to refrain from taking any part in injuring “the just Person.” When tempted unsparingly to condemn woman because through her came ruin, let us remember that by her came also redemption.
Need we add that in numerous instances they have been eminently useful members of the Church. They were so in the apostolic age, and hence Paul makes honourable mention of the names of Phebe, Priscilla, and Mary, in his epistle to the Romans. Perhaps then, as now, many would have sneered at these women toiling on in works of usefulness; not a few, perhaps, misrepresented them, but Paul commended them. What a blessing was this! Better the sympathy of one noble soul, than the hosannas of thoughtless millions. It is clear from the New Testament, that in the Apostolic Church there was an order of women known as deaconesses, whose work was to minister to the necessities of the saints and to teach other women. We see no reason for the discontinuance of these officers. Those who think they are not needed now, see with very different eyes from us.
During the entire Christian era, the piety of woman has shone conspicuous. With equal truth and beauty the poet sang:—
“Peruse the sacred volume: Him who died,
Her kiss betrayed not, nor her tongue denied;
While e’en the apostles left Him to His doom,
She lingered round His cross, and watched His tomb.”
Piety is still woman’s brightest ornament and surest defence. It heightens all her other attractions, and it will remain when all others have faded. Even those who are indifferent and hostile to religion themselves commend it; all good men approve it; it attracts the favour of God Himself. It has opened the eyes of thousands to the higher walks of Christian life, and impelled tens of thousands to press for the mark. The annals of missionary enterprise already supply some of the loftiest instances of zeal and devotedness from among the female sex. To quote from Good Words, for 1860: “Wherever there has been any purity, any zeal, any activity, any prosperity in the Church of Christ, there woman’s presence and aid, as ‘a help meet for’ the other sex, while they have been bearing the heat and burden of the day, will be found no unimportant element. It is so at this day in an eminent degree. Nor do I at all doubt that in the Church’s further efforts to carry the gospel into all lands, and get for their Lord the sceptre of the world, the spirit and mind of our Galilean women will be more and more seen stamped upon Christian womanhood.” But as Keble sweetly sings, some of the most beautiful specimens of female Christianity will never be heard of till the resurrection morn.