WOMEN PROPHETS.

“Thyself and thy belongings

Are not thine own so proper, as to waste

Thyself upon thy virtues, they on thee.

Heaven doth with us as we with torches do,

Not light them for themselves; for if our virtues

Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike

As if we had them not.”

                                            – Shakespeare.

     THAT woman are to take a prominent part in evangelizing the world was as clearly foretold in the prophecies of old as was the Gospel itself. The first great prophecy declares that the seed of the woman “shall bruise the serpent’s head.” – Gen. 3:15. As Henry Melville says, “This is a wonderful passage, spreading itself over the whole of time, and giving outlines of the history of this world from the beginning to the final consummation.” It was by “the seed of the woman,” Christ, that our redemption was purchased.

     Not only this, but it was predicted that woman was to have a distinguished part in making the glad tidings of salvation known. “The Lord gave the word, great was the company of those that published it.” –Ps. 68:11.

     As these words stand, in our common version, there does not appear in them anything out of the common order. It is quite otherwise in the original.

     In his comment on this verse, Dr. Adam Clarke says: “Of the female preachers there was a great host. Such is the literal translation of this passage; the reader may make of it what he pleases.”

     We make of it a prediction that in the days spoken of in this psalm, when “Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God,” women were to preach the Gospel.

     In the Revised version a similar meaning to Dr. Clarke’s translations is given –

“The Lord giveth the word;

The women that publish the tidings are a great host.”

     Bishop Horne regards this Psalm as one relating to the Messiah. He says: “It seems evidently to have been composed on that festive and joyful occasion, the removal of the ark to Mount Sion. Under this figure, David, foreseeing the exaltation of Messiah, speaks of him whom he describes as arising and vanquishing his enemies, as causing the faithful to rejoice, and showing mercy to the afflicted; as bringing his church out of bondage, supporting herein the world by the Word and the Spirit, purging away her corruptions, and subduing her adversaries.”

     In harmony with this, is the prophecy of Joel as quoted by St. Peter.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit and they shall prophesy.” – Acts 2:18.

     1. All the preaching here foretold is included in the word “prophesy.”

     2. No distinction whatever is made between the” sons and daughters,” between the “servants and handmaidens.” Whatever is affirmed of the one is affirmed of the other. No higher ministry is given to the sons than is given to the daughters. If one may be ordained so may the other.

     This prediction was not exhausted on the day of Pentecost. It was to continue to be fulfilled throughout the entire Christian dispensation. This is implied in the words, in the last days. If on the day of Pentecost they were in “the last days,” then certainly we are now in “the last days.” Then are we to look for the same out-pouring of the Spirit on the women as on the men. Then have they the same divine right to declare, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the wonderful power and great willingness of Christ to save.

     Under the Old Dispensation, as we have seen, women were prophets.

At the coming of Christ, Anna was a prophetess. –Luke 2:36.

     But these were the exceptions. Under the Gospel, the rule is that upon women, equally as upon men, the prophetic influence is to be poured out, and they are to prophesy. No distinction of sex is to be ob-served in the power and liberty given by God to speak for Him.

     It must be kept in mind that the primary meaning of prophesy is to speak for another, to speak under the direct influence of the Spirit of God.

     The first place in the Bible where the word prophet occurs is where God says of Abraham: For he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee. – Gen. 20:7. Here is no allusion to the foretelling of future events. Dr. Adam Clarke says: “The proper ideal meaning of the original word is, pray, entreat, and make supplication. Thus it is said that the Spirit of God came upon Saul and he prophesied.” – 1 Sam. 10:10. But there is no intimation that he foretold future events.

     But as God specially makes known His will to those who live in intimate communion with Him by prayer and faith, some of these men were inspired to foretell future events. Hence a prophet is generally considered to be one who foretells. But in the Bible sense, a prophet is one who speaks the truth of God, inspired by His spirit, whether this truth relates to things present or to come. A large part of the writings of the prophets recorded in the Old Testament are exhortations.

     St. Paul declares: But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification and exhortation and comfort. – 1Cor. 14:3. In his comment on this verse, Dr. Clarke quotes Whitby: “The person who has the gift of teaching is much more useful to the church than he who has only the gift of tongues, because he speaks to the profit of men – viz: to their edification, by the Scriptures which he expounds; to their exhortation by what he teaches; and to their comfort by his revelation.”

     Again, Greater is he that prophesieth. Says Dr. Clarke: “A useful, zealous preacher, though unskilled in learned languages, is much greater in the sight of God, and in the eye of sound common sense, than he who has the gift of those learned tongues; except he interpret; and we seldom find great scholars good preachers. This should humble the scholar who is too apt to be proud of his attainments, and despise his less learned, but more useful brother. This judgment of St. Paul is too little regarded.”

     We come then to these

CONCLUSIONS.

     1. That prophets are an established order of ministers in the Church of Christ. It was foretold in the Old Testament, and declared in the New Testament, that they should be.

     2. That they rank next to the Apostles. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets. – 1 Cor. 12:28. See also Eph. 4:11, 12. This last passage declares that God gives them for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; that is for the sanctification of believers and the conversion of sinners.

     3. That in the New Testament sense, prophets are those called of God, and inspired by His Spirit to preach the Gospel.

     4. That in the prophetic office not the slightest distinction is made between women and men.

     5. The inference is unavoidable that if men who give satisfactory evidence to the church that they are called of God to prophesy, that is, to preach should be ordained, then women who give equally satisfactory evidence that they are called of God to preach should be ordained. We see not how this conclusion can be avoided.

     If it is evident that God has called a woman to his great work, and eminently adorned her with gifts and graces for its performance, then should the church speed her on her mission by solemnly endorsing it before the world, in setting her apart for the work to which God has called her. Whether done by man or woman, it is a work worthy of all recognition,

“To guide the people in the way of truth

By saving doctrine, and from error lead,

To know, and knowing, worship God aright.”