Year: 1873

/ like work to relieve; and it ought to be
! the glory of the church to employ such
of her daughters as are fitted for such
ministry in some of the various forms of
compassionate ministrations within our
reach. We have only space for this hint
| at present


2 The house of Stephanas-it would
seem from the mention made of some of
its members Q. Cor xvi 17)-was en-
gagged in foreign missions They carried
the church's benevolence to distant plac-
es, or went in the ehurch's behalf to ac-
complish any work of mercy that needed
| to be done. In the field of foreign mis-
| sions there is a vast work to-day for wo-
men as well as men The work in which
the first Mrs. Judson led the way for so
many heroic spirits of her own sex, is a
work more inviting to-day than ever In
ordering Christian household, teaching
the ignorant and degraded alike in re
gard to the duties of the present life and
| the preparation for the future and in
ministering to the sick and the poor,
they become most effectual helpers in
the gospel


3. Paul instructed the aged women to
teach the younger women Git. ii. 8,
~. There may not be the same need
now of this, as formerly, when women
were jealousy guarded and kept under
perpetual surveillance; yet we can not
but think there is great need in the
same direction to-day; 1t is often re-
marked how little pulpit instruction is
given on domestic duties. The truth is
that the pulpit can enter but partially
into the mater. Much of the most valu-
! able instruction needed by young wives
and mothers, and by daughters too,
could best be given by aged women in
the privacy of the home circle. Much of
the fashionable folly and domestic eX-
travagance, and matrimonial infelicity, of
which we now complain, might be avoid
ed if godly aged women, under the diree-
ton of the church, had special mission
to instruct and admonish the younger
women of the church. The pulpit can
not reach many of the evils which now
most affiict and corrupt society.


4. The qualifications required by Paul
in order to admission unto the number"
of widows of which he speaks-whether
those women were admitted as deacon
esses or chosen from decaconesses-ind
cate that the deaconesses were to train
children, relieve distress, exercise hospi-
tality, give instruction in righteousness,
and be ready for 'eyery good work"


1t does not strike US that all deacon
essses are to be appointed to precisely
the same ministry. In whatever service
they can best help on the work OF Christ,
they have a right to be employed. We
know many Christian women who are
filling up in their lives our idea of dea-
oonesses, although they are acting unofh
cially. We are not much interested in
proving that they ought to be ordained.
If it is right for them to do the work, it
is right they should be appointed by the
church, if they can give themselves to it.
We advise all Christian women whose
gifts authorize it and whose Circumstance
es allow of it, to go to work quietly in
the sphere they best can fill, whether the
church appoints them or not. We advise
churches that have women who have
proved themselves worthy and compe-
tent, to set them apart to any special
ministry for which they are fitted in
which the church needs their services.
We hope to see the day when in ripper
knowledge and fuller conservation to
the work of Christ, the church will have
d.i7Io1:e :; her ministers many women whose
whole time shall be devoted to works of
mercy and benevolence, they being sus-
tanned in their labors out OF the common
treasury.


The nearest the church comes to a sui
cidal policy is, in our judgment, in fail
ing to employ the immense wealth of in
telligence, goodness, piety and zeal be-
longing to her female membership.