rd
there imploring salvation for herself or others. This might defile the
sanctuary or tempt her to "usurp authority over the man." Occasionally
there is to be found a denomination which will allow a woman to pray in
public, or to relate her Christian experience; but even in some of
these the practice does not receive a very large amount of
encouragement, and her right to exhort or teach publicly is seriously
questioned, most frequently denied.

What was Scripture usage? From Exodus xv, 20, we learn that Miriam was a
prophetess, and, in the verse following, it appears that not only she,
but the women of her company, took a prominent part in the celebration
of Israel's triumphant passage of the Red Sea. Not only was Miriam a
prophetess, but a joint leader with Moses and Aaron of that great host
which went up to possess the promised land, as is seen by reference to
Micah vi, 4: "For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and
redeemed thee out of the land of servants, and I sent before thee Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam." Thus did God, in the very beginning of the Jewish
Church and nation, associate a woman with men, giving her an equally
responsible position with her brothers. Moses was the lawgiver, Aaron
the priest, and Miriam the seer. This threefold office was fulfilled in
Christ; and therefore Miriam, as well as Moses and Aaron, was a type of
the Messiah.

If the Almighty had not designed women to occupy prominent positions,
both civilly and ecclesiastically, he certainly would not have qualified
them to fill such places with honor; and history proves that he did both
qualify and employ them. Deborah was both a prophetess and a judge, and
at one time was the chief ruler in Israel, even leading on the hosts of
the living God; for timorous Barak would not go without her. Huldah,
wife of Shallum, a prophetess who flourished in the reign of Josiah, was
consulted by him on matters of vital importance to his kingdom, although
both Jeremiah and Zephaniah were then alive. Josiah evidently considered
her fully equal to either of them, or he would not have consulted her,
or at her dictation set about reforming the abuses which were prevalent
at the time. He could not have set to work more earnestly in this good
cause if Jeremiah had spoken to him. There have been learned men--and
there are those still--who think it exceedingly strange that Josiah
should have condescended to send the messengers to Huldah to inquire of
the Lor