S if to intimate that man should not take occasion from her part in the sad history of the Fall, to hold in light esteem the appointed companion of his life's journey, deeming her to be merely a 'Fair defect of nature,' God has chosen to confer singular honours upon woman throughout the sacred Scriptures. They who disparage her capacities, and pour contempt upon her understanding; they who contemn her faithfulness, and distrust her truth; they who make her man's household drudge, or the mere instrument of his pleasures or convenience-have no warrant in Scripture for so doing. Although we may not overlook the sad part which woman took in the fall of our race, yet that terrible damagewhich was not, after all, wholly her work-may be held to have been fairly and fully counterbalanced by the part she had in bringing salvation. It was not without some such significance that the illustrious 'Seed of the woman,' who took upon Him to bruise the serpent's head,' was born of a woman,' and nourished from her breast. But let us look at the women mentioned in Scripture, and observe how few of them are undistinguished by some useful quality or holy grace. Some are seen to have been endowed VOL. III. A before men with supernatural knowledge, being favoured by the Spirit of God with the high gifts of prophecy: such were Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, and Anna. Others are noted for their sagacity and understanding, for which indeed they were proverbial: such as the wise woman of Tekoah, and she of Abel-Bethmaachah. Sarah lacked not strong capacities of faith; and strong was the faith of Rahab, of Samson's mother, and of that alien woman whose faith won from Christ a blessing which then belonged only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.' Some have shown greater courage for the church, and manifested firmer resolution, than men have done. Did not Deborah encourage Barak to battle against the innumerable hosts and iron chariots of Jabin, and adventure her presence with him to the war, when, without her, he—the selected champion-was afraid to go? And who could be more resolved to jeopardize her life for God's people than the beautiful Esther, when she uttered and acted upon the memorable words, "If I perish, I perish?' Others are famous or memorable for various things: for attention to God's word—as the Virgin Mary, and as Lydia; for going far to seek knowledge-as the Queen of the south to hear the wisdom of Solomon; for works of charity—as Dorcas; for works of pious zeal-as the women whose busy hands in spinning and needlework helped forward the labours of the tabernacle; for fervency in prayer -as Hannah; for patient waiting on God in daily fasting and prayer-as Anna; for the cordial entertainment of God's messengers for his sake—as the Shunammite woman, as Lydia, and as one of the gospel Marys; for the fear of God—as the midwives in Egypt; for courtesy to a mere stranger-as Rebekah; for humility and patience-as the aged Naomi ; and for truthful and devoted affection-as the beloved Ruth. In Thessalonica, not only devout Greeks,' not only humble persons, but chief women not a few,' were among the first to receive the gospel at the preaching of Paul and Silas; and among the learned of Athens, an Areopagite could not become a believer without a woman, Damaris, being joined with him. What is there, in fine, in which men have been renowned, wherein some women have not been remarkable? In wisdom, in faith, in charity, in love to the word, in regard for God's servants, in fervent affections, and in the desire of heavenly things-in all these there have been women who excelled. If men have suffered imprisonments, cruel persecutions, and bonds for Christ, women have done no less. When persecuting Saul made havoc of the church, not only men, but women, were torn from their homes and committed to prison; and his commission had equally injurious respect to the believers, 'whether they were men or women.' Acts viii. 3, ix. 2. And although we confine our illustrations chiefly to the Scripture itself, it is impossible, in mentioning this, not to call to mind the numerous illustrious women who, in a later age, were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection, and who might say, with Anne Askew in the prison-house 'I am not she that lyst My anker to let fall Nay, more than this, have not the female worthies of the Scripture often in many respects surpassed the men of their own day and generation? Who entertained Christ so much, so devotedly, and so often, as Martha and Mary? Who are in any instance said to have contributed to our Lord's necessities, but women? Who, of all the ordinary followers of Christ, took note of the place where He was buried, but women? Who went first to the sepulchre to anoint his body with sweet spices, but women? In Acts xvi. 13 we read of a congregation of women to whom Paul preached, being gathered together at the accustomed place of prayer. They put a value on social devotion, while the men were strangers to the feeling. Some might count it tedious, were we to mention all the notable things reported concerning women in the Holy Scriptures, and the excellent graces that were bestowed upon them. Yet we may not pass without a thought the knowledge which Priscilla shared with her husband in the ministry of the gospel, which qualified her no less than him to instruct even the eloquent Apollos; nor Lois and Eunice, by whom the wellbeloved Timothy was trained up in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures; nor Persis, who laboured much in the Lord,' as many other women did. Phil. iv. 3. But not to dwell further on particular instances, it may be well worth our while to note one great matter that deserves to be mentioned to their praise, and to be kept in everlasting remembrance. We have read of men once held in high esteem, who became apostates—Demas, Alexander, Philetus, and others; but never, by name, in all the New Testament, of a woman who had once been reckoned among the saints. This is great honour. But not only have women been thus honoured with extraordinary gifts; they have been otherwise favoured with special marks of attention from the Lord. To whom but unto women did Christ first appear after his resurrection? Of what act did He ever so speak as to render it everlastingly memorable, save that woman's who poured upon his feet her alabaster box of precious ointment, and to whom He promised that, wherever in the whole world his gospel should be preached, there should her work of faith be held in remembrance? Nor do the honours rendered to women in the sacred Scriptures end here. One of the precious epistles of the beloved disciple is addressed to the elect lady ;' and in the Old Testament, two of the six unprophetical books that bear the name of individuals, present to us those of women-those of Ruth and Esther. It is with the former of those names that we open this volume. It is with the book of Ruth that we are now concerned. As this book appears to have been written for the purpose, principally, of tracing the genealogy of David to a source most honourable, and as it does contain a genealogy traced down to him, it must have been written during his reign, or soon after. Although it is expressly stated that the incidents took place 'in the days when the judges ruled,' this beautiful history does therefore connect itself as much with the period upon which we enter as with that through which we have passed. In one point of view, it is an appendix to the book of Judges; in another, it is an introduction to the history of the kings. With its interesting incidents we are thus enabled to commence this volume. The simple and touching interest of the story, the beautiful and engaging rural scenery which it exhibits, the homely and honest manners which it describes, and the impressive and heartfelt piety which pervades the whole,-render it the most remarkable picture of ancient life and usages extant, and give us a far more complete idea of the real features of Hebrew-life, in the early ages of the settlement of that people in Canaan, than we could otherwise possess. The young and the old read it with equally absorbed interest; and we have known strong and rough voices break down with emotion in reading aloud some of the passages that occur in the progress of the narrative. The book of Ruth forms a link in the great chain of Messianic history. In the genealogy of our Lord by Matthew only three women are named, and it is a remarkable fact that these three are foreigners: Thamar the Canaanitess, Rahab of Jericho, and Ruth the Moabitess. Ruth is, in some respects, one of the most interesting female characters in the Bible. Brought up among idolaters, she yet, under most trying circumstances, renounces the false religion of her fathers, professes her faith in the true God, and manifests a submission to his will, and a devotedness to his service, that might well put many professing Christians to shame. Educated among a people notorious for their abandoned profligacy and indifference to the ties of nature, she yet exhibits a depth of affection and a delicacy of moral feeling such as have been seldom equalled, and never surpassed. How can we account for this? A noble and generous heart was doubtless the foundation. But even a generous heart could never have emancipated itself from national corruption, or triumphed over the temptations by which Ruth was surrounded. I believe that her excellence was mainly owing, under God, to the training of her mother-in-law. Naomi was manifestly a woman of singular piety and strength of character. In the East, parents contract alliances for their children at a very early age-sometimes even in infancy. Naomi probably did so for her two sons. Her intended daughters-in |