John Angell James

“There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither bond nor free; there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” —Galatians 3:28.

The jealousy with which Christianity guards the sanctity of the marriage tie must ever be regarded as having a most favorable influence upon the condition of woman.

Let this be relaxed or impaired, and that moment, woman sinks in dignity, in purity, and in happiness. There have been nations in which the facility of divorce took the place of polygamy and of course was accompanied with some of its vices and many of its miseries too….With what devout and reverential gratitude should she then turn to that divine Teacher, Who has interposed His authority to strengthen the marriage bond and to guard it from being severed at the demand of illicit passion or the dictates of temperament or caprice. How should she rejoice to hear Him say, “Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery” (Mat 19:9)…

I may surely mention the equal participation in religious blessing to which women are admitted by the Christian religion.

How explicitly and how firmly has the Apostle claimed for women all the blessings obtained by Christ for the human race when he says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). There is the charter granting to woman all the blessings of salvation….There is not a blessing necessary to eternal life which she does not receive in the same measure and in the same manner as the other sex….Christianity places the wife by the side of the husband, the daughter by the side of the father, the sister by the side of the brother, and the maid by the side of the mistress at the altar of the family, in the meeting of the church, at the table of the Lord, and in the congregation of the sanctuary….Male and female meet together at the cross and will meet in the realms of glory. Can anything more effectually tend to raise and sustain the condition of woman than this? God in all His ordinances, Christ in His glorious undertaking, and the Holy Spirit in His gracious work gave woman her proper place in the world by giving her a proper place in the church. It is for her with peculiar emphasis to say, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us…hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:4, 6).

But the finishing stroke which Christianity gives in elevating the condition of women is by inviting and employing their energies and influence in promoting the spread of religion in the world, and by thus carrying out, through them as well as men, the great purposes of God in the redemption of the world by the mission of His Son….

Christianity has thus carried out its genius and its precepts in the actual elevation of the female character wherever it has gone….In every view that we can take of Christianity, whether we contemplate it in its aspects towards another world or towards this one, in its relations to God or society, in its sublime doctrines or its pure morality, we see a form of inimitable beauty sufficient to captivate every heart but that which is petrified by false philosophy, avowed infidelity, or gross immorality. But never does it appear more lovely than in its relation to woman. With what equity does it hold the balance between the sexes! With what kindness does it throw its shield over the weaker vessel! With what wisdom does it sustain the rank and claims of those whose influence is so important to society, and yet so limit their claims that they shall not be carried to such a length as to defeat their end!…Woman’s virtue, dignity, honor, and happiness are nowhere safe but under the protection of the Word of God. The Bible is the aegis⁹ of the female sex. Beneath this protection they are secure in their rights, their dignity, and their peace. It is their vine and fig tree, under which, in calm repose, they may enjoy the shade and relish the fruit. It protects their purity from taint and their peace from disturbance….Woman! Regard your Savior for the next world as your Emancipator for this present one. Love the Bible as the charter of your liberty and the guardian of your bliss. And consider the church of Christ as your asylum from the wrongs of oppression and the arts of seduction.

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9. aegis – shield; defensive armor; impregnable defense.

From Female Piety reprinted by Soli Deo Gloria.

John Angell James (1785-1859): English Congregationalist preacher and author; preached and wrote to common people of every age group and station in life; held in high esteem, yet a humble and unpretentious man, who said, “My design is to aid the Christian in the practice of Scriptural truth.” Author of Female Piety, A Help to Domestic Happiness, An Earnest Ministry, and many others.

Courtesy of Chapel Library