[1.] It is a foul abuse of apparel and ornament when men and women disguise nature, and seek to mend that which God hath made, by patching, painting, and other varnishes of art. Jezebel is infamous in scripture for painting ; and dare any sober woman that pretends to be a christian put herself into her garb and fashion ? They reprove God that seek to mend nature. Cyprian saith, It is a dislike of God's work. So Tertuliian before him, They dislike God's workmanship in
VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. 137
their own faces, and consult with the devil how to mend it. That which is natural is from God, and that which is artificial is from the devil. How shall God own them at the last day when they are ashamed of his workmanship ? Will thy maker own thy disguised face ? He will say, This is not the face that I made. We should appear hefore men with no other face than we would appear before God with at the day of judgment. Would I have God see me thus disguised, patched, and painted ? Doth not conscience startle at the thought of it H When God shall come to take knowledge of all the works he hath made, wouldst thou appear then with these spots and artificial varnish ?
[2.] Addictedness to fashions, certainly that argues such a levity that doth not suit with the gravity of religion. That there is a sin in fash- ions is plain by Isa. iii., where the Holy Ghost is pleased to give us an inventory of the wardrobe of the women among the Jews ; for what reason, but to show they were vainly addicted to fashions. So Zeph. i. 8, ' I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.' God takes notice of pride in ap- parel, though it be in courtiers, nobles, princes, and kings' children, their new and strange exotic garbs ; therefore much more is it evil in private persons and those that are of an inferior rank. But you will say, If we must not follow the fashion, of what date should our habits be ? Should we go back as far as Adam, to clothe ourselves with skins and leaves, and run back to the rudeness of former ages ? I answer — There may be as much vanity and affectation in being too much out of the fashions of the times and places in which we live, as in being too much in it ; therefore our liberty in this kind is to be determined by the general and received custom of the gravest and godly wise. It stands not with christian gravity to be first in a fashion and affect that which is new, nor to take it up when it is only the fashion among those that are light and vain ; they are not to be imitated, for that is con- forming ourselves to the fashions of the world, which the apostle dis- proves : Rom. xii. 2, ' Be not conformed to this world.' The apostle speaks in the business of long hair ; and when he had spoken what an unseemly thing it was for a man, ruffian-like, to go with long hair ; 1 Cor. xi. 14, ' Doth not nature itself teach you that if a man have long hair it is a shame to him ? ' he adds, ver. 16, ' But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God;' which seems to carry this sense, that if women will come with their nakedness into the congregation, and if men will wear long hair, and if any man or woman will contend and say the thing is indifferent, and they have a liberty in this kind, this is the short answer, ' We have no such custom, neither the churches of God.' Therefore the general and received custom of the churches of God ought to be a law in all such cases. Mark, the vain world is not to give you a precedent, but the use of the churches, and the practice of godly christians, and their sobriety.
[3.] When our apparel exceeds the proportion of our callings and abilities. There is more due to persons of a higher rank than to those of inferior place : Mat. xi. 8, ' They that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.' It is more commendable in them that stand before princes than in others ; and therefore our rank and place and estate must be considered. It is a wrong to the family and the poor when our gar-
138 SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14, [SeR. VIIl.
ments exceed our abilities. Nay, but take them both together ; though they do not exceed our abilities, yet if they exceed our state, place, and calling, it is a sin. As for instance, for ministers, who should be mortified to the glory and pomp of the world, it is not fib for them to shine in bravery as others do. So for ministers' wives ; the scripture is pleased to take notice of women in that relation above all other women : 1 Tim. iii. 11, ' Their wives must be grave, sober.' And for servants, it is odious to see them strive to be in a garb exceeding their station, and to do as others of better rank and higher place. As habits were given for necessity, so for distinction of ranks and orders of men ; and as odd a sight it is to see an inferior exalting in pomp as to put the attire of the head upon the feet and shoes on the head.