5. Shall I be more particular still? Then I _exhort all those who desire me to watch over their souls_, Wear no gold, (whatever officers of state may do; or magistrates, as the ensign of their office) no pearls or precious stones: use no curling of hair, or costly apparel, how grave soever. I _advise those who are able to receive this saying_, Buy no velvets, no silks, no fine linen: no superfluities, no _mere ornaments_, tho’ ever so much in fashion. Wear nothing, tho’ you have it already, which is of a glaring colour, or which is in any kind gay, glittering, showy; nothing made in the very height of the fashion, nothing apt to attract the eyes of the by-standers. I do not advise women to wear rings, ear-rings, necklaces, Lace, (of whatever kind or colour) or ruffles, which by little and little may easily shoot out from one to twelve inches deep. Neither do I advise men, to wear coloured waistcoats, shining stockings, glittering or costly buckles or buttons, either on their coats or in their sleeves, any more than gay, fashionable or expensive perukes. It is true, these are little, very little things: therefore they are not worth defending: therefore give them up, let them drop, throw them away, without another word. Else a little needle may cause much pain in your flesh, a little self-indulgence much hurt to your soul.
III. 1_st._ 1. For the preceding _exhortation_, I have the authority of God, in clear and express terms. ¹_I will that women_ (and by parity of reason, men too) _adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shame-facedness and sobriety, not with broidered_ (curled) _hair, or gold, or pearls_, (one kind of precious stones, which was then most in use, put for all) _or costly apparel, but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works_. Again, ²_Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning, of plating_ (curling) _the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel. But let it be――the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of_ God _of great price_. Nothing can be more express, The wearing of gold, of precious stones, and of costly apparel, together with curling of hair, is here forbidden by name: nor is there any restriction made either here or in any other scripture. Whoever therefore says, “There is no harm in these things,” may as well say, There is no harm in stealing or adultery.
¹ 1 Tim. ii. 9, 10.
² 1 Pet. iii. 3, 4.
2. There is something ♦peculiarly observable in the manner wherein both St. _Peter_ and St. _Paul_ speak of these things. _Let not your adorning_ (says St. _Peter_) _be that outward adorning; but let it be the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit_. The latter clause is not added barely to fill up the sentence, but with strong and weighty reason. For there is a direct contrariety (as little as we may suspect it) between that outward and this inward adorning. And that, both with regard to their source, and with regard to their tendency. As to their source, all that adorning springs from nature; a meek and quiet spirit from grace: the former, from conforming to our own will and the will of man, the latter from conformity to the will of God. And as to their tendency; nothing more directly tends to destroy meekness and quietness of spirit, than all that outward adorning, whereby we seek to commend ourselves, to men and not to God. For this cherishes all those passions and tempers, which overthrow the quiet of every soul wherein they dwell.
♦ ‘peculiary’ replaced with ‘peculiarly’
3. _Let them adorn themselves_, saith St. _Paul_, _not with curling of hair, or with gold, pearls, or costly apparel, but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works_. The latter clause is here likewise added, for plain and weighty reasons. For 1. That kind of adorning cannot spring from godliness, from either the love or fear of God, from a desire of conforming to his will, or from the mind which was in Christ Jesus. 2. It no way tends to increase godliness; it is not conducive to any holy temper. But 3. It manifestly tends to destroy several of the tempers most essential to godliness. It has no friendly influence on humility; whether we aim at pleasing others or ourselves hereby. Either in one case or the other, it will rather increase pride or vanity than lowliness of heart. It does not at all minister to the seriousness which becomes a sinner born to die. It is utterly inconsistent with simplicity; no one uses it, merely to please God. Whoever acts with a single eye, does all things, to be seen and approved of God; and can no more _dress_, than he can _pray_, or give alms, _to be seen of men_.