The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 82

general conviction of the national sin,a.nd disgrace and, impending ruin, he singles .out the women of that day; he bids us trace the influence of a godless luxury in .their vain dressing, frivolous manners,-And· ovedoad.ed ornamentation and jewellery. He intimates. that tbe nobler qualities of womanly mind and character· were being lost in this great increase of frivolity .and vanity; &nd lrn ,sets: us upon imagining not enly the present degradation of the land. but the yet deepez.degradation that must come; the, utter ruin of the generation that owned such women as mothers. Hail.lam ,says, "The love .of becoming ornament is not perhaps to ,he regarded in .theJight of.vanity; .it, is rather an instinct which wama.n has received from nature to give effect to those charms which, are her defence; a.nd when.commerce began to.minister more efficiently to the wants of l11XW"Y, the rich furs of-the north, the·ga.y silks of Asia, the wrougl?,t,gold of domestic manufacture, illumined the halls of eh.iv~, and cast, as if by· the· spell of enchantment,, that ineffable grace over beauty which the choice and arrangement of dress is calcu- lated t.o lrestow." God cannot be especially pleased-'with,a clothing of ,'ivea~isome drab ; and he must know, that when bright· colows are. forsworn, the vanity ,of the human heart will still nnd ez:presaon in -shape and .pattern.' He is' ever dressing·,the, brown earth in garmenm of grass and :flower,• p!uming,the ;wings of his' bi.Ids with ,varied ,tints; and making gorgeoUB 'with bars of gold .and ,ecimson and ,blue the 'Bky. at, sunset ting: There are a few simple rules of dress which at once commend thewelves_-to· 0.hristiali judgment: . • :,,,, , ; ,, , , L A Cmmrru:s BBOULD DBEBB WITBDJ REASONABLE: EXPENSE. "What is reasonable expense can Dever be settled by figures; it must always be left to individual decision;, the utmost ca:refulness of one: person may, relative to station, appear censurable extrava., gance to another person. B11t we may say this: any expenditure, ls unreasonable which deprives us of the means for meeting those higher claims which may be made upon us-claiml' of (1) food. (2) family, (3) education, (4) hospitality, (5) ,charity, or (6) religion. .And all expenditure on luxurious dress is unreasonable, which prevents our laying aside something a.,aa.inst the calamities, diseases, and old age of the future. Above all:, dressing which involves the spending of money which belongs to our creditors is a lie towards men,' and an insult to God. Archbishop Leighton says, ,"Excessive costliness argu1Js and feeds. the pride of .the heart, and• defrauds,: if not others . of ·their dues, yet the poor of their charity, which in God's sight is a due debt too; .and. fa~ more comfort shalt •thou have on thy death-bed, to remember that• at such a time, instead of putting lace on my owu back, I helped a naked back to clothing." II. A C11B.1$T1Al!f SHOULD DRESS ACOOUDIIIIG. TO. THE BEST STANDARDS 011' TASTE. Best, not necessarily newest. These you will discover, not by observing persollJ ·who fflr, DI, J-26,) THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 61