MODESTY, IN TEMPER AND DRESS. · 1 PETER III. 3, 4. To a sincere and humble Christian, very little, either dispute or discourse, concerning this, will be needful. A tender conscience, and a heart purged from vanity, and weaned from the world, will be sure to regulate this, and all other things of this nature, after the safest manner; and will be wary :First, Of lightness and fantastic garb in apparel, which is the very bush or sign hanging out, that tells a vain mind lodges within. Secondly, Of excessive costliness, which both argues and feeds the pride of the heart, and defrauds, if not others of their dues, yet the poor of thy charity, which, in God's sight, is a due debt too: and far more comfort shalt thou have, on thy death-bed, to remember that, "Such a time, instead of putting lace on my own clothes, I helped a naked back to clothing; I abated somewhat of my former superfluities, to supply the poor's necessities;" -far sweeter will this be, than to remember, that "I could needlessly cast out many pounds to serve my pride, rather than give a penny to relieve the poor!" As conscientious Christians will not exceeed in the thing itself, so, in as far as they use lawful ornament and comeliness, they will do it without bestowing much, either diligence or delight, in the business. To have the mind taken and pleased with such things, is so foolish and childish a thing, that, if most might not find it in themselves, they would wonder at many others, of years and common wit. And yet, truly, it is a disease that few escape. It is strange upon how poor things men and women will be vain, and think themselves somebody; not only upon some comelines in their face or feature, which, though poor, yet is a part of themselves; but, of things merely without them—that they are well lodged, or well mounted, or well apparelled, either richly or well in fashion. The soul, fallen from God, hath lost its true worth and beauty; and therefore it basely descends to these mean things, to serve and dress the body, and take share with it of its unworthy borrowed ornaments; while it hath lost and forgotten God, and seeks not after Him; knows not that He alone is the beauty and ornament of the soul, and His Spirit, and the grace of it, its rich attire. The Apostle doth, indeed, expressly on purpose check and forbid vanity and excess in apparel, and excessive delight in lawful decorum; but his prime end is to recommend this other ornament of the soul, the hidden man of the heart. It is the thing the best philosophy aimed at, as some of their chiefest men do express it, to reduce men, as much as may be, from their body to their soul: but this is the thing that true religion alone doth, effectually and thoroughly; from the pampering and feeding of a morsel for the worms, to the nourishing of that immortal being infused into it; which, therefore, it directs to the proper nourishment of souls, the Bread that came down from Heaven: John vi. 27. So here the Apostle pulls off from Christian women their vain outside ornaments. But, is not this a wrong, to spoil all their dressing and fineness? No; he doth this, only to send them to a better wardrobe-and there is much profit in the change. All the gold, and other riches of the temple, figured the excellent graces of Christians; of Christ indeed first, as having all fulness in himself, and furnishing them; but, secondarily, of Christians, as the living temples of God. So the church is all glorious, but it is within: Psal. xlv. 13. And the embroidery, the variety of graces, the lively colours of other graces, shine best on the dark ground of humility. The particular grace he recommends is particularly suitable to his subject in hand, the conjugal duty of wives; nothing so much adorning their whole carriage as this meekness and quietness of spirit. But it is, withal, the comeliness of every Christian, in every estate; it is not a woman's garment, or ornament improper for men. There is somewhat (as I may say) of a particular cut or fashion of it for wives, towards their husbands, and in their domestic affairs; but men, all men, ought to wear of the same stuff; yea, so if I may speak, of the same piece: for it is, in all, one and the same spirit, and fits the stoutest and greatest commanders. Moses was a great General, and yet no less great in this virtue-the meekest man on earth. Nothing is more uncomely in a wife than an uncomposed, turbulent spirit, that is put out of frame with every trifle, and inventive of false causes of disquietness and fretting to itself: and so in a husband, and in all: an unquiet passionate mind lays itself naked, and discovers its own deformity to all. The greatest part of things that vex us, do so, not from their own nature or weight, but from the unsettledness of our minds. How comely is it to see a composed firm mind and moved! carriage, that is not lightly I urge not a stoical stupidity; but that, in things that deserve sharp reproof, the mind keep, in its own station and seat, still, not shaken out of itself, as the most are; that the tongue utter not unseemely rash words; nor the hand act any thing that discovers the mind hath lost its command for the time. But, truly, the most know so ill how to use just anger, upon just cause, that it is easier, and the safer extreme, not to be angry, but still calm and serene, as the upper region; not the place of continual tempest and storms, as the most are. Let it pass for a kind of sheepishness, to be meek; it is a likeness to Him that was as a sheep before his shearers, not opening his mouth (Isaiah liii. 7); it is a portion of His Spirit. The Apostle commends his exchange of ornaments from two things: 1. This is incorruptible, and therefore fits an incorruptible soul. Your varieties of jewels and rich apparel are perishing things; you shall one day see an heap made of all, and that all on a flame and, in reference to you, they perish : sooner: when death strips you of your nearest garment, your flesh, all the other, which were but loose upper garments above it, must off too. It gets, indeed, a covering for the grave; but the soul is left stark naked, if no other clothing be provided for it; for the body was but borrowed: then it is made bare of all. But spiritual ornaments, and this of humility and meekness, here, among the rest, remain, and are incorruptible; they neither wear out, nor out of fashion, but are still the better for the wearing; and shall last eternity, and shine there in full lustre. And, 2. Because the opinion of others is much regarded in matters of apparel; and it is mostly in respect to this, that we use ornament in it; he tells us of the account of this. Men think it poor and mean; nothing more exposed to contempt than the spirit of meekness; it is mere folly with men: but that is no matter. This overweighs all their disesteem: it is, with God, of great price, and things are, indeed, as he values them, and no otherwise. Though it be not the country fashion, yet it is the fashion at court, yea, it is the King's own fashion: (Matt. xi. 29.) Learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart. Some, that are court-bred, will send for the masters of fashions, though they live not in the court: and though the peasants think them strange dresses, yet they regard not that, but use them as finest and best. Care not what the world say: you are not to stay long with them. Desire to have both fashions and stuff from court, from Heaven, this spirit |