p. 93 | Outward Adorning by R. F. Cottrell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 3, 1874

Outward Adorning.

By R. F. Cottrell

Whoever undertakes to correct the evil of pride in dress, as exhibited in the wearing of gold and trinkets, and vain and foolish ornaments, will find a difficult, a Herculean, task. Yet every one who faithfully preaches the gospel must strike against these things, as all have in the past, from the first of the apostles down to the present time. Wesley did a noble work in this direction, and accomplished much good in his day; but mark those who profess the faith that he did at the present day, and you will discover that his labor is lost upon this generation, as well as that of Paul and Peter.

But still the voices of the faithful servants of God are raised against this crying sin, and must be, though the vain and foolish heart still clings to this folly, a thing only fitting to heathenish barbarity, unbecoming to enlightened worldlings, much less to professors of the cross-bearing religion of the lowly Nazarene. The evil will continue, even with those who profess faith in the last message of mercy to man, till God, by his avenging vials, shall “take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments.” “And it shall come to pass, that instead of perfume there shall be putrefaction; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of a mantle, a girding of sackcloth; and a fire-scar instead of beauty.”

As long as this evil is in the heart it will manifest itself. We may warn, but it is useless to try to tear off the excessive foliage. When the bearer of it dies to sin, it will drop off, like leaves after a frost of autumn. Oh! that all might repent of this folly before it is too late to find pardon.

R. F. COTTRELL.