The Wearing of Gold by S. N. Haskell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 20, 1871

The Wearing of Gold.

By S. N. Haskell

We present the following translations of 1 Pet. 3:3: “Nor let your ornament be that outward ornament of plaited hair with braided gold or of costly raiment.”—Wakefield. “Whose adorning let it not be the outward one of braiding the hair; and of wearing golden ornaments, or of putting on of apparel.”—Am. Bible Union. “Whose decoration let it not be that external one of braiding the hair, and of putting on of gold chains, or of wearing apparel.”—Emphatic Diaglott. “Whose ornament let it not be the external (ornament) of braided hair, and of putting on of chains of gold, or of clothing.”—Sawyer.

The spirit of decorating these poor, vile bodies with ear-rings, finger-rings, gold chains around the neck with some locket attached, gold pencil, watch, or something else of the kind, is such that one might think gold to be the god of this nation. In all public conveyances (in the cities especially) gold, or something to imitate gold, is worn almost universally. Yet this nation is a nation of professedly Christian people, who claim to take the Bible as their rule of faith and practice. To suit such, the scripture should read, Whose adorning let it be the wearing of gold in “rings,” “chains,” “bracelets,” costly apparel, &c. See 1 Tim. 2:9, 10, and Isa. 3:16–25. But why do not Christian men and women see the sin of wearing these ornaments? For the same reason that they do not realize the sin of Sabbath-breaking. Sin is viewed from too low a standpoint; wrong is weighed in the balance of popular opinion, hence it is sin to be out of fashion. The prophet describes these times as follows: “Judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil, maketh himself a prey; and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him.” Isa. 59:14, 15.

We are a judgment-bound people, and until this is realized, and the word of God is regarded a living reality, and its prohibitions, warnings, and requirements, are taken to mean what they say, we never can be fitted for the society of angels in the kingdom of glory. If you would know how these things are looked upon by God, read what his Spirit has said concerning them. Here they are presented as they will appear at the Judgment of the great day. It is in this scale that actions will be weighed. Character is to be examined in the light of all God’s word has enjoined.

Look at the great pattern, Jesus, who had his sacred brow pierced with a crown of thorns. See him dressed in an old purple robe by those wicked men who mockingly bowed the knee before him, and tauntingly said, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Then look at his professed followers shunning the cross, because of the contumely that is heaped upon those that have Christian principle enough to live out the sacred truths of the gospel. Where is that Christian integrity of character which can stand in evil times unsullied from the contaminating influence of fashionable sins? The following is from 2 Esdras 16: “The more they deck their cities, their houses, their possessions, and their own persons, the more I will be angry with them, saith the Lord.” S. N. HASKELL.