Wesley Corpus

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 noway 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 bc. seen of men.” 4. “O, but one may be as humble in velvet and embroidery, as another is in sackcloth.” True; for a person may wear sackcloth, and have no humility at all. The heart may be filled with pride and vanity, whatever the raiment be. Again: Women under the yoke of unbelieving parents or husbands, as well as men in office, may, on several occasions, be constrained to put on gold or costly apparel; and in cases of this kind, plain experience shows, that the baleful influence of it is suspended. So that wherever it is not our choice, but our cross, it may consist with godliness, with a meek and quict spirit, with lowliness of heart, with Christian serious ness. But it is not true that any one can choose this from a single eye to please God; or, consequently, without sustain ing great loss as to lowliness and every other Christian temper. 5. But, however this be, can you be adorned at the same time with costly apparel and with good works; that is, in the same degree as you might have been, had you bestowed less cost on your apparel?