He doth no more universally condemn the use of gold for ornament, than he doth any other comely raiment, which here he means by that general word of putting on of apparel, for his [not] is comparative; not this adorning, but the ornament of a meek spirit, that rather, and as much more comely and precious; as that known expression, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.

2dly, According to the different place and quality of persons, there may be difference in this: thus the robes of judges and princes are not only for personal ornament, but because there is in them, especially to vulgar eyes that seldom look deeper than the outside of things; there is, I say, in that apparel a representation of authority or majesty, that befits their place and besides this, other persons that are not in public place, men or women, that are here particularly directed, yet may have in this some mark of their rank; and in persons otherwise little distant, some allowance may be made for the habits and breeding of some beyond others, or the quality of their society, and those with whom they

converse.

3dly, It is not impossible that there may be in some an affected pride in the meanness of apparel; and in others, under either neat or rich attire a very humble unaffected mind; using it upon some of the aforementioned engagements, or such like, and yet the heart not at all upon it.

4thly, It is as sure as any of these, that real excess and vanity in apparel will creep in, and will always willingly convey itself under the cloak of some of these honest and lawful considerations. This is a prime piece of our heart's deceit, not only to hold out fair pretences to others, but to put the trick upon ourselves, to make ourselves believe we are right and single minded in those things where

a Hosea, vi. 6.

b Magnus qui fictilibus utitur tanquam argento, nec ille minor qui argento tanquam fictilibus. SEN.

in we are directly serving our lusts and feeding our own vanity.

5thly, 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.

1. Of lightness and fantastic garb in apparel, which is the very bush or sign hanging out, that tells a vain mind lodges within. 2. 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 cloaths, I helped a naked back to cloathing, 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 exceed in the thing itself, so in as far as they use lawful ornament and comeliness, they will do it without bestowing either much diligence or delight in the busi

ness.

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 comeliness 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 b Non bis pueri sed semper.

richly, or well in fashion. Light empty minds are as bladders blown up with any thing, and they that perceive not this in themselves, are most drowned; but such as have found it out, and abhor their own follies, are still hunting and following these in themselves to beat them out of their hearts, and to shame them from such fopperies. 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, here particularly specified in one excellent grace; and it holds true in the

rest.

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 heavene.

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

and furnishing them; but secondarily of christians, as the living temples of God. So the church is all glorious, but it is within'. And the embroidery, the variety of graces, the lively colours of other graces shine best on the dark ground of humility. Christ delights to give much ornament to his church, commends what she hath, and adds mores, Thy neck is comely with chains, we will make thee borders of gold.

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, the unsettledness of our minds". How comely is it to see a composed firm mind and carriage, that is not lightly moved!

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 unseemly rash

VOL. I.

f Psal. xlv. 13.

g Cant. i. 10, 11. h Multa nos offendunt quæ non lædunt. Ee

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 the shearers, not opening his mouth, 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 cloathing 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, amongst 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 matter 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 otherways. Though it be not the country fashion, yet it is the fashion at court, yea, it is the king's own fashion, Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly, &c. Some that are