e." 1 Pet.
5:5. The wonderful salvation of God which changes the heart will also
change the manner of dress, if the dress formerly was worldly, which is
very natural. The dear Lord has been so very careful to distinguish his
loved children from the world and make them a shining light that he has
given them plain directions how to dress. What a privilege the Christian
has in obeying God in what is considered the "little things" of his Word,
which however small are of such importance as to cause the eternal loss of
the soul if wilfully disobeyed.

Respecting the manner of Christian dress we will quote from 1 Tim. 2:9,
10: "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel,
with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or
pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness)
with good works." This is a much abused and wrested scripture. The
proud-hearted, who have endeavored to persuade themselves to believe they
are Christians, have surmised and planned to enforce upon themselves the
conclusion that God did not here mean what he has said. In earlier days
when the human systems of religion were more consistent with the Word of
God such texts were incorporated in their creeds, but so deep has been
their plunge into the whirlpool of worldliness that they are rejected from
both Bible and creed. Many tell us that this was for the women in the
primitive days of Christianity when it was the custom to plait the hair
with gold and silver strands. This is only a ready sophistry to allure the
soul. We will admit it was for women in the early days of Christianity,
but we deny it is any less for women and men also in any other day. With
respect to Christianity some people are shamefully dishonest. All the
duties and sacrifices not congenial to a proud heart they are glad to
impose upon the Christians of some past or future time, but all the
blessings God has promised the saint they would gladly receive in this
present time.

The Christian is commanded to dress in "modest apparel" "with
shamefacedness." It frequently happens that people become so boldly proud
that they can dress in the height of fashion and profess to be Christians
without a shame upon their face. One who is really and truly saved will
dress in modest apparel, while humility, meekness, and modesty are
depicted in loveliness upon their countenance. Those who adorn themselves
in pearls and gold and costly array usu