USELESS ADORNMENT.

Just because a few persons go to an extreme in harping on dress and outward adorning, the great majority of so-called holiness people seem to pay no attention to the extravagance in dress and jewelry which is swamping so many souls in darkness. There are some of the holiness people so fastidious and squeamish that they can not bear to have their outer adornments alluded to without showing an uneasiness. It is true that we must drive mainly at the heart and get that right; but poor human nature is so blind and slow to learn that we must, according to God's Word, look after the practical details of holiness as well as the doctrine and experience. It is a shame to see so many professing holiness all dangled off in the heathenish habit of jewelry.

1. You say where is the dividing line in this matter of what, and what not, to put on! I say that in legitimate articles of dress, no one can draw the absolute line, but in articles of jewelry which are absolutely useless, it seems that any one ought to be able to draw the line.

Ear-rings, finger-rings, bracelets, gold chains, charms, trinkets, etc., are not articles of clothing; they add nothing to brains or beauty; they add nothing to comfort or convenience; they neither give protection, nor health, nor beauty to the human body; they are all absolutely without a rational use, and conduce to nothing in the universe but vanity. Now anything that is utterly useless can only be harmful.

2. You say the wearing of jewelry is a life-long habit with you, and does not stand in your way. I reply that many sins are life-long habits and do not stand in the way of those who commit them. Some have been lying, and stealing, and backbiting ever since their childhood, and they say these things do not stand in their way; they can commit these sins, day after day, just as thoughtlessly as you can trick yourself out in useless ornaments.

3. You say that these rings, or bracelets, or charms were inherited from your dear parents, and you wear them for their sakes. Well, you also inherited your depravity from your parents; some persons inherit the thirst for liquor and tobacco from their dear parents, and if we are going into the heirloom business why not deck ourselves out in all the vices of our parents? If one is decked off in dear old grandmother's jewelry, why should not another be decked off in dear old grandfather's drunkenness? Where is the difference? If we are born of God we must drop the inherited things of the first Adam, and put on the inherited things of the second Adam.

4. You say the wearing of jewelry does not hurt you. That is just what people say that drink wine, smoke, or dance. You say you enjoy the love of God, or a clean heart, and wear use less ornaments which the Word of God forbids, and say it does not hurt you. If you would follow all the words of Scripture, it would hurt. Nay, it does already hurt you more than you dream of. It may be you are praying for more liberty, more power; you wonder why your loved ones in your family are not converted, or sanctified; you never suspect that your jewelry hurts you. Ah, my friend, the devil has had six thousand year's practice on human nature; he knows how to cripple Christians, and yet to hide from their eyes the very things that are crippling them. If God's Word is true, then the wearing of use less jewelry and ornaments does hurt you, in spite of all you may say, or think, or feel to the contrary. Some may say, "Why I never think of these little ornaments." Well, if you never think of them, why do you always remember to put the stuff on? What a lovely sight to see men and women modestly arrayed, with bright salvation faces, with ears, and hands, and necks clean from the senseless trappings of vanity. And what an ugly, incongruous sight to see per sons professing holiness, all tricked out in Satan's trash. Yes, I say, get the heart right first; but your heart will not stay right if you keep on the external garb of Satan.