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ever fo much as mention'd; or any Caution given to Men, to avoid Superfluity, or Gaiety, of this Kind; as if this Folly and Weaknefs, was indeed incident and peculiar to Women only.

And we may remark, from Hiftory, that wife Men always neglected and despised Gaiety in their Clothes; and, whenever any Vanity of this Sort appeared, tho' in young Men, it was look'd upon with Contempt, and derided by reasonable Men, who confider'd it as a mark or Indication of weak Intellects.

But however that be, I shall take the Liberty of afking my own Sex, who feem most concern'd in the Judgment pronounced by the Prophet against the Pride of Women, their Opinion of the Chapter I have mention'd. After the Prophet had been enumerating the great Difadvantges and Calamities the Children or People of Ifrael had brought upon themselves by their Sin and Difobedience, for which, he tells them, the Lord would affuredly enter into Judgment, by bringing these Calamities fuddenly upon them; he adds, Moreover, the Lord faith, because the Daughters of Zion are baughty, and walk with ftretched-forth Necks, and wanton Eyes, walking, and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their Feet: Therefore, in that Day (the Day of his Judgments) faith the Lord, I will take away the Bravery of their tinkling Ornaments from about their Feet, and their Cauls, and their round Tires like the Moon, the Chains, and the Bracelets, and the Mufflers, the Bonnets, and the Ornaments of the Legs, and the Head-bands, and the Tablets, and the Ear-rings, the Rings, and Nofe-jewels, the changeable Suits of Apparel,

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Apparel, and Mantles, and the Wimples, and the Crifpin-pins, the Glaffes, and the fine Linnen, the Hoods, and the Veils. And it fhall come to pass, that instead of fweet Smells, there shall be a Stink; inftead of a Girdle, a Rent; instead of well-fet Hair, Baldness; instead of a Stomacher, a girding with Sackcloth; and Burning, instead of Beauty.

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And hence let us obferve the Effects of Pride in Apparel too, which many think fo infignificant; and fome, have been so abfurd as to fay, that the Ornaments, &c. enumerated by the Prophet, were only unlawful to the Jewish Women, who poffibly had borrow'd their Fashions from the Heathen, with whom they were forbid any Sort of Commerce; neither were they to walk after the Cuftoms and Manners of the Heathen Nations. But we may remark, thefe Things were not to be taken from them, because they had borrow'd the Forms of them from the neighbouring Nations but because the Daughters of Zion are proud and haughty, and walk with ftretched-forth Necks, when they are adorn'd with all the Bravery of thefe Ornaments; therefore the Lord will deprive them of the Thing they made fubfervient to their Pride and Vanity; the Sin of which is equally odious and abhorrent to God, in us, the Defcendants of the Gentiles, as it was in the Jews: Nor does the Prohibition of Sin, or the Command or Precept of Holiness, lofe one Wit of its Force and Energy, for being deliver'd two or three thoufand, or seventeen hundred Years ago. As the Almighty is unchangeable in his effential Holinefs; for with him is no Variableness, or Shadow of Turning; Sin, that was Sin fome Ages back, must absolutely be fo at this Day.

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But hear now what fome of the Christian Apoftles enjoin, when they were giving Directions to the Churches of Chrift, 1 Tim. ii. 9. and which Dr. Whitby thus notes: In like Manner alfo I "will that Chriftian Women adorn themselves in "modeft Apparel, with Shame-facedness and Sobri ety; not fetting out themfelves with broider'd Hair, or Gold, or Pearls, or coftly Array; but "with that Ornament, which best becomes Women profeffing Godliness; that is, with good "Works."

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And next the Apostle Peter, in his particular Inftructions to Chriftian Women, he thus expreffes himfelf; Whofe adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the Hair, and wearing Gold, or putting on of Apparel; but let it be with the bidden Man of the Heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit, which is in the Sight of God of great Price: For after this Manner, in the old Times, the holy Women alfo, who trufted in God, adorned themfevles. And the above cited Author, in his Comment on the Words of both these Apoftles, gives you his Senfe thus: "It seems evident, that all Attire, "which, by the Richnefs and Coftliness of it, "fhews any Pride or Vanity of Spirit, or any Am"bition to excel others, is forbid by the Apostle's "Words: All great Concernment, Care and Study, cc to appear in fuch Attire, as if it were our truest "Ornament, and that which made us excel, and "be more honourable than others: This Vanity "and Pride, this Efteem of, and Concern for, thefe Things, being not well confiftent with Sobriety, and much less with the Profeffion of

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true Godliness. And here (continues be) 'tis worthy to be noted by the Women, that this "Precept ought not to be flighted by them, as of "little Moment, feeing it is fo carefully inculcated "by the two chief Apoftles of the Jews and "Gentiles, St. Peter and St. Paul. And the contra"ry is reprefented as a Practice opposite to God"linefs: And be fubjoins; Let them especially "remark the Character here given of a Christian "Woman, viz. That she is one who does not only

profess and declare, that the ferves and worships God, but also doth fhew forth Godliness in her "Life and Converfation. And let the Men note << hence, that if it be fo unbecoming a Christian "Woman to be thus concern'd in adorning and

tricking up her Body, it must be much more "unbecoming a Christian Man to put on fuch Attire, which makes him truly deserve the "Name of Fop."

And next let us hear the Opinion of one of the Antients, Clemens of Alexandria; he tells us, "That Women, who wear Gold, and plait the "Hair, have not the Image of God in the inward "Man; and that the apoftolical Constitutions for"bid Women to wear exquifite Garments, which were fitted to deceive, or Gold Rings, &c.

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And Jamblicus, in the Life of Pythagoras, fays, "That no free Woman wore Gold, but lewd "Women only."

Hence you may obferve, that the People called Quakers, are not fingular in the Construction they put on, or Senfe they confider the Apostle's Words in, in the Article of Apparel; and that our Particularity in this Matter does not proceed from Whim,

Caprice,

Caprice, or Fancy, or any Affectation of being fingular; but from a Conviction in our own Understanding, that Superfluity and Luxury, which has its Rife from Pride, is inconfiftent and contrary to the humble, lowly, unambitious Temper and Spirit of Christianity.

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One Argument fome have made Use of to fupport the Vanity of gay and coftly Clothing, was this; That the Pride was not in the Clothes, but in the Heart: An Affertion I have greatly prov'd true by my own Experience. I could not imagine there could be any moral or inherent Evil in a Piece of gay Silk; for I know full well, that Pride proceeds from a vain and ambitious Heart; and that if it had not its Refidence and Seat there, it would not appear in the Habit or Garb. But tho' fome perhaps may allow me to be acquainted with, and therefore a Judge of my own Heart; yet, wou'd it not border upon Uncharitableness, to alledge that all Perfons who wear gay Clothing, are confequently proud and ambitious? I anfwer; Tho' it may not be fafe to judge in every Cafe according to the Sight of the Eye, yet our Lord feems to allow us the Evidence of our Senfes pretty generally. Every Tree, fays he, is known by its Fruit. Of Thorns Men do not gather Figs, nor off a Bramble-bufh Grapes. And then gives us the following Mark or Criterion to judge by, Ye shall know them by their Fruits. Thus when I fee Fruits of the fame Kind produced by others, which I certainly know proceeded from the bitter Root of Pride in my own Heart, I do not think it an uncharitable, but a natural and rational Conclufion, that they spring from the like evil Root in others. A good Tree

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