A Commentary on 1 Peter 1-3, Exposition of chapter 3 · Exposition of verse 3
Verse 3.
Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning, of plaiting the haire, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparell.
Verse 4.
But let it be the hidden man of the heart, that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
THese words containe the third thing charged upon wives by the Apostle in his exposition, and that is, their comely dressing of themselves; which he sets downe negatively, shewing how they must not be dressed, ver. 3. and affirmatively▪ shewing what doth most adorne them, ver. 4.
In the negative observe what is expressely prohibited, and then what is impliedly allowed. That which he expressely forbids he referres to three heads. The first concernes the naturall abuse of the ornaments that by nature are upon the body, and instanceth in the haire, which God hath given to women for a covering. And the abuse lieth in the plaiting of the haire; by which he meanes not the tying up of the haire after a decent maner, but the artificiall laying of it out in plaits, or curles, or lockes, or the like. Their devices about their haire are so many, as we cannot reckon them by the names they give them.
The second concernes the excesse of cost about their dressing, synecdochically exprest by the putting about of gold, and pearles, and such like rich jewels.
The third concernes the vanity of fashions in attire, in the last words, of putting on of apparell.
Now for the meaning of the Apostle in this negative prohibition, I finde three opinions. The one is of such as thinke the Apostle did absolutely forbid the things named, but yet that it was a temporary prohibition, intended to binde them of that time, not to binde us that live now. The other is of such as thinke that hee doth not simply forbid these things, but onelyonly comparatively; meaning▪ that in comparison of the inward d…essing wee should not have so much care of these outward ornaments: or about dressing, our care should not bee so much for the outward dressing, as for the inward. The third is of such as conceive that the Apostle doth simply, and for ever, forbid these things named, and all of like sort, and that for ever. The opinion of the first sort of men is rejec… by all sorts of Divines, as very foolish and erroneous. The second opinion hath Cajetan a Papist for the author of it; but is rejected by Divines of his owne sect, for this reason, because if that were the Apostles meaning, his prohibition would teach the most sober and modest women in their apparell, as well as the most licentious; for ever the most modest are tied to respect the inward dressing above the outward: which cannot bee the Apostles meaning. The third opinion is the opinion almost of all the Ancient and modern Writers. But because I will not take power to binde your consciences onelyonly by the opinions of men, therefore afterwards I will shew you by expresse Scripture, when apparell or dressing becomes vicious: but first, I would consider of the doctrine in generall.
Doct. It seemes to be a cleare truth, that Christian women should, in the dressing of themselves, take heed of ostentation, costlinesse, and vaine fashions, and that curious desire after the adorning of their bodies. And though the Text mentioneth onelyonly wives, yet it must needs also be true of unmarried women much more. For wives many times lay the fault of their vice upon their husbands, that they doe it either by their command, or to please them: but that vaine excuse is wholly taken away from the unmarried, because they have none upon whom to lay their faults that waies. And therefore the practise of the younger women is the more abominable in our times, when wee see that usually they are more vile and excessive in cost and vaine fashions, than the elder women. And the pretence, that it is to get them husbands, is devillish; for if their naturall comlinesse will not set them out, they are wicked deceivers, that make themselves to be that in dressing, which they are not in nature: and those men are excessively foolish, that judge of the fitnesse of women to make wives of only by their cloathes, and not by the persons, or gifts. And further, it is out of doubt that if these things in apparell are ill in wives, they are as ill in husbands, or rather worse. What can be more abominable to the view, than the observation of the most monstrous effeminatenes…e that is found in many of our Gentry, that daily betake themselves to most womanish trickes in their dressing of themselves? The…e are uncleane Devils in the flesh, and no Christians.
Now there are many reasons why Christian women, and so men also▪ should not pride themselves, or bee any way vaine and fantasticall in their dressing or apparell: and why they should not be curious about their cloathes, or the comlinesse comes from them.
1. Because our cloathes are a continuall remembrance of our shame.El…v…n rea…o… against v…ine …tt…re in …omen. A theefe may as well be proud of his halter, as wee of our garments; for it was sin brought in raiment. If Adam had never sinned, he had never needed raiment.
2. Because curiosity and cost is against the first institution of apparell. God him…elfe made the first garments that were made, and left a pattern to follow. Now he cloathed our Parents with the skins of Beasts; shunning of purpose, either cost or superfluous ornaments: and I suppose yee will grant they were as great and as good as any of us. God attired them in a habit became sorrow and the estate of banished men.
3. Because God hath forbidden this curiositie of dressing in women, at all times, and in all places of his worship. For when the Apostle, (1 Tim. 2.) had commanded men to pray in all pl…ces, and given them in charge divers things they must looke to at the time of Gods worship, he then turnes to women, and chargeth them to looke to the cloaths they weare when they worship God; expresly prohibiting rich and vaine apparell, ver. 9, 10. And good reason; for such as either publickly or pri…tly come to worship God, shou…d come to him in the habit of suppliants and petitioners, seeing they come, or should come, to beseech God to forgive th…m th…ir sin…es: which they should aske with teares and groanes, as such as know no happinesse if God be not reconciled to them. Would any man regard a Begger if he came to aske almes in rich cloathes? and can any man be so over-growne with dotage, as to thinke God doth not care in what colours or fashions we worship or entreat him? Besides, we come not into the house of God to shew our selves to men, but unto God amongst men. Yea in private, how dare fantasticall women stand before God to pray, when they carry upon their backes such Ensignes of pride and vanity? And hereby we may discerne the horrible wickednesse of these times, which are just opposite to Pauls direction: for we see men and women cloath themselves with the greatest cost and vanity when they are to appeare before God in his house. What saith a Father to such creatures as these? What come you for into this place? this is the house of God: doe you come onelyonly to shew your selves to men? this is no dancing schoole, nor wedding house, nor yet any play house, that you should come hither in these histrionicall and strumpet-like attires, saith Chrysostome upon this second chapter of the first of Timothie.
4. Because our bodies we are so curious about are but houses of clay, and were made of the dust or mire of the earth, and will be shortly dissolved: and therefore we should not so sin against our precious soules, as to mis-spend our cares, cost, and affections, upon that which in it selfe is so vile: and the apparell we put on the body will last but a while, whereas the dressing of the soule will last for ever.
5. Because of the absence of the Bridegroome our Lord Jesus Christ. Is the Husband so far from home, and can a chaste Spouse be taken up with such affectation of curious and vaine dressing? What more evident sign of a strumpet, than for to dresse her selfe curiously, and for the shew to men, when her husband is far from home? Shall we so sin against the Lord Jesus, now absent from us in the body, and so mind earthly things, and set our affections upon the vanities of the world, as if we had no sense of his absence, and did not care for him now he is gone?
6. Because these vanities in apparell are so grievously threatned by the Lord. He will visit them that weare strange apparell, Zeph. 1.8. And what woman can reade the third of Esay, and not tremble at the wrath of the Lord, if she be guilty of any such vanities? And the Prophet was but a Novice in describing vaine fashions, if that description were to be applied to our times; for those vanities are now become the dressing of such as are more sober. Oh what a world of wicked devices are there now beyond that Catalogue! Those were wicked women; but now they exceed the wickednesse of the wicked. Let these creatures take heed of vaine interpretations of that place. They may deceive themselves, but they shall finde that God will not be mocked. They dawbe with untempered morter, that tell them, that those things condemned were not sinfull, or that God was not displeased with them.
7. Because excesse and vanity in apparell hath beene condemned by the greatest lights in the Christian world, and that with great bitternesse of censure. I will give instance in some of their censures: Cyprian said, They that put on vaine and gorgeous apparell cannot put on Christ. Gregorie said, Let no man thinke that in the study of precious apparell sin can be wanting. Ambrose saith, That proud attire obtaines nothing of God, and causeth that men never thinke well of the parti… using it: for, saith he, what wise man doth not abhorre a woman proudly drest? and therefore much more God, their Creator, cannot abide to see that bodi… which he made free, to be chained to metals: he meanes gold, and pearles, and such like; and adds, The more they are liked of some men, the …ore they are hated of God. Tertullian and Cyprian have written whole Treatises against the apparell of women. Yea Cyprian and Augustine say, that superfluous apparell is worse than whoredome; and they give this reason, because whoredome onelyonly corrupts chastity, but this corrupts nature. What Ierome thinkes of it you shall heare afterwards. What should I reckon more testimonies, seeing in all ages of the Christian Church these things in the apparell of women have beene bitterly condemned? yea the very Popish Writers doe bitterly inveigh against vaine and superfluous apparell; and the very heathen men did so also.
8. It should the more disswade women from following foolish vanities in adorning themselves, because usually where these things are noted by way of description in Scripture, the parties of whom it is written were notorious wicked persons, and usually Whores; as it is noted of Thamar and Iezabel, and the Whore in the Revelation, ch. 17.3. and for notable wickednesse, as the women, Esay 3. and Dives, Luke 16.
9. This care about the adorning of the body doth not agree to the simplicitie that is in Christ Jesus. Godly Christians have their beauty within: they are not such as will contend with the men of the world about finenesse, or greatnesse, or worldly praises, or any outward ornaments. Nor doe they walke with a right foot to the Gospel, that are conformable to the men of this world: there is great dissimulation to professe so strict a life as the Gospel doth require, and yet take such liberty in the things of this world.
10. About the abu…e of apparell many sins meet together, as vanity, pride, evill concupiscence, contempt of others, immodesty, and the like.
11. There are many evill effects of vanity and excesse in apparell, both in respect of God, and themselves, and others: in respect of God and his service, vaine and proud apparell breeds carelesnesse, and abatement of that holy feare and zeale should be shewed in Gods service, and it causeth the name of God to be blasphemed, and the good way of God to be evill spoken of. And for themselves, by following foolish vanities they bring Gods visiting hand in judgement upon them, Zeph. 1.8. and withall, they forsake their owne mercies. Ionah 2.8. And for the effects upon others, they are divers. For fir…t, by their example they do much hurt, both in provoking others to the imitation of their vanity, and by inflaming evill concupiscence, and filthy desires: and, which is the more grievous, parents many times by their examples infect the mindes of their owne children, and corrupt their posteritie; yea, we see many daughters made worse than their mothers. Againe, excesse in apparell causeth in many the oppression of their Tenants, and fraudulent courses, that they may maintaine themselves in that wicked excesse and vanity. Besides, it destroies in divers all respect of the poore and hospitality. Lastly, doe we not see many families destroied and overthrowne by these courses, so as their posterity is utterly defeated of their meanes and inheritances by the riot of their parents in their apparell?
Now it remaineth that I should shew out of the Scriptures when apparell, or dressing, or putting on of apparell becomes vicious. And that will appeare to be many wayes:
1. The dressing of the haire of the head is judged to be vicious out of this Text, when it is plaited;Foureteene waies by which app…r…ll or dressing our s…l…s becomes vicious. which is by Interpreters conceived to meane all that artificiall dressing of the head that imploies the haire beyond the naturall use of it, onelyonly for vaine shew. The naturall use of the haire is to be a covering: now when the haire is with curiosity and by vaine inventions turned into vaine formes, by plaiting, curling, or other waies which wee cannot name, or to fall into dangling-lockes, like to the haire of Russians, the dressing is then vicious. For Ba…il saith in generall of all apparell and dressing, that whatsoever in these things is not for profit or necessity, is vaine and superfluous. And Ierome expressely condemnes th… hanging of the haire below the forehead. Plutarch records, that the Romans, when a woman was to be dressed at a wedding, used to separate and plaite the haire of her head with the point of a Speare, to shew how much they hated curiosity in dressing. Now if the plaiting of the haire be so ill, how abominable is the use of strange haire, that is, haire that is not their own? This is generally condemned, and Nazianzen, amongst the Ancients, sharply reproves it.
2. All apparell is vicious, if it be strange, Zeph. 1.8. Now strange apparell is not new apparell, but such apparell as is not used in the Churches where we live, and hath not an apparent comelinesse and utilitie in it: some apparell, though newly invented, hath a manifest comelinesse and commodiousnesse stamped upon it, so as it is approved of all, both good and bad; this is not strange, though it be new. Againe, we may observe, that other apparell, when it first comes in, it comes in like a monster, the naturall conscience in all men detesting it: this is out of question sinfull; as for the reason here alledged, so because it adornes not. Such is yellow starch.
3. All apparell and dressing is vicious when it is against shamefac'…nesse and modesty, and hath in it manifest provocation to lust, 1 Tim. 2.9, 10. such as is the leaving of the breasts naked in whole or in part, and the short wearing of their cloathes in women. The Prophet Hosea complaines of adultery betweene the breasts, Hos. 2. Also against shamefac'tnesse is it when woman leave the dressing proper to their sexe, and goe attired like men, Deut. 22.5. A Father saith, that they which dresse themselves with an intention and desire to please men, or to provoke any, they offer up their owne soules to the Divell. And Hierome saith, that if a man or a woman adorne themselves so as they provoke men to looke after them, though no evill follow upon it, yet the party shall suffer eternall damnation, because they offered poyson to others, though none would drinke of it. Oh how many soules may be poisoned with lust by thee, whose sins thou art therefore guilty of!
4. All apparell that exceeds in cost the state or degree of the person that weares it, is vicious; and that the Apostle in this Text condemnes under the prohibition of gold.
5. All apparell that is taken up from the fashion and example of the world, and is not judged usefull by the most religious and sober minded, Rom. 12.2. And though some that professe religion, out of weakenesse, or speciall corruption, or because they are hypocrites, doe follow such fashions, yet that allowes them not, so long as they are the proper characters of the men of this world.
6. When apparell is not of good report, Phil. 4.8. 1 Cor. 10.38. when it either causeth wicked men to speake evill, or reproach; or godly men are grieved or offended; or religion it selfe is reviled for their sakes.
7. When it provoketh the partie to pride and haughtinesse, or contempt of others, or hath the appearance of such evill in the judgement of others, Esay 3. 1 Thes. 5.
8. When it becommeth not good workes, or hindereth them, 1 Tim. 2.9. as when men restraine merciemercy to the poore, or oppresse their Tenants, or defraud other men, onelyonly to mainetaine themselves or theirs in outward pompe and gallantnesse of apparell. This is the horrible sin of the Gentry in many places of this kingdome.
9. When it is condemned and reproved by godly Ministers, that are both wise and learned: for their testimony ought to be received, 2 Thess. 1.10. and it is a vile sinne to vexe them and grieve them by our obstinacie; yea, though they were not able to make so full demonstration, yet when they reprove such things out of a spirituall jealousie, and feare they corrupt their hearers, they ought to be heard, Heb. 13.18. 1 Cor. 11.2.3.
10. When the time that might be profitably spent is consumed by the tedious curiositie of dressing, Ephes. 5.16. as it is with those that have not time for God… worship in private, or cannot come time enough to the Church, or neglect their calling, by being so long in dressing.
11. When it dishonours the body of a man, Col. 2. ult. as when it is slovenly or sluttish, or is taken up of meere singularitie and affectation of the praise of mortification, and tends to restraine Christian libertie in others. For no pretence may uncomely apparell be used; for 1 Tim. 2.9. it is required that the apparell of women be comely; for so the originall word signifies. But especially uncomely apparell is then most vile, when it is worne with a purpose to deceive, as the Prophet complained of such as weare a ro…gh garment to deceive.
12. The puritie of a Christian life should avoide all dressings or fashions which had their originall from infamous persons, such as are the fashions of Whores, or debauched creatures; and such a beginning it is said commonly Yellow starch had. What fellowship betweene light and darknesse, righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse, Christ and Belial? If we would have God to love us, we must separate and come out from amongst them, and touch no uncleane thing.
13. When such apparell is worne as is contrary to the wholesome lawes of men: for we are bound to submit our selves to every ordinance of man for Gods sake, 1 Pet. 2.13.
14. Lastly, when the partie that useth such apparell or dressing is condemned in himselfe, and hath his owne conscience accusing or disliking it, or is no… fully assured that he doth not sin. Whatsoever is not of Faith in those things is sin, Rom. 14.