A94156:897
The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature…
The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature and necessity of it is discovered. : As also the Christian directed how he may perform it in [brace] religious duties, natural actions, his particular vocation, his family directions, and his own recreations. / By George Swinnock ...
London: printed for T.P., 1662
Treatise › Chapter 24: How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in his Apparel and Sleep.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Secondly, The vices about our apparel, which must be avoided, 1. Pride. Pride is a moth which is soon bred in fine garments, but a Christian will consider, that the meanest apparel is natures garment, and the best but sins garnish; The pedigree of our raiment must be remembered to allay our pride. Our richest clothes are characters of reproach; and as Adams livery, they are an implicit confession of our sin and shame. The dim-sighted person is not proud of his spectacles; nor he who hath lost one eye, of the plaster which covereth it. When the thief looketh on his fetters, he thinketh of his felony, which was the cause of them; When we behold our habits, we may well be humble, reflecting upon our apostasy, the cause of them; Before the Fall, Adam and Eve were both naked, and were not ashamed, Gen. 2. ult. A murderer hath as much reason to be proud of his halter, as a man of his habit.
Secondly, The vices about our apparel, which must be avoided, 1. Pride. Pride is a moth which is soon bred in fine garments, but a Christian will consider, that the meanest apparel is natures garment, and the best but sins garnish; The pedigree of our raiment must be remembred to allay our pride. Our richest cloaths are characters of reproach; and as Adams livery, they are an implicite confession of our sin and shame. The dim-sighted person is not proud of his spectacles; nor he who hath lost one eye, of the plaister which covereth it. When the thief looketh on his fetters, he thinketh of his felony, which was the cause of them; When we behold our habits, we may well be humble, reflecting upon our apostacy, the cause of them; Before the Fall, Adam and Eve were both naked, and were not ashamed, Gen. 2. ult. A murderer hath as much reason to be proud of his halter, as a man of his habit.
Beside the matter of our clothes is considerable; We are beholden to the beasts for them, what are they but the skin, hair or wool of beasts? and the finest but the spittle of the silkworm? Alas, what a pin is this to pierce the Bladder of pride, and abate its swelling? One would think if this weed should grow, it must be like the mistletoes out of the rocks; for here is not the least earth to breed or feed it, not the least cause for it.