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Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
women professing godliness, with good works. Let not the cry of the
widow and the fatherless go up to heaven against us. Let not the blood
of souls be found on our garments. Let not precious probationary time
be squandered in cherishing pride of heart. Are there no poor to be
visited? no dim eyes for whom you can read the word of God? no
desponding, discouraged ones that need your words of comfort and
your prayers?
As God has prospered you, has not the indulgence of pride and
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vanity been steadily increasing? While you are devoting precious time
to the study of dress, the inward adorning is neglected; there is no
growth in grace. Instead of becoming more heavenly-minded, you are
becoming more and more earthly-minded. Foolish and hurtful lusts,
groveling appetites, becloud your sense of sacred things. Why will not
everyone who professes to love Jesus flee from these soul-destroying
indulgences! The world is crazy after show and fashion and pleasure.
Licentiousness is steadily and fearfully on the increase. Why will not
Christians be true to their high profession!
Christ is ashamed of His professed followers. Wherein do we bear
any resemblance to Him? Wherein does our dress conform to the Bible
requirements? I do not want the sins of the people upon me, and I will
give the trumpet a certain sound. For years I have borne a plain and
decided testimony upon this subject, in print and upon the speaker’s
stand. I have not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God. I must
be clear of the blood of all. The fact that worldliness and pride bear
almost universal sway is no excuse for one Christian to do as others
do. God has said: “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.”
Do not, my sisters, trifle longer with your own souls and with God.
I have been shown that the main cause of your backsliding is your love
of dress. This leads to the neglect of grave responsibilities, and you
find yourselves with scarcely a spark of the love of God in your hearts.
Without delay, renounce the cause of your backsliding, because it is
sin against your own soul and against God. Be not hardened by the
deceitfulness of sin. Fashion is deteriorating the intellect and eating
out the spirituality of our people. Obedience to fashion is pervading
our Seventh-day Adventist churches and is doing more than any other
power to separate our people from God. I have been shown that our
church rules are very deficient. All exhibitions of pride in dress, which
is forbidden in the word of God, should be sufficient reason for church