The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-02-17

ley last night delivered sermon OIL the
duties OF Christian women, taking the
text, "What shall we eat, what shall we
drink, and wherewithal shall we be
elothedp We give portions Of this most
excellent discourse.
"fake no thought Christ says. and
yet these are the very things which we
40 take thought about. After all these
things do the dentiles seek" said Jesus;
and We shah have to say Sand after all
these things do Christian nations seek"
These yciy things which Jesus hi o told
us to take no thought of, really ill up Il
very large share OF our lives, aud the
very energy OF nations Is spent to a fear
ful extend upon these very subjects.
/ have hesitated somewhat dear SIS
ters, in former days TO preach on this
subject. ! have desired rather to preach
the privileges of The Gospel, 10 point out
to my dear sisters what Christ could be
to our souls, but | have been constrain-
cd somewhat to depart from this II ON a
very deep conviction that there is q cry
ing evil in the very lengthand breadth OF
the land, that it must be SAID in our day
Just as it WAS said in the old days which
SO many Of ue are studying; "Fhere is
an aceursed thing IN the midst Of thee. q
Israel"
Last summer, while this subject was
pressing somewhat upon my mind, WIS.,
.ited the vile OF one of our Episcopal
Bishops In this country, and told her th at
somea hat reluctantly / was about 10
turn my attention to lnis subject to con-
slder its claims among other subjects.
~ am SO glad" was her eager response,
"thai the Lord mas laid it upon you.
There is nothing that The women OF this
country need more than this, and, though
you may not think it, very large por'
tion of your effort In other directions is
wasted, because oil the weaknesses and
the sins Of woman in this direction. You
an not even get their attention. LII
mt ny instance even when you nrt
81 eaking and laying down the highest
3 uLhs, q great many OF our young people
~ ill be examining each others inner.
having no ears to listen, to watch COD,
precious truth."
And when you, my young sisters, sa
down with your needles and began tt
stitch all these many bugles upon YOU
cloaks, or worked ut some ether equal,
elaborate piece of finery, was the swee
undercurrent of your thoughts all along
as YOU patiently made stitch after stitch
II am doing all this for Jesus, / am glori
lying my Father in Heavenp
bid you really have such thoughts
Did you really have such ieeiiBgs2 ID
you not almost reeOii from such test
| Ana it is to go down to everything. w
are tod very plainly in Gods Word
"Wbether therefore ye eat or drink, o.
whatsoever ye do, do all 10 the glory o
God" Eating and drinking are speciti
cally mentioned there, and why may W
not include The subject OF dress under
that whatsoever We are to do all these
things, all things in word or deed, tin th'
name Of Jesus, giving thanks unto Coo
our Father through Him." Everythin,
| that will not bear this test is unworth,
of a Christian life.
| Wherewith shall we be clothedp is
subject that touches us closely; Tor Gu
| incompetence as women comes just here
| And, dear sisters, until we have asbe
our hands little, know not how W
dare set them to the other work. How
can we cah our brethren to stay them
selves in their inteinperance, their be
setting SIM. while we ourselves are giyel
over to just as much seli-indulgence il
another direction, the effects OF whicl
are almost as ruinoas upon The whole2
| | have often wondered ii Isaiah wer
wiring in our day how long list Ia
would have to make if he undertook th
compass, the whole range OF some OF gu
fashion plates. IL seems to me it w0ui'
at least ill two or turee chapters 4
Isaiah, and that instead Of this beaut
| full book, we might have the whole q
Isaiah filled with an enumeration G
these wonderful fashions. Virtually
does come to that, Tor very many eve
I Christian sisters know much more abou
| those fashion plates and these d,eadfU
words which / can hardly pronounc
here, than they do about these preciou
truths which ill the book OF Isaiah. I
this sense we consider Christian sister
| outdo the very heather. l DON'T thin
there ever was a nation that came to til
| extravaganza that We have come TO.
| Another consideration which ought t
press very strongly upon us is this; thit
| love Of tinery tends very much to Jesse
| the attendance upon the worship OF Goo
| Every rainy Sabbath, ministers OF IN
| Gospel have told me, and they are yer
| fire quent in the course OF the year, ther
\ is u wonderful duninution in the attend
i ance; not because OF the weather, lor j
| these days OF umbrellas and waterproof
most persons eould attend, but becuus
OF u fear lest the fine clothes should b
! injured and dislike TO dress more plail
| ly than in favorable weather.
Many are kept away from the house {
| 0Du DcCuusS tHcy SuA hoe SOiipSbt VIII
1 the extravaganza OF others. Tney do nc
like to come in a simple garb. Ii at leas
in the house OF Goa, Christian wom4
| would set uD u standard OF absolute sln
4 piicity, and out of their abundance spar
| something to help others to make Ii
4 ting appearance in tine house OF Coo
/ wouIa IL not be a service most acceptabl
1 to God? And while we are doing thai
4 would it not carry out the injunction LII
\ Apostle James has given US, to show n
! possible courtesy to them to make theT
| feel that at least in the house OF God the
1 are our brothers aud sisters; weare all c
one family, and there no respect is pal
to gay clothing.
am perfectly confident from all OF
servatlons that to far greater exten
than most people imagine character
| Influenced by dress. Where that is high
and triilinm, a vast amount OF frippery
there comes a hight and tritliDg superf
4 cial character that aacords- with it, an
the character never deepens and ht
comes enriched as it does when NOR
simplicity is followed.
| Another view of this subject Is this
A great many ladies set up a stanaar
that is some " hat true and Christian to
| themselves, but then they indulge thei
children, and especially their daughter'
1 in all these things and where they woul
at once check amy thing like pride or val
! ity in their own hearts as utterly incoi
sistent with Christian profession an
their love 10 Jesus, they do foster TIL
I 4 - L \.