Your ShelfYour Projects

Untitled article

20%

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, August 6, 1867

FromReview and Herald, Vol. XXX, No. 8

Read the full edition

THE DRESS REFORM.

By A. R. PENNIMAN.

News from the late General Conference came to me through a letter from a dear sister in Christ, in which, among other interesting items, she says, “And there I found a cross, and one, too, which I did not expect,” referring to the dress reform. After reading her letter, my mind was greatly troubled; for, I confess, I shrunk from the cross. But conscience said that if it was duty for my sister to reform in her dress, it certainly was for me, as I was in the same error with her. Then it was suggested to me, You stand alone in this place, a representative of S. D. Adventists, and if you adopt that dress, people will become prejudiced against the truth; everybody will gaze at you, and you will be a laughing stock; and besides, what will your fashionable neighbors and relatives think of you? On the other hand, these facts presented themselves: The dress is modest, becoming, neat, very convenient, and I know much more for my health than the trailing one. I am not to seek for popularity, but to please God. Sensible people will not laugh at me, and those who are not I should not care for. I have seen those who did advocate the costume, and respected and admired their independence. Can I not, with a higher motive, adopt it? My Saviour said, “He that taketh not his cross and followeth me is not worthy of me.” Matt. x, 38. So here let the matter end. The Son of God bore the rebukes and sneers of the blasphemous crowd for long years, then groaned and died on Calvary’s cross to redeem thee. Then, O, my soul, if there is anything thou canst do to put away sin and make thyself pure, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable in his sight, haste thee to do it. It is thy reasonable service.
So here, again, I commence the work of reformation, hoping by the assisting grace of God to carry it through; if it is like the reform in diet, it will pay even in this life.
A. R. PENNIMAN.
Macoupin Co., Ill.