Recruiting on the Lord’s Day.
One of the unfavourable features of the present crisis is the practice of enlisting soldiers on the Sabbath. On Sabbath the 15th August, between 400 and 500 men were enlisted in Glasgow. Public meetings have also been held in various places on the Lord’s Day with a view to stimulate recruiting, and professed ministers of the gospel have actually delivered addresses at these meetings. Such desecration of the Sabbath by those who ought to know better is scandalous, and no blessing from above can attend such work. How can we expect that the Lord of the Sabbath, who is King of kings and Lord of lords, will go forth with our armies and navies, if we deliberately trample upon His authority and break His law? We may justly expect many frowns of His holy displeasure. Let recruiters and recruiting offices be as busy as they may on week-days, but hold off the Lord’s Day! Such business is then not good for body or soul, time or eternity.
Immodest Apparel.
The inspired apostles, Paul and Peter, express decided disapproval of gaudy or costly array on the part of women, especially those professing godliness (1 Timothy ii. 9; 1 Peter iii. 3, 4). The Apostle Paul also makes special mention of “modest apparel,” and says, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety.” These words ought to be well weighed at the present time. Whether women in general are wearing more gaudy or costly apparel than their ancestors we do not undertake to say, but one thing is plain—that they do not dress so modestly as was done thirty or forty years ago. For a short time past a mode of dress has become fashionable, against which we desire to lift up our earnest protest—it is what is popularly known as the “V neck”—an exposure of the breast that we regard as very unbecoming, and fitted to do harm to the morals of the young. Possibly some respectable women have to a certain extent fallen into this mode through the influence of fashion, but it ought not so to be. “The fashion of this world passeth away.” We earnestly appeal to all the young women of the Free Presbyterian Church to resolutely set their faces against the mode. If any of them have already, to any degree, adopted it, let them not be ashamed to do the right and retrace their steps. We also express the hope that parents and other friends will firmly use their influence against the practice. Though the apostle speaks immediately to professors of godliness, his counsel embraces all others within the pale of the Christian Church. The Lord is angry with the present generation on account of a general looseness in morals. There is little need to add more drops to the cup of His wrath. We have much need of a Puritan revival.