These admirable and marvellous works of God to us appear all original; there is nothing in this world we can compare them to, except to one another, by way of reference to some common and well-known type. Whether they are derived from patterns of things in the heavens no mortal man can tell.

With reference to ornamental patterns and designs, however elaborate, chaste, or elegant, it is difficult for the inventive mind of man to conceive anything quite original; his patterns will always show from whence they are derived, or borrowed, and will partake more or less of a simple or compound semblance to some known existences in the world. As in the case of idols, however incongruous and monstrous, they are but distorted resemblances, derived from the likeness of some object or objects in creation.

The dead works of man, unlike the living works of God, do not, by spontaneous growth, like hair upon the skin of animals, or feathers on that of birds, or leaves or blossoms

on trees and shrubs, produce their own decorations; everything that man manufactures is, in the first instance, extremely plain, and every little extra, by way of outside ornament and decoration, has to be superadded, or tacked on to the surface; either graven, sculptured, carved, embossed, pierced, printed, painted, lackered, plated, gilded, or cast, at an immense additional expense of time and labour; and as to textile fabrics, they are either embroidered, printed, or figured with patterns, worked in either by hand or in the loom.

SECTION XII.-THE SOCIETY OF
FRIENDS.

The respectable Society of Friends are remarkable for patronizing everything plain, but neat, good, and excellent as to quality, for their own use. Plain dinners, plain attire, plain house, plain furniture, and plain equipage, although there is scarcely any liv

ing creature or object in nature that is left externally quite plain and unadorned. As to dress, the Friends may be said to follow nature in one respect, that is, they do not materially vary the fashion of their costume, but continue to retain that which was in fashion in 1650, just two hundred years ago, being about the period they first made their

appearance.

By adopting this plain system, the careful, thrifty, and respectable Society of Friends no doubt avoid a great deal of lavish, and in their judicious estimation, needless, if not useless and extravagant expenditure, for which there appears to exist no positive necessity. So that we seldom hear of any of that persuasion being in pauperism, or having ruined themselves by extravagance, or become embarrassed in their worldly circumstances, from making a vain show in the flesh, or from profuse and sumptuous living. Their meeting-houses are exceedingly plain, entirely devoid of architectural embellishments. So is the cut and colour of their garments. In painting their houses and

premises all showy colours are rejected. Drab, the least ornamental, and the least applied in nature, appears to be their favourite colour.

The raiment of the women is generally exceedingly neat in appearance; but though not gaudy, it is, however, contrary to the injunction of Paul, rather costly; being generally plain coloured silks of excellent quality. Neat plain stuff gowns are also worn in common; but muslin dresses, flounces, figured patterns, and showy, gaudy prints, are very becomingly and characteristically rejected; the spinsters neither dressing extravagantly, nor adorning their caps with ribbons. Thus by adopting the injunctions of the Apostles Peter and Paul, a further lavish, and to them needless (as being unadorned, adorned the most) expenditure is avoided, who, instead of that outward adorning, of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, and jewelry, and artificial flowers, and ribanded-up caps and bonnets, content themselves with a meek and quiet spirit, which is, in the sight of God, of great

price. And as Paul enjoined that women also adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shame-facedness and sobriety, not with embroidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; by adopting these scriptural injunctions, they also avoid, in some measure, the sin of pride and ostentation; as if they felt aware of the innate vanity of the human mind, and the effect of those outward showy, dressy things, in fostering and producing those besetting sins.

All have continual cause to thank and praise God for his divine gifts, both of mind and body, whereby he hath enabled mankind to adapt to their use the various materials He has bountifully provided for their necessities. But all have still further cause to thank Him for the Holy Scriptures, which are, by his grace and divine teaching, able to make us wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus;* all given by inspiration, and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness-to admonish the world of

* 1 Tim. iii. 15.