Providence Points Devotional: November 5, 2007
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Vol. 1, No. 5
Chapter V. FILIAL LOVE A BLOSSOM OF BEAUTY. [Law from Heaven for Life
on Earth]
For the; shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about
thy neck."-i. 9.
IT seems an instinct of humanity to put ornaments upon the person. It
is greatly modified in its development by circumstances, but it is
certainly a uniform tendency of our nature. It does not rank high
among the exercises of the human faculties, yet it is quite above the
reach of all inferior creatures. The propensity is fully developed in
tribes that lie lowest in the scale of humanity ; yet no germ of it
can be traced in species that form the culminating point in the brute
creation. By so many and so various marks may be known the abrupt and
absolute separation between men who have fallen the lowest, and other
sentient beings that occupy the summit of their scale.
Ornaments on the fallen, like many other innocent things, become the
occasions of sin, but they are not in their own nature evil. It is
probable that the pleasure which we derive from them springs
originally from some association with moral qualities. There is some
connection between sensible beauty and moral goodness, although the
instances of deception are so numerous as to deprive that connection
of all value as a rule of life. To deck with external beauty that
which is morally corrupt within, is a cheat which men practise on
themselves and others; but adornment of the person, modest in measure,
and adopted instinctively by an innate sense of propriety, is
conducive to virtue, and consistent with Scripture.
Ornaments, however, are mentioned here not for their own sakes, either
to commend or forbid them, but as a form of expression to convey
emphatically the truth that moral qualities, after all, are the true
adornments of a human being. All the graces of the Spirit are lovely;
but here the foremost of relative duties, a child's reverential regard
for a parent, is recommended as an ornament of surpassing beauty.
Young men and young women, put that ornament on your heads-twine that
chain of gold around your necks! These jewels from heaven, set deep
within your souls, and glancing at every turn through the transparency
of an unaffected life, will do more to make your persons attractive
than all the diamonds that ever decked a queen.
The world and its history teem with types of heaven. Beauty, and the
love that fastens on it, are types, and they have their antitypes on
high. The ransomed Church is the bride of the Lamb, and she is adorned
for her husband. When the adorning is complete, she is all glorious,
and the King greatly desires her beauty. When he presents unto himself
a church without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, then shall he see
of the travail of his soul and be satisfied.
Put on now, oh son! daughter! put on these beautiful garments; love,
obey, cherish, reverence your parents. These are in God's sight of
great price. They are valued not only by the spiritually minded
disciples of Jesus, but even by every man of sense around you. They
are thought becoming by all but fools. These ornaments will not be out
of date when time has ran its course. They will be worn on the golden
streets of the New Jerusalem, when the fashion of this world shall
have passed away.
Over against this beaming beauty, of similar shape and size, a dark
shadow stands. Whithersoever that comely body turns, this ghastly
spectre follows it. It is a daughter, emerging into womanhood, with
ruddy cheek and sparkling eye,-with beads on her neck and bracelets on
her arms,-who has so crushed a mother's heart, by constantly trampling
down its desires, that the disconsolate mother never utters now the
reproof which she knows would be despised. Personal beauty, aided by
costly ornaments, cannot make that creature gainly. The deformity
within will make itself felt through all the finery. The evil spirit
that possesses the heart will glance from the eye, and tinkle on the
tongue, in spite of every effort to act the angel. Every mind that
retains in any measure a healthful moral tone will, in close contact
with such a character, infallibly be sensible of a discord. Felt
repulsive, she will be repelled. The disobedient daughter will
gravitate down to the companionship of those who, having no sense of
harmony, recoil not from a spirit out of tune. She is miserable, and
knows not what ails her. She has broken that commandment which holds a
promise in its hand, and been thrown over on the barbs of the
counterpart curse. Those who see her impaled alive there, should learn
that the moral laws of God have avenging sanctions, even in the powers
of nature. Godliness is profitable unto all things. The first
commandment is fruitful, even in this life; and the second is like it,-
like it in its heavenly origin,-like it in its holy character,-like it
in its glad results. Honour thy father and thy mother,-this is an
ornament of solid gold. Unlike the watering of superficial
accomplishments, the more rudely it is rubbed, the more brightly it
glows.