feel the anguish of soul that I felt as I beheld it. "God's people," said the angel, "are peculiar; such he is purifying unto himself." I saw that the outside appearance was an index to the heart. When hung with ribbons, collars, and needless things, it plainly shows that all this is in the heart, and unless that such persons are cleansed from their sins, they can never see God, for the pure in heart alone will see him. [* The question has often been asked me if I believed it wrong to wear plain linen collars. My answer has always been, no. Some have taken the extreme meaning of what I have written about collars, and have maintained that it was wrong to wear one of any description. I was shown expensively wrought collars, and expensive and unnecessary ribbons and laces, which some Sabbath-keepers have worn, and still wear, for the sake of show and fashion. I did not design to be understood, by naming collars, that nothing like a collar should be worn, or by naming ribbons, that no ribbons at all should be worn.] p. 21, Para. 1, [4SGb].
I saw that the axe must be laid at the root of the tree. Such pride should not be suffered in the church. It is these things that separate God from his people, that shuts the ark away from them. Israel has been asleep to the pride, and fashions, and conformity to the world, in their very midst. They advance every month in pride, covetousness, selfishness, and love of the world. When the truth affects the heart, it will cause a death to the world, and the ribbons, laces, and collars will be laid aside, and if dead, the laugh, the jeer, and scorn of unbelievers, will not move them. They will feel an anxious desire to be separate from the world, like their Master. They will not imitate its pride, fashions, or customs. The noble object will be ever before them, to glorify God, and gain the immortal inheritance. This prospect will swallow up all besides of an earthly nature. God will have a separate and distinct people from the world. And if any have a desire to imitate the fashions of the world, that they do not immediately subdue, just so soon God ceases to acknowledge them as his children. They are the children of the world, and darkness. They want to be as much like the world as possible, and those that profess to have put on Christ, by thus doing put him off, and show that they are strangers to grace, strangers to the meek and lowly Jesus. If they had acquainted themselves with him, they would walk worthy of him. p. 22, Para. 1, [4SGb].
I saw the companions of the messengers. Some of them are no help to their husbands, yet they profess the third angel's message. They think more of studying their own