Much has been expended for ribbons and laces for the bonnets, for collars [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 is wrong to wear one of any description. I was shown expensively wrought collars, and expensive and unnecessary ribbons and laces, which some Sabbathkeepers have worn, and still wear for the sake of show and fashion. In mentioning collars, I did not design to be understood that nothing like a collar should be worn, or, in mentioning ribbons, that no ribbons at all should be worn. E. G. W., note to second edition.] and other needless articles to decorate the body, while Jesus the King of glory, who gave His life to redeem us, wore a crown of thorns. This was the way our Master’s sacred head was decorated. He was “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” Yet the very ones that profess to be washed by the blood of Jesus, spilled for them, can dress up and decorate their poor, mortal bodies, and dare profess to be followers of the holy, self-denying, humble Pattern. Oh, that all could see this as God sees it and showed it to me! It seemed too much for me to bear, to feel the anguish of soul that I felt as I beheld it. Said the angel: “God’s people are peculiar; such He is purifying unto Himself.” I saw that the outside appearance is an index to the heart. When the exterior is hung with ribbons, collars, and needless things, it plainly shows that the love for all this is in the heart; unless such persons are cleansed from their corruption, they can never see God, for only the pure in heart will see Him. {1T 135.2}

Meget er blevet bekostet på snore og bånd til kyser, til kraver og andre unødige ting der smykker (136) kroppen, medens Jesus, herlighedens konge, som gav sit liv for at forløse os, bar en tornekrone. Det var den måde vor Mesters indviede hoved var dekoreret på. Han var »en smertens mand og kendt med sygdom.« »Han blev såret for vore overtrædelser, knust for vor brødes skyld; os til fred kom straf over ham, vi fik lægedom ved hans sår.« Alligevel kan netop dem, som bekender sig til at blive vasket med Jesu blod, der blev spildt for dem, klæde og dekorere deres stakkels, dødelige legemer og vove at være efterfølgere af det hellige, selvfornægtende og ydmyge mønster. Oh, kunne alle se dette, som Gud ser det og har vist det til mig! For mig er det som at bære og mærke den sjælepine som jeg følte, da jeg så det. Engelen sagde: "Guds folk er særskilt; som han renser til sig selv." Jeg så at det udvendige udseende er et fingerpeg for hjertet. Når det ydre er hængt op med bånd, kraver og unødige ting, viser det tydeligt at kærlighed til dette, er i hjertet; med mindre sådanne personer er renset fra deres fordærvelse, kan de aldrig se Gud, for kun den rene i hjertet, vil se ham.
(Spørgsmålet er ofte blevet stillet mig om jeg troede at det var forkert at bære simple lærredskraver. Mit svar har altid været nej. Nogle har taget den yderliggående mening af det jeg har skrevet om kraver og hævdet at det var forkert at bære en af nogen som helst salgs. Jeg fik vist dyrt bearbejdede kraver og dyre og unødige snore og bånd, som nogle sabbatsholdere har båret og stadig bærer, på grund af fremvisning og mode. I omtalen om kraver, tænkte jeg ikke at ingen som helst krave skulle bæres, eller i omtalen af bånd at ingen som helst bånd skulle bæres. E.G.W., note til anden udgave)