Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

⁸ But you will say, I am afraid lest I offend those above me. By all means be afraid of offending them, and so you will not offend God. For you who are afraid lest you offend those above you, see whether there be not One above him whom you are afraid of offending. By all means then be loth to offend those above you. This is an established rule with you. But then is it not plain, that he must on no account be offended, who is above all others? Run over now the list of those above you.

First are your father and mother, if they are educating you aright; if they are bringing you up for Christ; they are to be heard in all things, they must be obeyed in every command; let them enjoin nothing against one above themselves, and so let them be obeyed. And who, you will say, is above him who begot me? He who created you. For man begets, but God creates. How it is that man begets, he does not know; and what he shall beget, he does not know. But He who saw you that He might make you, before that he whom He made existed, is surely above your father.

Your country again should be above your very parents; so that whereinsoever your parents enjoin anything against your country, they are not to be listened to. And whatsoever your country enjoin against God, it is not to be listened to. For if you will be healed, if after the issue of blood, if after twelve years' continuance in that disease, if after having spent your all upon physicians, and not having received health, you wish at length to be made whole; O woman, whom I am addressing as a figure of the Church, your father enjoins you this, and your people that.

But your Lord says to you, “Forget your own people, and your father's house.” For what good? For what advantage? With what useful result? “Because the King has desired your beauty.” He has desired what He made, since when deformed He loved you, that He might make you beautiful. For you unbelieving, and deformed, He shed His Blood, and He made you faithful and beauteous, He has loved His own gifts in you. For what did you bring to your spouse? What did you receive for dowry from your former father, and former people? Was it not the excesses and the rags of sins? Your rags He cast away, your robe impure He tore asunder. He pitied you that He might adorn you. He adorned you, that He might love you.