t and go before the people." The heart that is so minded wears
adornment without peril; for it wears and does not wear, dances and
does not dance, lives well and does not live well. And these are the
secret souls, hidden brides of Christ, but they are rare; for it is
hard not to delight in great adornment and parade. Thus St. Cecilia
wore golden clothes at the command of her parents, but within against
her body she wore a garment of hair.

Here some men say: "How then could I bring my children into society,
and marry them honorably? I must make some display." Tell me, are not
these the words of a heart which despairs of God, and trusts more on
its own providing than on God's care? Whereas St. Peter teaches and
says, I. Peter v, "Cast all your care upon Him, and be certain that He
cares for you." It is a sign that they have never yet thanked God for
their children, have never yet rightly prayed for them, have never yet
commended them to Him; otherwise they would know and have experienced
that they ought to ask God also for the marriage dower of their
children, and await it from Him. Therefore also He permits them to go
their way, with cares and worries, and yet succeed poorly.

V. Thus it is true, as men say, that parents, although they had nothing
else to do, could attain salvation by training their own children; if
they rightly train them to God's service, they will indeed have both
hands full of good works to do. For what else are here the hungry,
thirsty, naked, imprisoned, sick, strangers, than the souls of your own
children? with whom God makes of your house a hospital, and sets you
over them as chief nurse, to wait on them, to give them good words and
works as meat and drink, that they may learn to trust, believe and fear
God, and to place their hope on Him, to honor His Name, not to swear
nor curse, to mortify themselves by praying, fasting, watching,
working, to attend worship and to hear God's Word, and to keep the
Sabbath, that they may learn to despise temporal things, to bear
misfortune calmly, and not to fear death nor to love this life.

See, what great lessons are these, how many good works you have before
you in your home, with your child, that needs all these things like a
hungry, thirsty, naked, poor, imprisoned, sick soul. O what a blessed
marriage and home were that where such parents were to be found! Truly
it would be a real Church, a chosen cloister, yea, a paradise. Of such
says Psalm cxxviii: