Sarah as Mother of the Faithful

According to the old law's arrangement, the royal and the priestly classes were different; after that arrangement, the gospel received one and the same priest and king teaching. For Christ is both; since these have been so built up, it is necessary for those sown by him, while both king and priest exist in him, to be an elect race becoming both a kingdom and a priesthood. For he who begot both possessing the principles of both, it is necessary that they also be as from a king, royal, and as from a priest, a priesthood; therefore they are also called a holy nation, being called from the one who is holy and calling to 'you shall be holy' (Ex 19:6). The same are a holy nation and also a people for the preservation of all having become outside of all destruction; for preservation is of those being taken in, not of those being cast out. Since those called from different nations and laws have cast off all variety in taking up one mind, one faith and teaching, through which soul and heart become one, they are one holy nation.

Those who through godliness are found worthy of being obeyed are appropriately loved by those who desire them humanly, but they are not being loved as truly loved. Since therefore I am in this disposition toward you, to whom I write the letter, I exhort and urge you to abstain from the pleasures growing from the flesh; for these wage war against the soul, having much hatred toward it, especially since the essence of the soul and the flesh are different.

Regarding human creation, it speaks of the principles being ordained by kings; therefore it is necessary to be subject to these through the Lord; but if through the Lord we are being made subject to the one saying: 'Render to Caesar the things of Caesar' (Mt 22:21), when they command something outside the will of the Lord, let us not obey.

It does not recommend having a passive fear toward masters by the servants—for this is irrational and exists even in irrational animals—but rather that which comes with knowledge and right reason; whose master's name is reverence. For the one fearing a master through Christ and his teaching submits to him with reverence, unlike the one fearing a master through wickedness and other tortures, having a passive fear.

He uses this to signify fear, and also says something else toward the women: 'watching'—that is, the men—'your conduct which is pure in fear'; for this is customary in much of the divine scripture.

Women are exhorted to imitate the holy ones, and especially Sarah, persuading them to subject themselves to their husbands just as she did to Abraham, of whom he says they become her children because of doing good works; for just as someone doing the works of Abraham and having his faith becomes his child, so women practicing good things have Sarah as a mother. But observe toward allegory how one becomes a child of Abraham and Sarah; according to the apostle, Abraham had two sons, one from the slave girl and one from the free woman; then, having led them into the two covenants, he says with something else that the latter became free according to the spirit, having spoken of the upper Jerusalem (Galatians 3:16). This agrees with: 'look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who was in labor for you' (Galatians 3:7); for it is not possible to refer these things to them; for how could she, who owed death by nature many generations ago, still be in labor at the time of the prophet? Therefore, these things should be applied to the mother of those born according to the spirit, the upper Jerusalem, whom he prepared the women to have as Sarah for a mother through good works.

'And sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.' Just as magnifying God does not imply adding greatness to Him, nor does glorifying Him imply bringing fame to Him from without, so neither does sanctifying the Lord mean adding holiness to Him; which is what we are commanded to do in our own heart. For if we were to hold a precise discussion of His holiness, we would not at all be adding to Him, but rather, by doing this in our heart, we add to our own understanding the holiness concerning God; likewise, he who magnifies Him receives a participation in His own greatness; whence it is said: 'my soul magnifies the Lord' (Luke 1:46) and: 'magnify the Lord with me' (Psalm 34:3); likewise, he who knows glory glorifies Him into himself; and these things do not seem paradoxical to one who knows accurately how God does not receive additions, but...