The Bride of Christ

Virgin, hold to your purpose, for a great reward awaits it. The virtue of virginity and purity stands high with the Lord, as long as it is not disfigured by other kinds of lapses into sin and wickedness. Understand your state, understand your position, understand your purpose. You are called the bride of Christ; see that you do nothing unworthy of the one to whom you profess to be engaged. He will quickly write a certificate of divorce if he sees in you even one act of unfaithfulness. [a]

So, in human engagements, a young woman who accepts the gifts given as a pledge at once begins to ask, earnestly and carefully, among the household servants, the close companions and the friends, what the young man’s character is: what he especially loves, what he accepts, in what style he lives, what habits he keeps, what luxuries he enjoys, and in what pursuits he finds his chief pleasure and delight. And when she has learned these things, she conducts herself in every way so that her service, her cheerfulness, her diligence and her whole way of life may be in harmony with the character of the man she is to marry. And you, who have Christ as your bridegroom, ask the servants and close companions of that bridegroom of yours what his character is. Yes, ask eagerly and wisely in what things he especially delights, what manner of dress he loves in you, and what kind of adornment he desires.

Let Peter, his closest companion, tell you. He does not allow personal adornment even to married women, as he has written in his letter: “Likewise let wives be subject to their own husbands, so that if any do not believe the word, they may be won over without a word by the conduct of their wives, as they see their chaste behavior in the fear of God. And let their adornment not be the outward adorning of the hair, or the putting on of gold, or elegance in the clothes they wear, but let it be the hidden person of the heart, in the stainlessness of a peaceful and modest spirit, which is of great worth in the sight of God.” Let another apostle tell you too, the blessed Paul, who, writing to Timothy, approves the same things in the conduct of believing women: “Likewise let wives adorn themselves with the ornament of modest and sober dress, not with curled hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly clothing, but as is fitting for women who profess chastity, with good and upright conduct.”