benefits. "I will draw them," says the Lord by His Prophet, "with the cords of Adam, with the bands of love."[1] Ah! who will resist these chains, who will refuse to yield to these mercies? If, then, it be so great a crime not to love this sovereign Lord, what must it be to offend Him, to break His commandments? How can you use your hands to offend Him Whose hands are so full of benefits for you, Whose hands were nailed to the cross for you? When the unhappy wife of the Egyptian minister sought to lead Joseph into sin, the virtuous youth replied: "Behold, my master hath delivered all things to me, and knoweth not what he hath in his own house; neither is there anything which is not in my power or that he hath not delivered to me, but thee, who art his wife. How, then, can I do this wicked thing and sin against my God?"[2] Mark the words of Joseph. He does not say: "I should not, or it is not just that I offend Him," but "how can I do this wicked thing?" From this let us learn that great favors should not only deprive us of the will, but, in a measure, even of the power, to offend our benefactor.
If, therefore, the son of Jacob felt such gratitude for perishable benefits, what should be ours for the immortal blessings God has bestowed upon us? Joseph's master entrusted him with all his possessions. God has given us not only His possessions but Himself. What is there on earth that He has not made for us? Earth, sky, sun, moon, stars, tides, birds, beasts, fishes
