And that He calls us chickens the Scripture testifies: "As a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings." Thus are we the Lord's chickens; the Word thus marvellously and mystically describing the simplicity of childhood. For sometimes He calls us children, sometimes chickens, sometimes infants, and at other times sons, and "a new people," and "a recent people." "And my servants shall be called by a new name" (a new name, He says, fresh and eternal, pure and simple, and childlike and true), which shall be blessed on the earth. And again, He figuratively calls us colts unyoked to vice, not broken in by wickedness; but simple, and bounding joyously to the Father alone; not such horses "as neigh after their neighbours' wives, that are under the yoke, and are female - mad;" but free and new - born, jubilant by means of faith, ready to run to the truth, swift to speed to salvation, that tread and stamp under foot the things of the world.

Ὅτι δὲ ἡμᾶς τοὺς νεοττοὺς λέγει͵ μάρτυς ἡ γραφή· Ὃν τρόπον ὄρνις συνάγει τὰ νοσσία ὑπὸ τὰς πτέρυγας αὐτῆς͵ οὕτως ἐσμὲν νεοττοὶ κυρίου͵ θαυμαστῶς πάνυ καὶ μυστικῶς τοῦ λόγου τὴν ἁπλότητα τῆς ψυχῆς εἰς ἡλικίαν ὑπογραφομένου παιδικήν. Πῇ μὲν γὰρ παῖδας ἡμᾶς καλεῖ͵ πῇ δὲ νεοττούς͵ ἔσθ΄ ὅτε δὲ νηπίους͵ υἱοὺς δὲ ἀλλα χόθι καὶ τέκνα πολλάκις καὶ λαὸν νέον καὶ λαὸν καινόν· τοῖς δὲ δούλοις μου͵ φησί͵ κληθήσεται ὄνομα καινόν͵ νέον ὄνομα λέγει τὸ καινὸν καὶ ἀίδιον͵ ἄχραντον καὶ ἁπλοῦν καὶ νήπιον καὶ ἀληθινόν͵ ὃ εὐλογηθήσεται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ἀλληγορῶν δὲ αὖθις ἡμᾶς πώλους καλεῖ͵ τοὺς ἀζυγεῖς κακίᾳ͵ τοὺς ἀδαμάστους πονηρίᾳ͵ ἀφελεῖς δὲ καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν μόνον τὸν πατέρα σκιρτητικούς͵ οὐχὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ ταῖς τῶν πλησίον γυναιξὶν χρεμετίζοντας ἵππους͵ τοὺς ὑποζυγίους καὶ θηλυμανεῖς͵ ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐλευθέρους καὶ νεογνούς͵ τοὺς γαύρους διὰ τὴν πίστιν͵ τοὺς εἰς ἀλήθειαν εὐδρόμους͵ τοὺς ταχεῖς πρὸς σωτηρίαν͵ τοὺς καταπατοῦντας καὶ κροαίνοντας τὰ κοσμικά.