A Golden Chain

Lastly, seeing Christ is anointed with the most precious balm that ever ⟨p. 270⟩was, and that for our sakes, he must be sweet and savoury unto us, and all other things must be as unsavoury dross and dung in regard of him. We must in this case endeavour to say as the spouse of Christ doth:¹ Because of the savour of the good ointments, thy name is an ointment poured out: therefore the virgins love thee. ²O that we could savour in the fear of God, that we might feel how all his garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia, coming forth of his ivory palaces unto us. ³And because the holy ointment of Christ is poured forth upon all his members to make them savoury and sweet in the presence of God, let us make conscience of all manner of sin, least by the poison and stink thereof we infect not only our selves, but all the creatures of God which we use, yea heaven and earth it self. It stands not with equity that after we have been embalmed and sweetened by the precious merits of Christ that we should make our selves two-footed swine, to return to the mire of our old sins.

Lastly, seeing Christ is annointed with the most pretious baulme that euer ⟨p. 270⟩was, and that for our sakes, he must be sweete and sauourie vnto vs, and all other things must be as vnsauorie drosse and dung in regard of him. We must in this case indeauour to say as the spouse of Christ doth:¹ Because of the sauour of the good oyntments, thy name is an oyntment poured out: therefore the virgins loue thee. ²O that we could sauour in the feare of God, that we might feele how all his garments smell of myrrhe, aloes, and cassia, comming forth of his iuorie pallaces vnto vs. ³