A Golden Chain

Secondly, the meditation of Christs passion serves as a most worthy mean• to begin and to confirm grace, specially when it is mingled with faith; and that two ways. For first, it serves to breed in our hearts a godly sorrow for our sins past, when we do seriously with our selves consider, that our own sins were the cause of all the pains and sorrows &calamities which he suffered in life and death.¹ When any man had sinned under the law, he brought unto the temple or tabernacle some kind of beast for an offering, according as he was prescribed, laying his hand upon the head of it, and afterward slaying it before the Lord. Now by the ceremony of laying on the hand he testified that he for his part had deserved death, and not the beast; and that it being slain and sacrificed, was a •igne unto him of the sacrifice of Christ offered upon the cross for his •innes. And hereby we are taught, that so oft as we remember the passion of Christ, we should lay our hands as it were upon our own heads, utterly accusing and condemning our selves, evermore keeping this in our hearts, that Christ suffered not for himself, but for our offences, which were the proper cause of all his woe and misery. And as Christs passion was grievous and bitter unto him, so should our sins likewise be grievous and bitter unto us: let us always remember this; otherwise we shall never reap any sound benefit by the passion of Christ.

Secondly, the meditation of Christs passion serues as a most worthie mean• to beginne and to confirme grace, specially when it is mingled with faith; and that two waies. For first, it serues to breede in our hearts a godly sorrowe for our sinnes past, when we doe seriouslie with our selues consider, that our owne sinnes were the cause of all the paines and sorrowes &calamities which he suffered in life and death.¹ When any man had sinned vnder the lawe, hee brought vnto the temple or tabernacle some kind of beast for an offering, according as he was prescribed, laying his hand vpon the head of it, and afterward slaying it before the Lord. Now by the ceremony of laying on the hand he testified that he for his part had deserued death, and not the beast; and that it beeing slaine and sacrificed, was a igne vnto him of the sacrifice of Christ offered vpon the crosse for his innes. And hereby we are taught, that so oft as we remember the passion of Christ, we should lay our hands as it were vpon our owne heades, vtterly accusing and condemning our selues, euermore keeping this in our hearts, that Christ suffered not for himself, but for our offences, which were the proper cause of all his woe and miserie. And as Christs passion was grieuous and bitter vnto him, so should our sinnes likewise bee grieuous and bitter vnto vs: let vs alwaies remember this; otherwise we shall neuer reape any sound benefit by the passion of Christ.