A Golden Chain

Lastly, hence we may find remedy against the tediousness of sickness and fear of death. Thou which fearest death, remember that Christ is gone to heaven to prepare a place for thy body, where it must be glorified and live for ever with the blessed Trinity and all the Saints and angels, though for a while it lie dead and rot in the grave. Remember this also, thou which continuest in any lingering sickness, Christ Jesus hath prepared a place for thee, wherein thou shalt rest in joy and bliss without all pain or faintness.

Lastly, hence we may finde remed•e against the tediousnes of sicknes and feare of death. Thou which fearest death, remember that Christ is gone to heuen to prepare a place for thy bodie, where it must be glorified and liue for euer with the blessed Trinitie and all the Saints and angels, though for a while it lie dead and rot in the graue. Remember this also, thou which continuest in any lingring sicknesse, Christ Iesus hath prepared a place for thee, wherein thou shalt rest in ioy and blisse without all paine or faintnes.

The fourth benefit is, that Christ ascended up to heaven to send the comforter unto his Church. This was a special end of his ascension, as appears by Christs own words:¹ It is (saith he) expedient that I go away, for if I go not; the Comforter will not come, but if I depart I will send him unto you. And again;² I will pray unto the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, which shall abide ⟨p. 405⟩with you for ever, even the spirit of trueth. But some will say, how can Christ send his spirit unto his Church, for the person sending and the person sent are unequal; whereas all three persons in trinity are equal, none greater or lesser then another, none inferior or superior to other. Ans. It is true indeed: but we must know, that the action of sending in the Trinity makes not the persons unequal, but only shows a distinction and order among equals. The father sends the son, the father and the son both send the Holy Ghost: yet the father is not above the son, neither the father or the son above the holy Ghost, but all are equal in degree, though in regard of order one is before another: and it standeth with reason. For two men that are equal in degree, may upon mutual consent one send another. But it may be further demanded, how the holy Ghost can be sent which is every where? Ans. The Holy Ghost indeed is every where, therefore he is sent not so much in regard of the presence of his essence or substance, as of his operation whereby he reneweth & guideth the members of Christ. Now then, this being so, here first we have occasion to consider the misery of the world. When a man is troubled in his mind (as no ungodly man, but sometime he feeleth the terror of conscience for his sins) then he labours to remove it by merry company and pleasant books, whereas Christ at his ascension sent his holy spirit to be the comforter of his Church: and therefore when we are troubled in conscience for our sins, we should not seek ease by such slender means, but rather seek for the help and comfort of the holy ghost, and labour to have our sins washed away and our hearts purified and cleansed by the blood of Christ. As for wine and mirth and such like means of comfort, neither at the day of death, nor at the day of judgement shall they stand us in stead, or be able to comfort us.