A77608:135
Heaven on Earth
Heaven on earth or a serious discourse touching a well-grounded assurance of mens everlasting happiness and blessedness. Discovering the nature of assurance, the possibility of attaining it, the causes, springs, and degrees of it, with the resolution of several weighty questions. By Thomas Brooks, preacher of the Gospel at Margarets Fishstreet-Hill.Heaven on earth or a serious discourse touching a wel-grounded assurance of mens everlasting happiness and blessedness. Discovering the nature of assurance, the possibility of attaining it, the causes, springs, and degrees of it, with the resolution of several weighty questions. By Thomas Brooks, preacher of the Gospel at Margarets Fishstreet-Hill.
London: printed by R.I. for John Hancock, 1654
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Suetonius reports of Julius Caesar, that seeing Alexander's statue, he fetched a deep sigh, because he at that age had none so little; So many precious1 souls sit down sighing and weeping, that they have lived so long, and done so little for God, and for their own internal, and eternal good. This wounds and sinks their spirits, that they are so unlike to those in Grace, that they desire to be like unto in Glory; and that they are so far below such and such in spirituals, whom they are so far above in temporals.
Suetonius reports of Julius Caesar, that seeing Alexanders statue, hee fetched a deep sigh, because hee at that age had none so little; So many precious1 soules sit downe sighing and weeping, that they have lived so long, and done so little for God, and for their owne internal, and eternal good. This wounds and sinkes their spirits, that they are so unlike to those in Grace, that they desire to be like unto in Glory; and that they are so far below such and such in spirituals, whom they are so far above in temporals.
- 1Remember this. Though your consolation depends upon degrees of grace, yet your salvation depends upon the truth of grace.
5 Again, a man may have true grace, and yet want assurance; and this may arise from that smoke and clouds, those fears and doubts that corruption raises in the soul; so that ⟨p. 61⟩the soul cannot see those excellent1 graces that otherwise might be discerned, though there may be many precious gems and jewels in the house, yet the smoke may hinder a man from seeing them sparkle and shine: So though there be many precious graces in the souls of Saints, yet corruption may raise such a dust, such a smoke in the soul, that the soul is not able to see them in the beauty and glory.