A77608:154
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.
Secondly, God gives in assurance sometimes at first conversion, that he may the more raise and inflame their love and affections to him. Ah! How does a pardon given in, when a man is ready to be turned off, draw out his love, and raise his affections to that Prince that shows bowels of mercy, when he is upon the brink of misery: ⟨p. 82⟩So when a poor sinner is upon the last1 step of the Ladder, upon the very brink of Hell, and misery; now for God to come in, and speak peace and pardon to the soul, Ah how does it inflame the soul, and works the soul to a holy admiration of God, and to a spiritual delighting in God. King Antigonus his pulling a sheep with his own hands out of a dirty ditch (as he was passing by) drew his Subjects exceedingly to commend him, and love him. So King Jesus pulling of poor souls out of their sins, and as it were out of Hell, cannot but draw them to be much in the commendations of Christ, and strong in their love to Christ. Christ hath nothing more in his eye, nor upon his heart, then to act towards his people in such ways, and at such seasons as may most win upon their affections. And therefore it is, that sometimes he gives the strongest consolation at first conversion.
Secondly, God gives in assurance sometimes at first conversion, that he may the more raise and inflame their love and affections to him. Ah! How does a pardon given in, when a man is ready to be turned off, draw out his love, and raise his affections to that Prince that shews bowels of mercy, when he is upon the brink of misery: ⟨p. 82⟩So when a poor sinner is upon the last1 step of the Ladder, upon the very brink of Hell, and misery; now for God to come in, and speak peace and pardon to the soul, Ah how does it inflame the soul, and works the soul to a holy admiration of God, and to a spiritual delighting in God. King Antigonus his pulling a sheep with his own hands out of a dirty ditch (as he was passing by) drew his Subjects exceedingly to commend him, and love him. So King Jesus pulling of poor souls out of their sins, and as it were out of Hell, cannot but draw them to be much in the commendations of Christ, and strong in their love to Christ. Christ hath nothing more in his eye, nor upon his heart, then to act towards his people in such ways, and at such seasons as may most win upon their affections. And therefore it is, that sometimes he gives the strongest consolation at first conversion.