A77608:158
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.
The second Caution is this: A man1 may, at first conversion, have such a clear, glorious manifestation of Gods love to him, and of his interest in God, and his right to glory, that he may not have the like all his days after. The fatted Calf is not every day slain, the Robe of Kings is not every day ⟨p. 87⟩put on, every day must not be a Festival day, a Marriage day; the wife is not every day in the bosom, the child is not every day in the arms, the friend is not every day at the table, nor the soul every day under the manifestations of Divine Love. Jacob did not every day see the Angels ascending and descending; Steven did not every day see the Heavens open, and Christ standing on the right hand of God. Paul was not every day caught up to Heaven; nor John was not every day rapt up in the Spirit. No Saint can every day cry out, I have my Christ, I have my Comfort, I have my Assurance; as the Persian King cried out in his dream, I have Themistocles, I have Themistocles. Job had his2 Harp turned into mourning, and his Organ into the voice of them that weep. The best of Saints are sometimes put, to hang their Harps upon the Willows, and3 cry out, Hath God forgotten to be gracious, 4and will he be favourable no more.
The second Caution is this: A man1 may, at first conversion, have such a clear, glorious manifestation of Gods love to him, and of his interest in God, and his right to glory, that he may not have the like all his days after. The fatted Calf is not every day slain, the Robe of Kings is not every day ⟨p. 87⟩put on, every day must not be a Feastival day, a Marriage day; the wife is not every day in the bosom, the childe is not every day in the arms, the friend is not every day at the table, nor the soul every day under the manifestations of Divine Love. Jacob did not every day see the Angels ascending and descending; Steven did not every day see the Heavens open, and Christ standing on the right hand of God. Paul was not every day caught up to Heaven; nor John was not every day rapt up in the Spirit. No Saint can every day cry out, I have my Christ, I have my Comfort, I have my Assurance; as the Persian King cryed out in his dream, I have Themistocles, I have Themistocles. Job had his