A77608:163
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.
Thirdly, God lifts up the light of Reas. 3 his countenance upon his people, when1 he puts them upon hard and difficult services, that they may never repent of listing themselves in his service. Ah, did not the Lord warm the hearts of his people, with the glorious beams of his love, when he puts them upon hard work, they would be ready, when they meet with oppositions, and hazards, to throw up all, and to sit down lamenting and repenting, that ever ⟨p. 94⟩they were engaged in his service, they would be as peevish and froward as Jonah, and with him venture a drowning, to shift off Gods service. Ah,2 but now the Lord by letting his goodness drop upon their hearts, and by putting an earnest-penny into their hands, he causes them to go cheerfully on in his work, without sighing or repenting. The kisses and embraces of God, do put such life, such spirit, such mettle into their souls, as makes them bid defiance to the greatest dangers, and as Crowns them Conquerors of the greatest difficulties. Ah, says a soul, that hath walked some turns in Paradise; what is dross to gold, what is darkness to light, what is Hell to Heaven; no more is all difficulties and oppositions to me, who have found3 the sweetness of Divine Grace, and have had the happiness to lie in the bosom of God. Diocletian, the worst, and last Persecutor in all the Ten Persecutions, observed, That the more he sought to blot out the name of Christ, the more it became legible; and to block up the way of Christ, the more it became passible; and whatever of ⟨p. 95⟩Christ he thought to root out, it rooted the deeper, and rose the higher in the hearts and lives of the Saints, among whom he had scattered the beams of his love, and the rich pearls of his grace. Such souls as have once been in the arms of God, in the midst of all oppositions, they are as men made all of fire, walking in stubble, they consume and overcome all oppositions; all difficulties are but as whetstones to their Fortitude. The Moon will run her course, though the Dogs bark at it; so will all those choice souls that have found warmth under Christs wings, run their Christian race, in spite of all difficulties and dangers. The Horse neighs at the Trumpet; the Leviathan laughs at the Spear; so does a Saint, under the power of assurance, laugh at all hazards and dangers that he meets with, in the Lords service.