A77608:165
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.
Fourthly and lastly, God gives his Reas. 4 people some tastes of his love, when he puts them upon hard and difficult services, that the mouths of the wicked ⟨p. 96⟩may be stopped; should God lay heavy burdens upon his peoples shoulders; and not put under his finger to give some ease; should God double their tale of brick, and yet deny them straw; should God engage them against a potent enemy, and then desert them; should God send them upon some weighty embassage, and not give proportionable encouragements to them; what would the world say? would1 they not say, That he is a hard Master, and that his ways are not equal; would they not say, Verily they are liars, that say he is glorious in power, and wonderful in counsel, and infinite in mercy, and admirable in goodness, and rich in grace, and unsearchable in his understanding? for surely, were he, he could not, he would not put his children upon such hard, and dangerous services, but he would own them, and stand by them, he would assist them, and smile upon them, he would be as careful to bring them bravely off, as he hath been ready to bring them freely on. O, he could not see them in garments rolled in blood, but his bowels would yearn towards them, ⟨p. 97⟩and he would arise, and have compassion on them.
Fourthly and lastly, God gives his Reas. 4 people some tastes of his love, when he puts them upon hard and difficult services, that the mouths of the wicked ⟨p. 96⟩may be stopt; should God lay heavy burdens upon his peoples shoulders; and not put under his finger to give some ease; should God double their tale of brick, and yet deny them straw; should God engage them against a potent enemy, and then desert them; should God send them upon some weighty embassage, and not give proportionable encouragements to them; what would the world say? would1 they not say, That he is a hard Master, and that his ways are not equal; would they not say, Verily they are lyers, that say he is glorious in power, and wonderful in counsel, and infinite in mercy, and admirable in goodness, and rich in grace, and unsearchable in his understanding? for surely, were he, he could not, he would not put his children upon such hard, and dangerous services, but he would own them, and stand by them, he would assist them, and smile upon them, he would be as careful to bring them bravely off, as he hath been ready to bring them freely on. O, he could not see them in garments rouled in blood, but his bowels would yern towards them,