A77608:169
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.
Now he is in a Spiritual rapture, and ecstasy, and carried above himself, and above all outward things, to attend those glorious Visions, that God would make known to him. It was Gods lifting up the light of his countenance that made the Martyrs to sing in the fire, to clap their hands in the flames, and to tread upon hot burning coals, as upon Beds of Roses. This made one say, when he felt the flame come to1 his Beard, What a small pain is this, to be compared to the glory to come? what is a drop of vinegar, put into an ocean of wine? what is it for one to have a rainy day, that is going to take possession of a Kingdom. The smiles of God made another to sing under dreadful sufferings, (Christianus sum) I am a Christian. 2And this made the Christians to sing in Tertullians time, (Crudelitas vestra ⟨p. 103⟩gloria nostra) Your cruelty is our glory. This made a French Martyr to say, when the rope was about his fellows neck, Give me that golden chain, and dub me a Knight of that noble order. This made another to desire, when he was to die, the favour of having his chains buried with him, as the ensigns of his honour. This made Basil to say, Fire, 3sword, prison, famine, are all a pleasure, a delight unto me. This made Paul to rattle his Iron chains, and to glory in it, more then worldly men glory in all their outward glory. This made Theodoret to complain that his persecutors did him wrong, when they took him off the Rack, and ceased tormenting of him; for said he, All the while that I was on the Rack I found, me thought, there was a young man in white, an Angel stood by me, which wiped off the sweat; and I found a great deal of sweetness in it, which now I have lost. To4 conclude, the smiles of God upon the prisoners of hope, is that which makes them more cheerful and delightful in their sufferings then Jesus Christ was in his. When Faninus an Italian Martyr was asked by one, why ⟨p. 104⟩he was so merry at his death, sith Christ himself was so sorrowful, Christ, said he, sustained in his soul all the sorrows and conflicts with Hell and Death, due to us, by whose sufferings we are delivered from sorrow, and fear of them all; and therefore we have cause of rejoicing, in the greatest sufferings.