A77608:171
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.
Reas. 1 First, That their patience and constancy1 under the Cross, may be invincible: God knows right well, That if his left hand in suffering times, be not under his people, and his right hand over them; if he does not give them some sips of sweetness, some relishes of goodness, they would quickly grow impatient and inconstant. O, but now the smiles of God,2 the gracious discoveries of God, makes their patience and constancy invincible, as it did Vincentius, who by his patience and constancy, madded his tormentors; wherefore they stripped him ⟨p. 105⟩stark naked, whipped his body all over to a gore blood, sprinkled Salt and Vinegar over all his wounds, set his feet on burning coals, then cast him naked into a loathsome Dungeon, the pavement whereof was sharp shells, and his bed to lie on a bundle of thorns. All which this blessed Martyr received, without so much as a groan, breathing out his spirit in these words, Vincentius is my name, and by the grace of God I will be still Vincentius, in spite of all your torments. Persecution brings death in one hand, and life in the other; for while it kills the body, it crowns the soul. The most cruel Martyrdom, is but a crafty trick to escape death, to pass from life to life, from the prison to paradise, from the cross to the crown. Justin Martyr says that when the Romans did immortalize their Emperors (as they called it) they brought one to swear, that he see him go to Heaven out of the fire. But we may see (by an eye of Faith) the blessed Souls of suffering Saints fly to Heaven, like Elijah in his fiery3 chariot, like the Angel that appeared to Manoah in the flames. John Hus ⟨p. 106⟩Martyr, had such choice discoveries of God, and such sweet in-comes of the Spirit, as made his patience and constancy4 invincible: When he was brought forth to be burned, they put on his head a Triple Crown of Paper painted over with ugly Devils, but when he saw it, he said, My Lord Jesus Christ, for my sake, did were a Crown of Thorns, why should not I then, for his sake, wear this light crown, be it never so ignominious? truly, I will do it, and that willingly. And as they tied his neck with a chain to the stake, smiling, he said, That he would willingly receive the