A77608:182
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.
Ah Christians, if you will but stand up▪ and speak out, you must say, That in this Ordinance▪ there hath been between Christ and you, such mutual smiles, such mutual kisses, such mutual embraces, such mutual opening and shutting of hands, such mutual opening and closing of hearts, as hath made such a Heaven in your hearts as cannot be expressed, as cannot be declared. Christ in this Ordinance opens such ⟨p. 121⟩boxes of precious Ointments, as fill the Saints with a spiritual savour; he gives them a cluster of the Grapes of1 Canaan, that makes them earnestly look and long to be in Canaan. The2 Christians in the Primitive times upon their receiving the Sacrament, were wont to be filled with that zeal and fervour, with that joy and comfort, with that faith, fortitude, and assurance, that made them to appear before the Tyrants with transcendent boldness and cheerfulness, as many Writers do testify. Now there are these Reasons, why God is pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon his people, when they are a hearing the Word of Life, and a breaking the Bread of Life.
Ah Christians, if you will but stand up▪ and speak out, you must say, That in this Ordinance▪ there hath been between Christ and you, such mutual smiles, such mutual kisses, such mutual embraces, such mutual opening and shutting of hands, such mutual opening and closing of hearts, as hath made such a Heaven in your hearts as cannot be exprest, as cannot be declared. Christ in this Ordinance opens such ⟨p. 121⟩boxes of precious Oyntments, as fill the Saints with a spiritual savor; he gives them a cluster of the Grapes of1 Canaan, that makes them earnestly look and long to be in Canaan. The2