A77608:183
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.
First, That they may highly prize Reas. 1 the Ordinances, the choice Discoveries that God makes to their souls in them, works them to set a very high1 price upon them. O, say such souls, we cannot but prize them, we cannot but affect them for what of God we have enjoyed in them. Many there are that are like old Barzillai, that had lost his taste and hearing, and so cared not ⟨p. 122⟩for Davids feasts and music; so many there are that can see nothing of God, nor taste nothing of God in Ordinances; they care not for Ordinances, they slight Ordinances. O but souls2 that have seen, and heard, and tasted of the goodness of the Lord in Ordinances, they dearly love them, and highly prize them. I have esteemed thy Word, says Job, above my necessary food: 3And David sings it out, The Law of thy mouth is better unto me, then thousands of gold and silver. Luther prized the Word at such a high rate, that he saith, He would not live in Paradise, if he might, without the Word; (At cum verbo etiam in inferno facile est vivere) but with the Word he could live in Hell it self.
First, That they may highly prize Reas. 1 the Ordinances, the choice Discoveries that God makes to their souls in them, works them to set a very high1 price upon them. O, say such souls, we cannot but prize them, we cannot but affect them for what of God we have enjoyed in them. Many there are that are like old Barzillai, that had lost his taste and hearing, and so cared not ⟨p. 122⟩for Davids feasts and musick; so many there are that can see nothing of God, nor taste nothing of God in Ordinances; they care not for Ordinances, they slight Ordinances. O but souls2 that have seen, and heard, and tasted of the goodness of the Lord in Ordinances, they dearly love them, and highly prize them. I have esteemed thy Word, says Job, above my necessary food: