A77608:185
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.
The third Reason, Why the Lord Reas. 3 causes the beams of his love, and the brightness of his glory to shine forth upon his people in Ordinances, is, To fence and strengthen their souls against all those temptations that they may meet with, from Satan and his1 instruments, that lie in wait to deceive, and by their cunning craftiness, endeavour with all their might, to work men first to have low thoughts of Ordinances, and then to neglect them, and then to despise them. Now the Lord2 by the sweet discoveries of himself, by the kisses, and love tokens that he gives to his people in Ordinances, does so endear and engage their hearts to them, that they are able not only to withstand temptations, but also to triumph over temptations, through him that hath loved them, and in Ordinances manifested his presence, and the riches of his grace and goodness to them; the sweet converse, the blessed turns and walks, that the Saints have ⟨p. 125⟩with God in Ordinances, makes them strong in resisting, and happy in conquering of those temptations that tend to lead them from the Ordinances, which are Christs banqueting-house,3 where he sets before his people, all the dainties and sweet-meats of Heaven, and bids them eat and drink abundantly, there being no danger of surfeiting, in eating, or drinking of Christs delicates. Truly, many a soul hath surfeited of the worlds dainties, and died for ever; but there is not a soul that hath had the honour and happiness to be brought into Christs banqueting house, and to eat and drink of his dainties, but they have lived for ever.
The third Reason, Why the Lord Reas. 3 causes the beams of his love, and the brightness of his glory to shine forth upon his people in Ordinances, is, To fence and strengthen their souls against all those temptations that they may meet with, from Satan and his1 instruments, that lie in wait to deceive, and by their cunning craftiness, endeavor with all their might, to work men first to have low thoughts of Ordinances, and then to neglect them, and then to despise them. Now the Lord