A77608:193
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.
Seventhly, Times of personal afflictions, are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to vouchsafe to his people sweet manifestations of his love and favour, when his hand is heavy on them, then he lifts up the light of his countenance upon them, Psal. 71. 20, 21. Thou which hast showed me great, and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again; and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the Earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every ⟨p. 135⟩side. So in that Psal. 94. 19. In the 1multitude of my careful troubled thoughts, 2thy comforts delight my soul. Ah Christians, hath not God by all afflictions lifted up your souls nearer Heaven, as Noah's Ark was lifted up nearer and nearer Heaven, by the rising of the water higher and higher. The Ball in the Emblem says, (percussa surgo) The harder you beat me down in affliction, the higher I shall bound in affection towards Heaven, and heavenly things; so afflictions do but elevate and raise a Saints affections to Heaven; and heavenly things. When Munster lay sick, and his friends asked him, how he did, and how he felt himself, he pointed to his sores and ulcers, (whereof he was full,) and said, These are Gods gems and 3jewels, wherewith he decketh his best friends, and to me they are more precious then all the gold and silver in the world. (Afflictions benedictions) Afflictions are blessings. Gods corrections are our instructions, his lashes our lessons, his scourges our school-masters, his chastisements our advertisements; and to note this; the Hebrews and Greeks both, do express chastening and teaching ⟨p. 136⟩by one and the same word ([Greek or Hebrew], Musar, •aideia,) because the latter is the true end of the former. Ah4