A77608:242
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 Creature is all shadow, and vanity of vanities, (vanity is the very quintessence of the Creature, and all that can possibly be extracted out of it.) It is filia noctis, like Jonahs gourd, a man may sit under its shadow for a while, but it soon decays and dies. Why shouldst thou set thy heart upon that ⟨p. 203⟩1which is not. Were ever riches true2 to them that trusted them; as the Bird hops from twig to twig, so doth riches hop from man to man, &c. Worldly Christians, cease complaining of the want of Assurance, and sincerely humble and abase your souls before the Lord; for that you have so eagerly pursued after lying vanities; for that you have in so great a measure forsaken the Fountain of living water; for that with Martha you have been busied about many things, when Christ and Assurance, the two things necessary, have been so much neglected and disregarded by you. Get this World, this Moon, under your feet, take no rest till you have broken through this silken net, till you have got off these Golden Fetters. A heart that is full of the world, is a heart full of wants. Ah the Joy, the Peace, the Comfort, the Confidence, the Assurance that such hearts wants. The Stars which have least circuit, are nearest the Pole; and men whose hearts are least entangled with the world, are always nearest to God, and to the Assurance of his Favour. Worldly ⟨p. 204⟩Christians, remember •his, You and3 the world must part, or else assurance and your souls will never meet. When a worldly Christian is saved, he is saved as by fire; and before ever he shall be assured of his salvation, he must cry out, (Omnes humanae consolationes, sunt desolationes,) All humane consolations are but desolations. God will not give the Sweet meats of Heaven, to those that are gorged and surfeited with the delicates of the Earth. The Cock upon the Dunghill prefers a Barley Corn above the choicest Pearl; such Dunghill Christians that prefer a little Barley Corn above this Pearl of price, Assurance; that with Esau prefer4