A77608:270
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.
for thou who art the true and only sweetness, didst cast out those from me, and instead of them didst enter in thy self, who art more delightful, then all pleasure, and more clear then all light. Ah Christians, do but hold up, and hold on and assurance, and joy will come, and thou shalt after all thy working and waiting, sit down and sing it out with old Simeon, Mine eyes have seen thy Salvation; my heart hath found the sweetness of Assurance; and now Lord, let thy servant depart in peace.
for thou who art the true and onely sweetness, didst cast out those from me, and instead of them didst enter in thy self, who art more delightful, then all pleasure, and more clear then all light. Ah Christians, do but hold up, and hold on and assurance, and joy will come, and thou shalt after all thy working and waiting, sit down and sing it out with old Simeon, Mine eyes have seen thy Salvation; my heart hath found the sweetness of Assurance; and now Lord, let thy servant depart in peace.
The sixth Motive to provoke you1 to get Assurance, is this, Consider what labour, and pains, worldlings take2 to make sure the things of this life, to them and theirs. Ah what riding, running, plotting, lying, swearing, stabbing, and poisoning, is used by men of this world, to make sure the poor things of this world, that are ⟨p. 241⟩but shadows, and dreams, and mere nothings? How do many with Samson lay heap upon heap, to make their Crowns and Kingdoms sure, to make the tottering glory of this world sure to themselves? what bloody butchers do they prove, they will have the Crown, though they swim to it through blood? Men will venture life and limb, to make sure these things that hops from man to man, as the Bird hops from twig to twig. O, how should this stir and provoke us to be up and doing, to labour as for life, to make sure spiritual and eternal things. Is Earth better then Heaven? is the