A77608:280
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.
Secondly, Assurance will exceedingly sweeten all the changes of this life; this life is full of changes, Assurance will sweeten sickness and health, weakness1 and strength, wants and abundance, disgrace and honour, &c. while a man lives in the sense of unchangeable loves, no outward changes can make any considerable change in his spirit; Let times change, let men change, le• powers change, let Nations change; yet a man under the power of assurance, will not change his countenance, nor change his Master, nor change his work, nor change his ⟨p. 252⟩hopes; though others under changes, turn like the Chameleon into all colours2 to save their little all, yet the assured soul under all changes is (semper idem) always the same. Antisthenes a Philosopher, to make his life happy, desired only, that he might have the spirit of Socrates, who was always in a quiet temper of spirit, what ever wrongs, injuries, crosses, losses, &c. befell him. Let the trials be what they would, that did attend him, yet he continued one and the same. Ah Christians, the want of assurance hath made many changelings in these days; but if ever you would be like Socrates, if ever you would be like the Philosophers good man, that is, ([Greek or Hebrew], Tetragonos) Four-square, that cast him where you will, like a Die, he falls always sure and square, then get assurance of Everlasting Happiness.
Secondly, Assurance will exceedingly sweeten all the changes of this life; this life is full of changes, Assurance will sweeten sickness and health, weakness1 and strength, wants and abundance, disgrace and honour, &c. while a man lives in the sense of unchangeable loves, no outward changes can make any considerable change in his spirit; Let times change, let men change, le• powers change, let Nations change; yet a man under the power of assurance, will not change his countenance, nor change his Master, nor change his work, nor change his ⟨p. 252⟩