A77608:289
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 assured Soul knows, that Death shall be the Funeral of all his sins and sorrows, of all afflictions and temptations, of all desertions and oppositions. He knows that Death shall be the Resurrection of his joys, he knows that death is both an out-let, and an in-let, an out-let to sin, and an in-let to the souls clear, full, and constant enjoyment of God. And this makes the assured soul to sing it sweetly out, O 1death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? I desire to be dissolved. 2Make haste my beloved. Come 3Lord Jesus, come quickly. Now Death is more desirable then life: Now says the Soul, (Ejus est timere mortem, qui ad Christum nolit ire.) Let him fear ⟨p. 261⟩Death, that is loth to go to Christ. So I may be with Christ, though I go in a Cloud, I care not, says the assured soul; so I may be with Christ, I care not, though I go in a Fiery Chariot, says the assured soul. The Persians had a certain day in the year, in which they used to kill all Serpents, and venomous Creatures; The assured Christian knows, that the day of Death will be such a day to him, and that makes Death lovely and desirable; he knows that Sin4 was the Midwife that brought Death into the World, and that Death shall be the Grave to bury Sin.5
The assured Soul knows, that Death shall be the Funeral of all his sins and sorrows, of all afflictions and temptations, of all desertions and oppositions. He knows that Death shall be the Resurrection of his joyes, he knows that death is both an out-let, and an in-let, an out-let to sin, and an in-let to the souls clear, full, and constant injoyment of God. And this makes the assured soul to sing it sweetly out, O 1death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? I desire to be dissolved. 2