A77608:320
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.
Fourthly, Spiritual hungerings and thirstings, are only satisfied with Spiritual things. John 14. 8. Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. All the things in the world cannot suffice us, but a sight of the Father, that will satisfy us. Psal. 63. 5, 6. My soul shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. When I remember thee upon my bed, and 1meditate on thee in the night watches. Psal. 65. 4. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy Temple. It is only God, and the precious things of his house, that can satisfy a thirsty soul. It was a sweet saying of one, As what I have, if offered to thee, pleaseth thee not, O Lord, without my self; so the good things we have from thee, though they may refresh us, yet they cannot satisfy us, without thy self. The Rattle without the Brest, will not satisfy the Child; the House without the Husband, will not satisfy the Wife; the Cabinet without ⟨p. 293⟩the Jewel, will not satisfy the Virgin; nor the World without Christ, will not satisfy the Soul. Luther in a time of wants,2 receiving unexpectedly a good sum of money from the Elector of Germany, at which, being some-what amazed, he turned himself to God, and protested, That God should not put him off with such poor low things. The hungry soul will not be put off with any Bread, but with the Bread of Life. The thirsty soul will not be put off with any Water, but with the Well-springs of Life. As the King of Sodom said once,3 Take you the goods, give me the persons; so says the hungry soul, take you the goods, take you honours, and riches, and the favour of Creatures; take you the Corn, the Oil, and the Wine; give me Christ, give me the light of his countenance, give me the joy of his Spirit, &c. O the answering of Spiritual breathings, is very sweet to the soul.