A77608:456
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, That Love that accompanies Salvation, is a vehement Love, an ardent Love; it is a spark of heavenly fire, and it puts all the affections into a holy flame. Can. 1. 7. Tell me, O thou, whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest? &c. This amiable, amorous, Pathetical Compellation, O thou1 whom my soul loveth, speaks the Spouses love to be hot and burning towards Christ. So in Isa. 26. 8, 9. The desire of our souls is towards thee, and to the remembrance of thy name. With my 2soul have I desired thee in the night, yea, with my spirit within me, will I seek thee early. This affectionate, this passionate ⟨p. 454⟩form of Speech, With my soul have I desired thee, and that, with my spirit within me, will I seek thee, does elegantly set forth the vehement, and ardent love of the Church to Christ; so doth that pathetical exclamation of the Church, Stay me with flagons, comfort 3me with apples, for I am sick of love. The betrothed Virgin cannot show more strong and vehement love to her beloved, then by being sick, and surprised with love-qualms, when she meets him, when she enjoys him; it was so here with the Spouse of Christ. The love of Christ to Believers, is a vehement love, an ardent love (witness his leaving his Fathers bosom, his putting upon us his Royal Robes, his bleeding, his dying, &c.) And it doth naturally beget4 vehement and ardent Love in all the beloved of God. Where Christ loves, he always begets somewhat like himself, Amor semper habet, quid sui simile. That love that is flat, luke-warm, or cold, will leave a man to freeze a this side Heaven, it will fit him for the warmest place in Hell. Dives love was very cold, and he found the flames of Hell to be very hot. That love that ⟨p. 455⟩accompanies Salvation is full of heat and fire.