A77608:484
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, True Love to Saints is constant, 1 Cor. 13. 8. Love never faileth, it continues for ever in Heaven; ⟨p. 475⟩that love was never true, that is not constant. Heb. 13. 1. Let brotherly love continue. True love is constant in prosperity1 and adversity, in storms and calms, in health and sickness, in presence and in absence. Thy own friend, and thy Fathers friend, forsake not. A friend (says the Wise man) loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Prosperity makes friends, and Adversity will try friends: A true friend is neither known in prosperity, nor hid in adversity. True love is like to that of Ruth's to Naomi, and that of Jonathans to David, permanent and constant. Many there be whose love to the Saint, is like Jobs Brooks, Job 6. 15, 16. which in Winter when we have no need, over-flows with tenders of service, and shows of love; but when the season is hot and dry, and the poor thirsty Traveller stands in most need of water to refresh him, then the Brooks are quite dried up. They are like the Swallow that will stay by you in the Summer, but fly from you in the Winter.
Fourthly, True Love to Saints is constant, 1 Cor. 13. 8. Love never faileth, it continues for ever in Heaven; ⟨p. 475⟩that love was never true, that is not constant. Heb. 13. 1. Let brotherly love continue. True love is constant in prosperity1 and adversity, in storms and calms, in health and sickness, in presence and in absence. Thy own friend, and thy Fathers friend, forsake not. A friend (sayes the Wiseman) loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Prosperity makes friends, and Adversity will try friends: A true friend is neither known in prosperity, nor hid in adversity. True love is like to that of Ruths to Naomi, and that of Jonathans to David, permanent and constant. Many there be whose love to the Saint, is like Jobs Brooks,