The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks

Mj- HEAVEN ON EARTH. NOTE. * Heaven on Earth,' originally published in 1654, passed into a ''second edition, corrected and enlarged,' in 1667. It is from the latter, collated with the former, our text is taken. The title-page will be found below.* Another bears the date of 1864 ; and ever since this hats been one of the most prized of Brooks's hooka. The quaint ' Licence' by Caryl, for publication, is subjoined.f HEAVEN ON EARTH. OR A Serious Discourse touching a well-grounded Assurance Of Men's Everlasting Soppiness and Blessedness. Discovering the Nature of Assurance, the possibility of Attaining it, the Causes, Springs, and Degrees of it ; with the Resolution of severall weighty Questions. By Thomas Brooks, Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets Fishstreet-Hill. The Second Edition Corrected and Enlarged. That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all Riches of the full Assurance of under- standing, Col. 2. 2. Qui fidei subb sensum in corde habet, hie scit Christum Jesum in se esse. Ambros. 2 ad Corinth c. 13. 5. LONDON; Printed by M S. for John Hancock, and are to be sold at the first shop in Popes- head Alley, in Cornhill. 1667. t The greatest thing that we can desire—next to the glory of God—is our own salvation ; and the sweetest thing we can desire, is the assurance of our salvation. In this life we cannot get higher, than to be assured of that which in the next life is to be enjoyed. All saints shall enjoy a heaven when they leave this earth ; some saints enjoy a heaven while they are here on earth. That saints might enjoy two heavens, is the project of this book. That this project may be published, and by a blessing from th© third heaven prospered, the book is licensed by Joseph Caeyl.' The ninth of the first month, commonly called March, 1653. * The Tenerable and learned expositor of the book of Job. He died 1678.—G. EPISTLE DEDICATORY. To the Right Honourable the Generals of the Fleets of the Common- wealth of England, and to those gallant worthies, my touch honoured friends, who with the noble generals have deeply jeoparded their lives unto many deaths upon the seas, out of love to their country's good, and out of respect to the interest of Christ, and the faithful people of this commonwealth, such honour and happiness as is promised to all that love and honour the Lord Jeaus. REaiowNED Sirs, is, The better anything the more communicative it will be ; for honuTTh est sui communicativum. There are two sorts of goods ; there are bona throni, and there are bona scabelli: goods of the throne, as God, Christ, grace, assurance, &c. ; and goods of the footstool, as honour, riches, &c.* A. man may have enough of the goods of the footstool to sink him, but he can never have enough to satisfy him.^ Man's happiness and blessedness, his felicity and glory, lies in his possessing the goods of the throne, which that you may, I humbly desire you seriously to view over the ensuing treatise. It was an excellent saying of Lewis of Bavyer [Bavaria ?] emperor of Germany, HujusTnodi comparandce 8unt opes, quce cum naufragio simul enatent ; Such goods are worth getting and owning, as will not sink nor wash away, if a shipwreck happen, but will wade and swim out with us. Such are the goods that are here presented in this following discourse. In all storms, tempests, and shipwrecks, they will abide with the soul, they will walk and lie down with the soul, yea, they will go to the grave, to heaven, with the soul : they will in the greatest storms be an ark to the souL I have observed in some terrible storms that I have been in, that the mariners* and the passengers' want of assurance, and of those other pearls of price that in this treatise are presented to public view, hath caused their countenance to change, their hearts to melt ; it hath made them to ' stagger and reel to and fro like drunken men, like men at their wits* ends,' vide Ps. Ixxvi 6 ; whereas others that have had assu- ' Cf. ' Precions Remedies,' VoL I. page 1. The saying is from Angustine.—Q. • Nihil bonum sine sutnmo bono, Aug[ustine], Nothing is good, without the chiefest good Omne bonum in tummo bono, All good is in the chiefest good. : ; 304 HEAVEN ON EARTH. ranee, and their pardon in their bosoms, &c., have bore up bravely, and slept quietly, and walked cheerfully, and practically have said, as Alex- ander once did, when he was in a great danger, ' Now,' saith he, ' here is a danger fit for the spirit of Alexander to encounter withal.' So they now, here are storms and dangers fit for assured, pardoned soids to encounter withal, &c.^ Gentlemen, This following discourse I do not present to you as a thing that needs your protection, for Veritas stat in aperto campo, truth stands in the open fields, and it will make the lovers of it to stand, triumph, and overcome. Magna est Veritas et prevalehit,gresit is truth, and shall prevail. But, upon these following grounds, I render it to you First, You have honoured the Almighty, by helping him against the high and mighty ; and he hath honoured you, by owning of you, by standing by you, by acting for you, and by making of you prosperous and victorious over a near enemy, a powerful enemy, an enraged enemy, a resolved enemy, a subtle enemy, a prepared enemy, a lofty enemy and therefore I cannot but desire to honour you by dedicating the following treatise to the service of your souls, 1 Sam. ii. 30.^ Secondly, Because you are my friends, and that cordial love and friendship which I have found from you hath stamped in my affections a very high valuation of you. The ancients painted friendship a fair young man bare-headed, in a poor garment, at the bottom whereof was written life and death, in the upper part summer and winter ; his bosom was open, so that his heart might be seen, whereupon was written longe, prope, a friend at hand and afar off. Verily, your undeserved love and respects have made me willing to open my bosom to you in this epistle, and in the following treatise, as to friends that T love and honour.^ When one came to Alexander, and desired him that he might see his treasure, he bid one of his servants take him, and shew him, not a^yu^iou ToOXavTu, his money, but rovg ^IXcug, his friends. It seems he put a higher value upon them than he did upon all the wealth which he had. Faith- ful friends are an invaluable treasure, and the rarity of them doth much enhance the price of them.* Thirdly, Because of its exceeding usefulness and suitableness to your conditions. I have been some years at sea, and through grace I can say, that I would not exchange my sea-experiences for England's riches. I am not altogether ignorant of the troubles, trials, temptations, dangers, and deaths that do attend you.* And therefore I have been the more stirred in my spirit to present the following discourse to you, wherein > A philosopher could say, in danger of shipwreck in a light starry night, ' Surely I ehall not perish, there are so many eyes of Providence over me.'—[Plato in the famous verses.—G ] But these had neither so much faith nor courage ; these men of might had lost their hands and hearts. * As it was said of Csesar. that while he restored the statue of Pompey he estahlisbed his own ; so while men honour God, they preserve their own. ^ Magnet amoris, amor, Love is the loadstone of love ; and therefore he said right, Si vit amari, ama. If thou wilt love, thou shalt be loved. * Socrates preferred the king's countenance above his coin. ^ Ps. cvii. 24. It is between Christian and Christian, as between two lute strings that are tuned one to another ; no sooner one is struck, but the other trembles. EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 305 is discovered the nature of assurance, the possibility of attaining assurance, the causes, springs, degrees, excellencies, and properties of assurance ; also the special seasons and times of God's giving assurance, with the resolutions of several weighty questions touching assurance. Further, in this treatise, as in a glass, you may see these ten special things clearly and fully opened and manifested. 1. What knowledge that is that accompanies salvation. 2. What faith that is that accompanies salvation. ; 3. What repentance that is that accompanies salvation. 4. What obedience that is that accompanies salvation. 5. What love that is that accompanies salvation. 6. What prayer that is that accompanies salvation. 7. What perseverance that is that accompanies salvation. 8. What hope that is that accompanies salvation. 9. The difference between true assurance, and that which is coun- terfeit. 10. The wide difference there is between the witness of the Spirit, and the hissing of the old serpent. Gentlemen and Friends, You have your lives in your hands, there is but a short step between you and eternity.^ I would fain have you all happy for ever ; to that purpose, I humbly beseech you, spare so much time, from your many great and weighty occasions, as to read this treatise, that in all humility I lay at your feet, and follow this counsel that in all love and faithfulness I shall now give unto you.

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