HEAVEN ON EARTH A Treatise On Christian Assurance by Thomas Brooks (1608 - 1680) HEAVEN ON EARTH Thomas Brooks HEAVEN ON EARTH Thomas Brooks, 1667 A serious discourse concerning a well-grounded assurance of men's 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. "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." Joseph Caryl. "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding." Col 2:2. 2 HEAVEN ON EARTH Thomas Brooks Epistle Dedicatory To the Generals of the Fleets of the Commonwealth, The better anything is, the more communicative it will. There are two sorts of goods; there are goods of the throne, as God, Christ, grace, assurance, etc.; and goods of the footstool, as honour, riches, etc. 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, emperor of Germany, 'Such goods are worth getting and owning, as will not sink nor wash away, if a shipwreck happens; 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, yes, 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, has caused their countenance to change, their hearts to melt; it has made them to "stagger and reel to and fro like drunken men, like men at their wits' ends," Psalm 76:5; whereas others who have had assurance, and their pardon in their bosoms, etc., have born up bravely, and slept quietly, and walked cheerfully, and practically have said, as Alexander once did, when he was in a great danger, "Now," says he, "here is a danger fit for the spirit of Alexander to encounter with." So they now, here are storms and dangers fit for assured, pardoned souls to encounter with, etc. Gentlemen, This following discourse I do not present to you as a thing which needs your protection, for truth stands in the open fields, and it will make the lovers of it to stand, triumph, and overcome. Great 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 has 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 2:30, "I will honour those who honour Me, but those who despise Me will be disgraced." Secondly, Because you are my friends, and that cordial love and friendship which I have found from you has stamped in my affections a very high valuation of you. The ancients painted friendship as a fair young man, in a poor garment. His bosom was open, so that his heart might be seen, whereupon was written '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 I love and honour. Faithful friends are an invaluable treasure, and the rarity of them does much enhance their worth. 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 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, which accompanies salvation. 3 HEAVEN ON EARTH Thomas Brooks 2. What faith that is, which accompanies salvation. 3. What repentance that is, which accompanies salvation. 4. What obedience that is, which accompanies salvation. 5. What love that is, which accompanies salvation. 6. What prayer that is, which accompanies salvation. 7. What perseverance that is, which accompanies salvation. 8. What hope that is, which accompanies salvation. 9. The difference there is between true assurance, and that which is counterfeit. 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 gladly have you all happy forever; 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. For my design in all is your happiness here, and your blessedness hereafter. First, Get and keep communion with God. Your strength to stand, and your strength to withstand all assaults—is from your communion with God. Communion with God is that which will make you stand fast, and triumph over all enemies, difficulties, dangers, and deaths. Communion with God will make a man as courageous and bold as a lion, yes, as a young lion which is in his hot blood, and fearless of any creature, Prov 28:1. Now the proverb is, It is more likely that deer will get victory with a lion as their leader; than lions with a leading deer. Joshua, captain of the Lord's battles, must be of a lion-like courage, and what will make them so, but communion with God? It was the saying of the old Earl of Essex, that he was never afraid to fight—except when he was conscious of some sin with which he had provoked God and lost communion with God. While Samson kept his communion with God, no enemy could stand before him, he goes on conquering and to conquer, he lays heaps upon heaps; but when he has fallen in his communion with God, he falls presently, easily, and sadly before his enemies. So long as David kept up his communion with God, no enemies could stand before him; but when he was fallen in his communion with God, he flies before the son of his affections. Job keeps up his communion with God, and conquers Satan upon the ash-heap. Adam loses his communion with God, and falls before Satan in paradise. Communion is the result of union. Communion is a reciprocal exchange between Christ and a gracious soul. Communion is Jacob's ladder, where you have Christ sweetly descending down into the soul, and the soul by divine influences sweetly ascending up to Christ. Communion with God is a shield upon land, and an anchor at sea; it is a sword to defend you, and a staff to support you; it is balm to heal you, and a cordial to strengthen you. High communion with Christ will yield you two heavens, a heaven upon earth, and a heaven after death. He enjoys nothing, who lacks communion with God; he lacks nothing, who enjoys communion with God; therefore above all gettings, get communion with Christ, and above all keepings, keep communion with Christ. All other losses are not comparable to the loss of communion with Christ. He who has lost his communion, has lost his comfort, his strength, his all, and it will not be long before the Philistines take him, and put out his eyes, and bind him with fetters of brass, and make him grind in a prison, as they did Samson, Judg 16:20-21. 4 HEAVEN ON EARTH Thomas Brooks Secondly, Make a speedy and a thorough improvement of all opportunities of grace and mercy. Sleep not in harvest-time; do not trifle away your golden seasons; you have much work to do in a short time.