Heaven on earth by Thomas Brooks (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Chapter 2.
Last week we began Chapter 2 and saw 'several weighty propositions concerning assurance'. Proposition number seven was 'that there are some special seasons and times, wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give to his children a sweet assurance of his favour and love.'
This week Brooks teaches us about nine of those seasons:
(i) at first conversion, the Lord is pleased to make out sweet manifestations of his love to the penitent soul;
(ii) when he intends to put his people upon some high and hard, some difficult and dangerous service;
(iii) waiting times are times wherein God is pleased to give his people some secret tastes of his love, and to lift up the light of his countenance upon them;
(iv) suffering times are times wherein the Lord is pleased to give his people some sense of his favour;
(v) hearing and receiving times are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to cause his face to shine upon his people;
(vi) times of personal afflictions are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to vouchsafe to his people sweet manifestations of his love and favour;
(vii) praying times are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some sweet and comfortable assurance of his love and favour towards them;
(viii) sometimes before the souls are deeply engaged in sore conflicts with Satan, the Lord is graciously pleased to visit his people with loving-kindness to give them some sweet assurance, that though they are tempted, yet they shall not be worsted;
(ix) after some sharp conflicts with Satan, God is graciously pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon his people, and to warm and cheer their hearts with the beams of his love.
Great line about the addictive nature of assurance: 'The more a saint tastes of God in an ordinance, the more are his desires raised and whetted, and the more are his teeth set on edge for more and more of God. Plutarch saith, that when "once the Gauls had tasted of the sweet wine that was made of the grapes of Italy, nothing would satisfy them but Italy, Italy." So a soul that hath tasted of the sweetness and goodness of God in ordinances, nothing will satisfy it, but more of that goodness and sweetness.' A little mercy may save the soul, but it must be a great deal of mercy that must satisfy the soul. The least glimpse of God's countenance may be a staff to support the soul, and an ark to secure the soul, and a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide the soul ; but it must be much, very much of God, that must be enough to satisfy the soul. '
Once you get a taste of God and his mercy, you can't get enough!
Next week's reading
Read Chapter 3 (Containing the several hindrances and impediments that keep poor souls from assurance; with the means and helps to remove those impediments and hindrances).
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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