A77608:101
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.
A beautiful face is at all times pleasing to the eye, but then especially when there is joy manifested in the countenance: joy in the face puts a new beauty, and makes that which before was beautiful to be exceeding beautiful, it puts a lustre and glory upon beauty; so does joy in the face, heart, and life of a Christian, cast a general splendour and glory upon him, and the ways of God wherein he walks. The joy of the Lord is not1 only the strength, but also the beauty and glory of Christians.
A beautifull face is at all times pleasing to the eye, but then especially when there is joy manifested in the countenance: joy in the face puts a new beauty, and makes that which before was beautifull to be exceeding beautifull, it puts a luster and glory upon beauty; so does joy in the face, heart, and life of a Christian, cast a generall splendor and glory upon him, and the wayes of God wherein hee walkes. The joy of the Lord is not1 only the strength, but also the beauty and glory of Christians.
Joy and rejoicing is a consequent and effect of assurance, as many believers ⟨p. 28⟩by experience find, and therefore1 without all peradventure believers may attain unto a well-grounded assurance of their everlasting happiness, else it is impossible that they should rejoice evermore; so that by this argument, as by the former, it clearly appears, that believers may in this life be assured of their eternal well being.