A77608:129
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.
Assurance is requisite to the wellbeing of a Christian, but not to the being, it is requisite to the consolation of a Christian, but not to the salvation of a Christian; it is requisite to the well-being of Grace, but not to the mere being of Grace. Though a man cannot be saved without faith, yet he may be saved without assurance. God hath in many places of the Scripture declared, that without faith 1there is no salvation; but God hath not in any one place of Scripture declared, that without assurance there is no salvation. A man must first be saved, before he can be assured of his salvation; for he cannot be assured of that which is not: and a man must have saving grace, before he can be saved; for he cannot be saved by that which he hath not. Again, a man must be ingrafted into Christ, before ⟨p. 53⟩he can be assured of remission, or salvation, but this he cannot be before he hath faith, therefore there may be grace, where there is no assurance. Christ went to heaven in a cloud, and the Angel went up to heaven in the smoke and flame of the sacrifice, and so I doubt not, but many precious souls do ascend to heaven in clouds2 and darkness. Now a man may have grace, and yet want assurance, and that may arise from these causes.
Assurance is requisite to the wellbeing of a Christian, but not to the being, it is requisite to the consolation of a Christian, but not to the salvation of a Christian; it is requisite to the well-being of Grace, but not to the meer being of Grace. Though a man cannot be saved without faith, yet he may bee saved without assurance. God hath in many places of the Scripture declared, that without faith 1there is no salvation; but God hath not in any one place of Scripture declared, that without assurance there is no salvation. A man must first bee saved, before he can be assured of his salvation; for he cannot be assured of that which is not: and a man must have saving grace, before he can bee saved; for hee cannot be saved by that which hee hath not. Againe, a man must be ingrafted into Christ, before ⟨p. 53⟩