A77608:130
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.
First, from his cavilling spirit, and1 from his siding with the old man against the new, with the flesh against the spirit, with corruption against grace, with the house of Saul, against the house of David, with the work of Satan, against the work of God. Sin is Satan's work, grace, holiness, is Gods; yet such is the weakness, yea madness of many poor souls, that they will fall in, and side with Satan's work, rather then with Gods against their own souls. Ah Christians, will you condemn that Judge for injustice, and unrighteousness, that shall open his ears to the complaints of ⟨p. 54⟩the Plaintiff, but stop his ears against2 the answers of the Defendant; and will you not condemn your selves for that you do with both ears hear what Sin and Satan hath to say against the soul, but have not one ear open to hear what the Spirit, what grace, what the New-man, what the noble part of man, what the regenerate man can say for the justification, satisfaction, and consolation of the soul. Let me tell thee, O thou cavilling soul, that it is thy wisdom, and thy duty to remember that that command of God, that doth prohibit thee from bearing false witness against thy neighbour, that same command doth enjoin thee not to bear false witness against the work of grace upon thy own heart, against the precious and glorious things that God hath done for thy soul. And thou shouldest make as much conscience of bearing false witness against any thing the Lord hath wrought in thee, and for thee, as thou doest make conscience of bearing false witness against thy neighbour. It cannot but be sad with the soul, but be night with the soul, ⟨p. 55⟩when it makes much conscience of the one, and no conscience of the other. Many heathens have been so loving and faithful one to another, that they would rather dye, then they would bear false witness one against another: How dare you cavilling souls then to bear false witness against your own souls, and the gracious work of the Lord upon them. If this be not the way to keep off assurance, and keep the soul in darkness, yea in a hell, I know nothing.
First, from his cavilling spirit, and