A77608:199
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.
Now to this Objection, I shall give Answ. I 1these answers; first, that it may be, you have been more earnest and vehement for assurance, and the effects of it, viz. Joy, comfort, and pe•ce, then you have been for grace and holiness, for communion with God, and conformity to God; it may be your requests for ⟨p. 144⟩assurance have been full of life and spirits, when your request for grace and holiness, for communion with God, and conformity to God, have been lifeless and spiritless: If so, no wonder that assurance is denied you. Assurance makes most for your comfort, but holiness makes most for Gods honour; mans holiness is now his greatest happiness, and in Heaven mans greatest happiness will be his perfect holiness. Assurance is the daughter of Holiness, and he that shall more highly prize, and more earnestly press after the enjoyment of the daughter, then the mother, it is not a wonder, if God shuts the door upon him, and crosses him in the thing he most desires. The surest, and the shortest way to assurance, is to wrestle and contend with God for holiness, as the Angel contended2 with the Devil about the body of Moses. When the stream and cream of a mans spirit runs after holiness, it will not be long night with that man, the Sun of Righteousness will shine3 forth upon that man, and turn his winter into summer, and crown him with the Diadem of Assurance. The ⟨p. 145⟩more holy any person is, the more excellent4 he is; all corruptions are diminutions of excellency, (the more mixed any thing is, the more it is abased; as if Gold and Tin be mixed; and the more pure it is, as mere Gold, the more glorious it is.) Now the more divinely excellent any man is, the more fit he is to enjoy the choicest, and the highest favours. Assurance is a Jewel of that value, that he will bestow5