A77608:214
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.
Why then, O despairing souls, should you sit down sighing under ⟨p. 165⟩such black, sad, and dismal apprehensions of God, and your own state and condition. Verily seeing all happiness and blessedness comes in a way of free-grace, and not in a way of doing, not in a way of works, you should arise,1 O despairing souls, and cast off all despairing thoughts, and drink of the waters of life freely. What though thy heart be dead, and hard, and sad? what though thy sins be many, and thy fears great? yet behold, here is glorious grace, rich grace, wondrous grace, matchless and incomparable riches of free-grace, spread before thee. O let this fire warm thee, let these waters refresh thee, let these Cordials strengthen thee, that it may be day, and no longer night with thee, that thy mourning may be turned into rejoicing, and that thy beautiful garments2 may be put on; that so the rest of thy days may be days of gladness, and sweetness, and free-grace may be an everlasting shade, shelter, and rest unto thee.
Why then, O despairing souls, should you sit down sighing under ⟨p. 165⟩such black, sad, and dismal apprehensions of God, and your own state and condition. Verily seeing all happiness and blessedness comes in a way of freegrace, and not in a way of doing, not in a way of works, you should arise,1 O despairing souls, and cast off all despairing thoughts, and drink of the waters of life freely. What though thy heart be dead, and hard, and sad? what though thy sins be many, and thy fears great? yet behold, here is glorious grace, rich grace, wonderous grace, matchless and incomparable riches of free-grace, spread before thee. O let this fire warm thee, let these waters refresh thee, let these Cordials strengthen thee, that it may be day, and no longer night with thee, that thy mourning may be turned into rejoycing, and that thy beautiful garments2 may be put on; that so the rest of thy days may be days of gladness, and sweetness, and free-grace may be an everlasting shade, shelter, and rest unto thee.