A77608:215
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.
Again, tell me, O despairing souls, do you understand, and most seriously, and frequently ponder upon ⟨p. 166⟩those particular Scriptures that do most clearly, sweetly, and fully discover the mercies of God, the bowels of God, the grace and favour of God to poor sinners, as that Psal. 86. 5. For thou Lord art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy, unto all them that call upon thee. Gods mercies are above all his works, and above all ours too; his mercy is without measures and rules. All the acts and attributes of God, sit at the feet of mercy; the weapons of Gods artillery are turned1 into the Rainbow; a Bow indeed, but without an Arrow, bent, but without a string. The Rainbow is an emblem of mercy, it is a sign of grace and favour, and an assurance that God will remember his Covenant, it is fresh and green to note to us, that Gods mercy and grace to pot sinners, is always fresh and green. Again, tell me, O despairing souls, have you seriously pondered upon Nehe. 9. 16, 17. But they and our Fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy Commandments: And refused to obey, neither were mindful of the wonders that thou didst among them, but hardened ⟨p. 167⟩their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a Captain to return to their bondage; but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. Thou art a God (says he) ready to pardon, or rather, as it is in the Original, and2 thou a God of pardons: There is a very great emphasis in this Hebraism, a God of pardons; it shows us, that mercy is essential unto God, and that he is incomparable in forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Here Nehemiah sets3 him forth as one made up all of pardoning grace and mercy; as a circle begins every where, but ends no where, so do the mercies of God. When Alexander did sit down before a City, he did use to set up a light, to give those within notice, that if they came forth to him whilst that light lasted, they might have quarter, if otherwise, no mercy was to be expected. O but