A77608:227
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 the second Impediment to1 assurance, is, Mens entering into the lists of dispute with Satan about those things that are above their reach, as about the Decrees and Counsel of God. O by this Satan keeps many precious souls off from assurance, since God hath cast him out of paradise, and bound him in chains of darkness, he will make use of all his skill, power, and experience, to draw men into the ⟨p. 180⟩same misery with himself; and if he cannot prevent their entering at last into paradise above, he will labour might and main to make their life a wilderness here below. And to this purpose2 he will busy their thoughts and hearts about the Decrees of God, and about their particular elections; as, whether God hath decreed them to Eternal Happiness, or chosen them to Everlasting Blessedness, &c. That so by this means, he may keep them from that desirable assurance, that may yield believers two Heavens, a Heaven of joy and comfort here, and a Heaven of felicity and glory hereafter. It is said of Marcellus, the Roman General, that he could not be quiet (nec victor, nec victus) neither conquered, nor conqueror. Such a one is Satan, if he be conquered (by Faith) yet he will be assaying; if he conquers, he will be roaring and triumphing. Satan's great design, is eternally to ruin souls; and where he cannot do that, there he will endeavour to discomfit souls, by busying them about the secret Decrees and Counsels of God; if the soul break through his temptations, as Davids ⟨p. 181⟩3Worthies did break through the Hosts of the Philistines, and snap his snares4 in sunder, as Samson did his Cords; then his next shift is to engage them in such debates and disputes, that neither men nor Angels can certainly and infallibly determine, that so he may spoil their comforts, when he cannot take away their Crown.
Now the second Impediment to1