A77608:230
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.
Tell me, O doubting souls, hath that sweet word of the Apostle been ever made to stick in power upon you,1 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves, whether you be in the Faith (or, Whether Faith be in you) prove your selves, &c. The precept is here doubted, to show the necessity, excellency, and difficulty of the work; to show, that it is not a superficial, but a thorough, serious, substantial Examination, that must enable a man to know, whether he hath precious Faith, or no; whether he be Christs Spouse, or the Devils strumpet. All is not gold that glisters, all is not Faith ⟨p. 185⟩that men call Faith; therefore he that would not prove a cheater to his own soul, must take some pains to search and examine, how all is within. Climacus reports, that the Ancients used to keep in a little Book, a memorial of what they did in the day, against their night reckoning. But ah, how few be there in these days, that keeps a Diary of Gods mercies, and their own infirmities, of Spiritual Experiences, and the inward operations of Heavenly Graces? Seneca reports of a Heathen man that would every night ask himself these three Questions: First, What evil hast thou healed this day; secondly, What vice hast thou stood against this day; thirdly, In what part art thou bettered this day. And shall not Christians take pains with their own hearts, and search day and night to find out what God hath done, and is a doing there. God hath his doing hand, his working hand in every mans heart; either he is a working there in ways of mercy, or in ways of wrath; either he is a building up, or a plucking down; either he is a making all glorious within, or else he is a turning all ⟨p. 186⟩into a Hell. Well, doubting souls, remember this, That the soundest joy, the strongest consolations flow from a thorough examination of things within. This is the way to know how it is with you for the present, and how it is like to go with you for the future: This is the way to put an end to all the wranglings of your hearts, and to put you into a possession of Heaven, on this side Heaven.
Tell me, O doubting souls, hath that sweet word of the Apostle been ever made to stick in power upon you,