A77608:235
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.
The seventh Impediment to Assurance1 is, Mens remissness, carelessness, laziness, and overliness in Religious Services, and in the Exercise of their graces. Ah, how active and lively are men2 in pursuing after the world; but how lifeless, and unactive in the ways of Grace and Holiness. Ah, doubting Christians, remember this, That the promise of Assurance and Comfort is made over, not to lazy, but laborious Christians, not to idle, but to active3 Christians, not to negligent, but to diligent Christians. John 14. 21, 22, 23. He that hath my Commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: And he that loveth me, shall be loved of 4my Father; and I will love him, and will manifest my self to him. Now Judas saith unto him, (not Iscariot) Lord, How is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us, and not to the world? Jesus answered, and said unto him, If any man love me, he ⟨p. 194⟩will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. So in that 2 Pet. 1. 10, 11. Wherefore the rather Brethren, 5give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure: For if you do these things, ye shall be ministered unto you abundantly, into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. A lazy Christian shall always want four things, viz. Comfort and Content, Confidence and Assurance. God hath made a separation between Joy and Idleness, between Assurance and Laziness; and therefore it is impossible for thee to bring these together, that God hath put so far a sunder. Assurance and Joy are choice Donatives that Christ gives only to laborious Christians. The lazy Christian hath his mouth full of complaints, when the active Christian hath his heart full of comforts. God would have the hearts of his children to be hot in Religious Services, be fervent (or, seething hot, as it is in the