A77608:262
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 second Motive to provoke1 Christians to get a well-grounded Assurance, is this, Consider that there be a great many soul-flatterers, soul-deceivers, and soul-cheaters in the world; the Devil hath put his angelical2 robes upon many of his chief factors, that they may the more easily, and the more effectually deceive, and delude the souls of men: This age affords many sad testimonies of this. Ah what multitudes be there, that to some blear-eyes appear as Angels of light, and yet in their principles and practises are but servants to the Prince3 of darkness, labouring with all their might to make Proselytes for Hell, and to draw men to those wild notions, opinions, and conceits that will leave them short of Heaven, yea, bring them down to the hottest, darkest, ⟨p. 228⟩and lowest place in Hell, if God do not by a miracle prevent it; therefore you had need look about you, and see that you get a well-grounded Assurance, and suffer not Satan to put a cheat upon your immortal souls. Christ hath foretold us, That in the last days there shall arise false 4Christs, and false Prophets, that shall say, Lo, here is Christ, and lo, there is Christ. 5And verily this Scripture is this day fulfilled in your ears. Ah how many blasphemous wretches have there been in these days, that have asserted themselves to be the very Christ; and it is to me no little miracle, that the very Earth hath not opened her mouth, and swallowed up such monsters, such firebrands of Hell. The Apostle tells6 you of some that lie in wait to deceive by such slights, as cheaters, and false gamesters use at Dice; he tells you of cunning crafty men that do diligently watch all advantages, to work, draw, and win weak and unstable souls to those opinions, principles, and practises, that tend to drown them in everlasting perdition. Satan's disciples