A77608:274
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 eighth Motive to provoke you1 to get assurance, is drawn from those particular commands of God, whereby he engages Christians to get assurance;2 as that in the 2 Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore the rather Brethren, give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. So 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves, whether ye be in the Faith; prove your own selves, know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you; except ye be reprobates, or unapproved, as the Greek imports. So Heb. 6. 11. And we desire, that every one of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end. Ah you dull, doubting, drowsy Christians, you ⟨p. 244⟩[…] ⟨p. 245⟩[…] ⟨p. 246⟩should take all these commands of God, and press them with all the power and authority you can, upon your hearts, to awaken them, and provoke them to get assurance of your eternal well-being. Take one command, and charge that upon the heart; if the heart be stout, and will not yield, then take another command, and press that upon the heart; if that will not do it, then take another, and lay that home upon the heart, and never leave this work, till your souls be effectually stirred up to labour for assurance, with all your might. Christians,) on should tell your souls, that the commands of God, binds directly and immediately, that they bind absolutely and universally. You must obey God intuitu voluntatis, upon the bare sight of his Will, and in one thing as well as another. Christians, if I am not much mistaken, you should make as much conscience of those commands of God, that requires you to get assurance of your future happiness, as you do of those commands that requires you to pray, to hear, &c. It is very sad to consider, that many that complain