A77608:285
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.
Fifthly, Assurance will be a choice preservative to keep you from backsliding from God and his ways: Ah Assurance will glue the soul to God and his ways, as Ruth was glued to her Mother Naomi; It will make a man stand fast in the Faith, and quit himself like a good Soldier of Christ, 2 Pet. 1. 10, 11. Wherefore the rather Brethren, give 1diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things▪ ye shall never fall. Stumble ye may, and he that does but stumble, gets ground by his stumbling. Assurance will keep a man from falling foully, and from falling utterly. Verily, the reason why ⟨p. 257⟩there is so many Apostates in these days, is, because there are so few that have a well-grounded assurance in these days. Pliny speaks of some fishes that swim back-ward. Ah many Professors2 in these days swim back-ward, they swim from God, and Christ, and Conscience, yea, they swim from the very principles of morality, and common honesty. Believe it Friends, it is not high notions in the Brain, but found assurance in the heart, that will keep a man close to Christ, when others back-slide from Christ. An assured Christian will not exchange his Gold for Copper, he knows that one old piece of Gold is worth a thousand new Counters: One old truth of Christ, is worth a thousand new errors, though clothed with glistering Robes; and therefore he will prize the truth, and own the truth, and keep close to the truth, when others that want a sound assurance, make merchandise of Christ, precious3 truths, and of their own and others immortal souls. Get assurance, and thou wilt stand, when seeming Cedars fall; want assurance, and thou canst ⟨p. 258⟩not but fall to the breaking of thy bones, if not to the utter loss of thy precious soul.
Fifthly, Assurance will be a choyce preservative to keep you from backsliding from God and his wayes: Ah Assurance will glue the soul to God and his wayes, as Ruth was glued to her Mother Naomi; It will make a man stand fast in the Faith, and quit himself like a good Souldier of Christ,