A77608:311
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.
Secondly, Though no man can have any sure evidence of his Happiness and Blessedness from absolute promises, because absolute promises do not describe the persons to whom Salvation, and all Eternal Blessings, do belong; yet absolute promises are of most choice and singular use: First, In that they discover to us, that our Salvation is only from Free-grace, and not from any thing in us, or done by us. Secondly, They are a most sure and glorious foundation, for the very worst of sinners to stay their filthy, guilty, wearied, burdened, perplexed souls upon; seeing, that God looks not for any penny or pennyworth, for1 any portion, or proportion in the Creature to draw his love; but he will ⟨p. 283⟩justify, pardon, and save, for his Name sake; seeing all the Motives that moves God to show mercy, are in his2 own bosom; seeing they are all within doors, there is no reason why the vilest of sinners should sit down, and say, There is no hope, there is no help. Thirdly, Absolute promises may, and doubtless often are choice Cordials to many precious souls, who happily have lost the sense and feeling of Divine favour. Absolute promises3 are waters of life to many precious sons of Zion; they are a heavenly fire, at which they can sit down and warm themselves, when they cannot blow their own spark into a flame, and when all Candle-light, Torch-light, and Star-light fails them; when all other comforts can yield a perplexed, distressed soul no comfort; yet then absolute promises will prove full Breasts of Consolation to the distressed soul.
Secondly, Though no man can have any sure evidence of his Happiness and Blessedness from absolute promises, because absolute promises do not describe the persons to whom Salvation, and all Eternal Blessings, do belong; yet absolute promises are of most choice and singular use: First, In that they discover to us, that our Salvation is onely from Free-grace, and not from any thing in us, or done by us. Secondly, They are a most sure and glorious foundation, for the very worst of sinners to stay their filthy, guilty, wearied, burdened, perplexed souls upon; seeing, that God looks not for any peny or peniworth, for