A77608:326
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.
For so is the Will of God, that by well-doing (that is, by living up to your own principles) you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. There is no such way in the world, to still and silence wicked men, to make them dumb and speechless, to muzzle and tie up their mouths (as the Greek word notes) as by living up1 to your own principles. The lives of men convince more strongly, then their words; the tongue persuades, but the life commands; thirdly, They know by living up to their principles, they cast a general glory upon Christ and2 his ways: This makes Christ and his ways to be well thought on, and well spoke on; fourthly, They know that the ready way, the only way to get3 and keep Assurance, Joy, Peace, &c. is to live up to their principles; fifthly, They know that by their living below their own principles, or contrary to their own principles, they do but gratify Satan, and provoke wicked men to blaspheme that worthy Name, ⟨p. 301⟩by which they are called: They know4 that by their not living up to their own principles, they do but multiply their own fears and doubts, and put a sword into the hand of Conscience, and make sad work for future Repentance.
For so is the Will of God, that by wel-doing (that is, by living up to your own principles) you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. There is no such way in the world, to still and silence wicked men, to make them dumb and speechless, to muzzle and tie up their mouths (as the Greek word notes) as by living up1 to your own principles. The lives of men convince more strongly, then their words; the tongue perswades, but the life commands; thirdly, They know by living up to their principles, they cast a general glory upon Christ and2 his ways: This makes Christ and his ways to be well thought on, and well spoke on; fourthly, They know that the ready way, the onely way to get