A77608:328
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.
Thirdly, It is their greatest desire ⟨p. 302⟩and endeavour that sin may be cured, rather then covered. Sin most afflicts a gracious soul; David cries not perii, 1out peccavi; not I am undone, but I have done foolishly. Daniel complains2 not, we are reproached and oppressed, but we have rebelled. Paul cries not3 out of his Persecutors, but of the law in his members, rebelling against the law of his mind. A gracious soul grieves more that God by his sin is grieved and dishonoured, then that for it he is afflicted and chastened. The heart feeling within her, the operation of the Serpents poison, runs from the thorns and thickets, and runs over he green and pleasant Pastures, that she may drink of the Fountain, and be cured: So gracious souls being sensible of the poison and venom of sin, runs from the Creatures that are but as thorns and thickets, and runs over their own duties and righteousness; which are but as pleasant Pastures to come to Christ the Fountain of Life, that they may drink of those Waters of Consolation, of those Wells of Salvation that be in him, and cast up, and cast out their spiritual poison, and ⟨p. 303⟩be cured for ever. Believers know that their sins do most pierce and grieve the Lord, they lie hardest and heaviest4 upon his heart, and are most obvious to his eye. The sin of Judah is written5 with a Pen of Iron, and with the point of a Diamond; their sins are6 against beams of strongest light, they are against the bowels of tenderest mercy, they are against the manifestations of greatest love, they are against the nearest and dearest relations, they are against the choicest and highest expectations. And this makes believing souls cry out, O a cure Lord! a cure Lord! O give me purging grace, give me purging grace; though I should never taste of pardoning mercy, yet give me purging grace. It was a notable Speech of Csmus Duke o Florence, I have read (saith he) that I must forgive my enemies, but never that I must forgive my friends. The sins of Gods friends, of Gods people, provoke him most, and sad him most; and this makes them sigh and groan it out, Who shall deliver us from this body of death. O but now wicked men labour, not that sin may be cured, but only that sin might