A77608:354
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.
First, That Knowledge that accompanies salvation, is a working Knowledge,1 an operative Knowledge, 2 Cor. 11. 6. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ: Divine light reaches the heart as well as the head. The beams of Divine light shining in upon the soul through the glorious face of Christ, are very working; they warm the heart, they ⟨p. 328⟩affect the heart, they new mould the heart. Divine knowledge masters the heart, it guides the heart, it governs the heart, it sustains the heart, it relieves the heart. Rom. 6. 6. We know that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth 2we should not serve sin. Divine knowledge puts a man upon crucifying of sin, it keeps a man from being a servant, a slave to sin, which no other knowledge can do. Under all other knowledge, men remain servants to their lusts, and are taken prisoners by Satan at his will. No knowledge lifts a man up above his lusts, but that which accompanies salvation. The wisest Philosophers, and the greatest3 Doctors, under all their sublime notions, and rare speculations, have been kept in bondage by their lusts. That knowledge that accompanies salvation, is operative knowledge. 1 John 2. 3, 4. And hereby we do know, that we know him, if we keep his Commandments. He that saith I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a liar, and the 4truth is not in him. By keeping his Commandments they did know, that ⟨p. 329⟩they did know him; that is, they were assured that they did know him. To know that we know, is to be assured that we know. So in