A77608:361
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.
Hence it is, that such men under all their notions, under all their light and knowledge, have no affection to Christ, no delight in Christ, no workings of heart after Christ. Well Reader, remember this, if thy knowledge doth not now affect thy heart, it will at last with a witness afflict thy heart; if it doth not now endear Christ to thee, it will at last the more provoke Christ against thee; if it doth not make all the things of Christ to be very precious in thy eyes, it will at last make thee the more vile in Christs eyes. A little knowledge that divinely affects the heart, is infinitely better then a world of that swimming knowledge that swims in the head, but never sinks down into the heart, to the bettering ⟨p. 343⟩to the warming, and to the affecting of it. Therefore strive not so much to know, as to have thy heart affected with what thou knowest. For heart-affecting knowledge is the only knowledge that accompanies salvation, that will possess thee of salvation.
Hence it is, that such men under all their notions, under all their light and knowledge, have no affection to Christ, no delight in Christ, no workings of heart after Christ. Well Reader, remember this, if thy knowledge doth not now affect thy heart, it will at last with a witnesse afflict thy heart; if it doth not now indear Christ to thee, it will at last the more provoke Christ against thee; if it doth not make all the things of Christ to be very precious in thy eyes, it will at last make thee the more vile in Christs eyes. A little knowledge that divinely affects the heart, is infinitely better then a world of that swimming knowledge that swims in the head, but never sinks down into the heart, to the bettering ⟨p. 343⟩to the warming, and to the affecting of it. Therefore strive not so much to know, as to have thy heart affected with what thou knowest. For heart-affecting knowledge is the onely knowledge that accompanies salvation, that will possess thee of salvation.
Fifthly, That Knowledge that accompanies