A77608:367
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.
Seventhly, That Knowledge that accompanies salvation is an appropriating knowledge; a knowledge that appropriates and applies spiritual, and heavenly benefits to a mans own particular soul. As you may see in Job, my 1Redeemer lives, and my witness is in Heaven, and my record is on high: So David, the Lord is my portion, in Psal. 218. 2. he useth this word of propriety eight times together, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust, my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high Tower. So the Spouse, my Beloved is mine, and I am 3his. So Thomas, My Lord and my God. So Paul, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless, 4I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who hath loved me and gave himself for me. Applicatory knowledge, is the sweetest ⟨p. 353⟩knowledge, it revives the heart, it cheers the spirits, it rejoices the soul, it makes a man go singing to duties, and go singing to his grave, and singing to Heaven. Whereas others5 (though gracious) that want this applicatory knowledge, have their hearts full of fears, and their lives full of sorrows, and so go sighing and mourning to Heaven. But lest any precious soul should turn this Truth into a sword to cut and wound himself, let me desire him to remember that every Believer that hath such knowledge that accompanies salvation, hath not6 this applicatory knowledge that makes so much for the souls consolation, and that doth accompany some mens salvation (I say not all mens salvation.) if thou findest thy knowledge to be such a knowledge as is before described in the six former particulars, though thou hast not attained to this applicatory knowledge, yet hast thou attained to that knowledge that accompanies salvation, and that will (my soul for thine) give thee a possession of salvation. This applicatory knowledge that accompanies salvation,