A77608:377
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, The person of Christ is the1 object of Faith, it is Christ in the Promises that Faith deals with. The Promise is but the Shell, Christ is the Kernel; the Promise is but the Casket, Christ is the Jewel in it; the Promise is but the field, Christ is the Treasure that is hid in that field; the promise is a Ring of Gold, and Christ is the Pearl in that Ring; and upon this sparkling, shining Pearl, Faith delights2 most to look. Cant. 3. 4. It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth. I held him, and I would not let him go, until I ⟨p. 363⟩had brought him into my Mothers house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. So in Cant. 7. 5. The King is held 3in the Galleries. Faith hath two hands, and with both she lays earnest and fast hold on King Jesus. Christs beauty and glory is very taking, and drawing, Faith cannot see it, but it will lay hold on it. Christ is the principal object about which Faith is exercised, for the obtaining of Righteousness, and Everlasting Happiness. Acts 16. 30, 31. And the Jailer said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Christ is in a world of Scriptures held forth to be the object about which Faith is most conversant; and the more Faith is exercised upon the person of Christ, the more it buds and blossoms like Aaron's Rod. Faith looks upon him, as the express Image and Character of his Father: Faith beholds him as the chiefest of ten thousand: Faith sees him to be the most glorious object in all the World.
First, The person of Christ is the1 object of Faith, it is Christ in the Promises that Faith deals with. The Promise is but the Shell, Christ is the Kernel; the Promise is but the Casket, Christ is the Jewel in it; the Promise is but the field, Christ is the Treasure that is hid in that field; the promise is a Ring of Gold, and Christ is the Pearl in that Ring; and upon this sparkling, shining Pearl, Faith delights