A77608:378
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.
The second object that Faith is exercised about, is the Righteousness of ⟨p. 364⟩Jesus Christ. Phil. 3. 9. I desire to be found in Christ, not having my own Righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by Faith. Paul would not be found in a legal righteousness, for he knew all his legal righteousness was but as filthy rags,1 all his legal righteousness sowed together, would but make up a coat of patches, a beggars coat, that is good for nothing, but to be cast away; therefore he desired to be found in the righteousness of Christ by Faith; he knew that Christs righteousness was a pure righteousness, a spotless righteousness, a matchless righteousness, a complete righteousness, a perfect2 righteousness, an absolute righteousness, a glorious righteousness. Faith loves to fix her eye upon that rich and royal Robe, that blameless and spotless3 righteousness of Christ, wherewith the soul stands gloriously clothed before God, as being all fair, as being without spot or wrinkle in divine account. O it is the actings of Faith upon this blessed object, this glorious righteousness of Christ, that makes a ⟨p. 365⟩man familiar and bold with God, that makes a man active, and resolute for God, that strengthens a man against temptations, that supports a man under afflictions, that makes a man long for the day of his dissolution, that makes him prefer his Coffin above a Princes Crown, the day of his death above the day of his birth, that makes him triumph over Sin and Satan, Hell and Wrath. Adams righteousness4 was but the righteousness of a Creature, but the righteousness about which Faith is exercised, is the righteousness5 of a God. Adams righteousness was