A77608:395
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.
and from thence, Faith gives the soul a sight, a prospect of all things here below. And, ah how like Birds Nests does all the riches, braveries, and glories of this world look, and appear to ⟨p. 387⟩them, that Faith hath set upon Gods high Hill. Faith having set Luther upon this high Hill, he protests, that God should not put him off with these poor, low things. Faith set Moses 1high, it set him among invisibles, and that made him look upon all the treasures, pleasures, riches, and glories of Egypt, as little Birds-Nests, as Mole-hills, as dross and dung; as things that were too little, and too low for him to set his heart upon. Verily, when once Faith hath given a man a sight, a prospect of Heaven, all things on Earth will be looked upon, as little and low. And so much for this third Property of Faith.
- 1Heb. 11.
The fourth Property of that Faith that accompanies Salvation, is this, It purifies the heart, it is a heart-purifying1 faith: Purifying their hearts by faith. Faith hath two hands, one to lay hold on Christ, and another to sweep the heart, which is Christs house. Faith knows that Christ is of a Dove-like nature, he loves to lie clean, and sweet; Faith hath a neat Housewife's hand, as well as an Eagles eye; Faith is as good at purging out of sin, as it ⟨p. 388⟩is at discovering of sin. There is a cleansing quality in Faith, as well as a healing quality in Faith. Sound faith will purge the soul from the love of sin, from a delight in sin, and from the2