A77608:400
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.
that those ears which were wont to hear nothing but Hallelujahs, should hear nothing but Blasphemies; that that face that was white and ruddy, should be spit upon by the beastly Jews; that that tongue that spake, as never man spake, yea, as never Angel spake, should be accused of blasphemy; that those hands which swayed both a Golden Sceptre, and an Iron Rod; and those feet that were as fine-brass, should be nailed to the Cross; and all this for mans transgression, for mans rebellion. O the sight of these things, the believing of these things, the acting ⟨p. 396⟩of Faith on these things, makes a gracious soul to break and bleed, to sigh and groan, to mourn and lament: That Faith that accompanies Salvation, is more or less a heart-breaking, a heart-melting Faith.
that those ears which were wont to hear nothing but Hallelujahs, should hear nothing but Blasphemies; that that face that was white and ruddy, should be spit upon by the beastly Jews; that that tongue that spake, as never man spake, yea, as never Angel spake, should be accused of blasphemy; that those hands which swayed both a Golden Scepter, and an Iron Rod; and those feet that were as fine-brass, should be nailed to the Cross; and all this for mans transgression, for mans rebellion. O the sight of these things, the believing of these things, the acting ⟨p. 396⟩of Faith on these things, makes a gracious soul to break and bleed, to sigh and groan, to mourn and lament: That Faith that accompanies Salvation, is more or less a heart-breaking, a heart-melting Faith.
The sixth Property of that Faith that accompanies Salvation, is this, It is a world-conquering faith, it is a world over-coming faith. 1 John 5. 4. For whatsoever is born of God, over-cometh the world; and this is the victory that over-cometh the world, even our Faith. Faith overcomes the frowning world, and the fawning world, the tempting world, and the persecuting world, and that it doth thus. First, Faith by uniting the soul to Christ, doth interest the soul in all the victories and conquests of Christ, and so makes the soul a conqueror with Christ.