A77608:435
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.
Secondly, That Obedience that accompanies Salvation, is universal as well as cordial; the soul falls in with ⟨p. 427⟩every part and point of Gods will, so far as he knows it, without prejudice or partiality, without tilting the balance on one side or another. A soul1 sincerely obedient, will not pick and choose what commands to obey, and what to reject, as Hypocrites do; he hath an eye to see, an ear to hear, and a heart to obey the first Table as well as the second, and the second as well as the first; he doth not adhere to the first and neglect the second, as Hypocrites do; neither doth he adhere to the second and contemn the first, as profane men do; he obeys not out of humour, but out of duty; he obeys not out of choice, but out of conscience. Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy Commandments. Look as Faith never singles out his object, but lays hold on every object God holds forth for it to close with; Faith doth not choose this truth, and reject that, it doth not close with one, and reject another; Faith doth not say, I will trust God in this case, but not in that; I will trust him for this mercy, but not for that mercy; I will trust him in this way, ⟨p. 428⟩but not in that way; Faith doth not choose its object; Faith knows that he is powerful and faithful that hath promised, and therefore Faith closes with one object, as well as another: So a true obedient soul singles not out the commands of God, as to obey one, and rebel against another; it dares not, it cannot say, I will serve God in this command, but not in that. No: In an Evangelical sense it obeys all, Luk. 1. 5, 6. Zechariah and Elizabeth were both righteous before God, walking in all 2the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord, blameless. They walked not only in Commandments, but also in Ordinances; nor only in Ordinances, but also in Commandments. They were good souls, and good at both. A man sincerely obedient lays such a charge upon his whole man, as Mary, the Mother of Christ, did upon all the servants at the Feast,