A77608:438
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.
Ah but Hypocrites and Temporaries are not carried forth in their Obedience, from such precious, and glorious principles; and therefore it is, that God casts all their services as dung in1 their faces. And as that Obedience which accompanies Salvation flows from inward Spiritual Principles, so it flows from holy and heavenly Motives, as from the tastes of Divine Love, and the sweetness and excellency of communion with God, and the choice and precious discoveries that the soul in ways of Obedience hath2 had of the beauty and glory of God. The sweet looks, the heavenly words, ⟨p. 433⟩the glorious kisses, the holy embraces that the obedient soul hath had, makes it freely and fully obedient to the Word and Will of God. Ah! but all the Motives that move Hypocrites and carnal Professors to Obedience, are only external and carnal, as the eye of3 the Creature, the ear of the Creature, the applause of the Creature, the rewards of the Creature; either the love of the loaves, or the gain of4 custom, or the desire of ambition: sometimes they are moved to obedience from the fear of the Creature, and sometimes from the want of the5 Creature, and sometimes from the example of the Creature, and sometimes from vows made to the Creature; sometimes the frowns of God,6 the displeasure of God, the rod of God moves them to obedience; sometimes the quieting and stilling of Conscience, the stopping of the mouth of Conscience, and the disarming of Conscience of all her whipping, racking, wounding, condemning, terrifying, and torturing power, puts them upon some ways of Obedience. Their Obedience always flows from some ⟨p. 434⟩low, base, carnal, corrupt consideration, or other. O but that Obedience that accompanies Salvation, doth always flow (as you see) from inward and Spiritual causes, and from holy and heavenly Motives.