A77608:454
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.
Thirdly, That Love that accompanies Salvation, is a sincere and incorrupt love. Eph. 6. 24. Grace be with all 1them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. The true bred Christian (Amat Christum, propter Christum) loves Christ for Christ; he loves Christ for that internal and eternal worth that is in him; he loves him for his incomparable excellency and beauty, for that transcendent sweetness, loveliness, holiness, and goodness, that is in him; he is none of those that loves Christ for loaves, neither will he with Judas, kiss Christ, and betray him; nor yet will he with those in2 the Gospel, cry out, Hosanna, Hosanna, one day; and Crucify him, crucify him, the next. They love Christ with a Virgin love, Cant. 1. 3. The Virgins love thee. They love thee in much sincerity, purity, and integrity; they love thee for that fragrant savour, for that natural sweetness, for that incomparable goodness that is in thee; so in the fourth Verse, The upright love thee, or as it is in the Hebrew, Uprightnesses ⟨p. 452⟩3love thee; Uprightnesses being put for upright ones, the abstract for the concrete;4 or, they love thee in uprightnesses, that is, most uprightly, most entirely, most sincerely; and not as Hypocrites, who love thee for base, carnal respects; who love thee in complements, but not in realities; who love thee in word and tongue, but despise thee in heart and life; who love the gift, more then the giver. That Love that accompanies Salvation, is real and cordial Love, it is sincere and upright love; it makes the Soul love (Christ) the giver, more then the gift; it makes the Soul love the gift for the givers sake, it will make the Soul to love the giver without his gifts.
Thirdly, That Love that accompanies Salvation, is a sincere and incorrupt love.