A77608:488
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.
Tenthly, That Love that accompanies Salvation, shows it self by working the heart to be affected and afflicted with the least dishonours that are done to Christ. Love is curious of little things, it is as much afflicted with an idle word, or with an impure dream, as lovers of Christ are with adultery or blasphemy. David did but cut off the lap of Sauls Garment, and his heart •mote him, 1 Sam. 24. 5. Though he did it to convince Saul of his false jealousy, and his own innocency. Love will not allow of the least infirmity, Rom. 7. 15. That which I do, I allow not. Love will make a man aim at Angelical purity, and perfect innocency; love will be getting up to the top of Jacobs Ladder; love can rest in nothing below perfection: Love ⟨p. 479⟩makes a man look more at what he should be, then at what he is; it makes a man strive as for life, to imitate the highest examples, and to write after the choicest copies. Love fears1 every Image of offence, it trembles at the appearance of sin, it doth not, it cannot allow it self to do any thing that looks like sin, it hates the Garment spotted with the flesh, it shuns the occasions of sin, as it shuns Hell it self: This is the Divine curiosity and glory of a Christians love. Love says,2 It is better to die with hunger, then to eat that which is offered to Idols. I have read of a holy man, who out of his love to Christ, and hatred of Idolatry, would not give one half-penny toward the building of an Idols Temple, though he was provoked thereunto by intolerable torments. Love3 knows that the least evils are contrary to the greatest good, they are contrary to the Nature of Christ, the Commands of Christ, the Spirit of Christ the Grace of Christ, the Glory of Christ, the Blood of Christ. Love knows that little dishonours (if I may call any sin little) make way for ⟨p. 480⟩