A77608:525
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, The Stream and Cream of a gracious Mans spirit, runs most out in Prayer, after Spiritual and Heavenly1 things, as is abundantly evident by those Prayers of the Saints that are upon record throughout the Scripture: But the Stream and Cream of vain ⟨p. 509⟩mens spirits in Prayer runs most out after poor, low, carnal things, as you may see in comparing the following Scriptures together, Hos. 7. 14. Zach. 7. 5, 6, 7. Jam. 4. 3, &c.
- 1Psal. 4. 6, 7. & 27 4.
Fourthly, A gracious Soul looks and lives more upon God in Prayer, then upon his Prayer: He knows, though Prayer be his Chariot, yet Christ is his food: Prayer may be a staff to support him, but Christ is that Manna that must nourish him; and upon him he looks, and lives. Psal. 5. 3. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, (or Martial, and set in order my Prayer, as it is in the Hebrew) and will look up (or look out, as it is in the Hebrew)1 as a watchman looks out to discover the approaches of an enemy: But vain men, they live and look more upon their Prayers, then they do upon God; Nay, usually they never look after their Prayers, they never observe what returns they have from Heaven; they are like those that shoot Arrows, but do not mind where they fall. Wicked men think it is Religion enough for them to pray, and to look after their prayers, to see how their prayers speed