A77608:545
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.
First, That Hope that accompanies ⟨p. 524⟩Salvation, is, A grace of God, whereby1 we expect good to come, patiently waiting till it come. First, I call it a Grace of God, because he is the donor of it; and therefore he is called the God of Hope, Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing. Now God is called the God of Hope, because he is objectivè, the only object of our Hope, and he is effectivè, the only Author and Worker of Hope in the Soul. Hope is no natural affection in men, men are not born with hope in their hearts, as they are born with tongues in their mouths: Hope is nobly descended, it is from above, it is a heavenly Babe, that is formed in the soul of man by the power of the Holy Ghost. And as Hope is no natural affection, so Hope is no Moral virtue, which men may attain by their frequent actions; but Hope is a Theological virtue that none can give but God. Secondly, I say it is a Grace of God, whereby we expect good to come; I say good, not evil; for evil is rather feared, then hoped for by any. The object of this Hope hath four conditions. 1. It must ⟨p. 525⟩be Bonum, good. 2. Futurum, future. 3. Possibile, possible. 4. Arduum, hard or difficult to obtain. Thirdly, I say Hope is a Grace of God, whereby we expect good to come, patiently waiting till it come: Hope makes the Soul quiet and patient till it comes to possess the good desired and hoped for, Rom. 8. 25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. The Hebrew word (Kavah) that is often translated Hope, signifies a very vehement intention, both of body and mind, a stretching forth of the Spirit or Mind, in waiting for a desired good.2
First, That Hope that accompanies ⟨p. 524⟩Salvation, is, A grace of God, whereby1