A77608:584
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 testimony and witness of the Spirit of Christ, is a clear, a •ul, a satisfying testimony and witness, the soul sits down under the home reports1 of the Spirit, & saith, Lord it is enough, the soul being full sits down and sweetly sings it out, My beloved is mine, and 2I am his, I am my well-beloveds and his desire is towards me. The Lord is my portion 3and the lot of mine inheritance. I have none in Heaven but thee, neither is there ⟨p. 568⟩any on earth that I desire in comparison of 4thee. Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. Make haste my beloved, 5&c. Such power, majesty, and glory attends the glorious testimony of the Spirit of Christ, as scatters all clouds, as resolves all doubts, as answers all objections, as silences the wrangling soul, &c. If the testimony of the Spirit of Christ were not a full satisfying testimony, it could never fill the soul with such joy as is unspeakable and full of glory, and with such peace as passes understanding; if the testimony were not satisfactory the soul would still be under fears and doubts, the heart would still be a wrangling and quarrelling, I may perish, and I may be undone, I may have the door of Mercy shut against me, &c. If you bring news to a condemned person that the King hath pardoned him, and that he will receive him to favour, and confer such and such dignity upon him, yet this doth not quiet him, nor satisfy him, till he knows it is the Kings act, till he is satisfied in that, he cannot say it is enough, he cannot be cheerful, he cannot be delightful. &c. But when ⟨p. 569⟩he is satisfied that it is the Kings act, that the King hath certainly done this, and that for him, then he is satisfied, and then sighing and mourning flies away, and then he rejoices with joy unspeakable. So it is with a believing Soul under the testimony and witness of the Spirit of Christ.