A77608:593
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.
But me thinks I hear some precious Souls, saying, Sir, Quest. 1 we have, after much praying, weeping and waiting, gained this Pearl of price, Assurance: But, O how shall we do to strengthen it? How shall we do to keep it? Satan will labour to weaken our Assurance, and to rob us of this Jewel, that is more worth than a world; what means must we use to strengthen our Assurance, and to secure it? &c.
BUt me thinks I hear some precious Souls, saying, Sir, Quest. 1 we have, after much praying, weeping and waiting, gained this Pearl of price, Assurance: But, O how shall we do to strengthen it? How shall we do to keep it? Satan will labor to weaken our Assurance, and to rob us of this Jewel, that is more worth than a world; what means must we use to strengthen our Assurance, and to secure it? &c.
Now to this Question, I shall give these following Answers.
First, If you would have your Assurance strengthened and maintained, then keep close to Soul-strengthening1 ways, be serious and sincere, be diligent and constant in the use of those means and ways wherein you first gained Assurance, as Prayer, the Word, ⟨p. 580⟩breaking of Bread, Communion of Saints, &c. A conscionable and cordial2 use of holy and heavenly means is blessed, not only with a preservation of Assurance, but likewise with an addition and increase of it. The ways of God, and his goings in the Sanctuary, have wrought wonders upon thee, when thou wast dead, how much more will they work upon thee, and for thee, now thou art (by Grace made) alive? He that will not apply himself to Gods strengthening methods, will quickly find his Assurance weakened, if not wholly wasted. He that thinks himself too good for Ordinances, will quickly grow weak in his Assurance. The choicest Prophets, and highest Apostles (if I may so speak) that had attained to the fullest Assurance, kept close to the ways and precious institutions of Christ. Verily, those that pretend to live above Ordinances, and yet live below them, never knew by experience, what a mercy it was to have a well-grounded Assurance, or else they have lost that blessed Assurance that once they had, &c.