A77608:613
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.
Happiness lies not in any transient act of the Spirit, as Assurance is, but in the more permanent and lasting acts of the Spirit. The Philosopher could say, That he was never a happy man, that might afterwards become miserable. If a mans Eternal Happiness did lie in the Assurance of his Happiness, then ⟨p. 593⟩might a man be crowned with Xerxes's Steersman in the Morning, and be beheaded with him in the Evening of the same day.
But this is the Believers Blessedness, That his condition is always good, though he doth not always see it to be good; that his state is always safe, though it be not always comfortable.
But this is the Believers Blessedness, That his condition is always good, though he doth not alwayes see it to be good; that his state is always safe, though it be not alwayes comfortable.
The third Support to keep those Support 3 precious Souls from fainting and sinking, that have lost that sweet Assurance that once they had, is, to consider, that though their loss be the greatest and saddest loss that could befall them, yet it is a recoverable loss, it is a loss that may be recovered, as the Scriptures in the Margin do clearly1 evidence. And doth not this age, as well as former, furnish us with many instances of this kind? Doubtless, many there are among the precious Sons and Daughters of Zion, that have lost this Pearl of price, and after waiting, weeping, and wrestling, have found it again; therefore be not discouraged, O sighing, losing Souls. In the loss of emporals, it is a great support to ⟨p. 594⟩