A77608:83
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.
It is the very drift and design of the1 whole Scripture to bring souls first to an acquaintance with Christ, and then to an acceptance of Christ, and then to build them up in a sweet assurance of their actual interest in Christ; which made Luther to say, That he would not live in Paradise if he might, ⟨p. 4⟩without the word, but with the word, he could live in hell it self.2 No Histories are comparable to the Histories of the Scripture; First, For Antiquity; Secondly, For Rarity; Thirdly, For Variety; Fourthly, For Brevity; Fifthly, For Perspicuity; Sixthly, For Harmony. And seventhly, For Verity. The Word evidences truth, it evinces falsehood; it fights against folly; it opens the bowels of mercy, and it assures believing souls of eternal felicity. That is a precious word3 in that Heb. 6. 18. God hath given us his word, his oath, his seal, that our consolation may be strong, and that our salvation may be sure. Now what comfort can a believer have without Assurance. It is the assurance of my interest in the land of Canaan, in Gospel cordials, in precious promises, and in a precious Christ that comforts and delights my soul. It is not enough to raise strong consolation in my soul, barely to know that there are Mines of gold, mountains of pearl, heaps of treasures, a land flowing with milk and honey; but it is the knowledge of my interest in these that ⟨p. 5⟩raises joy in my soul. To know that there are such things, and that I have no interest in them, is rather a vexation,4 then a consolation to me. To know that there is a feast of choicest Delicates, but not a taste for me, that there are pleasant fountains and streams, but I must perish for thirst in a wilderness; to know that there are royal Robes for such and such, but I must dye in my rags; to know that there is a pardon for such and such, but I must be turned off the ladder of life; to know that there is preferment for such and such, but I must still lie with Lazarus at Dives door; such knowledge as this may well add to my vexation, but it will not add to my consolation. It was rather matter of sorrow, then joy to the men