A77608:90
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.
As Faith, so Hope is another spring of Assurance, Col. 1. 27. Christ in you (saith Paul) the hope of glory. So Heb. 6. 19. which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil. Hope taketh fast hold upon heaven it self, upon the sanctum sanctorum. A Christians hope is not like that of Pandora, which may fly out1 of the box, and bid the soul farewell, as the hope of the hypocrites do; no, it is like the morning light, the least beam of it shall commence into a complete Sun-shine, it shall shine forth brighter and brighter till perfect day. When Alexander went upon a hopeful expedition, he gave away his gold, and when he was asked what he kept for himself, he answered (Spem majorum & meliorum) the hope of greater and better things. So a Christian will part with any thing rather then with his hope; he knows that hope will keep the heart both from aching, and breaking, from fainting, and sinking; he knows that ⟨p. 14⟩hope is a beam of God, a spark of glory, and that nothing shall extinguish it, till the soul be filled with glory. Souls that are big in hope, will not be long without sweet assurance. God loves not to see the hoping soul go always up and down sighing, and mourning for want of a good word from heaven, for want of possessing what it hopes in time to enjoy: hold out hope and patience, a little, little longer, and he that hath promised to2 come, will come, and will not tarry.
As Faith, so Hope is another spring of Assurance, Col. 1. 27. Christ in you (saith Paul) the hope of glory. So Heb. 6. 19. which hope wee have as an anchor of the soule, both sure and stedfast, and which entreth into that within the vaile. Hope taketh fast hold upon heaven it selfe, upon the sanctum sanctorum. A Christians hope is not like that of Pandora, which may flye out