A77608:97
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.
Seventhly, The Lord hath (in much mercy and love) propounded in his Word the ways and means whereby Believers may obtain a well-grounded assurance of their everlasting happiness and blessedness, and therefore it may be obtained; take three Scriptures to evidence this: The first is in that, 2 Pet. 1. chap. 5-13. if you1 turn to the words, you shall find that the Lord does not only press them to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure, but he shows them plainly the way, and means whereby this may be done, namely, by adding to your faith, virtue, and to virtue knowledge, &c. The second Scripture is2 that, in the 1 Cor. 11. 28. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. By ⟨p. 22⟩examination, the Soul comes to see what right it hath to Christ, and all the precious things of his House, and believingly to eat so of that Bread of Life, of that heavenly Manna, as that it may live for ever. The third Scripture is that, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine 3your selves whether ye be in the faith, prove your selves, know ye not your own selves how that Christ is in you except ye be reprobates? or unapproved, or rejected; by a serious examination of a mans own estate, he may know whether he hath faith or not, whether he be Christs Spouse, or the Devils strumpet, whether there be a work of grace upon his heart or not; and certainly it cannot stand with the glorious wisdom, unspotted righteousness, and transcendent holiness of God, to put men upon the use of such4 and such means, in order to the obtaining of such an end, if that end could not be obtained by the use of the means prescribed. Man, that hath but a spark of that wisdom, righteousness,5