Heaven on Earth
A Treatise on Christian Assurance
Weight | 0.39 kg |
---|---|
Dimensions | 18.1 × 12.1 × 2.2 cm |
ISBN | 9781800402966 |
Binding | Paperback |
Format | Book |
Page Count | 320 |
Series | Puritan Paperbacks |
Original Pub Date | 1654 |
Banner Pub Date | Oct 1, 1961 |
This Edition | 2022 |
Endorsement
‘All saints shall enjoy a heaven when they leave this earth; some saints enjoy a heaven while they are here on earth. That saints might enjoy two heavens is the project of this book.’ — JOSEPH CARYL
Book Description
The subject of assurance is one of the most important elements in Christian experience. There is no higher privilege than to be a child of God and to know it, for assurance brings joy to worship and prayer, and provides strength and boldness to our witness. Correspondingly, failure and weakness in all these areas can often be traced back to a lack of assurance, or even false assurance. This work of Thomas Brooks, first published in 1654, deals with all of these aspects of assurance in a way that is both biblical and pastoral. Brooks ‘scatters stars with both his hands’ wrote C.H. Spurgeon. His teaching is clear, thorough and greatly needed in the present spiritual climate. Brooks both explains what true assurance is and guides the reader in how it may be fully experienced.
Table of Contents Expand ↓
Epistle to the Saints | 9 | |
Preface: The Nature of Assurance | 14 | |
CHAPTER I: PROOFS THAT BELIEVERS MAY IN THIS LIFE ATTAIN UNTO A WELL-GROUNDED ASSURANCE OF THEIR EVERLASTING HAPPINESS AND BLESSEDNESS | 16 | |
The basis of assurance | 16 | |
The purpose of Scripture is to help believers to obtain assurance | 16 | |
Many believers have obtained assurance | 18 | |
God has promised assurance to his people | 20 | |
The springs of assurance are in the saints | 21 | |
The Spirit of God exhorts to assurance | 24 | |
Means to be used to obtain assurance | 26 | |
The Lord’s Supper as related to assurance | 27 | |
The relation of assurance to rejoicing in the Lord | 28 | |
The clarity of Scripture on the differences between the righteous and the wicked | 29 | |
Assurance is not for Arminians | 30 | |
CHAPTER II: WEIGHTY PROPOSITIONS CONCERNING ASSURANCE | 33 | |
Seven reasons why God denies assurance for a time to some believers | 33 | |
Words used in Scripture to express assurance | 38 | |
True believers are saved even though they lack assurance | 40 | |
Six reasons why some do not attain assurance | 41 | |
God requires some believers to wait long for assurance | 47 | |
Assurance may be possessed and afterwards lost | 49 | |
Assurance is a personal matter | 52 | |
Nine special seasons when assurance is enjoyed: | ||
1. At conversion | 53 | |
2. Before engaging in hard or dangerous service | 58 | |
3. During times of waiting | 63 | |
4. During times of suffering | 65 | |
5. During “hearing and receiving” times | 73 | |
6. During times of personal afflictions | 82 | |
7. During seasons of prayer | 84 | |
8. Before conflicts with Satan | 90 | |
9. After conflicts with Satan | 90 | |
CHAPTER III: HINDRANCES AND IMPEDIMENTS THAT
KEEP POOR SOULS FROM ASSURANCE; WITH THE MEANS AND HELPS TO REMOVE THOSE IMPEDIMENTS AND HINDRANCES |
92 | |
The despairing of obtaining mercy | 92 | |
The disputing about things too high for our thoughts | 103 | |
The lack of self-examination | 105 | |
The entertaining of mistaken views about God’s work of grace | 107 | |
The grieving of the Holy Spirit by the believer | 108 | |
The judging of spiritual matters by mere feelings | 109 | |
The indulging of laziness and carelessness | 110 | |
The neglect of duties | 112 | |
The love of the world | 114 | |
The cherishing of secret sins | 116 | |
CHAPTER IV: MOTIVES TO PROVOKE CHRISTIANS TO BE RESTLESS TILL THEY HAVE OBTAINED A WELLGROUNDED ASSURANCE OF THEIR ETERNAL HAPPINESS AND BLESSEDNESS | 126 | |
Eleven motives why Christians should earnestly
seek after a well-grounded assurance: |
||
1. Many have been lost who thought they were saved | 126 | |
2. The world is full of deceivers | 127 | |
3. Assurance delivers from the burden of cares, fears, and doubts | 129 | |
4. Satan labours to keep Christians from assurance | 130 | |
5. A well-grounded assurance is of great value to a believer | 132 | |
6. Worldlings labour hard to secure the things of this life; saints should show equal ardour for better things | 134 | |
7. Assurance renders burdens light | 135 | |
8. God urges Christians to get assurance | 136 | |
9. Christians are seriously injured by the lack of assurance | 137 | |
10. Ten advantages which accompany assurance: | 139 | |
1) It produces heaven on earth | 139 | |
2) It sweetens life’s changes | 139 | |
3) It keeps the heart from desiring the world | 140 | |
4) It assists communion with God | 141 | |
5) It preserves from backsliding | 142 | |
6) It produces holy boldness | 142 | |
7) It prepares a man for death | 143 | |
8) It makes mercies taste like mercies | 145 | |
9) It gives vigour in Christian service | 145 | |
10) Leads to the soul’s enjoyment of Christ | 146 | |
11. A well-grounded assurance will keep a Christian from being deceived by counterfeits | 148 | |
CHAPTER V: WAYS AND MEANS OF GAINING A WELL-GROUNDED ASSURANCE | 150 | |
1. Be active in exercising grace | 150 | |
2. Assurance is obtained by obedience | 151 | |
3. Follow diligently the instructions of the Holy Spirit | 152 | |
4. Be diligent in attendance upon ordinances | 154 | |
5. Pay particular attention to the scope of God’s promises of mercy | 154 | |
6. Six matters in which Christ’s true followers are distinguished from all others | 161 | |
7. Seek to grow in grace | 171 | |
8. Seek assurance when the soul is in its best frames | 172 | |
9. Ascertain whether you have the things that accompany salvation; notably Knowledge, Faith, Repentance, Obedience, Love, Prayer, Perseverance, and Hope | 173 | |
The things that accompany salvation: KNOWLEDGE. | ||
It is operative | 177 | |
It is transforming | 178 | |
It is experimental | 180 | |
It is heart-affecting | 183 | |
It is world-despising | 185 | |
It is soul-humbling | 187 | |
It is appropriating | 189 | |
Knowledge has attendant graces | 191 | |
The things that accompany salvation: FAITH. | ||
The objects of Faith: | 194 | |
1. The Person of Christ | 195 | |
2. The righteousness of Christ | 195 | |
3. The promises of God | 198 | |
4. The future glory | 200 | |
The properties of Faith: | 201 | |
1. It promotes vitality | 202 | |
2. It grows | 204 | |
3. It belittles the glories of the world | 206 | |
4. It purifies the heart | 207 | |
5. It melts the soul | 210 | |
6. It overcomes the world | 212 | |
Strong Faith and Weak Faith | 213 | |
The things that accompany salvation: REPENTANCE. | ||
Repentance: its properties: | 216 | |
1. It effects a change in every part of a man | 216 | |
2. It is a turning from all sin | 217 | |
3. It is a turning to God | 218 | |
4. It strikes particularly at the sins to which a man was formerly most prone | 220 | |
5. It is comprehensive in its scope | 221 | |
6. It has appropriate attendants | 224 | |
7. It is a continued act | 224 | |
The things that accompany salvation: OBEDIENCE. | ||
1. It is hearty | 226 | |
2. It seeks to perform all God’s will | 227 | |
3. It flows from faith | 229 | |
4. It is ready, free, willing, and cheerful | 231 | |
5. It is resolute | 233 | |
6. Its aim is the divine glory | 234 | |
7. It is constant | 234 | |
8. It is passive as well as active | 236 | |
The things that accompany salvation: LOVE. | ||
The qualities of Love: | 237 | |
1. It is superlative | 237 | |
2. It is obedient | 238 | |
3. It is sincere | 239 | |
4. It is vehement | 241 | |
5. It is permanent | 241 | |
6. It is abounding | 242 | |
7. It cannot be hid | 244 | |
8. It delights to see the divine image in fellow-believers | 248 | |
9. It enables the soul to receive Christ’s rebukes | 252 | |
10. It laments over dishonours done to Christ | 253 | |
11. It keeps the heart for Christ alone | 254 | |
12. It delights in secret communion with Christ | 255 | |
13. It longs for the full assurance of Christ’s love | 256 | |
14. It enables the believer to commit his all to Christ | 257 | |
The things that accompany salvation: PRAYER. | ||
The requisites of prayer as a form of divine worship | 258 | |
Prayer betters the whole man | 265 | |
Eight differences between the prayers of the godly and those of the ungodly | 266 | |
The things that accompany salvation: PERSEVERANCE. | ||
The properties of Perseverance: | 272 | |
1. Perseverance appertains to a holy profession | 272 | |
2. It appertains to holy and spiritual principles | 272 | |
3. It is an abiding in the doctrine of Christ | 273 | |
4. It is a continuance in gracious actions | 274 | |
The things that accompany salvation: HOPE. | ||
The nature of Hope | 275 | |
Hope expects and waits patiently for promised good | 276 | |
The properties of Hope: | 279 | |
1. It raises the heart to live above | 280 | |
2. It strengthens the soul against afflictions and temptations | 280 | |
3. It makes the soul lively and active | 281 | |
4. It gives the believer great quietness | 282 | |
5. It causes the soul to wait patiently for delayed mercy | 283 | |
6. It purifies the soul | 284 | |
7. It never dies | 285 | |
CHAPTER VI: THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A TRUE AND A COUNTERFEIT ASSURANCE, BETWEEN SOUND ASSURANCE AND PRESUMPTION | 288 | |
A well-grounded assurance bears these following marks: | ||
1. It is attended by a deep admiration of God’s love and favour in Christ | 288 | |
2. It causes the soul ever to seek a fuller enjoyment of God and Christ | 289 | |
3. It is usually strongly assaulted by Satan | 289 | |
4. It makes a believer bold | 291 | |
5. It makes a believer seek the happiness of other men | 292 | |
6. It strengthens a believer against all sin | 293 | |
7. It is attended by love, humility, and joy | 295 | |
8. It springs from the witness of the Holy Spirit | 297 | |
The characteristics of the Holy Spirit’s witness: | ||
1. It is inward and secret | 298 | |
2. It is gained in holy ways | 299 | |
3. It is clear, full, and satisfying | 299 | |
4. It is not operative in all believers | 300 | |
5. It is a sure testimony | 301 | |
6. It is always accompanied by the testimony of our own spirit | 302 | |
7. It is always according to Scripture | 302 | |
8. It is holy | 303 | |
9. It is only bestowed on renewed hearts | 304 | |
CHAPTER VI: ANSWERS TO SEVERAL SPECIAL QUESTIONS ABOUT ASSURANCE | 306 | |
Nine methods whereby assurance may be strengthened and maintained | 306 | |
Six methods whereby souls which have lost assurance may be kept from fainting | 311 | |
Five methods whereby souls which have lost assurance may recover it | 315 | |
Conclusion | 317 |
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Explains the nature of assurance and how it can be experienced. 320pp.
Robert Norman –
Heaven on Earth is a great book on the assurance of faith. If you are lacking assurance, then Brooks will encourage and challenge you all in one great little book.
Pete Hogan –
I heard Ian Murray and John MacArthur on YouTube discussing books. Ian listed his “top 3 Puritan works every Christian should read.”: Westminster Shorter Catechism, Heaven on Earth (Thomas Brooks) and Nature and Causes of Apostasy (John Owen). I believe he then snuck in another, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, (Thomas Brooks).
The deep, deep truths from these works have been poured into my heart’s well and God has brought circumstance into my life where I have been able to draw from the well and help to guide others with truth and love to further the Gospel. Glory! Thank you, Ian, John and Banner!