Heaven on earth - Brooks - VIII - Chapter 5 continued

Required reading
Heaven on earth by Thomas Brooks (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Chapter 5 (Shewing the several ways and means of gaining a well-grounded assurance) by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'Now, the second thing that I am to shew you is, what that faith is that accompanies salvation.'

My summary
This week we look 'knowledge' as the first of the things that should accompany eternal salvation.

Brooks teaches us the properties of the knowledge that accompanies salvation.  It is:
(i) working/operative;
(ii) transforming/metamorphosing;
(iii) experimental;
(iv) heart-affecting;
(v) world-despising/world-crucifying/world-contemning;
(vi) soul-abasing/soul-humbling;
(vii) appropriating benefits;
(viii) accompanied by the desires to know more of God, edify others, be zealous and have confidence in God.

What grabbed me
Today we received an excellent description of the way the heart is affected by knowledge of Christ: 'That knowledge that accompanies salvation is a heart-affecting knowledge. It affects the heart with Christ and all spiritual things. Oh, it doth wonderfully endear Christ and the things of Christ to the soul : Cant. ii. 5, ' Stay me with flagons, and comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love.' Oh, saith the spouse, my heart is taken with Christ, it is raised and ravished with his love ; my soul is burning, my soul is beating towards Christ. Oh, none but Christ, none but Christ ! I cannot live in myself, I cannot live in my duties, I cannot live in external privileges, I cannot live in outward mercies, I cannot live in common providences ; I can live only in Christ, who is my life, my love, my joy, my crown, my all in all. Oh, the hearing of Christ affects me, the seeing of Christ affects me, the taste of Christ affects me, the glimmerings of Christ affects me ; the more I come to know him in his natures, in his names, in his offices, in his discoveries, in his appearances, in his beauties, the more I find my heart and affections to prize Christ, to run after Christ, to be affected with Christ, and to be wonderfully endeared to Christ, Cant. v. 10.'

Christ is our first and last love!

Next week's reading
Continue Chapter 5 (Shewing the several ways and means of gaining a well-grounded assurance) by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'The third thing that I am to shew you is, what repentance that is that accompanies salvation.  That repentance doth accompany salvation I have formerly shewed.'

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.