Christian Observations and Resolutions, Observations · Observation 99
99. The sight of a new and a better World in this olde bad one.
…EE are called vntounto, and doe professe a Pilgramage in this world, but how few doe either vnderstand or practise it? Some professe a contempt of it, and yet oft-times are courting its applause by that contempt.
He is as well a slaue of the world, who thirsteth her applause, as he who courteth her vanities, and that far more; because her applause is her vainest vanities: And others possiblie shift themselues both of her vanitie and louelove, and yet are not fastned on a better. Hee is foolish who loseth one thing, & findeth not another.
But the truelie godly man, seeth and followeth a better world in this wicked one, wee hauehave in this visible world, an Heauen, and Starres, Earth, Aire, and Creatures for our temporall vse: But the spirituall eye taketh vp an higher one: Hee seeth GOD for his Sunne, and from his Face taketh his Light, from his LoueLove his Warmenesse, from his Presence his Seasons: It is light and Day, when he shyneth on our Soule in the Face of Christ: It is Night & horrible darknesse when he hydeth his Face. The course of his times, run not as in the world: The heauenly Day may fall at the midst of the naturall night, & heauenly Summer and Haruest in the midst of the naturall winter. Euen at mid-night it is mid-day, in that Soule where God maketh our reines to teach vsus knowledge.
All Seasons are numbered by his F…ce allcane…lie: The earth of this world, is the Rocke of Syon, Iesus Christ. No stabilitie or rest to the Soule, but in him: The Aire is the sense of his Fauour and the comfortable Creatures are his Saintes, who walke with him in righteousnesse and holinesse.
This heauenlie world is better, than that visible one, and will remaine when the other is destroyed. It is a strange conceate in them, who by an odde Prospect seeth an earth, and cities, and men in the Moone: That fiction and fansie is verified in this Trueth: The spirituall man seeth this heauenly world in the temporall one.
And with that same light, hee seeth an hellish world in this visible one: For what is Sathan abusing the world, and leading it in euill? but erecting of a world of his owne, in the defacing of this created world.
These are solide groundes, to make vsus strangers on earth, and Burgesses in Heauen, when wee take vp these worlds distinctlie: And the more cleerelie wee see them, there will bee lesse difficultie to forsake the euill, and …eeke the good one: Let the men of this world reckon their Seasons, Tymes, and Occasions by this world that they see: Our reckoning is better and surer by that supernaturall one. They change their Almanackes from time to times: But our Sun of Righteousnesse shall distinguish our Seasons, and shine vponupon vsus both in this life and in Heauen.
This sight is the worke of a new light and is to be found only in the new man whom God hath ordained for the new Heauen and for the new Earth: His Calender is neither directed by Starres in heauen, nor Tydes in the Sea, nor Horologes on the Earth: His Sunne and starres is Gods Face, his Tydes are the ebbing and flowing of the influences of Grace: And his Horologe the secret, yet the strong motions of Gods Spirit, showing the increase of Grace in the owne periods, though the promouing of it bee oft-ten hid from vsus.
This Earth is a sort of mids betweene Heauen and Hell, and yet both of them hauehave their image & beginning in it: We are called to forsake the euill, and seeke the good, and what worse than Satan, and sin…e, and the wicked? And what better than GOD, his Grace, and his Sainctes,? If wee see these distinctlie, we shalbe the more enabled to moue our selfe from the euill to the good. This sight is the worke of Grace, but the naturall man taketh all confusedly, he neither seeth nor seeketh better than the world: And if he make any distinction, it is false, hee forsaketh good as an euill, and cleeueth to euill as his happinesse.