THis more than flattering Glass, adorns all the Objects I look on thorow it, with a Variety of Colours, whose Vividness does as much charm my Sense, as their Nature poses my Reason; Without the help of the Sun, and Clouds, it affords me as many Rain-bows as I please. And not only when I look on Trees, and Meadows, and Gardens, and such other Objects that are of themselves acceptable to the Sight; this Glass lends them Ornaments above any they are beholden for, either to Nature, or Art: But when I cast my Eyes upon courser, and homely things, and ev’n on Dunghills, this favourable Interposer presents them to me in such curious and gawdy Colours, that it does not so properly hide their Deformities, as make them appear Lovely; so that which way soever I turn my Eyes, I find them saluted, as if I were in some Rich Jewellers Shop, with Saphires, Topazes, Emerauds, and other Orient Gems, the Vividness of whose Colours, may justifie those that think Colours to be but disguised Light, which, by these various Reflections, and Refractions, comes to be rather Dy’d than Stain’d.
But this Glass must as well afford me Instruction, as Delight, and ev’n by deceiving me, teach me: For thus, sinful Christians, when God looks upon them in themselves, must needs seem too Polluted, and Disfigur’d, not to appear Loathsom to Him, Who is of purer Eyes than to behold Inquity without Abhorrency; but when Christ interposes betwixt his Eyes and Us, we then seem far other things than otherwise we should, and not only we do not appear Filthy, but we do appear Lovely, if not Glorious. And as though, some Objects, as things purely White, and Flames, look better through this Glass, than homely and dirty ones; yet ev’n these, look’d upon through this Glass, are more Richly adorn’d, than the others beheld without it: So, whatever Difference there may be betwixt Persons that are either Innocent, or Exemplary, upon the bare account of Morality; and those ignorant or frail Children of God, that, in themselves consider’d, would be much inferiour to those newly mention’d; yet when these are look’d upon thorow Christ, they are much more acceptable in God’s Eyes, than the others consider’d out of him. And I shall add this further, that, whereas my looking upon Objects through the Prism, however it makes them appear to my Eyes, does work no real Change in the things themselves, but leaves those that were homely and foul before, foul and homely still; God’s gracious looking upon us in Christ, makes us by degrees become fit for his Goodness to take delight in, and has an improving and transfiguring Power on us, like the Sun, that cherishes Green and unblown Flowers, and paints them with their curiousest Colours, by his looking on them. Since then, the Scripture tells us, that we are not only reconcil’d to God, but, if I may so express it, are ingratiated and endeared to him in the Beloved; How much do we owe to that blessed Saviour, upon whose Account we enjoy the invaluable Priviledge to appear (and grow fit to do so) pleasing in God’s Eyes? which besides, that it is the highest Honour, leads to the highest Happiness; or rather, is the one as well as the other.
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