Coloss 3. 3.
The Double Motion of Life
The poet describes life as having two motions—one visible and earthly, the other hidden and heavenly—and resolves to live for the eternal treasure above.
My words and thoughts both say the same thing: that life, like the sun, has a double motion. The first is straight, and our daily friend; the other is hidden, and bends on a slant.✦1 One life is wrapped in flesh, and tends toward earth; the other winds toward Him whose happy birth taught me to live here so that one eye should always aim and shoot at what is on high—laying aside all my pleasure through daily labor, to gain at harvest an eternal treasure.2
Read the original English
MY words & thoughts do both expresse this notiō That LIFE hath with the sun a double motion. The first IS straight, and our diurnall friend; The other HID, and doth obliquely bend. One life is wrapt IN flesh, and tends to earth; The other winds towards HIM, whose happie birth Taught me to live here so, THAT still one eye Should aim and shoot at that which IS on high: Quitting with daily labour all MY pleasure, To gain at harvest an eternall TREAsure.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Col.3.3 — For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Notes
- 1 ↩diurnall friend: the visible, daily (diurnal) course of the sun—our familiar companion—set against the annual/oblique course that is not obvious day by day.
- 2 ↩Quitting with daily labour all MY pleasure: rendered as relinquishing pleasure by means of (or in exchange for) steady daily work, not as quitting work itself.
The Temple: Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations companion
A prayer for every moment, already on your phone
Chosen Portion puts a curated historic prayer in front of you each day — so the words are there before the moment arrives.
Chosen Portion is the digital descendant of the carried prayer book: the short daily prayers this collection preserves, delivered one a day to your pocket.
- One short, memorable prayer delivered daily — build your repertoire a card at a time
- Prayers matched to real situations: fear, gratitude, decisions, grief, sleep
- Save favourites into your personal pocket collection you can open anywhere