to all thâ— Duty which they owe unto GOD. 4. Certainly were this Observation so far as it relates to the VVeaver or to any other Tradesman is justified it ought to lay a great Obligation upon them to the Service of GOD and all Acts of Obedience by which their Gratitude may be manifested Their Hearts should be taken up with the admiration of the Diviâ—e Goodness for they will find it easier to see the thing that it is so than to understand how anâ— why it is so The freedom of Divine Goodness is not onely seen in the effluxes and influences of Divine Grace bringing Salvation but also in the different Proportions of the morsels of Bread which GOD causeth in this Life to be caryed us It is not every one that begins with 〈◊〉 little Stock that grows rich though ten for one of those that do wax Rich raise it from a little Should not the Rich Man that is made Rich look back and say with Jacob Genesis 32.10 LORD I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all thy truth which thou hast shewn â—nto thy Servant for with my Staff have I passed over this Jordan and now am I become two hands Should not they say LORD my Family was small in England and little esteemed of I came to Town a Poor boy I had not 10 20 30 l. to begin with GOD hath made my ten pounds twenty my thirty pounds so many Hundreds perhaps whiles in the time I have lived in the City I have seen many a Rich Tradesman melt to nothing run the Country die in Goal many others are as poor as I was they are poor still want Bread for their Families I am full and rich and have need of nothing but a more thankful Heart What hath made the difference but only free Mercy To whom possibly GOD hath shewed Severity to me Goodness LORD what shall I render to thee What an Obligation should this lay upon such persons to be Rich in good works to do good and to distribute to give portions to Six and also to Seven in thankfulness to GOD who hath given such a portion to them My Heart-akes to see persons so scanty-handed as to Piety and Charity to whom GOD hath been so liberal Is it not the too ordinary Course of Men whom GOD hath thus exalted Assoon aâ— they get a little estate to think of nothing but purchasing coats of Arms for their Families adorning their Houses with Rich houshold-stuff providing only great portions for their Children and looking out great matches without regard to the Religion of the persons to whom they Marry them This is the great vanity of the Sonâ— of Men I tremble to say such of them as I also hope Grace hath made the Sons of GOD that when themselves have to an old age used nothing but a rake to scrape together a great Estate their last ambition is to purchase a Fork for a Luxurious Child or Children to scatter abroad all they have got Oh how doth this unthankful generation requite the liberality and bounty of a good and gracious GOD toward them How ill do they requite the GOD of all their mercies 5. Our wise GOD foresaw this Vanity in the Hearts of his People and therefore cautioned his People Deuteronomy 8.11 Beware lest thou forget the LORD thy GOD. verse 17. And say in thy Heart My Power and the might of my Hand hath gotten me this Wealth But thou shalt Remember the LORD thy GOD for it is he who giveth thee power to get Riches There are three or four Fountains from which the Riches of all Men flow Inheritance Marriage Gift Trading The Power of GOD is eminently seen in them all as to the two former they are confest in two ordinary English Sayings 1. GOD makes heirs 2. Matches are made in Heaven Nor I do think the Unsearchable Providence of GOD more seen in any two things in the world For that of making Heirs a thousand instances might be given My self knows a Person of Honour and great Estate betwixt whom and his Estate if I Remember Right were 18 or 19. did not GOD make this Noble Person the Heir The influence of GOD upon Marriage is a most Unaccountable Thing the Heiress or VVoman with a great Estate can give herself no account why she Loves and Chuseth such a Man yet she cannot but do it She must make him her Husband though it may be all her Friends and Neighbours wonder what she sees in him Not many grow Rich by Gifts but they who do so may easily see the Hand of GOD there too an Estate is given to one a Stranger nothing akin only because he is of the Rich Testators Name to another out of a peculiar kindness and fancy of which the receiver can give none or but a very slender account For an Estate got by Trading the Power of GOD enabling the Tradesman to get Riches is if not more yet every whit as evident Who is it that sends more Customers to one Shop than to another who gives one a better Judgement a better correspondent a better fancy than another Now certainly thâ—t GOD who giveth me power to get Wealth hath a Reasonable Right also to give me a Law how to use it when I have gotten it and it is because we see him not in thâ— Gift but say in our Heart Our power our wit and he mighâ— of our Hand hath gotten us this great Wealth Oâ— our Heart could never be lifted up and we forget the LORD our GOD. Lastly This Observation certainly should deliver us of any anxious Sollicitude for the posterity we shall leave behind us and reduce it to no more than a pious and moderate provident care for them I have desired to make it my Rule never to be further sollicitous for my Children than to give them a Good Education in Learninâ— Arts and Trades so as if they will but use their Diligent Hand by the supervening Blessing of GOD upon them they may have whereon to live in the World I have had many arguments that have induced me to it 1. I have said to my sâ—lf Who am I who thus labour and am so soâ—licitous for my Child VVhat did I begin the World with GOD hath given me enough and to spare It is very probable that had I began with two or three thousand pounds I hâ—d beeâ— a worser Man than I am VVhy should I distrust GOD for my Child who have had so much Experience of him for my self 2. Secondly I have observed That such sollicitude in Parents is generally inconsistent with the performance of those duties which a Man oweth to GOD to himself and to his neighbour Men cannot allow themselves Decent Food and Rayment they have no Money to lay out upon the most truly Pious and Charitâ—ble uses because they most provide great Estates for their Children Oh horrible Vanity O Miserable Unbelief 3. Thirdly I have said to my self For whom do I
wrought in Looms yet as the Prophet saith of the Threshers discretion Isaiah 28.29 This also came from the Lord of Hosts who is wonderfull in counsel and excellent in working if weaving as the Philosopher thinks were â—earnt from the Spider yet the Spider hath it from the Lord mighty in counsel He that teacheth the Warriours hands to War and his fingers to fight teacheth the Weaver also to mix his Yarns and to throw his Shuttle Sect. 3. The Weavers Trade then is Canonical An imployment of which God is not ashamed to be called the Father as to which he is pleased to imploy his own Spirit 'T is good to be in a Calling as to which we can say That God hath called us to it Pious Parents may have a little too much Zeal in refusing all but Scripture-Names for their Children the Scripture it self borrows Childrens Names from words significant of Mercy and Duty But those Parents are as much too careless who think they may give their Children the Names of Pagan Idols or otherwise foolish and insignificant There may be particular Imployments lawfull enough which are not Canonized by holy writ all things were not written what should the world then have done with the Books Trades are for necessary Uses and every Imployment of that nature not serving to maintain wickedness or meerly to debauch the World with Wantonness and Luxury are doubtlesse lawfull whether we can derive them from Scripture or no But certainly it is a satisfaction to a pious Tradesman when he can find the Name of his Trade written in that Book of Life This you see the VVeaver may if he cannot derive from Naamah yet he may derive from Bezaleel and Aholiab and they both derived from God Sect. 4. These Weavers were working for the Tabernacle Weaving then doth not only derive from God but may be usefull for God and that in Services which in the first degree are acceptable to him The excellency of a Trade derives from its usefâ—lness the Nobleness of it from the particular use to which it may be serviceable A Trade can serve no higher use than that of the Tabernacle This the Weavers Trade is here serviceable unto Your Bodies saith the Apostle are the Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 The Temple and Tabernacle differeth not in their end but in their Foundation only and Ornament The Temple was fixed the Tabernacle moving The Tabernacle in a more travelling Habit than the Temple Both Houses for the Lord God of Israel The Temple is made the Figure of Christ Joh. 2. Weaving then may be serviceable unto the Lord Jesus Christ yea it is so serviceable Let not the Eunuch say I am a dry tree let not the Weaver say I am a poor mean Trade He who in his Trade serves the highest Uses may contend with the noblest Tradesman let not the Weaver say then that he is of a mean Trade in Israel of a Family lightly esteemed of Kings Servants have no contemptible Notion The Dignity of a Trade is not beholden to the VVorld's estimate but to its own usefulness He that can work for a Tabernacle works for the highest end Sect. 5. But there is a difference yet betwixt working for the Tabernacle and working in the Tabernacle Bezaleel and Aholiab work for it but Aaron and his Sons only must work in it and No man taketh that honour to himself saith the Apostle but he who is called of God as Aaron was Let every man saith the Apostle abide in the Calling to which God hath called him When I consider the composition of the Tabernacle I find there no work for the Weaver but in the making the fine linnen in converting the Wooll offered of Blue Purple and Scarlet or working the Goats-hair offered into webs making the Hangings for the Court and the Door of the Court and the Clothes of Service the Holy Garments for Aaron the Priest and for his Sons to Minister in yet is not this to be despised he that makes but a Curtain for the Lords Tabernable certainly hath as high an Office as he who is but a Door-keeper in the House of the Lord which David preferred before a dwelling in the Tents of Wickedness Surely it is better to make a Garment for Aaron than a Shrine for Diana The lowest Room in Heaven is Heaven saith a grave Author though it be but behind the Door Vzzah must not touch the Ark though a Levite nor Saul nor Vzzah offer Sacrifices though both great Princes God's Church is like an Army which must march in Rank and File God saith the Apostle is a God of Order and not of Confusion The Weaver shall have his wages working for the Tabernacle though he wears not but only weaves the Holy Garments if he offers not a Bullock yet he offers a Turtle-Dove and young Pigeons he serves the Lord Christ though it be not at the Altar and doth any serve him for nothing Sect. 6. But the House in Shiloh is pull'd down and there is no more going up to Gibeon yea there is not one stone left upon another either in Solomons or Zorobabels or Herods Temple the Curtains are rent in pieces and the Holy Garments are worn out Is then the Weavers Trade antiquated Or is the usefulness of it for the Temple abolished Or need we to devise New Holy Garments for Priests to intitle them to an Imployment for God And must Hangings of Blue Purple and Scarlet again be made necessary No surely Know you not saith the Apostle to the Christian Corinthians that your Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost Temples in which the Lord dwells even he who dwells not in Temples made with hands If the Weaver cannot yet see himself at work for God's Tabernacles the fault is in his own Eyes or in the lust of his own Heart He that works for the clothing of the Naked is doubtless at work for God's Tabernacle Nay for that fixed Temple which he hath set up amongst the Sons of Men For the poor saith our Lord you have always with you The Weaver that made our Lords Seamless-Coat understood not what he did but had a noble Imployment That Coat was to cover the Person who was the Eternal Son of God but he never made more than that one for such an use Me saith Christ you have not alwayes he who wore that was presently to put on the Garments of Glory but he that Weaves for his Members hath a more standing work for GOD and so seems to be more blessed in his Imployment Our Saviour corrected the devout woman that cried out Luke 11.27 Blessed is the VVomb that bare thee and the Papes which thou hast Sucked by adding verse 28. Yea rather blessed are they that hear the VVord of GOD and keep it Doth any think Blessed was that VVeaver which wore the Seamless-Coat for him who was his Saviour who was an Instrument to cloth him with the Robe in which he was to appear before
Worldly Business which probably hath more of his Heart attending that than his Ear hath which heareth the Word of GOD. There is a time for all things saith Solomon but he who can find it no otherwise than thus indeed finds a time for nothing Sect. 11. The Weaver mixeth his Colours too when he hath a Piece to make of several Colours to the best Advantage for Beauty Party-coloured Garments were an Old Fashion 2 Samuel 13.18 Genesis 37.3 now where such a web is to be made the Colours must be rightly Ordered Mixed and Disposed one in Relation to another The Christians active Righteousness is also a Garment of Divers Colours his Duty made up of Various Duties and he never makes his web True or Beautifull if he doth not rightly dispose his Duties of several Colours Giving to GOD the things that are GODS and to Caesar the things that are Caesars rightly ordering himself in his or her Duty to Husband Wife Servants Master Parents Children Political Rulers Or to GOD if he doth not mix his Prayers with Praises his Reading with Hearing the Word Preached and all with Receiving the Lords Supper That 's the true Christian that rightly disposeth his Duties of the several Colours so as there is a due Proportion of all and a comely mixture of them all Sect. 12. The Weaver hath his Warp and his Woof his warp is the Foundation the woof is Superinduced by the Shuttle Now to make his Piece well 't is necessary the Warp be first laid and be sound and good and the woof must bear a proportion to it too Men skilled in the affairs of the world will tell us that the more * of the same kind homogeneal they both be the stronger the web is They say Webs of Silk and Yarn mixed are not so strong as those wholly of either Be that as it will a Christian must have his Warp and his Woof too His VVarp must be a Knowledge of the Truths of GOD His Woof Action upon that Knowledge That the Soul be without Knowledge is not good saith Solomon Proverbs 19.2 How can they believe in him of whom they have not heard Romans 10. Assoon can a Weaver make a Piece of Stuff without a warp as a Christian live an Holy Life without a skill in the Principles of Faith Yea and it must be a sound Knowledge too he must be skilled in the form of sound words else he buildeth without a Foundation or upon one that is False I know GOD in the Methods of his converting Providence begins two wayes working sometimes from the Heart to the Head first affecting the soul which being inflamed with a Love to GOD by and by looks to know the wayes of GOD more perfectly sometimes GOD works from the Head to the Heart reflecting Pieces of our Knowledge upon our Consciences but both wayes whaâ— I say is true A course and series of good and spiritual Actions must be directed by a knowing Head and an Head replenished with a sound Knowledge in spiritual Propositions I know that hay and stubble may be heaped upon a good Foundation and where it is so the Apostle hath told us the work will suffer Loss and the workman if he be saved will be sayed as through fire but it will be hard to make a good Building where the Foundation is but Hay and Stubble Nor will our spiritual web be strong if there be not a proportion betwixt the warp of Knowledge and Woof of Action where Knowledge is not sanctified and experimental the Action will bear a proportion to it and not be truly spiritual But where the Soul is filled with Knowledg and that of a spiritual sanctified Nature being turned into Faith and the Action is truly Spiritual in its Principal End as to the Manner of the Performance there is the True Piece of Righteousness there the wrap and woof are both of the same Kind that work and that alone will be accepted and receive the Crown-Seal of Well done Good and Faithfull Servant The Poem Best Trade which gives least time to sin Which souls can least be idle in Mettals with which we nothing doe Soon rust so souls when idle too The VVeaver hath his Market where He Buyes and often Payes too dear For a good peniworth he payes His soul in needless Yeaes and Nayes VVith which his heart doth not agree He thinks he puts a fallacy Vpon his Chapman and doth cheat Himself whiles for a little meat VVhich perisheth Integrity Is changed for Hypocrisie Vain man hath parted with his hope His souls sheet anchor for a rope And that of sand for hope doth break VVhen truth in heart man doth not speak Unto his neighbour or doth ill Psal 15. VVho doth such things and hopeth still To the holy Hill to come builds on No promises foundation VVhat need so many words when few VVe confess best because most true VVhat if my Chapman will do so Must I serve his corruption too Who grudgâ—â—â— scolds the final word Religious souls cannot afford Giving another Quid pro quo When doing it will souls undoe But do I think the market dear Grace-market is not so for there I without price buy better ware Yet like ill husbands will not spare My time and strength for that to buy At a cheap rate Eternity Let me dear markets Lord improve To raise the price of thy great Love Within my Heart to hast apace To the better market of thy Grace Which clotheth naked Souls for nought But what to nakedness them brought Help me my Works Yarns to Scowr with brine Of Poenitential tears Not mine But of thy gift too Let thy Blood Then Dye them Blessed Jesus These Foul tears will not cleanse them of Grease Let true End Principles be twin'd With a right manner holy mind Let my first and last Actions be Twisted in like sincerity Thus let me live and still walk on Twined in Saints Communion Sorting my Actions so that all May in their proper order fall Ordering their Colours so as I A Christian Life may beautify Lord give me a right warp Teach me What thy Truths what thy Statutes be Lord let me never build upon What is not thy Foundation And help me too as to my woof Or I shall never make good stuff Thus when my piece comes off my Loom I praising thee shall bring it Home My GOD shall have it all and He For ever shall my Master be CHAP. IV. The Art The Yarn being thus prepared the Weaver fastneth the Warp unto his Beam and divideth it his filling Boys prepare the Yarn for the Woof winding it on quils or pieces of reed which he afterwards puts into his Shuttle in order to his Work The Meditations Sect. 1. A Christians Web is his Holy Life made up of the many threeds of righteous Actions the Warp of which we have before found to be the Doctrine of Truth This too must be fastned about the Beam of the Loom 'T is
he a Master he may see his Servants thus serving him with such opportunities to give unto them that which is just and equal knowing that they also have a Master which is in Heaven and if he be a Servant his Master gratifies him with the like opportunity of Obedience unto GOD while he obeyeth in all things his Master according to the Flesh not with Eye-service as Men-pleasers but in singleness of Heart fearing GOD doing whatsoever he doth heartily as to the LORD knowing that of the LORD he shall receive the Reward of the Inheritance for he serveth the LORD CHRIST Colossians 3.22 with good-will doing Service as unto the LORD not to Men Ephesians 6.7 Not answering again not purâ—oyning but shewing all good fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine of GOD our SAVIOVR in all things Titus 2.10 Being subject with all fear not onely to the Gentle but to the Froward 1 Peter 2.18 The like may be said of all Relations yea every Providence of GOD every Natural and Civil Action of Humane Life supplies the Spiritual Weaver with Pipes to do his work by 4. The Weaver puts the Pipes or Quills which the Boys have fillell with Yarn for him into his Shuttle the hollow of his Shuttle in order to his work My Son saith Solomon if thou wilt receive my Words and hide my Commandments with thee c. Proverbs 2.1 why should not the hollow of the Shuttle put me in mind of the secret places of my Heart where the Spirituâ—l Weaver too must fasten every Pipe that he makes use of to compleat his VVeb of Righteousness It is not for nothing that we have in holy writ the Man according to GODS own Heart so often saying I will meditate on thy VVorks and in thy VVord Psalms 119.78 and 48.23 and 15.148 Psalms 77.12 He that never meditateth about his Duty with respect to every Providence every Relation is never like to do it The Weaver that intends to work puts every Pipe into the hollow of his Shuttle and makes it fast there whoso intendeth the performance of his spiritual work must go and do likewise VVhen the Providence of GOD gives him a New Relation he must be meditating what now is the will of GOD concerning me what is my Duty towards this VVife this Child this Servant and the sense of this Duty must be upon his Heart Meditation is the Soul 's Stand upon its Object The will of GOD in every Circumstance of his Life must not onely be received in his Understanding but hid in his Memory engraven upon his Heart and Affections set continually before his Eyes He will otherwise weave his Spiritual VVeb no better than the Weaver could weave his Cloth or piece of Stuff without a Pipe in his Shuttle Oh how many are there that neglect this they have a Duty to do in every Circumstance of their Lives a Duty toward their Relations a Duty with respect to GODS Providence as it is diversified to them but either they know it not being ignorant of the Scriptures or they remember it not or they love it not the Pipe is not in the Shuttle they can make no work Their Life is indeed a Life of Action they are throwing the Shuttle all the day long People of busie Heads and Hands but their time is spent as Seneca complained either in doing Nothing or in sinning which is a doing what is worse than Nothing or in doing other Things which signifie Nothing either to GOD'S Glory or their Eternal Happiness or in doing Things which though materially Good are formally Evil bonum non bene good Things spoiled in the Doing and all this for want of putting the Pipes in the Shuttle understanding the will of GOD concerning them under these or these Circumstances then hiding it in their Hearts and setting it before them as the Rule of their Lives and Conversations 5. Once more methinks I cannot but observe how the VVisdom of Divine Providence hath made VVork for all the Children of Men that as there was no Beggar in Israel so there need be no Beggars in England How many doth a single VVeaver imploy of all both Sexes and Sizes It must be an adult Man must VVeave but VVomen must Spin for him and Children must fill his Pipes It is the Reproach of England that there are so many Beggars in the Streets thereof when GOD hath furnished it with one little Beast whose Profit if improved would set them all to VVork and afford them Bread in the Sweat of their Face That we are full of Scandalous Beggars is not because the Providence of GOD hath not laid out VVork enough or the Trading of England is so little that it will not set them to it nor because the legislative Power hath not provided sufficient Laws but because they are so ill executed by inferiour Officers and Parents are suffered to bring up their Children in Idleness O England spit out thy Flegm shake off thy Sloth Honour GOD in the Substance and Increase which He hath given Thee It is nothing but Lust and Sloth that fills Thee with such Prodigious VVickedness and Reggary The Poem What this poor Child at my Command Doth reaching Pipes fill to my hand Which I first in my Shuttle hide Then weave my Web and am supplied With new ones by and by untill I my intended Task fulfill That every Providence Divine That every Period of Time Each new Relation Actions all Within my Sphere what-ere doth fall Doth to my Soul still offering me Renewed Opportunity To weave my Web of Righteousness That Men see not my Nakedness LORD give me in my Heart to hide Thy will and make it there to abide Thy will concerning me in all Periods of Life and things that fall Vnto my Shame Each circumstance May make me with thy help t' advance In Holiness Teach me t' improve All Pipes whether of frowns or Love Watching advantages to do The whole of what thou call'st me to And whiles thy Providence O GOD Bringeth me Pipes thy Staff thy Rod All fill them for me Let them be Accepted and wrought out for thee I stay not Lord for Pipes O may My busie Soul make no delay In work Work party-coloured With here a child's their father's threed Here let an Husband's duty run And there a Master's threed well spun All knit together by the band Of Love to thee and thy Command That when my Weaâ—ing time is gone My LORD may say to me Well done Beyond my Task I can do nought Let that but to an end be brought Which cannot be without thy skill Although thy self my Pipes dost fill CHAP. V. The Art The Weaver being thus prepared for his Work setteth himself to it swiftly throwing his Shuttle with one hand which he catcheth with the other not without some motion and imployment of his whole Body The Shuttle leaving a threed at every Cast of it betwixt the divided parts of the Warp which he uniteth to the other