woven threeds by the continual motion of his Slea In the mean time his Feet are moving the Treddles which raising the heavels do part the Warp and are continually making a new room for the Shuttle In the mean time a pair of Temples spread upon the Web keep it fixed and extended advantaging the Weaver in his Work Some Webs are of that Breadth that a single Person cannot work them in such Cases two Weavers are employed each at the Extremities of the Loom catching and returning the Shuttle which his Partner throws The Meditations 1. OUR Spiritual Weaver is the good Christian his fâ—stening his Warp to his Beam is the rooting of his Soul in Faith To him every diversified Providence supplies the place of a Filling-boy offering him matter to work with and upon in making his VVeb of Holiness We have seen him set in his Loom fixed to his Work resolved to have respect to all GODS Commandments Now how quick doth he throw his Shuttle from one hand to another This is that which the Scripture calls a Running after GOD. Draw me saith the Spouse and we will run after thee Canticles 1. 4. I wiâ—l run the wayes of thy Commandments saith the Man according to GODS own Heart Psalms 119.32 The VVeaver works Early and Late from Four in the Morning till Eight at Night The good Christian also preventeth the Morning-Watches Psâ—l 119 1â—8 and mediâ—ates of GOD in the Niâ—ht-Watches Psalms 63.6 he awaketh Early in the Morning and Early seeketh GOD. Psalms 57.8 and 63.1 and 108 2. Isaiah 26.9 he is throwing his Shuttle working the work of GOD all the Day long Evening and Morning and at Noon be Prays and Crys aloud Psalms 55.17 2. The Shuttle mâ—veth swiftly and thus also ruâ— the Dayes of the Weavers Life my Dayes saith Job are swifter than a VVeavers Shuttle As swift as the Shuttle will run The VVeaver thinks himself concerned to be at his Loom betimes that his Task may be done by Night Because the Christians Dayes are swifâ—er than a VVeavers Shuttle he is highly concerned to be up betimes Remembring his Creâ—â—or in the Dayes of his Youth Ecclesiasticus 12.1 and as he hath need in the Morning to be throwing his Shuttle so in the Evening his hand must not be slack not only because he will else not finish his Course but because the spiritual work is of that Nature that as a Piece of Cloth or Stuff not Finished is fit for no Use but will all Ravel out so if a Righteous Man forsake his Righteousness and commit iniquity his Righteousness shall never be remembred but he shall Die in the Iniquity which he hath committed A Christians work is like rolling a stone up an Hill from which if the hand ceaseth till it be lodged on the Top it certainly falls back to the Bottom and he that hath laboured about it hath done just nothing but onely tired himself to no purpose nor shall reap any thing but his Labour for his Pains 3. The whole of our VVeaver is employed in his work His Head contrives it his Eyes observe the Motions of the Shuttle and the several parts of the Loom that they be Regular and serving his intendment One hand throws the Shuttle the other catcheth it in the mean-time his Feet are not idle they are at work upon the Treddels moving them Without these Varicus Operations of the several Members of his Body our VVeaver could never dispatch his work in any desireable or acceptable Manner nor hath the Law of the LORD left our spiritual VVeaver one Limb or Member of his Body idle as to his spiritual VVork His Head is employed in meditation and contrivances for GOD his Eyes are lifted up unto the LORD from whom come all his Mercies his Hands must work the VVork of Righteousness with his Feet he walks with GOD. Every Bodily Member hath its Office to a spiritual VVork as well as that which is Natural GOD made every Member and not a Member but for himself Every Member in Man's Body hath a Natural Operation for which it is necessary In our Civil Employments we both can and do use them successively there 's none there useless amongst them And shâ—ll we think that there is any of them of no use to our spiritual work Shall I with both my Hands work on my Trade and have never an hand at work for GOD how busie am I at my work with Hands and Feet and Head and all my Body was I ever so wholly imployed in the VVork of GOD though the wages be highly more The Fruit of this VVork will be but a few Shillings at the End of the VVeek bâ—th the VVork of Righteousness will be Peace and Quietness and Assurance for ever To what purpose are my Knees and Hands and Eyes and Tongue at VVork in Prayer if presently my Hands be working iniquity In the Web of Righteousness every Member hath its Office It is the Fruit of the Souls Sanctification in Body and Mind and Spirit GOD must be served with all and every Part and Faculty with all our Heart and Soul and Strength 4. The Shuttle every time it passeth from Hand to Hand leaveth a Threed behind iâ— Good or Bad thus doth every Action of a Christian's Life All his Actions make but one Web according to the Goodness or Badness of which he must have his Reward every particular Action is a Threed in this VVeb and so hath an influence upon the VVeavers Praise or Dispraise and upon his Wages at last So that as the VVeaver may say upon every Cast of his Shuttle now my VVork is nearer an End than it was before I threw my Shuttle so a Christian upon every Action may say By this Action I am nearer Heaven or Hell I have either added a Jewel more to my Crown or a Coal more to the Fire I must endure The Shuttle passeth not up and down for nothing All our Thoughts Words and Actions are of an abiding Nature Thousands of them slip our Memory but none of them escapes the Book of the Divine Omniscience In thy Book saith David Psalms 139.16 all my Members are written and again Thou tellest my Wandrings put my Tears in thy Bottle are they not in thy Book It is as true concerning all our Actions Are they not in GODS Books VVe do them and GOD keeps silence some time Psalms 50.21 but he will let us know that he seeth them and will set them in order before our Eyes Every Action makes a part of our web we must receive our Eternal Reward according to what we have done in the Flesh Man hath an imperfect Eye A Master may over-look many an ill Threed in a Piece of Stuff But the Eye of GOD is Acute and Perfect nothing slippeth that He will set all in order before our Eyes The VVeavers Knowledge that his Shuttle leaves every time he throws it something towards his web makes him diligent to see it be rightly ordered
years I have had in my Thought even ever since I saw Mr. Flavel's Navigation and Husbandry Spiritualized But many of you know that from my Youth upward my Hand hath been full of Employments and my latter years more full than my former More than forty years of my Life were spent without much care what to Eat or Drink since that time those Cares have also been upon me and made my work something more than to consider what Subject next to Preach upon and how to handle it These few Sheets by reason of this were taken in hand again and again and as often laid aside at last a very few days have finished the greater part of them and for some of that leisure you may thank some Informers too It is a noble design to instruct People how to Spiritualize every Object and a nobler Practice for any to do it Our Blessed LORD made it his business to take all Advantages to commend to his Disciples and Hearers spiritual Meditations on earthly Objects The sight of Bread John 6. brings forth that excellent Sermon about the Bread of Life His asking of Water of the Woman of Samaria gave him an occasion to discourse of the living water which whoso drinks shall thirst no more And it is more than probable that his sight of a Shepherd with his flock of Sheep and of a Vine gave occasion to those excellent Sermons John 10. John 15. It is the great Disadvantage of most Worldly Employments that they have a natural tendency to divert the Soul from GOD upon which account I remember it was that holy Mr. Palmer preferred the Work of the Ministry to all the Employments of the World as leading the Soul directly to the Meditations of GOD and whose Work ly in a Communion with him whereas all other Employments bent the Soul another way I know no better way to remedy this Disadvantage from the nature of your Work than by shewing you how you may make it an Advantage to you This is the very business of these few Sheets Brethren give me leave to tell you all That my Hearts desire and Prayer to GOD for you is that you may be saved Though I have a just regret and compassion for any Soul that I see like to perish Eternally yet methinks I have a juster and sadder regret for any industrious Souls I would not have one of them perish eternally whom I see so industrious to take pains that they and their Families might live a few years comfortably in this Life There is a Generation of Men that are too lazy to go to Heaven or to live here but upon the Alms and Spoils of others It had been good for them they had never been Born and it had been also good for the World they never had been Born for their Lives in it are of no further use than to defile and to devour and to distrub it If such Men perish let them perish we having given them a due Warning But methinks it pities my Soul to think that a Weaver should eternally perish A Weaver whom I see before four of the Clock in the Morning and after 8 9 10 at night hard at Work that one so patient of Labour for the Bread that perisheth so patient of Self-denial in the Sports and Pleasures which others spend their Life in and all for a few Shillings at the end of the Week I say that such a one after the long Toyl of his Laborius Life should at last lie down in Hell this goes very near me And I cannot but say sometimes Surely we who are the Lords Ministers do not instruct these Men enough we do not press the thoughts of Eternity upon them as we ought to do These are a People that are not too lazy to be saved they are Men that can work night and day in their earthly Masters work for a Livelihood for their Bodies Surely if we could perswade them they had Souls and those immortal Souls that they are Beings ordained to an Eternity That Eternal Happiness is not to be got by a Loom but by Believing Reading Hearing Prayer Self-denial taking up Christs Cross Mortification of beloved Lusts they might be perswaded to spend some time every day in Reading Praying some time in Hearing to spend some time in searching and trying their wayes that they may turn unto the LORD I know that when we have done and said what we can Old Adam as he said will be found too hard for Young or Old Melancthon The way of Man is not in himself neither is it in Man to direct his steps But shew me that person who hath done what in him lies towards his own Salvation to whom GOD hath denied his free but effectual Grace My good Friends You know I cannot from the Pulpit as formerly speak unto you if I could neither were this a fit Theme to discourse there neither would the sound of my words in your Ears abide with you so as a printed Book may I have on purpose contracted my Discourse into a few sheets that it may be a burthen not too heavy for an ordinary Purse I propose to my self nothing of gain in it If I may but gain one Soul it is enough if not I have but my Labour for my Pains as we say in our English Proverb I would willingly help on your Salvation and shew my Love and Kindness to an industrious People I have nothing else but my poor Prayers by which I can shew my self Your faithful Friend and Servant in the work of the Gospel J. C. The Art of Weaving Spiritualized CHAP. I. Exod. xxxv 35. Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart to work all manner of Work of the Ingraver and of the Weaver c. The Meditations Sect. 1 THE Work here in Hand was the making a Tabernacle a moving House for the Lord God of Israel The VVorkmen are nominated by God himself v. 30. The Lord hath called by Name Bezaleel the Son of Uri the Son of Hur and verse 34. Aholiab the Son of Ahisamach It is reasonable the Master of the House should appoint his own Workmen These he filled with his Spirit in Wisdom Vnderstanding Knowledge and in all manner of Workmanship God never sends any to his VVork but he first furnisheth them with Tools fit to do it Those who are busied at works for which they are not spirited and inabled whoever sends them are not sent by God As he fitted these workmen with wisdom of Heart to work all work so particularly it is said And of the Weaver Sect. 2. The Art of VVeaving then hath a Divine Original Naamah the Sister of Tubal-cain mentioned Gen. 4.22 might be the first Spinstress or Weaveress as Genebrard thinks the Scripture tells us her Brother was the first workman in Brass and Iron if She first learned others yet 't is certain God first taught her If Closterus first made Spindles his God first taught him that Discretion and if Naamah first
who work so ill and foully that their Yarn is good for Nothing So there â—re Thousands and ten Thousands in the World whose Actions are wholly Naught but none so good that they are perfâ—ctly Good Bonum ex causis integris Hence our SAVIOVR directs us when we have done all we can to say we are unprofitable servants The Weaver often scowreth the Yarn he Buys but is he as carefull to scowr the Yarn which he himself maketh 'T is not indeed what must cloâ—th him in the day of Judgement That I may be found in him saith the Apostle not having my own Righteousness But of this must Garments be mâ—de without which in that day he will walk naked and Men will see his shame Ah how usefull might some thoughts of this Nature be to our Weaver at his scowring work I am here scowring the Yarn I Buy but have I scowred the Yarn I have made have I been humbled for that Corruption which hath clave to all my Actions this work or this day Sect. 8. While I see the Weaver carry his Yarnes to the Dyer methinks I cannot but again reflect upon the finest Threeds of Humane Actions which must be Dyed too in the Blood of CHRIST before GOD will look upon them Some of our Weavers Pieces will be acceptable in the Native Colour of the Wooll but it is not so with the best of our Duties and Actions GOD hath said to us Bring your Brother Benjamin or see my Face no more we can onely offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable in the Beloved 1 Peter 2.5 though our sacrifices be spiritual yet they are not acceptable in the Beloved We have not onely need of an Advocat with the Father if we sin but also if we pray the reason is because we cannot pray without sinning There 's but one Dye for all our Rags all our web must be dipt in the Blood of the Lamb Revelation 7.14 They have washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb and if you observe it they were those that had come out of great Tribulation One would have thought that if any Actions that we had done could Merit or might appear as they come from us before the Just GOD what we do in Testimony for the Truths and Name of CHRIST might but if you observe these were they whom Saint John saw having washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Nothing passeth for a Garment in Heaven but who hath Christ's seal nothing for coin but what hath his stamp Sect. 9. But I observe the Weaver carrying his Silk and his Yarnes to the Twisters they bring several threeds into one Methinks I cannot but reflect what twisting there must be too in the Christians Trade 1. There must be a Twisting in every good and spiritual Action 1. A true Principal 2. A right Manner of Performance 3. A true End must be all twisted together or the Action is but splendidum peccatum as Augustine was wont to call the Moral Actions of Heathens The End must be the Glory of GOD The Principle must be Love to GOD For the Manner it must be done in Faith Where these three are twisted together the Action is truly good and spiritual Secondly There must be a twisting of good Actions too It is not enough to begin well but we must go on well and end well Connectere ultima primis make our first and last things agree twist an Holy Old Age with an Holy Youth If a Man forsaketh his Righteousness and committeth Iniquity his Righteousness shall never be remembred If any soul draweth back GOD will have no pleasure in him he draweth back at his own Peril and to his own Destruction He that hath twisted GODS Glory Love to GOD and Faith in GOD as to every Action and thus twisted the Actions of his Life from the time he begins to set out for GOD will make himself a strong Cord like Solomons triple Cord of Hope which will not be easily broken Lastly what is twisting but an uniting of several Threeds into one and is done for strength We being many saith the Apostle are one Bread and one Body One Body there 's a twisting of souls and all Yarns will twist or may twist at least There are indeed some heterogeneous things of another kind will never twist with them We are all but as the LORDS Yarn made of his Fleece who was led as a sheep to the slaughter died in his Blood He intends us all for a One Body Why should not we also twist together both in Truth and Love thinking the same things speaking the same things however being kindly affectioned one to another in Love Alas that we must have a Mill to force us together that the Violence of a Persecution must do that which the Love of CHRIST in us cannot do We are silly Sheep that will not run together till the Shepherds Dog be after us Surely there is more in a joint Union with CHRIST to Unite us would our silly Passions let us see it than there can be in twenty little particular sentiments to divide us Sect. 10. The Weaver must also sort his Yarns and if his Stuff be to be of divers Colours he must sort his Colours before he be fit to work All Yarn will not make the same kind of Stuff all will not make the Warp nor the Woof of the same Stuff Every Threed of the Yarn is Yarn but yet not of the same sort nor degree of Fineness Every Christian Action hath or should have a tendency towards Righteousness It should be levelled at GODS Glory and have the other ingredients to every Action which shal please GOD but yet there is a great deal of difference in a Christians Actions His Actions are either Naturâ—l such as Eating and Drinking c. Or Moral such as are his Buying his Selling his working in his Trâ—de or Religious such are his Reading the Word Hearing Praying c. By the two first GOD is Glorified when we regulate them according to his Will and it is our duty to propose GODS Glory as well as the serving of our own Natures in the doing of them which should be a Law upon us to regulate our Measures by the Divine Standard But our Religious Actions are our Fine Threeds From the other GOD hath a secondâ—ry Glory from these he hath a primary Glory they first terminate in GOD as they are an Homage to him These must be sorted by every judicious Christian T is true there must be an Eye of Religion as we call it in all our Actions short Praying Ejaculations become a Christian in all his Moral and Civil Actions but our Solemn Religious Duties must not be woven with our Natural and Moral Actions He makes mad Prayers that never thinks of them but in Drinking Healths and he serves GOD wofully slightly that never reads a Chapter or hears one read but when his hand is imployed in some
not enough to have Truth in our Bible and Books and a Notion of it in our Heads it must be fastned to our Souls which is alwayes done by Faith we must be Rooted and Grounded in Faith as well as in Love Propositions of Truth are many times but Probationers to the Soul and never admitted into its Fellowship A Man may know that Proposition of Truth from which yet he withholds his Assent is Men may detain the Truth in Vnrighteousness not living up to their Principles so they may retain the Truth in Vnbelief not fixedly and steadily agreeing to those Notions of Truth they have heard and learned Knowing is one thing agreeing to the Truth of what we know is another yea agreement is one thing and a steady fixed agreeing to it is another So that a Christian will strive earnestly and contend for it as another thing The Faith of many Christians is described by an Heathen Tully I mean Tusc quest lib. 1. Nescio quomoda dum lego assentior cum posui librum et mecum ipse de immortalitate animorum coepi cogitare assensio omnis illa elabitur When they read the holy Scriptures when they hear the Messengers of GOD interpreting them comparing Scripture with Scripture and from strength of Reason confirming Propositions in them they cannot but agree the things to be truth but as soon as the Books is out of their hand and the sound of the Preachers word is out of their Ears they begin to doubt whether any thing be Truth which they have read or heard and indeed no better is the Assent of any who by the mighty working of the Spirit of GOD have not Faith wrought in them hence it is that their Faith is neither Fruitfull by Love and Good Works nor steady in it self There is no need at all that to secure Holiness of Life Men should bring it into the description of Faith and so make an innovation in Divinity which alwayes according to the Scripture distinguished Faith and Love for Holiness which is Love in the Fruit is a necessary consequent of true Faith either respecting the Proposition of the Word or the Person of the Mediator Can he be thought indeed to believe that Arsenick is Poyson who yet freely takes it into his Belly Or can any be judged to trust in a Friend for a kindness who hath promised it but upon the condition of some performance which he refuseth to do It is I say from this that the Propositions of truth are not fastned in the Soul that Men walk not according to the light of them Ephesians 4.14 and that they are tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of Men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive Every breath of wind would disturb the Weaver and every idle hand would trouble him if his warp were not fastned to his Loom Every wind of Doctrine and every Ignorant idle Seducer disturbeth that Souls Profession of Truth who hath not the Proposition thereof by Faith fastned unto his Soul 2. The Weaver divideth his warp that it may serve several intendments The deliberate Christian divideth the Propositions of Truth of which his Soul is possessed Some refer to speculation Some more immediately to Practice Some inform him what GOD is what CHRIST is what He hath done and suffered what the holy SPIRIT is what Heaven and Hell are c. others more immediately refer to Practice informing the Soul what it ought to be both towards GOD and towards Men. These Precepts concern him as a Magistrate This concerneth him as a Minister These things concern him as a Father these as a Child These Propositions contain the Will of GOD concerning Him as an Husband These concern the Woman as a VVife These concern him as a Master The other as a Subject or as a Servant And this is necessary that he may be Holy in all manner of Conversation For Holiness is a lovely spotless Fruit that grows up from the revealed will of GOD concerning us as the Root and as this Root sends forth many Branches so the Fruit of Holiness must be seen in every Bough in every Relation and Circumstance of his Life 3. The filling-boys prepare the Yarn for the Weaver by winding it upon several Reeds and Quills which being filled he teacheth to the VVeaver sitting in his Loom and ready to go to work VVe suppose our spiritual Weaver fixed in his Loom ready to say with David My Heart is fixed O GOD my Heart is fixed resolved to walk with GOD in all the Duties of Holiness having sâ—id with David Psalms 119.57 Thou art my Porâ—ion O LORD I have said that I will keep thy words We suppose him also to have wound his warp â—bout his Loom to be not only possessed of a due Notion of Divine Truths but to have his Heart rooted and grounded in them giving a fixed and steady Assent unto them and now every Relation every Neighbour every New Providence every Action of his Life becomes as a filling-boy to him affording him matter to work upon reaching him a Quill or Reed to work with The Subject gives the Magistrate an opportunity to work the work of GOD by Executing Justice and Judgement without respect of Persons knowing that he judgeth not for himself but for the LORD c. The Magistrate doth the same for the Subject giving him an opportunity to fulfill the will of GOD by Honouring the King and being subject to the higher Powers because ordained of GOD. The VVife gives the Husband advantage for his spiritual web of Righteousness by loving Her as CHRIST loved his Church 1 Peter 3.7 by walking before Her as a Man of VVisdom and Knowledge Ephesians 5.25 Colosians 3.19 1 Peter 3.1 And the Husband requires his VVife by giving her the like advantage to shew her self obedient to the Commands of her Father which is in Heaven by reverencing her Husband endeavouring to win him by her Conversation by loving him and being subject unto him as her own Husband Titus 2.4 5. 1 Peter 3.1 Ephesians 5.22 23. c. Is he that sitteth in this spiritual Loom a Father how easily may he see every Child he hath about him with one of these Pipes or Quills in his hand offering him for his work of Righteousness an opportunity to be obedient unto GOD in bringing him or her up in the Nurture and Admonition of the LORD and not provoking it to wrath Ephesians 6.4 in minding it of its Covenant in Baptism made with GOD in teaching it or them the Statutes of the LORD diligently when he sitteth in the House when he walketh by the Way when he lyeth Down and when he riseth Vp according to the Law of the LORD Deutronomy 6.7 Is he a Child he may see his Parents mutually serving him in his spiritual work giving him advantage to please GOD by Obeying his Parents in the LORD for this is right Ephesians 6.1 Is
Task which if he doth he shall be paid for it So cannot the Spiritual VVeaver nay when he hath done all he can he must say he is an unprofitable Servant a Servant so as what he hath done is but his Duty an unprofitable Servant so as what he hath done comes short of his Duty So that indeed our Spiritual VVeaver strictly hath not according to his VVork not according to the Failures and Imperfections of it but according to the Kind of it and Degrees of Goodness in it The Spiritual VVeavers Reward is by no means a Quid pro quo a proportionable Reward unto hiâ— work but it is a Reward of Grace according to the Nature and Degree of his Sincerity in hâ— VVork 5. When the Weavers piece cometh off the Loom according to the Nature of the piece it iâ— either by the Master onely made up and pressed and sealed or else as some pieces require it is Dyed Fulled Tentered Raised Pressed Glozed and so Exposed to the Merchant Much of this is onely to Deceive or please the Buyers Eye Nothing of this is to be done to the Spiritual VVeb that goes to an Eye which as it cannot be Deceived so it will not be Pleased with any Glozings Onely Dyed it must be made up and â—ffered unto GOD it must be Sealed it must be The only Dye that can give an acceptable tincture to the work of Righteousness is in the Fountain set open to the House of David and to the Inhabitants of Hierusalem for sin and for Vncleanness Revelation 7.14 Those that came out of great Tribulation washed their Robes and made them White in the Blood of the LAMB If we sin saith the Apostle and who lives who works and sinneth not We have an Advocate with the Father even JESVS CHRIST the Righteous â—r John 2.1 It is CHRIST that with his Blood and Perfect Satisfaction must dye all our works It is he who must make them up Perfect through this Righteousness 'T is he that must set his Seal of acceptation upon them who must offer them â—p unto his Father This is what Saint John saw Revelation 8.3 when he saw another Angel standing before the Altar having a Golder Censer And there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer it with the Prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar verse 4. which was before the Throne And the Smoak of the Incense which came with the Prayers of the Saints ascended up before GOD out of the Angels Hand Thus now hath our Spiritual Weaver finished his work run the Race which GOD set him to run finished his Course and Enters the Paradise of GOD. 6. But I observe that every Poor VVeaveâ— cannot stay for his Wages until the End of the Year but hath it from week to week Possibly they cannot stay so long but must have it from day to day The good Master Indulgeth him considering his Necessities and the Nâ—eds of his Family he giveth him not all but some he giveth him So doth our great LORD and Master Godliness hath Promise both of this Life and also of that which is to come Our LORD knoweth that we are Necessitous Creatures and cannot do him Service while we are in the Body without Food and Rayment Godliness hath therefore many Promises annexed to it which are fulfilled in this Life if not to all in the extent of some Promises yet to all so far as shall be Food Convenient and so enough for them to Support Uphold and Maintain them while in this world they are at their LORDS work Yet not this in Equal Portions But as many Masters that have Various work-men not indued all with alike Discretion sometimes trust one who is the discreetest of them with the portions belonging to three or four 't is all in trust that they should distribute to Six and also to Seven So doth our great LORD and Master in his distributions of the good things of this Life which are capable to be ill as well as well used GOD gives to some Abundance to others enough to others too little He that hath abundance hath with it a charge to be Rich in good works to do good to distribute GOD hath provided for all some have it in their own Hands others have it in their Friends Hands GOD puts for the Poor into the Hand of the Rich and with a charge to them to do good and to distribute it according to his order and under and by the Rules he hath set down in his Word Their great VVages is to be Paid at the End of their Days indeed at the End of the World But they shall in the mean time have Something to support and Uphold them while they are in the Flesh doing and Suffering the will of GOD concerning them The Poem LORD how we labour for a piece of Bread Which when we have It perisheth No sooner are we Fed Our Stomacks crave We work and by and by our gettings Spend What we before Were that we are Our Labour 's without End And we still poor Still but our Body 's fed Our better Self Will starved be It cannot be maintained with worldly Pelf T' Eternity Is there no better Trade might not I work For better pay If I serv'd GOD My Soul let it not irk Thee for to pray To Read to Hear to spend time every day To make that sure Which when all these poor things shall melt away Shall still endure Work how I will while I am in the Flesh My pay will be Or Good or Bad of Either more or less Eternally Why doest thou say no Mortal Man can Live Meerly on Prayer Did ever GOD unto his Servant give Nothing but Air Cans't trust him for a Crown and canst nâ—t trust Him for thy Bread Hath he not said unto thy part of dust It shall be Fed Did ever any him for nothing serve For nothing here If thou doest not abound thou shalt not starve Thou needst not fear But do not think that thou doest from thy Maker Earn the least Good All 's free Gift or because thou art Partaker Of â—hy LORDS Blood His Hand must Seal his Blood must Dye the Piece If he but write ACCEPTED it shall pass for Righteousness That makes it right Out of that Angel's hand my GOD let all My Prayers come To thee and whatsoever good I shall Work in my Loom The Art of Weaving Spiritualized Part. II. CHAP. I. Of the Excellency of the Trade Observations HItherto I have only helped our Weaver with some hints for Spiritual Meditations and Discourse from the several parts of his Work Let me now give him some few Observations I hâ—ve made upon eight and twenty Years Converse with many of this Occupation My Observations will some of them be more General relating to other Trades as well as that Some more Special relating to that Employment I shall not be curious in distinguishing them each from other but take them as my thoughts suggest