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. [Page 2] 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, Ʋnderstanding, 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 'tis certain God first taught her. If Closterus first made Spindles, his God first taught him that Discretion; and if Naamah first 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 [...]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. 'Tis 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 [Page 4] 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 usef [...]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 [Page 5] 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. Ʋzzah must not touch the Ark, (though a Levite) nor Saul nor Ʋzzah 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 [Page 6] 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) [Page 7] 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 Pontius Pilate, who was to cloth all the Elect with that garment of Righteousness in which they are to appear before their Father in Hea­ven? Surely we may say, yea rather Blessed are they, who are imployed not in making Coverings for the Temple that was Destroyed, and in three dayes raised up again, but for the living Temples of the Most High GOD; if indeed as they prepare clothing, so they also clothe the Naked: I was nak­ed, and ye clothed Me, Mat. 25.36.

Sect. 7. But what is this? God filled them with Wisdom of Heart, to do all manner of Work—of the Weaver. How doth the Eternal GOD humble himself to behold, not only the Things done in the Heavens, but upon the Earth? Who is like unto the Lord who dwelleth on High? (saith the Psalmist upon this very Argument;) He clotheth the [Page 8] grass of the Field, which to Day is, and to Mor­row is cast into the Oven: and all Flesh is grass (saith the Prophet;) this grass he clotheth al­so. How low doth the lofty Eye descend? The wheel is turned upon the Cummin, and the Fitches are not threshed out with a threshing Instrument; but beaten out with a Staff. The bread Corn is bruised because he will not be ever threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his Cart, nor bruise it with Horse­men. This also cometh from the Lord of Hosts, Isa. 28.28, 29. This? What? This Discretion, Verse 26. His GOD doth instruct him to Discretion, and teach him. The VVeaver would not have known which way to have fastened his VVarp, or order­ed his VVoof, or directed his Shuttle, or mixed his Yarns, but for a Discretion taught him by the LORD of Hosts. Blessed GOD! How great art thou in all things? And never greater than in the least of things: How little do we know thee, or consider thee, who yet art ever at our fingers ends? What a Meditation this is for a VVeaver at his Loom? Is it the LORD of Hosts, that in­fluenceth my hand even in this Moment to throw this Shuttle, and influenceth my Mind with Dis­cretion to order these Threads, to move these se­veral Utensils of my Trade, so as they serve the end which I design: what a GOD do I serve? who is present with me while I sit here at my poor contemptible Imployment, who humbleth himself to help me to work, and influenceth me [Page 9] to work better than my Neighbour: have I more Discretion than my Fellow-Labourer in the same Chamber? This also cometh from the LORD, who is mighty in Counsel and wonderful in Working.

Sect. 8. I am therefore (certainly) obliged to be Humble, If I can invent a New Stuff which another cannot (with all his Industry) hit upon, if I can better order my Yarns, my Colours, if I can better order my VVork, or throw my Shuttle more Nimbly, and bring a Piece quicker off the Loom; I have no reason to despise him that cannot be so quick, or saga­cious as my self, for what have I which I have not received from him who is mighty in Counsel? To despise the diligent Person or my dull Compani­on, that is not Sottish, and willfully Negligent in his work, is but to reproach my Maker; and he was mine as well as his: I derived no more of my Soul than he did from his Mother, and they are the nimbler exercises of that, not of my terrene Earthlie part, which discovers this inge­nuitie. But I have infinite Reason to be thankfull to that GOD who hath thus given me that Power to get Riches, which he that denied to him that works in the same Chamber with me. Certainly I stand obliged to do more than others, for that God who hath done more for me than for others of my own Trade. This common Gift obligeth me to special Duty, because it is not common to [Page 10] me with all, though it be common to Me with others who never tasted special and distinguishing Grace.

Sect. 9. Now what should the Weavers do more? doubtless, Love, Honour, serve that GOD more: but these are Generals. Of Old the first-fruits were to be offered unto the LORD: To do good and to distribute (saith the Apostle) forget not, for with such Sacrifices GOD is well pleased. Distributions fall under the two Notions of feed­ing the Hungry, and clothing the Naked. The Latter of these directly referreth to the Weaver's Trade. I have heard that a late Learned Law­yer in this Nation, during his whole Life, would lay aside every tenth Fee for pious and charitable Uses. Our Law obligeth the Lawyer to give his pains to Him or Her that will plead in forma pau­peris. If you can think of nothing else whereby to shew your Gratitude to GOD, yet this you cannot over-look because ever in your Eye. This is to Honour GOD with your Substance, and with your Increase; your Increase lyeth in making Clothing for the Naked. Let your Friends when you are gone be able (as the Friends of Dorcas) to bring forth the Clothes which when alive She had made for the Poor. Let me tell you, that GOD is the best Merchant you can part with a Piece of Stuff to: he indeed sometimes takes day to see if his Weavers can trust him, but as he payes certainly, so he payes to the best Profit: He that [Page 11] casts his Bread upon many VVaters, shall after ma­ny dayes find it; And so shall he that throws a Piece of Cloth, or Stuff there: He shall find it in that day when GOD shall say to them on his right Hand, I was Naked and you Clothed me.

Sect. 10. But if I must be filled with the VVis­dom of GOD to work all manner of VVork of the VVeaver; if this cometh from the LORD, then much more to work any Spiritual VVork. If there must be a special influx of Providence, beyond what ordinary Souls of VVorkmen have, (posses­sed of an understanding and will of the same spe­cies with mine,) upon me to make me a better VVorkman, to invent a New Piece of Stuff, to judge of its acceptableness to People the next Year, better than another of the same Trade with me that hath the same understanding and will that I have; VVhat an influence of GOD must it require to perform a spiritual Service that shall be acceptable unto GOD? Cannot I mix my Colours as I would? and may I Repent or Believe if I will? It is not in my Power to make a Piece of Stuff of which I have the Pa­tern which lyes before me, and for which I have the Materials? and is it in my Power to do an Action truly and spiritually good, though I have Paterns before me, though I have the same ratio­nal Soul, that he hath that doth it? He that de­nieth distinguishing spiritual Habits referring to truly Spiritual Acts, will be forced to acknow­ledge [Page 12] a distinguishing Common Gift given to one VVeaver and not to another: The one can invent, the other cannot; the one can judge bet­ter, whether a Piece of Stuff will next Year take; the one can do his work more neatly and acceptably to every Eye. Man hath not his will so far free, that though he hath learned his Trade, and would fain invent and judge, and mix his Colours, and work up, and off his ware as well as another; yea though he hath the same Yarns, he cannot do it: Let then the Arminian go and Dispute with the VVeaver, and first make him believe that he may invent as happily as his Neighbour, and make as good work as he if he will; let him tell him that the reason why he doth it not, is not natural but moral impotency, because he cannot prevail with himself to be wil­ling to do it; will not the Experience of every poor industrious VVeaver confute him? surely the Experience of a Christian, as to Actions truly Spiritually and formally good, will confute him much more.

Sect. 11. What an Argument also is this for contentation with the lot which GOD hath given us, and the Station in the VVorld which he hath willed us to take up. The VVorld is but a great Army, set in Rank and File, by the LORD, the LORD of Hosts: What if one be a Lieute­nant-General; others Collonels and Captains and Commission-Officers in it; and others be but Mili­tes [Page 13] gregarii, ordinary Common Souldiers; it is the Great General that hath ordered the one, and the other to their Stations, and hath fitted the one and the other for their VVorks. What if GOD will have the Princes, the Nobles, the Judges, to sit all day on the Throne of Judgment, and to imploy themselves in cutting out right to every Man, whiles he willeth me to sit in my Loom and imploy my self all the day in throwing the Shuttle; VVe both are influenced by the same Spirit. On them Rests the Spirit of Wisdom and Judgement; on me also (in my model) the Spirit of Wisdom, from whence I work the Work of the Weaver. As I am influen­ced by GOD to my work as well as those that take up higher Stations, and assisted by GOD in it: So I have also an opportunity in it, to shew my self serviceable to GOD, serviceable to my Generation. The Magistrates work is to de­fend; the Rich Mans work is to Feed; Mine is to Cloth the Naked. I can Pray for a Blessing up­on my Loom, because it works for the necessa­ry Uses of Mankind. Do I work in a lower Orb than some others do? yet I serve no lower Ma­ster; I work for no lower End than they do. Let not the Weaver say then, My Family is poor in Israel, my Trade is lightly esteemed of. Fools rate things by appearance, and sacrifice their Judgements to Vulgar applause: Wise Men judge according to Reality. Can that Trade be [Page 14] contemptible, which the wise GOD learneth us, in which the Spirit of GOD assisteth us, and which serveth one of the greatest Uses of the Sons of Men? If therefore thou beest bred no higher than to be a Weaver, yet be therewith content. Paul had learnt to be so in every State. Let thy Mind abide in that Calling to which the LORD hath called you; say not, O if I had been a Merchant, if I had been a Dra­per, &c. They both derive from thee; and the Spirit of Wisdom, to work all manner of Work, even that of the VVeaver, doth far more Visiblie work in thee, than in the one or the other of them: There is far less Wisdom exercised by them, in proportioning Piece, in contriving advan­tagious Transportations, than in thy invention of thy Stuff, mixing and contriving thy Yarns, &c. The Spider certainlie shews us more of GOD than the Butterfly. The Silkworm is a far great­er Miracle of Divine Wisdom than any other In­sect.

The Meditations.

Sect. 1. THe Weaver's Trade, is of great Anti­quity, yet not coveous to the Fall of Adam: That first indeed discovered Naked­ness (which makes the Usefulness of this Art) but the Art was not discovered as soon as Shame made a necessity of Clothes. Our first Parents first Sewed Fig-leaves together, and made themselves Aprons, Genesis 3.7. [or something to gird about them] here GOD himself was the Weaver, and Adam and Eve were their own Tay­lors. VVe know not the Dimensions of the Trees, or Leaves, or Fruits of those fruitfull Places; but (be it what it will) the Protection a Fig-leaf could give must necessarily be very ordinary, and the Covering very scant. The Hebrew there­fore [Page 17] saith no more than that they made Gar­ments, covering those Parts which Nature teach­eth Us to Hide. The Extremities of Cold and Heat, which Sin had now made more Afflictive, and the fast coming-up of the Thorns and Thistles, to which the Earth (for Mans sake) was quick­ly Condemned, soon discovered need of better Clothes than Fig-trees could afford. When Weav­ing certainly began, is hard to say; but if what some would have, one of the Daughters of La­mech began it, it must be by that time the world had beed 1651 Years in Being. Be that as it will, we know within a thousand Years af­ter, Bezaleel and Aholiab were skilled in it. We know that in the Tabernacle were Curtains of fine twined Linnen, Blue, Purple and Scarlet (which certainly refer to woollen.) We know also there were Curtains of Goats Hair, Exodus 26.7. Of Silk indeed we read nothing, that I remember, till Proverbs 31. It should seem by some of the Roman Historians, that it was a rare Commodity 284 Years after our Saviour: Aure­lian therefore the Emperour would wear no Clothes, whose VVarp and VVoof were both Silk; for (saith my Author) a Pound of Silk was then of the same Value with a Pound of Gold. It was 555 Years after Christ before any great plen­ty of Silk was discovered in Europe. Procopius tells us, we were then beholden to two Monks for it, who brought some Silk-worms Eggs from [Page 18] the Indies to Justinian the Emperour. The Use of the other Materials was much more Ancient. Hemp, Flax and Cotton-wool, are vegetables: VVooll, Silk and Hair are the Product of sensitive Creatures. The whole Creation is made up of Things that have a meer Being; such are the E­lements, Stars, &c. or such things as have Life and no more added to Being; such are all Vege­tables, Plants, &c. or such as to Being and Life have also Sense added, and therefore are called Sensitives; such are all Beasts, whether those that have four feet or more, such are Sheep, Goats, Worms, Flies and all Infects: or such as have Be­ing, Life and Sense and Reason also; such is Man. The Angels are a noble part of the Creation too, and have Being, Life, and Reason, but not sense in that manner as Man, who exerciseth the Fa­culties of his Soul by bodily Organs which they want. Two of those great Hosts of GOD contri­bute, and prove little enough to cover Man's Na­kedness. The Host of Vegetables afford Hemp, Flax and Cotton; the sensitives Wooll, Hair and Flax. Both would hide Mans shame. Man hath Eaten of the Tree of forbidden Fruit, and lieth Naked in his Tent. The Devils Mock him in his Lapsed Estate: The Sensitives and Vege­tables join together to bring him wherewith to cover his shame. The poor VVorm spins her self to Death; For him the Sheep casts her Coat; The Goats and Camels suffer themselves to be Clip­ped; [Page 19] The Tree sends out Cotton-VVooll; The Plants grow and die. How doth the whole Creation freely serve him, who can hardly find an Heart to serve his or their Maker?

Sect. 2. Thou hast (saith the Psalmist) made him to have Dominion over the Work of thy Hands, thou hast put all things under his Feet, Psalms 8.6. That those which meerly have Being, are at his Command, or under his Feet, is plain: He treadeth upon the Earth, he lets in, or keeps out the Air; He turns the Water this or that way, as serveth his concern; He lets in, or keeps out the Air. But see also the Vegetables and Sensitives serving him. The Sheep before the shearers is dumb. Other Beasts are patiently spoiled of their Hair. The Hemp and Flax are pilled. The Cotton-tree is content to lose its is­sue every Year that Man might be Clothed. The Ox, the Sheep, and either of their Off-spring dyes that He might be Fed: So do the feather­ed Fowl and Fish. At what a Rate to the Con­sumption of the Creation doth Man Live? When tempting our Saviour they brought to Him a Question, Is it lawfull to pay Tribute to Caesar, or is it not? He calls for a Piece of Coin, and que­rieth whose Superscription and Image it bare: they say unto him Caesar's. Mark our LORDS Appli­cation: Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto GOD the things that are GODS. Doth the Weavers Dispute whether he [Page 20] should pay his Homage to GOD yea or no? Let him look upon the Parcel of Hair, Wooll, Silk, Hemp, Flax, Cotton, which being first twisted into Yarn, he by and by fastneth to his Loom, and say whose Image and Superscription is here? his own Heart must make him answer, GODS. It is not in the Power of all the Sons of Man to make one of these things; and out of these he gets his Livelihood, and in the use of these things He and Thousands of others Live. How reason­able a thing is it that he should serve that great LORD, who makes thus his whole Creation to serve him! It is his Wooll, his Hair, his Flax, his Hemp, his Silk, that the Weaver useth: VVere there not a GOD in the world there could have been no such things. Surely then he should not Live without a GOD in the World. If there be a GOD that loadeth us with his Benefits, there is a GOD to receive our Homages; with what a thankfull Heart should the Weaver fasten his Ma­terials to his Loom? with what fear should he walk lest he should provoke GOD to recover at his Hand his VVooll, and his Flax, which he hath given us to Cover our Nakedness? Hosea 2.9.

Sect. 3. The whole Creation (saith the Apostle Romans 8.22.) groaneth and travelleth in Pain untill now, verse 20. it was made subject to Vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subject­ed the same in hope. Because it shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption into the Glorious Li­berty [Page 21] of the Sons of GOD. P. Martyr saith the Crea­ture is subjected to a Four-fold Vanity. 1. As for Mans Service it is wearied with a dayly Labour. 2. As it is punished for Mans Error. 3. As it suf­fers together with Man. 4. As it is made subject to Mans Lust. GOD hath put it in the three first mentioned Subjections, and in them acts Effective­ly, as to the last he acteth but Permissively. The Silkworm spinneth, and dyeth for us in compass of a few weeks space; there's its Vanity: The Plant grows up and dyes and rots for us, to make us Threeds for our Nakedness: The Beast parts with its own Covering for us; there's a part of their Vanity. They have to none of these a Na­tural Propension, but GOD hath subjected them in hope; and they are patiently subject; The Sheep before the Shearer openeth not its Mouth. But Man hath made it subject to a greater Vanity than any of these. GOD created these Things and subjected them to serve our Necessities; tis Man, sinfull Man, that hath made them to lacquey his Lusts and Corruptions. The Silkworm never be­queathed the spinning of its Life for the Mainte­nance of Pride, and hindrance of good VVorks. The Sheep never yielded its Wooll to Cover the Nakedness of the Earth, but the Nakedness of Man. This is one way by which we make even GOD himself to serve with our Iniquities. This is one thing which makes the Creation groan for the day of Judgement; Romans 8.22. because it [Page 22] shall then be delivered from this Bondage of Corrup­tion.

Sect. 4. But yet methinks the difference of the Weavers Materials speaks some order, which is GODS will: amongst Men Wooll is Coarser than Silk, Hair is a medium betwixt them both; Hemp is Grosser than Flax, and Cotton again is betwixt them both. Our Saviour, Matthew 11.8. allows a soft Rayment, to them that are in Kings Houses. There are some whom GOD himself Covers with Silk and fine Linnen and Broidered Work, Ezekiel 16.13. GOD doth no more will a levelling for Clothes, than Orders of persons or Estates. The Silk-worm is GODS Creature as well as the Goat, Sheep, Camel, Badger, &c. and created for Man's use. The virtuous Woman may cover her self with Silk and Purple, Proverbs 31.20, 22. These things may be upon our Backs, so they be not in our Hearts; and certainly the Heart of Man is too noble a thing to receive what a poor Worm hath Vomited out from her Intrails. Mind not high Things (saith the Apostle); let others (if they please) by our Silk, know the Station which GOD hath willed us to take up in the world above them; but let us still remember we are but Dust and Ashes, and that our Silks re­move us from our Neighbours, but some few steps as to external Order: They are the same Flesh and Blood with us, and have Souls of the same species equally ordained to an Eternity, [Page 23] and equally capable of a blessed Eternity. Silk is lawfull; but it must be used lawfully. Whe­ther Dorcas ever wore any, or no, I cannot tell; but whoever wear it will be concerned, that o­thers may, like her Executrices, Acts 9.39. be able to shew the Coats and Garments which they have made for the Poor. If silken Garments eat up our Ability for Charity; The Silk-worm groans for it, and is by it put in Bondage to Corruption. And certainly some order is to be observed also: GOD had never provided us Wooll and Hair as well as Silk; Cotton and Hemp as well as Flax, if he had not intended some difference in our Habits according to our Sta­tions. As it is an ugly sight to see Princes go on Foot, and Servants Riding on Horse-back; so 'tis no very comely Spectacle to see the Servant ride cheek by jole with his Master. Let not Costly Garments devour our good works; And GOD hath not forbidden them. It is Noted of Henry the second King of France, that he could never be perswaded to wear Silk-stockens, though then in Use in his Nation. Let us not nourish High Opinions of our Selves; let them be used to shew the Difference which the Providence of GOD hath made amongst Men, as to the place he wills they should take up in the world, and they may be worn innocently. But the Weaver is not concerned here; he may weave it, let o­thers take heed how they use it.

Sect. 5. But whence is this Silk I am winding upon my Loom? Let me stand still a li [...]tle and see this great Sight. 'Tis the Product of a Noble Creature, than which whether the Creation af­fords ought more stupendious, I cannot say. In the Spring it is a little Grain, Egg, or Seed, hardly exceeding the quantity of a small Pins­head, it is enlivened by a strange Generation, in its time; about the season that the Mulberry­tree beginneth to shoot forth, it groweth up by Degrees, being Fed with the Leaves of Mulber­ries, till having done its work, and spun out its Bottom, it Vomiteth it out of its Mouth, and soon after (having first cast its Seed) dyes. Men wind off this Silk thus made, and weave it into a Web, and of this are made the most Cost­ly, and Ornamental Garments; Who hath despi­sed the day of small things? How great is GOD in the little Things of Nature? Yea in the least greatest? Methinks this VVorm represents to us Christians, our Great LORD and SAƲIOƲR. How little was He in the day wherein he was Born? How did He nothing Himself? (To use the Apo­stles Expression,) He made Himself of no Reputati­on. How was He enlivened into an Humane Life by a strange Generation? How little a while did He, when He had taken Flesh, Dwell amongst us? VVhat was His Meat and Drink while He Lived here, but to Feed on the Mulberry-tree of the Divine Law, first planted in Sinai? to do his [Page 25] Father's Will, which when. He had done, He Dy­ed, leaving us a Righteousness to Cover our Nak­edness, a Glorious Robe with which we may Ap­pear in the House of the KING of GLORY? But as Man hath something to do, before the Silk­worm's Legacy will be usefull for him; so hath the Christian that will be Clothed with this Silk and Broidered Garment. The Silk-worm leaves the Silk upon the Cod; Men may Neglect or Use it as they please: even CHRISTS Righteous­ness profiteth none without Faith. 'Tis true we have no VVeb to make; no Woof to add to this Warp (as Papists do in their Linsey-woolsey Righ­teousness); but we must put it on, and we must walk therein.

Sect. 6. Whence is this Wool, which twisted into Yarn, I am fastning into my Loom or Shuttle? was it not the Covering of the Sheep, that loseth its Coat to make Man a Covering? As this Sheep before its Shearers was dumb, so opened not my LORD his Mouth.

1. LORD, what is vain Man proud of? what hath he on his Back but a Coat, that was upon a pitifull Sheeps Back, before it came upon his, or the Product of a Silk-worms Excrements, or the Clippings of a Camel? why are they so lift­ed up for their changeable Suits of Apparel and Ornaments? Are their Clothing of Silver and Gold? It is yet but a Covering of thick Clay. The Sheep when it had it on was Meek and [Page 26] Lowly; How comes Man to be Proud and Haugh­ty? VVhat hath made the Difference between a Fleece of VVooll, and a Piece of gay Stuff, or fine Cloth, but the Art of some poor Men?

2. This Sheep before the Shearers opened not its Mouth; it knew not but it was going to the Shambles, it understood not that it was going to be shorn for the Use of Men, yet it opened not its Mouth. Upon this Account CHRIST was also compared to a Sheep. He indeed knew, that He was going to be offered as a Sacrifice for us, to lay down his Life for us, that we might have a Righteousness through Him; Yet He (saith the Prophet, and twice Repeats it) opened not his Mouth. What patience should it learn us in the time of GODS Sheep-shearing; 'Tis true our wooll will make no Garments for Naked Souls, but it will be encouraging to fear­full and faint-hearted Christians. The Sheep is shorn that it may bear VVooll against the next, and further Years. Oh! Let us Remember that we also are Purged that we may bring forth more Fruit.

Sect. 7. But whence hath this VVooll this strength? Nothing more feeble than a single Hair of Wooll in the Fleece. Every Child can pull a lock of wooll in Pieces; How comes it to be so strong in Tarn, and much stronger when it is woven into Cloth or Stuff? It is nothing but the twifting of the Hairs or Threeds together. [Page 27] O how good a thing it is for Brethren to dwell toge­ther in Ʋnity! Psalms 134.7. The Dying Fa­ther's Children could easily break the Arrows given them singly, but the Sheaf they could not break, though there were nothing in the Sheaf but the single Arrows: Vis unita forvior. The Weavers Yarn and his Web, both learn him the great Lesson of Brotherly Love, and cannot but afford him this Meditation, how strong were Christians were they but all United in Love. They are all contending for Truth in their several different Forms, and little paths of Religion; but why should they not, as the Apostle would have them, [...], Speak the Truth and contend for the Truth and yet in Love? The Church of GOD will never be perfectly ter­rible like an Army with Banners, till Love be the Colours. The Cross hath been in her En­signes a long time, but it hath been in a bloody Field.

Sect. 8. How many differing Acts have been done to this Yarn, before it comes to the State wherein it is, yet more must be done bef [...]re it will be a Covering for Men and Women: It must [...]e fastned to a Loom and to a Shuttle, the warp and woof must be united by the Weavers Indu­stry, it must then be Died, Prest, Sealed, &c. before it is fit for a Market; what a work here is! how many Hands are busied to Repair but one influence of the Fall of Adam, to Cover [Page 28] that Bodily Nakedness which that unhappy day Discovered? But how much more must be done to provide that in the Great Day of the LORD the Son of Adam may not walk Naked. Man is but the Weaver in the Case. CHRIST indeed hath provided him Materials, the wooll is from Him, who was as the dumb Sheep before the Shearers. Yea He was as the Weaver to. All was finished in point of Satisfaction when He gave his last Groan upon the Cross; and as to that Man hath nothing to do but to put it on, but yet even that Garment must be put on, nor is it ever truly put on, without another also of di­vers Colours. We must also be Clothed with Humility, put on Charity, Meekness, Long-suf­fering, Forgiving and Forbearing one another. CHRIST indeed hath Merited for his Elect the Habits of Grace which Adorn the Saints, but the Acts and Exercise of them are ours in his strength.

Sect. 9. I cannot in the Variety of the Wea­ver's Materials, but read how good a GOD we have who do h not only Consult and Provide for our Neces­sities, but our ease and the accommodation of our In­firmities. If the large Heart of our GOD could have satisfied it self, in shewing Love to his Crea­tures by giving them Necessaries, it had been e­nough for Him to have fitted the World with Sheep, and have afforded us a little coarse Wooll that would have Covered our Nakedness, and secured us from the Violences of VVeather, and [Page 29] is most proper for it: but this would have been harsh to our tender Skins, He therefore affords us Hemp and Flax which better suit them for in­ward Garments. Wooll would have kept us warm, but in Summer too warm; He hath therefore provided us Silk, fine Linnen, &c. And for those whose Purses will not reach so far, He hath provided us finer woolls, taught the Spinster to draw it into finer Threeds, and the Weaver to bring it into a finer web: nay he hath not only provided us for Necessity and Delight, but for Ornament also: with what a liberal Hand doth his Bounty give to us? Shall we now be Narrow-hearted towards Him? shall we enquire onely for the least Degree of Grace (abating onely for hours of Temptations) for a least of good works which may evidence Grace? Look and see if GOD thus deals with us; we have Food and Rayment for our Delight as well as for Nece­ssity. Nay, let us strive that all active Grace may abound in us, that we be Rich in good VVorks, as all kind of Grace from GOD doth abound to us. If there be a work of Supererogation to be done, surely we stand obliged to do it: let us never Ask whether we have not done enough for GOD; but still whether there be no more to be done for him. Doth not GOD think it enough to Cloth our Nakedness, but He will delight us with our Clothes, He will Adorn us in Clothing? Let not us think it enough to Profess, but let us [Page 30] make it our Business to Adorn our Profession and the Doctrine of CHRIST; let us not onely please GOD, but labour to come up to that of the Spouse; of which CHRIST saith, Thou hast ra­vished my Heart, my Sister, my Spouse, thou hast ravished my Heart with one of the Chains about thy Neck.

The Meditations.

Sect. 1. THe Weaver is like to Solomon's Vertuous VVoman, who Eateth not the Bread of Idleness, Proverbs 31.27. his hands are not idle, and therefore his House in probabi­lity will not drop through, Ecclesiasticus 10.18. In the Sweat of thy Face thou shalt eat thy Bread; per­haps we Mis-call it when we call it The first Curse. The Earth indeed was Cursed for Mans sake, Gen. 3.17. But whether Man in his lapsed Estate was Cursed or Blessed, by having a Law of Labour laid upon him, I much question; had it been a Law of Idleness, it had been a most certain Curse; for the lapsed Soul of Man, being aliena­ted from GOD, had it not been set to work, would doubtless have worse imployed it self. If I would set a Man into the Road to Hell, I would (as to many (ah wofull!) Parents) breed him up to have nothing to do. Our weaver's Soul hath no leisure to rest, he is always buying, or scowring, or sorting, or mixing, or prepar­ing his Loom, or working in it; possibly Men may despise it as a low Employment, but cer­tainly better than Drinking, and Gaming, and working Iniquity with Greediness: He is not at leisure to be amongst the simple Ones, nor doth his Imployment direct him to the youth that are without Ʋnderstanding; and if Solomon's virtuous Woman was not degraded, but described by her [Page 33] laying her hand to the Spindle, and holding the Distaff, Proverbs 31.19. I understand not what blot, the Beam, and the Shuttle, and the Treddles, make in the Weavers Scutcheon.

Sect. 2. Let us go out with the Weaver to his Market, we find him there Buying his Materials, Wooll, Yarn, Silk, &c. according to his particu­lar Occupation. Buy he must, raw, or wrought, for he that cannot make an hair of his own Head white or black, can much less make a hair either on his own Head, or on the Sheep or Camels back. It were certainly more easie to make a Quality than a Substance. Creation is all GODS work, He can make the Sheep to bring forth wooll; the Goats and Camels skins to send forth hairs; Man cannot make one hair, not on small threed of Silk. What a pitifull thing vain proud Man is in Power? that cannot give a Being to the least Thing in Nature? hath he think we a pow­er to make all things become New, that cannot make one thing New? can he make the New Creature, by his own Power, that is not able to create the most minute Creature? can he make himself a Rohe of Righteousness, wherein to stand before GOD, that cannot give a Being to a lock of wooll? Surely as to a state of Righteousness, or any habits of Grace, he must also, before he can work any thing which will be acceptable in GODS sight, go to him who hath himself rang the Market-bell; Isaiah 55.2. Come buy, and [Page 34] Eat.—without Money and without Price. Revelation 3.18. I counsel thee to buy of me— white Rayment that thou mayest be Clothed, and all this without Money and Price.

Sect. 3. How cheap is the Grace of GOD that bringeth Salvation? without Money and without Price (So runs the Proclamation.) It is the gift of the HOLY GHOST, and the Apostle hath taught us; that nothing of that Nature can be Bought with Simon-Magus his Money. It were ill called a Gift if it must be purchased; I cannot Buy a pack of Wooll, nor a Bail of Silk, nor a little Hemp, or Flax, or Hair, without Money: but I may buy CHRIST, his Grace, his Glory without Money, and without Price. There is no going to the Market without Money, but I may go to CHRIST, I may have Heaven without parting with any thing unless what is better parted with than kept. I find by experience that my Mate­rials for my Trade are bought too dear; I work them out and lose by it, I labour for nothing, and spend my Money, and my Strength in vain; but did ever any say, he had served GOD in vain, and waited upon him for nothing? CHRIST will exchange his Grace for my Lusts, his Glory for my vile Affections: Surely the dear price of my VVare, should Inhance the study of Heaven, and heavenly Things in my Soul. If Wares in the Market be dear, it is my Comfort, I can have Heaven better cheap.

Sect. 4. But what need so many words to a Bar­gain? In so much chaffering is there no sinning? Solomon thought otherwise, Proverbs 10.19. In a multitude of words there wanteth not sin; but he that refraineth his lips is Wise. 'Tis true possibly here are no God-dam-mee's (we are amongst Tradesmen) no Swearing, no Cursing, but such a floold of words is not without a mixture of dirt: Is there no lying, no idle words, of which we must give an account also? What need the Buyer say, It is nought, it is nought, and when he is gone away he boasteth? Proverbs 20.14. Two words we say must go to a Bargain, but what need more? This is my Price, beneath which I will not sell: This I will give and no more, were certain­ly words enough to dispatch the greatest Con­tract; nothing but corruption hath brought in more. Cannot you afford it cheaper? Indeed I can­not, I will have so much if I sell it, &c. are words so like those of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5. that I cannot but tremble for that Tradesman that thinks himself necessitated to use them, and pre­sently at liberty to recede from them. When the Wares are in their Hand are they not their own? May they not sell and keep them as they please? Are they obliged to tell their Customer what they Cost them? What need is there of a Lie then? but to make good that of Solomon, That the getting of Riches by a lying Tongue, is a vanity tossed to and fro by those that seek Death, Pro. 21.6.

Sect. 5. Ah! what need we have; to pray for pardon of our sins of inadvertency, and also to advert better upon our ways! we can easily understand the sin of them who spend their precious time at Taverns, and Alehouses; but who thinks himself a sinner while he is busie with his Yarnman, or o­ther Chapman? yet who liveth, and thus sinneth not? who asks himself at night, have I saved or gained nothing this day by a lying tongue? Have I spake no evil words in making my Bargains? A Man may Trade, as well as drink himself to Hell: Lying will bring one into the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone, as well as swear­ing and cursing. Dam-mees challenge GOD a a little more boldly, and will one day understand they have not challenged an Idol, but a Just and Living GOD: but the Lier merits sufficiently ill at GODS hand, and if others have the prefer­ence to the Devil's right hand, these will not miss the Curse to be pronounced to those who shall be found at GODS left hand. What need hath the Tradesman to say, I will look to my ways, that I I offend not with my Tongue, Psalms 39.1. The Tongue of Man hath in it a World of Iniquity; It is an unruly Evil, full of Deadly Poyson, James 3.6, 8.

Sect. 6. Our Tradesman at last (after a great many words) hath Bought his Bargain, he brings it home; but it is not yet ready for his Loom. His Yarn is greasy, and must be scowred, his Wooll [Page 37] dirty and mixed, and must be Kembed: the threeds are too small, and must be twisted. The Colour it may be pleaseth not, and it must be Dyed, ei­ther in the Wooll, Yarn, or Piece. It may be his Yarn is of several sorts, and it must be sorted, or his piece to be several Colours, they must ac­cordingly be mixed, and disposed. What a work is here? what an exercise of his head and hands? and all to get 5. 10. 20 s. possibly to get nothing: yet he doth it patiently, he scowrs, he wrings it out, he trudgeth with it to the Dier, to the Twister; he laboureth in the night and day, yet the poor Racket he hath in his Eye, exceeds not ordinarily what I have mentioned, Quantum est in rebus inane! I have read somewhere of a No­ble person who coming to an untimely Death, said, If I had served my GOD with that Faithful­ness with which I have served my Prince, I had not come to this End. May not many a Poor Weaver say when he comes to die, If I had served God, If I h [...]d lookt after the concern of my immortal Soul with half that Diligence I attended my Trade, I had not been now incertain what shall become of it, I had not laboured for the wind as I have done in my Trade many a Year.

Sect. 7. Whiles the Kember of Woo [...]l is Kem­bing, and Weaver is scowring his Yarn, methinks, he should reflect upon his own best, and most perfect Actions. VVe are sometimes in Scrip­ture compared to Sheep; Our Fleeces are our [Page 38] good works, our Yarn is the threed of our Acti­ons, some of which are all Naught; but the best must be scowred. VVe had need to wash them with the Tears of True Repentance and Godly Sorrow, there is a Grease in the Best of all our Duties, a Filthiness in our Cleanest Services; We are all as an unclean Thing, and all our Right­teousness is but a filthy Rag, Isaiah 64.6. As there are some Sheep whose wooll is so Foul and Course th [...]t it is good for little, and some Spin­sters who work so ill, and foully, that their Yarn is good for Nothing: So there [...]re Thousands and ten Thousands in the World, whose Actions are wholly Naught, but none so good that they are perf [...]ctly Good, Bonum ex causis integris. Hence our SAƲIOƲR 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? 'Tis not indeed what must clo [...]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 m [...]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 [Page 39] 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, [Page 40] 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 [Page 41] 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, [Page 42] 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 Natur [...]l, such as Eating and Drinking, &c. Or Moral, such as are his Buying, his Selling, his working in his Tr [...]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 second [...]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. Tis 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 [Page 43] Chapter, or hears one read, but when his hand is imployed in some 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, 'tis 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 moreof 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 [Page 45] our Knowledge upon our Consciences; but both wayes wha [...] 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 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. 'Tis not enough to have Truth in our Bible and [Page 50] 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 Ʋnrighteousness not living up to their Princi­ples; so they may retain the Truth in Ʋnbelief, 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 [Page 51] 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 [Page 52] 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 [Page 53] 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 s [...]id with David, Psalms 119.57. Thou art my Por [...]ion, O LORD, I have said that I will keep thy words. We suppose him also to have wound his warp [...]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 [Page 54] 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 Ʋp, 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 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 [Page 55] 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 pur­ [...]oyning, but shewing all good fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine of GOD our SAVIOƲR 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 Spiritu [...]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 [Page 56] 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 [Page 57] 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 [Page 58] 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 Meditations.

1. OUR Spiritual Weaver is the good Christian, his f [...]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 [Page 62] 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 wi [...]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, Ps [...]l. 119.1 [...]8 and medi [...]ates of GOD in the Ni [...]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 m [...]veth swiftly, and thus also ru [...] 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 swif [...]er than a VVeavers Shuttle, he is highly concerned to be up betimes. Remembring his Cre [...]or in the Dayes of his Youth. Ecclesiasticus 12.1. and as he hath need in the [Page 63] 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, [Page 64] 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 sh [...]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, b [...]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 [Page 65] 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 i [...], 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 [Page 66] 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, and makes him carefull and wary how he throws it. The spi­ritual Weaver understanding that every Action of his Life will contribute to his VVeb, ought to keep a VVatch upon his Heart, his Tongue, his Hands, his whole Man, to look before he throws his Shuttle, ay and look back upon it too when he hath thrown it; For a Christian works more for Eternity than Apelles painted for it.

5. A Threed (through the weakness of it) will break sometimes, do the VVeaver what he can: The VVeaver lays the Ends together, or knits a Knot to Ʋnite the Threeds again, then it passeth, provided it be not done too often. Iniquities (saith David) prevail against me: Let the spiritual VVeaver do what he can, his Threed will some­times break, his Course of Righteousness through Corruption will be interrupted. The good which I would I do not, Romans 7.19.23. I see another Law in my Members, warring against the Law of [Page 67] my Mind, and bringing me into Cap [...]ivity to the Law of Sin: The spiritual VVeaver hath nothing in this Case to do, but by Repentance ag [...]in to lay his Ends together, to make his former Righte­ous Actions agree with the latter, to knit the Knot of a renewed Covenant with GOD, and a new Resolution to keep the LORDS Statutes. This being done, though the Failures are seen by the Eye of him who seeth all Things, yet the VVeb passeth upon the Covenant of Grace, for which we may give GOD thanks for our LORD JESƲS CHRIST. For we have not an High-Priest which cannot forgive Infirmities, the Apostle tells us, He can have Compassion upon the Ignorant, and upon them that are out of the way, He­brews 5.2.

6. The VVeaver must have his Temples, which lying upon the VVeb keep it fixed and extended, he would otherwise, never work to any Purpose. What the pair of Temples is to the VVeaver, those no­ble Graces Fear and Faith and Love are to the Christian. These spiri [...]ual Habits dwelling in e­ [...]y Gracious Heart influence all his Actions, and keep his VVeb fixed and steady; he walks in the Fear of the LORD all the day long; he lives in the prospect of a Promise, yea of many Promi­ses made to them who hold out to the End; he a­cteth not out of Constraint, but VVi [...]lingly, from a Principle of Love. The Hypocrite wanting these Habits of Grace works with no fixedness, [Page 68] but at great Uncertainties; these Habits keep the VVeb of Righteousness extended, and the spiritual Soul fixed; his Heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD, saith the Psalmist. Do this and Live for I fear GOD (saith Joseph:) and a­gain in the Case of his Mistriss, How shall I do this great Evil and Sin against GOD! The Same­ness and Immutability of GOD in His Nature and VVill, who is the Object of the Souls Faith and Fear, makes him the same in all times; it keeps his Soul fixed and to the same extent and dimen­sions of spiritual Duty, his Eye is alwayes upon him that is Invisible. Oh what lamentable work doth the Hypocrite make in his spiritual Loom for want of these spiritual Temples! at what in­certainties doth he throw his Shuttle? he is fix­ed and steady in nothing; one thing to day, a­nother thing to morrow; his Sails are set accor­ding to the wind of his interest, which accor­ding to the Varieties of this VVorld one while blows from the North, another while in the quite opposite Quarter. VVhereas the sincere good spiritual Workman keeping his Temples before him, works Evenly, Steadily, Fixedly; he sets GOD before his Eyes alwayes as his Fear, thence it is that his Feet do not slide; he is alwayes Eyeing the Promise, so is ever labouring to ful­fill the Condition, and dayly fearing, and tak­ing heed lest having a Promise of [...]ntering into rest he should fail through Unbelief. These [Page 69] Temples move every day with him and in him, he carries them along with his work, till his Web of Righteousness be wholly done.

7. Lastly I observe there are some Pieces of Stuff and Cloth, which a single Person cannot work alone; two sit at the Loom, the one re­ceiveth the Shuttle which the other throws, and returns it to the Hand from which it came. The Spiritual Weaver hath Some such Webs too, he hath Relative as well as Personal Duties. The Husband throws his Shuttle to his VVife walking before Her as a Man of VVisdom and Know­ledge, Loving Her and Honouring Her (as the VVeaker Vessel.) She returneth it back to him again, Obeying Her own Husband, sub­mitting Herself to him; he must Love his Wife as CHRIST Loves his Church, and she takes care to Reverence H [...]r Husband; Both are at work together as meet helps one to another in the things of GOD and in the things of the VVorld, and this is acceptable in the sight of GDD. What Rare Hangings for an House do such a Pair of Weavers make! How much more Excellent than those of Guilded Leather and Tapestry? The Father throws the Spiritual Shuttle to the Child, bringing him up in the Nurture and Admonition of the LORD; teach­ing him the way in his or her Youth which he shall not forget when he is Old. The Children return it to the Father or Mother, Obeying [Page 70] them as it is Right in the LORD; Honouring them not Meerly from a Natural Right, but be­cause it is the first Commandment of GOD with a Promise annexed to it. The Master throws his Shuttle to his Servant, Commanding him and all within his gates to Remember to keep Holy the Sabbath-day, whetting the Law of the LORD upon them, when they Lie down and when they Rise up, when they go out and when they come in, giving unto his Servants that which is just and equal. The Servant again returns it to his Master, being Obedient to him that is his Ma­ster according to the flesh, with fear and trem­bling, in singleness of Heart, as unto CHRIST, not with Eye-service as a Man-pleaser, but as a Servant of CHRIST doing the will of GOD from the Heart, with good will doing service as to the LORD, and not unto Men; knowing that whatsoever good thing any Man doth, the same he shall receive from the LORD, whether he be Bond or Free, Ephesians 6.5, 6, 7. not answering again, not purloining, but shewing all good Fidelity, that they may adorn the Doctrine of GOD our SAVIOƲR in all things, Titus 2.9.10. So in Political and Ecclesiastical Relations, the pi­ous Magistrate throws the Shuttle to his Subjects, ruling them in the fear of the LORD, comman­ding the Ministers of the Gospel in his Domini­o [...]s, to fulfill their office; commanding all his Subjects to keep the Law of the LORD, forbid­ding all deceitfull Weights and Ballances, not re­garding [Page 71] faces in Judgement, not oppressing the Poor and Fatherless, but regarding the Cryes of them, and of the Widows: The Subject again returns the Shuttle to the Magistrate, being sub­ject to the higher Powers; knowing there is no Power, but is ordained of GOD, being subject not on­ly for Wrath but for Conscience Sake; for this cause paying Tribute also, because they are GODS Mini­sters, rendring to all their Dues, Tribute to whom Tribute is due, Custome to whom Custome, Fear to whom Fear, Honour to whom Honour. The Mini­ster of the Gospel throws his Shuttle to his Peo­ple. Preaching the Word of GOD in season, and out of season with all Faithfulness, Diligence, Boldness; In Meekness instructing those who oppose themselves; Fleeing also Youthfull Lusts, being Vigilant, Sober, of good Behaviour, given to Hospitality, apt to Teach, not given to Wine, no Striker, not greedy of filthy Lucre, Patient, no Brawler, not Covetous, &c. On the other side, Their People return the Shuttle, being Obedient in the LORD to those who have the spiritual over-sight of them; Laying apart all filthi­ness, and superfluity of naughtiness, and with meekness receiving the engraffed Word, which is able to save their Souls, being doers of the word, and not hearers only. Oh what rare and beautiful webs of righ­teousness are made at these double Looms, when they thus work according to the divine rule! hap­py is the people that is in such case. Men shal cer­tainly say this People have the LORD for their GOD.

The Meditations.

1. THE Spiritual We [...]vers Warp is his Credenda, the several Propositions of Faith and Truth which are wound upon his Soul, partly by the Exercise of his Reason upon Natural Principles, partly upon the Revealed will of GOD in his Word: For the Candle of the LORD in our Souls is dighted both these ways. Reason working upon Natural Principles, will conclude, That there is a GOD, who made Heaven and Earth, that he must be Eternal, in­finite, just and Holy, &c. That to him must be [Page 76] given account of our thoughts, words and Actions, That Man hath an Immortal Soul, &c. But there are many more Propositions of Truth, which Reason (working from Meer Natural Principles) will never Discover; yet are Con­cluded from Reason upon this Hypothesis, That those Sacred Books which we call the Scriptures contain the Revealed Will of GOD, and are the words of Him who cannot Lie. Now as Na [...]ural Light is not the same in all, but varieth accor­ding to the Capacity of a Man to Exercise his Reason, and the Helps he hath for it; so also there is a vast difference in Mens Conclusions from Scripture-Principles: Every Man is not a­like able to search the Scriptures, nor hath the like Advantage from Forrein Help; nor is so a­ble as another to compare spiritual Things wi [...]h spiritual. There is not a greater Difference in Faces than there is in the Sentiments and Opi­nions of Pious Souls, who all have set up to themselves the same End, viz. the Glory of GOD, who dayly Beg of GOD to Lead them into all Truth, and would not willingly believe a Lie; and necessarily there must be so unless it would please GOD that all Men should be Born with the same Wit, Reason, Parts, and Arrive to the same Degrees of Learning, and have the same Helps of Instruction. Now it is impossible, that the two Contradictory Parts of the same Propo­sition should be True. Hence of Necessity eve­ry [Page 77] Spiritual Weaver, will at last be found to have some Threeds in his Warp defective: Some in­deed more some less, but all some. Nemo sine Crimine vivit; Optimus ille qui minimis urgetur, saith Horace. There is none liveth, who hath a right Apprehension of every Divine Truth. And this Reflection, were but Men possest with Com­mon Humanity, would oblige them to bear each with his Brother. There will not be found a guilt­less Person to throw the first Stone at his Neigh­bour. Neither is any M [...]n Infallible: Nor is there upon Earth any Infallible Judge; why do I then Judge, and condemn my Brother? may not he by the same Right Condemn me; Is there not the same Distance from him to me (Stand where he will) as from me to him? who shall judge betwixt Us? shall the Church, or any Au­thority of Men Determine betwixt Us? The Church indeed, yea the Civil Magistrate, may Determine, that nothing be Published within their Territories contrary to what they appre­hend the will of GOD: But certainly no Man can make an Hair of Truths Head, White or Black. Truth will be Truth, and Error a Lie when Men have said what they can; nor is any particular Church more Infallible than a Pope. My follow­ing a Multitude in an Error will no more excuse me than the following of a Multitude to do Evil. I have no Judge under Heaven as to my Practice above my Conscience. It is indeed my Duty to [Page 78] Hear the Church Reverently, to Examine what it saith Diligently, and to believe it, as my Con­science tells me; it doth or doth not agree with the Holy Scriptures. Our Spiritual Weaver then may be assured that there are several Threeds Defective in his Warp; And therefore stands highly concerned to be ever and anon casting an Eye upon it, Examining the Various Propositions which he hath embraced for Truth, and upon which he Buildeth and Directs his Practice. But it is very possible, that he may not be able to put in better Threeds when he hath done. He is a Bruit, no Man, that can Believe what he Listeth, or whatsoever his Neigh­bour would have him to Believe. All a Chri­stians Duty in this Case is, 1. To Examine and Prove Propositions, to hear on both sides, to compare Things Spiritual with Spiritual, &c. 2. To have the Perswasions to himself, in which he hath Faith different from the Church in which he Lives. 3. To Beg of GOD to Lead him into all Truth, and to Reveal what as yet is not Revealed to him, and to Pardon his Mistakes, and not to Conceal any Truth Revealed to him in Unrighteousness. Which doing he may be assured we have an High-Priest can have Compassi­on our Infirmities, Ʋpon those that are Ignorant, as well as those otherwise out of the way. Yet I fear some Errors of Faith are Damnable, such as Infer an Impossibility of the Soul that is Possessed of [Page 79] them, to do those things which the Scripture makes Necessary to Salvation, Faith and Repen­tance: Whether any other or no is more than I know.

2. The Weaver finds many a Threed Break in the Striking, yet is his Web not spoiled by it; But when it Happens, he stops, looks back, and lays up, and Re-unites his Threeds, and goeth on in his work: Thus doing, though there be many a Real Breach, yet the piece comes off, is approved, Merchantable and passeth: we have before considered all the Thoughts, Words and Actions of a Christians Life as our Spiritual Weavers Striking. Infinite are the Threeds that break in it. The Righteous sinneth seven times in a day; who can tell how oft he offendeth? He who thinks he can keep the whole Law of GOD in Thought, Word and Deed, is not more to be blamed for his Error, than for his Igno­rance: If he knew what Holiness that Holy Rule requireth he would never say so. It was because the Pharisees did not know that GODS Law which saith Thou shalt not kill, forbade as well Rash Anger and ill Words, as Bloody Actions; That they thought they could fulfill it; And if the Popish Doctors, did not give a Jejune Inter­pretation of a Divine Law no way Concordant to Holy Writ, they would never tell us of a pos­sibility of works of Supererogation, or that any hath Oyl enough in his Lamp for himself and o­thers, [Page 80] which was what the wise Virgins in the Parable denied. Our Threeds (the LORD Par­don them,) will break, and do break every day. What help in this Case, but to cast our Eyes back upon our Actions; to take care ut ultima respondeant primis, to bring the Ends to­gether again by Repentance, to make up the Breach by an Exercise of Faith on the LORD JESUS; to resolve in GODS strength to take more heed for the Future: This doing, though what is done cannot be undone, yet for the Sa­tisfaction of CHRIST it shall be reckoned as un­done, and our VVeb of Righteousness accounted as perfect and accepted of GOD. The Soul is not made one who never sinned, (That is im­possible and importeth a Contradiction) but it is made as one that had never sinned, that is, its Sins shall never hurt it.

3. The Weaver when he hath wrought a Plate (so they call so much of the Web made as can at once lie before his Eye) he looks it over, picks it, Brusheth off the loose Knots, (so I think they call the little parts of Wooll or Yarn picked off) how fitly doth this prompt the Spiritual Weaver to his every day work of Self Examination? Every days thoughts, words, Actions make him a plate of Work. Some Unevenness there will be in it, his Conscience Spiritually Enlightened, is the Instrument he must use to Pick his VVork by Something will be found too much, in his Affe­ctions, [Page 81] Passions, Words, Pretences, &c. even in his best Actions, to be pickt out by a Penitent Heart, Disclaimed, Abhorred, cast from him as a filthy R [...]g; Something to be Brusht off as no part of his Spiritual Web, yea as a Noisome fly, which will make his whole Box of Precious Ointment to stink. He never proves a good work-man, who is not as good and as Diligent at picking, as at throwing of his Shuttle. He never makes a good Christian, who is not as good at Examining his ways, as walking in a seeming Course of Piety and Righteousness. Often Reckoning we say makes long Friends: Often Reckoning with GOD and our own Con­science, will keep GOD and us long Friends, and our own Consciences long Friends unto us. Oh that every good Christian would Remember at the End of every day! My days work is now done but still I have it to pick, and then retire into his Closet, and use his Conscience to reflect upon his Actions, and see if it be (so far as his light will guide him) according to the Divine Rule; How much would this Contribute to the Evenness of a Christians VVeb, and help him in the close of his life to say after Hezekiah, LORD, Remember how I have walked before thee in Truth, and with a Perfect Heart!

4. This whole work must be done till our piece comes quite off the Loom. Self-Examination, Repentance, Watchfulness, are not the works of [Page 82] a day, or a Month, or a Year, but of our whole Life; No work for Lent or Ember-weeks, or Fasting-days only, but the work of every day, every week: The good Christian can never find a time for a Carnival. Travellers tell us, that in the Popish Countreys, particularly at Venice, the VVeek before their Mortifying time of Lent is called by that Name, a VVeek given up to all Manner of Lust, Luxury, Gaming, Lewdness, and Prophaneness as a pre­face to their Mock-fast that is to follow, which make their Lenton-weeks an undue Proportion of time for the Disgorging their Polluted Souls of the Preceeding Crapula. These are ill Spirit­ual VVeavers, that spoil more of their work in one week than they can again make good in many. The work-man in the LORDS work who needs not be ashamed is quite another thing; He is alwayes at work either Weaving or Picking, either working or looking over, searching or proving what he hath done, whether it be good or well done, yea or no, till his piece comes off the Loom; His Hands and Eyes never cease, and to him that doth thus, GOD will say, Well done! Good and Faithfull Servant, enter into thy Masters joy. The VVeaver cuts his own piece from the Loom, and ceaseth to work when he hath made his Piece to the Length and Breadth, which he or his M [...]ster hath proposed. The good Christian might do so to, if his [Page 83] Lengths and Breadths proposed by his great LORD were not such as he can never reach and fulfill; But his Mark to which he is to press for­ward, the perfect Man, the measure of the stature of the Fulness of CHRIST, mentioned, Ephesians [...].13. is such a Length and Breadth as the best Christian can never hope to Reach, and must therefore die in his work; still forgetting what is behind, still Pressing Forward to what is before. He cannot take off his work when he pleaseth, because he will never have done it; he cannot finish his Course till GOD hath finished his Life: The work which GOD hath given him to do, is not to depart from his Statutes all the Dayes of his Life.

The Meditations.

1. WHat a work is here before the Poor Laborious VVeaver can get a few Pence or Shillings, what a Variety of Labours and Pains? I have heard as I said before that a great Peer of this Realm sometimes Condemned to Die thus exprest himself: If I had Served my GOD with the same Faithfulness, as I have Served my Prince, I had not come to this un [...]imely End. Ma­ny a Poor VVeaver, that sits at his Loom, from four in the Morning till 8, 9, 10. at Night, but to get 7, 8, or 10 s. a week for a Livelihood, I fear may sadly reflect upon his Soul, and say: If I wrought half so hard for GOD, as I here Toyl for my Master, how much better VVa­ges should I have? what a lamentable Fool I am to work 9, 10. Hours in a Day for 7 or 8 or 10 s. and to grudge one or two Hours, to work for a Crown of Glory, to Read, Hear, Pray that GOD would not Condemn my Soul to an Eternal Mi­sery? How doth many a Poor Industrious VVea­ver spend his Labour for that which is not Bread, and his Strength for that which either will not Profit, or not comparably with the work of Righteousness. Blessed GOD! what compa­rison is there, betwixt Thine, and the VVorlds VVages, to him that most faithfully serves it; his [Page 88] Crowns of Gold, and this Crown of Eternal Glory and Happiness? VVe hear Men often say, we will rather Play for Nothing than VVork for Nothing; Yet how do the most of Men rather Chuse to VVork for Nothing, yea to VVork for Hell rather than to VVork out their own Salvati­on, and for the Glory of GOD? (The greatest some things of this World and of that which is to come.) The Service of GOD is a perfect Free­dom, a Freedom in Comparison of all the VVo [...]k in the VVorld. Doth GOD require of a Poor Weaver that he might be Saved, to spend 8 or 10 Hours every Day in Reading, Praying, Hearing, Sel [...]-Examination, &c. what lively active Christi­an is constant to much more than a third part of that time spent in Devotion to GOD? yet it is for an Eternity of Glory and Happiness. It is true, he must set GOD alwayes before his Eyes, that will not slide by his Feet. He must walk in the Fear of the LORD all the Day-long, that will Enter into his Masters Joy, he must continually direct his Intention right; whether he Eateth or Drinketh, or whatever he doth, he must do all to the Glory of GOD; But is Holiness such a Toyl, such a Weariness to the Flesh, such a Bodily Labour as VVeaving is? yet what a Difference is there in the VVages? Ah what a Slave is Man? that can [...]y himself, yea must ty himself to a Loom all the Day for a Poor Livelihood, and yet cannot ty himself to a Course of Religion and Holiness to [Page 89] obtain the Promises both for this Life, and for that which is to come. Shall not the Beams of the VVeavers Looms, shall not his Shuttles and Treddles, be VVitnesses against him another Day, which by him are kept in continual Motion, and worn out, for a little Portion of Bread? VVhile in the mean time, not a Cushion is worn out by him in Prayer, not a Bible with Reading in it what should concern his Everlasting Peace. VVhat but an Evil Heart of Ʋnbelief, could give Con­duct to the Life of most, while forsaking the Fountain of Living VVaters, they thus spend their Time, (their Precious Time (upon which their Eternity depends) in Digging up to them­selves Cisterns, broken Cisterns, that will hold no VVater? Did they Believe there were a GOD, there were an Heaven, such a Reward as the Scripture speaks for the Righteous, it were impossible they should move so little for it, while they work so hard for what is infinitely beneath it.

2. The Weaver's Master pays him according to his Work. The Materials he hath before received from his Master, of Various sorts, and prices, according to the piece he is to work. Some spoil all, and have in stead of VVages Nothing but a smart Reproof and Chiding, or an Action brought against them; Others bring it Home slovenly done: Others bring it done well, and work man like. They are paid according to [Page 90] their work. The great Master, the LORD of Heaven and Earth, furnisheth every Man with Materials and Instruments, for him to do the work which he hath given him to do. None is without a Reasonable Soul, endued with several Faculties (the Principles and Instruments of all Humane Operations.) All indeed have not alike wit, Capacity, Judgment, Reason; But all have some Materials, some Power's given to them. GOD (as the Prudent Weaver) doth not at first give out to all the best Materials. The Prudent Weaver first tries his Servant with Coarser Yarn, than with Finer; First with Woollen, then with Silk: If he works not the Coarser first, well, his Master trusts him not with the Finer: If he works not his VVoollen Yarn well, his Master will not adventure Silk into his Hands. If he doth work the Coarser well, his Master is not bound, (otherwise than he may be by a Promise or Covenant) to trust him with his most Choise and Costly Materials. I must Confess I do much encline to think that in the day of Judgment, no Soul shall be Condemned for not doing that which it had not wherewithal to do: As a Man may Sin without the Law, so he may perish without the Law, being judged without the Law. I can easily acquit the holy GOD of any Unrighteousness, if in Man's Lapsed Estate, he should Eternally Condemn a Soul, for not doing what in his present State he cannot do. [Page 91] 'Tis certain, that we all had in Adam a Power to do whatsoever in Innocency GOD required of Man in order to Salvation; If our Forefather spent what we should have lived upon, it were very absurd to say, GOD hath lost his Right to Exact his Debt, because we have lost our Power to pay it. But I say, I see no need to insist on this. GOD will find enough to Condemn [...]inners for at last, because they have done it (when he forbade them) and it was in their Power to have forborn it; Or not done what he Commanded, and was in their power to have done. The meritorious cause of their Damnation (to whom GOD pleaseth not to give Efficacious Grace) will be found, their abuse or not use of their Common Grace. It is true, did Men use their Common Grace never so well, they could not by such use of it earn Special Grace, (that is a sacred VVind which bloweth where it listeth;) The price of it is above all the Pearl, and Coral, and Rubies, and Diamonds of a Natural Mans work: But I do not think that in the day of Judgement we shall see the face of one Soul, who did what in him lay; Onely GOD was wanting to him in the Dispensations of Effectual Grace. The Sinner (let him think what he will to the Contrary) shall never lay his Damnation at GOD'S door. This great Master will give every one according to his work. Some shall arise to Shame and Contempt, some [Page 92] to Life Eternal; All shall receive according to what they have done in the flesh, whether it be Good or Evil. The latter shall go into Everlasting Punishment, the Righteous into Life Eternal, Matthew 25.46. VVhen CHRIST comes (and it will be quickly) his Reward will be with him, to give every Man according as his work shall be, Revelation 22.12. When the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels, then shall he reward every Man according to his works. Matthew 16.27. He whose work hath bin to rise [...] Early to drink Strong Drink, and to sit at the Wine till it Enflameth him, shall have accor­ding to his Work his Portion, where he shall want a Cup of cold Water to Cool his Tongue. Other sensual Sinners shall also have according to their work, i. e. the Judgment Threatned in the word of GOD to such kind of works; And the Child of GOD also shall have according to his work, Isaiah. 32.17. The work of Righteousness, shall be peace, and the effect of it Quie [...]ness, and Assurance for ever. The good-man shall receive according to his work. The King shall say to them on his right Hand, come you Blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom, &c. For I was an Hungry, and you gave me Meat, &c.

3. As every Christians work is not alike, so neither will his Wages be: 1 Corinthians 3.15. If any Mans Work be Burnt he shall suffer Loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through Fire; He [Page 93] that Buildeth upon the True Foundation shall be Saved, but yet he may so work that much of his work may be Burnt; and if it be so, he shall suf­fer Loss, he shall be saved, but as through Fire. It hath been a Question amongst Divines, whether there shall be Degrees of Glory in Heaven, yea or no: 'Tis very probable there shall, much Scrip­ture looketh that way; certain it is that in ma­ny things all the Glorified Saints shall be Equal. They shall all be Exempted from Eternal Punish­ment, they shall all see GOD, they all shall be for ever with the LORD, but that they shall all sit on Equal Thrones, and have the same Degrees of Glory and Happiness, we cannot say; nor yet will describe wherein the Difference shall lie, what further Degrees of Honour or Pleasure one shall have more than another. This we know that every Spiritual Weaver shall [...]in the Great Day be Paid according to the Kind of his VVork, and according to the Degree of his Work in its Kind, be it Good or Evil. It shall be more to­lerable for Tyre and Sidon, for Sodom and Gomor­rah, than for Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Caperna­um. Those that abide with CHRIST in his Tem­ptations, shall sit upon twelve Thrones Judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

4. Onely there will be these Differences be­twixt the Earthly and the Spiritual Weavers pay­ment. 1. The Earthly Weaver hath something Due to him from the Nature of his work as well [Page 94] as from his Masters Promises and Contract: So hat [...] not the Spiritual VVeaver. The wages of Si [...] i [...] Death; But the gift of GOD is Eternal life. A Man may earn Hell, but he must have Heave [...] freely given him of GOD; All the pretence of Debt we have is from a free Promise. 2. Again, the Earthly Weaver may do something beyond his 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 hi [...] work; but it is a Reward of Grace, according to the Nature and Degree of his Sincerity in h [...] VVork.

5. When the Weavers piece cometh off the Loom (according to the Nature of the piece) it i [...] 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 [Page 95] 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 [...]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 Ʋncleanness, 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 JESƲS CHRIST the Righteous, [...]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; 'Tis he that must set his Seal of acceptation upon them, who must offer them [...]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 [Page 96] Enters the Paradise of GOD.

6. But I observe, that every Poor VVeave [...] 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 N [...]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: 'tis 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 [Page 97] 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.