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 Poem How swiftly doth my Shuttle fly To th' other hand and by and by Returns to th' other hand it first did throw Stops not at all nor yet moves slow But as it moves a threed doth stay To be united by the slay Vnto the Web. All our days here Swifter than Weaver's Shuttles are Saith holy Job souls cannot rest Idle at all but work what 's best Or worst They cannot move but some New actions stays upon the Loom Adding still to their Web and must At last be judged just or unjust According to them all when done So will the Judge's Sentence run For life or death The whole must be Judged by the All-seeing Eye What care had I of thoughts need take Of Words of Actions all these make My Web as it is true or not So will the wages I have got Be unto me at last Then Watch My drowsy soul Let no sleep catch Thine Eyes Let nothing thee betray To what in the great Judgment-day Will not abide My head my hand Mine Eyes my feet move at Command Of my quick soul Each act their part While I am in my Weavers Art The head contrives the hand doth cast The Shuttle feet do move as fast All is at work the nimble Eye Observeth how the Shuttles fly Should I not this work Righteousness With my whole man is that work less In labour or in price Then shake Thy self my soul Let each power take It's part Command the Members too That each of them their part may do Think not GOD will be served by A pious Tongue or devout Eye Nor by a false pretending heart He must have all and every part Doth a threed break doth thy soul sin Do what it can Oh look back â—hen And by Repentance make that good Which nothing but thy Saviours Blood Can expiate Repentance may Pardon obtain buâ— no scores pay My soul see that thy Tempels be Always before thy face Oh see Thou workst from Faith love holy Fear These will thee keep thou shal not Erre Thy work will streight and even be Nor shalt thou move incertainly My soul learn how to work alone And how with a companion Who doth not work of every kind Himself will not approved find CHAP. VI. The Art The Weaver in Weaving sometimes finds a Threed defective in the Warp mostly through the negligence or other infirmity of him that wound the Warp on â—e not discerning the breach of the Threed Sometimes also a Threed breaketh in the Striking if it happeneth in the former the Weaver Supplieth it by another Threed in its Room If it breaketh in the Striking he brings the two Ends together and goeth on in his work When he hath wrought a Plate then he looks it over with an Instrument picks it out and brusheth off the loose knots So goes on till he hath finished his Web Then he Cuts it off the Loom The Meditations 1. THE Spiritual Weâ—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 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 Naâ—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 wiâ—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 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 Mâ—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
Worldly Business which probably hath more of his Heart attending that than his Ear hath which heareth the Word of GOD. There is a time for all things saith Solomon but he who can find it no otherwise than thus indeed finds a time for nothing Sect. 11. The Weaver mixeth his Colours too when he hath a Piece to make of several Colours to the best Advantage for Beauty Party-coloured Garments were an Old Fashion 2 Samuel 13.18 Genesis 37.3 now where such a web is to be made the Colours must be rightly Ordered Mixed and Disposed one in Relation to another The Christians active Righteousness is also a Garment of Divers Colours his Duty made up of Various Duties and he never makes his web True or Beautifull if he doth not rightly dispose his Duties of several Colours Giving to GOD the things that are GODS and to Caesar the things that are Caesars rightly ordering himself in his or her Duty to Husband Wife Servants Master Parents Children Political Rulers Or to GOD if he doth not mix his Prayers with Praises his Reading with Hearing the Word Preached and all with Receiving the Lords Supper That 's the true Christian that rightly disposeth his Duties of the several Colours so as there is a due Proportion of all and a comely mixture of them all Sect. 12. The Weaver hath his Warp and his Woof his warp is the Foundation the woof is Superinduced by the Shuttle Now to make his Piece well 't is necessary the Warp be first laid and be sound and good and the woof must bear a proportion to it too Men skilled in the affairs of the world will tell us that the more * of the same kind homogeneal they both be the stronger the web is They say Webs of Silk and Yarn mixed are not so strong as those wholly of either Be that as it will a Christian must have his Warp and his Woof too His VVarp must be a Knowledge of the Truths of GOD His Woof Action upon that Knowledge That the Soul be without Knowledge is not good saith Solomon Proverbs 19.2 How can they believe in him of whom they have not heard Romans 10. Assoon can a Weaver make a Piece of Stuff without a warp as a Christian live an Holy Life without a skill in the Principles of Faith Yea and it must be a sound Knowledge too he must be skilled in the form of sound words else he buildeth without a Foundation or upon one that is False I know GOD in the Methods of his converting Providence begins two wayes working sometimes from the Heart to the Head first affecting the soul which being inflamed with a Love to GOD by and by looks to know the wayes of GOD more perfectly sometimes GOD works from the Head to the Heart reflecting Pieces of our Knowledge upon our Consciences but both wayes whaâ— I say is true A course and series of good and spiritual Actions must be directed by a knowing Head and an Head replenished with a sound Knowledge in spiritual Propositions I know that hay and stubble may be heaped upon a good Foundation and where it is so the Apostle hath told us the work will suffer Loss and the workman if he be saved will be sayed as through fire but it will be hard to make a good Building where the Foundation is but Hay and Stubble Nor will our spiritual web be strong if there be not a proportion betwixt the warp of Knowledge and Woof of Action where Knowledge is not sanctified and experimental the Action will bear a proportion to it and not be truly spiritual But where the Soul is filled with Knowledg and that of a spiritual sanctified Nature being turned into Faith and the Action is truly Spiritual in its Principal End as to the Manner of the Performance there is the True Piece of Righteousness there the wrap and woof are both of the same Kind that work and that alone will be accepted and receive the Crown-Seal of Well done Good and Faithfull Servant The Poem Best Trade which gives least time to sin Which souls can least be idle in Mettals with which we nothing doe Soon rust so souls when idle too The VVeaver hath his Market where He Buyes and often Payes too dear For a good peniworth he payes His soul in needless Yeaes and Nayes VVith which his heart doth not agree He thinks he puts a fallacy Vpon his Chapman and doth cheat Himself whiles for a little meat VVhich perisheth Integrity Is changed for Hypocrisie Vain man hath parted with his hope His souls sheet anchor for a rope And that of sand for hope doth break VVhen truth in heart man doth not speak Unto his neighbour or doth ill Psal 15. VVho doth such things and hopeth still To the holy Hill to come builds on No promises foundation VVhat need so many words when few VVe confess best because most true VVhat if my Chapman will do so Must I serve his corruption too Who grudgâ—â—â— scolds the final word Religious souls cannot afford Giving another Quid pro quo When doing it will souls undoe But do I think the market dear Grace-market is not so for there I without price buy better ware Yet like ill husbands will not spare My time and strength for that to buy At a cheap rate Eternity Let me dear markets Lord improve To raise the price of thy great Love Within my Heart to hast apace To the better market of thy Grace Which clotheth naked Souls for nought But what to nakedness them brought Help me my Works Yarns to Scowr with brine Of Poenitential tears Not mine But of thy gift too Let thy Blood Then Dye them Blessed Jesus These Foul tears will not cleanse them of Grease Let true End Principles be twin'd With a right manner holy mind Let my first and last Actions be Twisted in like sincerity Thus let me live and still walk on Twined in Saints Communion Sorting my Actions so that all May in their proper order fall Ordering their Colours so as I A Christian Life may beautify Lord give me a right warp Teach me What thy Truths what thy Statutes be Lord let me never build upon What is not thy Foundation And help me too as to my woof Or I shall never make good stuff Thus when my piece comes off my Loom I praising thee shall bring it Home My GOD shall have it all and He For ever shall my Master be CHAP. IV. The Art The Yarn being thus prepared the Weaver fastneth the Warp unto his Beam and divideth it his filling Boys prepare the Yarn for the Woof winding it on quils or pieces of reed which he afterwards puts into his Shuttle in order to his Work The Meditations Sect. 1. A Christians Web is his Holy Life made up of the many threeds of righteous Actions the Warp of which we have before found to be the Doctrine of Truth This too must be fastned about the Beam of the Loom 'T is
not enough to have Truth in our Bible and Books and a Notion of it in our Heads it must be fastned to our Souls which is alwayes done by Faith we must be Rooted and Grounded in Faith as well as in Love Propositions of Truth are many times but Probationers to the Soul and never admitted into its Fellowship A Man may know that Proposition of Truth from which yet he withholds his Assent is Men may detain the Truth in Vnrighteousness not living up to their Principles so they may retain the Truth in Vnbelief not fixedly and steadily agreeing to those Notions of Truth they have heard and learned Knowing is one thing agreeing to the Truth of what we know is another yea agreement is one thing and a steady fixed agreeing to it is another So that a Christian will strive earnestly and contend for it as another thing The Faith of many Christians is described by an Heathen Tully I mean Tusc quest lib. 1. Nescio quomoda dum lego assentior cum posui librum et mecum ipse de immortalitate animorum coepi cogitare assensio omnis illa elabitur When they read the holy Scriptures when they hear the Messengers of GOD interpreting them comparing Scripture with Scripture and from strength of Reason confirming Propositions in them they cannot but agree the things to be truth but as soon as the Books is out of their hand and the sound of the Preachers word is out of their Ears they begin to doubt whether any thing be Truth which they have read or heard and indeed no better is the Assent of any who by the mighty working of the Spirit of GOD have not Faith wrought in them hence it is that their Faith is neither Fruitfull by Love and Good Works nor steady in it self There is no need at all that to secure Holiness of Life Men should bring it into the description of Faith and so make an innovation in Divinity which alwayes according to the Scripture distinguished Faith and Love for Holiness which is Love in the Fruit is a necessary consequent of true Faith either respecting the Proposition of the Word or the Person of the Mediator Can he be thought indeed to believe that Arsenick is Poyson who yet freely takes it into his Belly Or can any be judged to trust in a Friend for a kindness who hath promised it but upon the condition of some performance which he refuseth to do It is I say from this that the Propositions of truth are not fastned in the Soul that Men walk not according to the light of them Ephesians 4.14 and that they are tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of Men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive Every breath of wind would disturb the Weaver and every idle hand would trouble him if his warp were not fastned to his Loom Every wind of Doctrine and every Ignorant idle Seducer disturbeth that Souls Profession of Truth who hath not the Proposition thereof by Faith fastned unto his Soul 2. The Weaver divideth his warp that it may serve several intendments The deliberate Christian divideth the Propositions of Truth of which his Soul is possessed Some refer to speculation Some more immediately to Practice Some inform him what GOD is what CHRIST is what He hath done and suffered what the holy SPIRIT is what Heaven and Hell are c. others more immediately refer to Practice informing the Soul what it ought to be both towards GOD and towards Men. These Precepts concern him as a Magistrate This concerneth him as a Minister These things concern him as a Father these as a Child These Propositions contain the Will of GOD concerning Him as an Husband These concern the Woman as a VVife These concern him as a Master The other as a Subject or as a Servant And this is necessary that he may be Holy in all manner of Conversation For Holiness is a lovely spotless Fruit that grows up from the revealed will of GOD concerning us as the Root and as this Root sends forth many Branches so the Fruit of Holiness must be seen in every Bough in every Relation and Circumstance of his Life 3. The filling-boys prepare the Yarn for the Weaver by winding it upon several Reeds and Quills which being filled he teacheth to the VVeaver sitting in his Loom and ready to go to work VVe suppose our spiritual Weaver fixed in his Loom ready to say with David My Heart is fixed O GOD my Heart is fixed resolved to walk with GOD in all the Duties of Holiness having sâ—id with David Psalms 119.57 Thou art my Porâ—ion O LORD I have said that I will keep thy words We suppose him also to have wound his warp â—bout his Loom to be not only possessed of a due Notion of Divine Truths but to have his Heart rooted and grounded in them giving a fixed and steady Assent unto them and now every Relation every Neighbour every New Providence every Action of his Life becomes as a filling-boy to him affording him matter to work upon reaching him a Quill or Reed to work with The Subject gives the Magistrate an opportunity to work the work of GOD by Executing Justice and Judgement without respect of Persons knowing that he judgeth not for himself but for the LORD c. The Magistrate doth the same for the Subject giving him an opportunity to fulfill the will of GOD by Honouring the King and being subject to the higher Powers because ordained of GOD. The VVife gives the Husband advantage for his spiritual web of Righteousness by loving Her as CHRIST loved his Church 1 Peter 3.7 by walking before Her as a Man of VVisdom and Knowledge Ephesians 5.25 Colosians 3.19 1 Peter 3.1 And the Husband requires his VVife by giving her the like advantage to shew her self obedient to the Commands of her Father which is in Heaven by reverencing her Husband endeavouring to win him by her Conversation by loving him and being subject unto him as her own Husband Titus 2.4 5. 1 Peter 3.1 Ephesians 5.22 23. c. Is he that sitteth in this spiritual Loom a Father how easily may he see every Child he hath about him with one of these Pipes or Quills in his hand offering him for his work of Righteousness an opportunity to be obedient unto GOD in bringing him or her up in the Nurture and Admonition of the LORD and not provoking it to wrath Ephesians 6.4 in minding it of its Covenant in Baptism made with GOD in teaching it or them the Statutes of the LORD diligently when he sitteth in the House when he walketh by the Way when he lyeth Down and when he riseth Vp according to the Law of the LORD Deutronomy 6.7 Is he a Child he may see his Parents mutually serving him in his spiritual work giving him advantage to please GOD by Obeying his Parents in the LORD for this is right Ephesians 6.1 Is
this size in Religion Our Fathers VVorshipped in this Mountain saith she Sic a parribus accepimus said he in the Council and met with a smart answer Immo Errantes ab Errantibus Erring Children from Erring Parents But now there are others who understand their Souls were given them for other purposes If Paul preached they will with those well-born Bereans search the Scripture to see if it be Truth which he saith they are iniquisitive after Truth and will Examine all their Principles and practices by the touch-stone of Holy Write bringing them to the Law and the Testimony These are the thriving Christians and these alone have the promise If thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for Vnderstanding if thou seekest Her as Silver and searcheth for Her as for hidden treasure Then shalt thou Vnderstand the fear of the LORD and find the Knowledge of thy GOD Proverbs 2.3 4 5. The Promise of Improvement in the Knowledge and Fear of the LORD is not made to dull Souls that believe all that is told them and Imposed by confident Persons upon them but to him that Examines Seeks Proves c. He is next dooâ— to an Infidel that only believes Divine Propositions in the belief denial or misbelief of which his Salvation depends meerly because his Father believed so or so practised or because anâ— number of Men call them by what name you please so long as you allow them fallible Men so Impose upon him Let Men mock so long as they please though there be no New truth yet there are New Revelations and discoveries of Truth made to various Persons in various ages and there is New light breaks in which is but a beam from that GOD who is light only before that time eclipsed by the Interpositions of Ignorance and Superstition and the other variety of Mens lusts and passions and the thriving Christian will spend his time in winnowing the Chaff from the Wheat 5. We have Reason to adore the wisdom of GOD in the partial Distribution of his Gifts The Apostle admireth it as to the Spiritual Gifts 1 Corinthians 12.8 To one is given by the Spirit the Word of Wisdom to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another Faith by the same Spirit to another the Gifts of Healing by the same Spirit To another the working of Miracles to another Prophesy to another Discerning of Spirits to another divers kinds of Tongues to another the Interpetation of Tongues The Apostle goes on shewing that this various Distribution of Spiritual Gifts was it which did or might convince them of their usefulness one to another That as in the natural Body those members which are more feeble may appear necessary the same Divine VVisdom we may see in GODS Distribution of these Gifts which are of a lower order One Weaver hath an excellent Fancy to invent another hath a more excellent Judgement one works more neatly another more nimbly if every Weaver were Good at all the parts of his work they would not Understand their usefulness one to another nor the need they have one of another but in the variety of dispensation of these Gifts each Man is commended and his usefulness discovered to his neighbour so as the head cannot say to the foot nor the foot to the Hand I have no need of thee If Men would but consider this we should not have so many brutes as we have who controul the VVisdom of GOD in biting and devouring in seeking advantages to rifle and plunder one another as if this were the way to promove the prosperity of a place which indeed is the direct way to turn it into a nettle-bush GOD so ordereth his Gifts as that one Man hath his subordinacy to another And indeed this is seen by Men used in Trades generally The troublers of GODS heritage are generally such as live in Alehouses or whose imployment is much the same as of Caterpillars to eat up every green herb while they are too lazy to plant any a Generation from whom as GOD hath no honour so their Country hath no further profit than what ariseth from an impost upon the Salt and Spirit of Vrine or the Beer or Wine from whence it proceeds The Poem Old Truth like Wine is always best A notion can't be true And also new 'T is gray-hair'd time which must attest What-ere is Sacred truth Error hath Youth Yet 't is not th' old but th' oldest age Alone can justify Th' Antiquity Of Notions From the first each page Hath foully blurred been By Lust and Sin When CHRIST and his Apostles were In our Meridian Truth Shin'd alone But since that they did leave our Sphere A darkness fell upon Each Nation Though by degrees yet thou began To rise the foggy mist Of Antichrist 'T was in the Apostles time The Man Whom they call'd Th' man of sin Did's work begin His work was to deform Truth 's face The good old pathe's to cover None might pass over To blind the ways of Truth and Grace That none might see or know Where CHRIST did go Hence later ages laboured have Resisting unto Blood Those that withstood To dig the truth out of its grave Desirous but to see Old Veritie Hence Truth which in it self 's not new Yet unto us appears Not full of years The Notions so appearing grew In the Old paradise Where grew no lies Only the Winter suffered not There blossoms nor did suits Their Bearing fruit Their lasting root yet did not But watched a better hour To Bud and Flower Whoso despiseth Truth because It new to him doth show Shall never grow Nor Vnderstand the Sacred Laws Which each new day expounds On better grounds CHAP. VI. Of the Various Causes of the Decay of Trade Observations 6. THE Causes of the decay or abatement oâ— Trade is a noble Enquiry and especially for us who Live upon a Spot of Earth that is Incompassed with the Sea VVhat-ever they may do that Live on a Continent it is Certain that those who Live in Islands if they have not a Sufficiency within themselves cannot Live without Trade nor can any people without it Live happily The people are very thin in any place if they be not too many to be Employed in meer Tilling the Ground and making necessaries for one another who are Natives of the Place so as either a great number must be Idle which is the Bane of any Place or they must be employed in providing for other Places which have not what we have This maketh Trâ—de Necessâ—ry to say nothing of the Genius of most not contenting themselves with bare Food and Rayment A late Author in his Compassionate Enquiry tells us and very truly That Trade opens a Passage to the Discovery of other Countreys and of the VVorks of GOD and Man pag. 47. of Nature and Art That it is the great Incentive and Instrument of Humane Society it makes all Mankind of one Body and by mutual Entercourse