The Weavers Pocket-Book, Part 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
The Weaver either buyeth his Silk Raw; his Wool, his Cotton, Hair, Hemp, Flax; or buyeth his Yarn, or Threed made of all or any of theſe; Some of which he Scowreth, he mixeth his Colours, ſorteth his Yarns, then be fitteth it on to his Beam.
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 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 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 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 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 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 onelyonly 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 onelyonly need of an Advocat with the Father if we ſin, but alſo if we pray, the reaſon is, becauſe we cannot pray without ſinning: There's but one Dye for all our Rags, all our web muſt be dipt in the Blood of the Lamb, Revelation 7.14. They have waſhed their Robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb; and if you obſerve it, they were thoſe that had come out of great Tribulation. One would have thought that if any Actions that we had done, could Merit; or might appear as they come from us before the Juſt GOD, what we do in Teſtimony for the Truths and Name of CHRIST might; but if you obſerve theſe were they whom Saint John ſaw having waſhed their Robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Nothing paſſeth for a Garment in Heaven, but who hath Chriſt's ſeal, nothing for coin but what hath his ſtamp.
Sect. 9. But I obſerve the Weaver carrying his Silk and his Yarnes to the Twiſters; they bring ſeveral threeds into one. Methinks I cannot but reflect, what twiſting there muſt be too in the Chriſtians Trade. 1. There muſt be a Twiſting in every good and ſpiritual Action; 1. A true Principal. 2. A right Manner of Performance: 3. A true End muſt be all twiſted together; or the Action is but ſplendidum peccatum, as Auguſtine was wont to call the Moral Actions of Heathens. The End muſt be the Glory of GOD, The Principle muſt be Love to GOD, For the Manner it muſt be done in Faith. Where theſe three are twiſted together the Action is truly good and ſpiritual. Secondly, There muſt be a twiſting of good Actions too. It is not enough to begin well, but we muſt go on well and end well; Connectere ultima primis, make our firſt and laſt things agree, twiſt an Holy Old Age with an Holy Youth. If a Man forſaketh his Righteouſneſs, and committeth Iniquity, his Righteouſneſs ſhall never be remembred. If any ſoul draweth back, GOD will have no pleaſure in him, he draweth back at his own Peril, and to his own Deſtruction. He that hath twiſted GODS Glory, Love to GOD, and Faith in GOD as to every Action, and thus twiſted the Actions of his Life from the time he begins to ſet out for GOD, will make himſelf a ſtrong Cord (like Solomons triple Cord) of Hope which will not be eaſily broken. Lastly, what is twiſting but an uniting of ſeveral Threeds into one and is done for ſtrength? We being many, (ſaith the Apoſtle) are one Bread and one Body. One Body; there's a twiſting of ſouls, and all Yarns will twiſt: or may twiſt at leaſt. There are indeed ſome heterogeneous things of another kind will never twiſt with them. We are all but as the LORDS Yarn made of his Fleece, who was led as a ſheep to the ſlaughter, died in his Blood. He intends us all for a One Body. Why ſhould not we alſo twiſt together both in Truth and Love, thinking the ſame things, ſpeaking the ſame things, however being kindly affectioned one to another in Love. Alas! that we muſt have a Mill to force us together, that the Violence of a Perſecution muſt do that which the Love of CHRIST in us cannot do. We are ſilly Sheep that will not run together till the Shepherds Dog be after us. Surely there is more in a joint Union with CHRIST to Unite us (would our ſilly Paſſions let us ſee it) than there can be in twenty little particular ſentiments to divide us.
Sect. 10. The Weaver muſt alſo ſort his Yarns, and if his Stuff be to be of divers Colours, he muſt ſort his Colours before he be fit to work. All Yarn will not make the ſame kind of Stuff, all will not make the Warp, nor the Woof, of the ſame Stuff. Every Threed of the Yarn is Yarn, but yet not of the ſame ſort nor degree of Fineneſs. Every Chriſtian Action hath or ſhould have a tendency towards Righteouſneſs; It ſhould be levelled at GODS Glory, and have the other ingredients to every Action which ſhal pleaſe GOD: but yet there is a great deal of difference in a Chriſtians Actions. His Actions are either 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 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 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 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 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
Ʋpon his Chapman, and doth cheat
Himſelf, whiles for a little meat
VVhichWhich 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 grudg… 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.