The Weavers Pocket-Book, Part 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
The Art.
VVhen the VVeavers Piece, or Cloth, is off the Loom, he brings it to his Maſter, who Payeth him, according to what he hath Earned, to ſome more to ſome leſs. His Maſter maketh it up, fitteth it for the Merchant, by ſeveral Acts, according to the Nature of the Web, Fulling, Entering, Raiſing, Preſſing them: Some are only Plainly made up and Preſſed; Some are Glozed, ſome muſt be Carried to the Sealing-Hall, and Sealed. Thus they are fitted up for a Merchant; then Sold.
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 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 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 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. '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; OnelyOnly 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 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 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. OnelyOnly 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 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 onelyonly 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 onelyonly to Deceive or pleaſe the Buyers Eye. Nothing of this is to be done to the Spiritual VVeb, that goes to an Eye, which as it cannot be Deceived, ſo it will not be Pleaſed with any Glozings: OnelyOnly, 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 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 too little. He that hath abundance, hath with it a charge to be Rich in good works, to do good, & to diſtribute: GOD hath provided for all, ſome have it in their own Hands, others have it in their Friends Hands. GOD puts for the Poor into the Hand of the Rich, and with a charge to them, to do good and to diſtribute it according to his order, and under and by the Rules, he hath ſet down in his Word. Their great VVages is to be Paid at the End of their Days, indeed at the End of the World; But they ſhall in the mean time have Something to ſupport, and Uphold them while they are in the Fleſh doing and Suffering the will of GOD concerning them.
The Poem.
LORD! how we labour for a piece of Bread,
Which when we have,
It periſheth! No ſooner are we Fed,
Our Stomacks crave.
We work, and by and by our gettings Spend:
What we before
Were, that we are; Our Labour's without End;
And we ſtill poor.
Still but our Body's fed. Our better Self
Will ſtarved be:
It cannot be maintained with worldly Pelf
T' Eternity.
Is there no better Trade, might not I work
For better pay
If I ſerv'd GOD? My Soul let it not irk
Thee for to pray,
To Read, to Hear, to ſpend time every day;
To make that ſure,
Which when all theſe poor things ſhall melt away,
Shall ſtill endure.
Work how I will, while I am in the Fleſh,
My pay will be,
Or Good, or Bad; of Either more, or leſs,
Eternally.
Why doest thou ſay no Mortal Man can Live
Meerly on Prayer?
Did ever GOD unto his Servant give
Nothing but Air?
Canſ't truſt him for a Crown, and canſt n…t trust
Him for thy Bread!
Hath he not ſaid unto thy part of duſt,
It ſhall be Fed?
Did ever any him for nothing ſerve
For nothing here?
If thou doeſt not abound thou ſhalt not ſtarve,
Thou needst not fear.
But do not think, that thou doeſt from thy Maker
Earn the leaſt Good.
All's free Gift, or becauſe thou art Partaker
Of …hy LORDS Blood.
His Hand muſt Seal, his Blood must Dye the Piece;
If he but write
ACCEPTED, it ſhall paſs for Righteouſneſs;
That makes it right.
Out of that Angel's hand, my GOD, let all
My Prayers come
To thee, and whatſoever good I ſhall
Work in my Loom.