The weavers pocket-book, or, Weaving spiritualized in a discourse wherein men employed in that occupation are instructed how to raise heavenly meditations from the several parts of their work : to which also are added some few moral and spiritual observations relating both to that and other trades / by J.C.

Observation. 3.

1. I Observe (and this is not peculiar to the Weavers Trade, but common to it with any other) that there are two great causes of Mens Ruine; Luxury is one, but Sloth∣fulness is the other; and it may admit a dispute which of these Ruineth the most. Solomon saith, The Slothful Man shall be under Tribute, when the diligent Man beareth rule, Proverbs 12.24. and again; He that is Slothful in his work is Brother to him that is a great Waster: their Relation is from the Common tendency, and exit of them both. I have Observed some Tradesmen never in their shops; they are either on Horseback; Hunting or coursing, or in Inns, or Taverns, tippling, drinking, or Gaming. Over a few Years

I hear of them in the Go••l, I see over their doors, This Shop is to be let••r, their places know these fools no more. I have observed others, chargeable with none of these Enormities; but seldom or never in their Shops, C••reless of their Business, sleeping till noon, spending much of their time in Idle Discourses, or prating; soon after I have heard they also changed their habi∣tation for a Goal. Men wonder, some say such a one was never a bad Husband, he scarce ever spent a penny at an Alehouse. Inconsiderate Men that do not attend to that of Solomon; That he who is Slothful in his work, though he be not, yet he is Brother to a great Waster. There is a waste of Time as well as Silver, and the Drunkard loseth much more by the loss of the Tune he spends at the Alehouse than of the Money which he there spends. The Sluggard that puts his Hand in his bosome never pulls it out full of Silver. The VVorld is a thing which will be attended, a Mistress that can never be had without a Due Courting. Besides, the idle Person always hath the Curse of GOD at his heels: GOD hath said, write this Man a begger, when he said, In the Sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy Bread; and the Apostle when he Com∣manded, That those that would not labour should not eat, hath shut him out of good Christians Charity, and forbade him the poor Mans basket. The idle Person is the only one for whom the

bountiful GOD hath made no provision. GOD hath Provided a basket into which every good Man will put something, for him that cannot live by his Hands. But for the idle Person GOD hath provided nothing, but a bridewell here, and an hell hereafter.

2. And is it not thus in the Spiritual Trade? There are some that cannot go to Hell without a Drum and Trumpet before them; in proclaiming their Sin as Sodom, they proclaim their Damnati∣on also, and so as he that can but Read a Line in Scripture, may Run and Read it. GOD 〈◊〉〈◊〉 damning them shall but answer their frequent prayers or imprecation in that pagan dialect. The mischief of it is, that these Men will no suffer others to go to Heaven if they can help, meer dogs in the Churches manger, they abhor the Name and thing of Religion; yet will pre∣scribe to others, and be the Informers against them for VVorshipping that GOD whom their Souls impudently defy and contemn. These now, like prophane Esau, for a mess of pottage despise their birthright. Forlorn and desperate Souls, how just shall their damnation be! But Oh! that Hell might open its Mouth for no••e but these prodigies of abominations. There are others Steal themselves into a Bottomless Pit, they do not so openly Despise: But they Neglect the great Salvation of the Gospel. Th•• Men are not Drunkards, no Dammees, no profane

Swearers and Cursers, no Adulterers; but there is one no more belongs to them, they are no Saints, a formal lazy sort of professors, that have a mind to go to Hell and no Man shall dis∣cern it. The voice of Swearing, Cursing, Blas∣pheming, is not heard in their Houses; but nei∣ther is the voice of Prayer hard, they do not drink but they will sleep themselves into Dam∣nation. For the business of Repentance, Faith, New-obedience, Mortifications of Lusts, Self-denial, taking up the Cross, following of CHRIST, they Understand none of these things nor Mind them at all. It may be they go to Church, but 'tis all one as if they staid at home. The Ser∣mon hath no more taste in their Souls than the white of an Egg. The first are a cholerick kind of Sinners, these a Phlegmatick sort: The End of both will be the same; neither do the work which GOD hath given them to do, nor finish the Course which GOD hath given them to run. They are both going the same Road to a bottomless pit; only the first gallop, these only ••og on: The first may come to their journey's End a little sooner but at Night they will both meet

3. Oh, Let the honest Weaver consider this! That as his work in his Loom will no more be done by sitting still, and sleeping in his Loom, than by breaking his Threeds and throwing his Shuttle out of the window: So the great

business of his Salvation may as much miscarry, by a neglect, as by doing what is directly op∣posite to it; when he sees a Man Undone in hi•• Trade through meer neglect of it, going loiter∣ing up and down and doing nothing. Seneca (if I Remember right) though he were an Heathen complained of time lost four ways▪ Either by doing nothing or doing ill (which is worse than nothing) or by doing aliud some∣thing that is not our business, or by doing that which is good in an ill Manner. A Meditation worthy of a Christian; he loitereth in his Spiri∣tual Employ, not only who doth what is ill, of who doth just nothing, but he also who doth too much of other things, or good things in a slight, Careless, perfunctory manner. Methinks when the VVeaver seeth his Neighbour ruined by Lazi∣ness, or perfunctory slovenly doing of his VVork, he might Reasonably Reflect upon his Soul and say; My Soul take heed thou also doest not thus perish.