Holy Dedication Both Personal and Domestic, Title page – Dedication
foreign.
OR A TREATISE OF Holy Dedication, BOTH PERSONAL and DOMESTICK.
The Latter of which, is (in Special) recommended to the Citizens of London, upon their Entring into their New Habitations.
By Tho. Jacomb, D. D.
LONDON, Printed for Ralph Smith and Samuel Gellibrand, MDCLXVIII.
To the Citizens and Inhabitants of the (once famous) City of London, eſpecially to thoſe amongſt them, who are Builders of Houſes, and Maſters or Governors of Families: Grace, Mercy, and Peace, &c.
Dearly Beloved in our Lord Jeſus,
THis Treatiſe (ſuch as it is,) I dedicate to you; I judging it moſt proper, to dedicate that to you, the great deſign of which, is (in ſpecial) to excite you, to dedicate your Perſons, your Houſes, your All, to God. Had I gone by favours received, by Perſonal obligations, (the uſual meaſures by which writers proceed, in making their Dedications,) (in which they take the opportunitie, of acknowledging favours received, and of expreſſing their gratitude for them,) I ſay, had I gone by theſe meaſures, (although I muſt ever acknowledge my ſelf, highly obliged to verie many of you, yet) certainly I had elſewhere made this Dedication; (viz.) to that (truly) Honourable Perſon, (with whom I have had the happineſs long to live,) to whom for her favours, to me and mine, I owe more than to all the world beſides. But the Rule, by which (at preſent) I go, is the matter, here treated of and inſiſted upon: that therefore being moſt ſuitable and applicable to you, and you being ſpecially (though not excluſively) concerned in it, and this diſcourſe, being penn'd on purpoſe upon your particular Caſe, (of Rebuilding your Houſes,) I could not but judge it moſt convenient, to preſent and dedicate it to you.
As to the Dedication I am right enough, but I wiſh, I could give my ſelf and others, as ſatisfactory an account, concerning the thing dedicated; but indeed that I cannot do. I here tender to your publick view, a very mean and inconſiderable piece; a Diſcourſe more plain, more unpoliſhed, more ordinary than this, hath very ſeldom ſeen the light. And how I come to trouble you, or the world, with ſuch imperfect, worthleſs endeavours of mine, I do not well know, and (to any that will be ſevere) can leſs juſtifie. I cannot but look upon my ſelf as guilty of that, which I have cenſured in ſome, lamented in others; namely, the burdening and overcharging the world with Books, many of which are as empty, as the Cardinals Trunks once were; and which contain nothing in them, but what is trite, common, almoſt trivial. Surely it ſhould not be thus, and it would not be thus, if men had either that prudence or that modeſty, which might well be expected: The plain thread-bare ſuit, may do well enough at home, but when perſons go abroad, better clothes are required; 'tis folly to open that ſhop, wherein there are no wares; for by this, the ſeller is diſparaged, and the buyer diſappointed. I need not make the Application, others will do that for me; and they (probably) will firſt begin with my ſelf, who am too much within the laſh of theſe alluſions. Well, if it fall out ſo, I muſt ſubmit; ſevere reflexions upon what I have here done, are (I fear) too juſtly deſerved by me. All that I have to ſay, (for your ſatisfaction and my own encouragement) is this, the ſubject (which I purſue) is very excellent, (in it ſelf,) and very ſeaſonable, (for you,) (with reſpect to that great affair, which now lies upon your hands:) the matter is weighty, though the manner of handling it be weak; the former muſt make ſome amends and reparation for the latter; had it not been for the excellency and ſeaſonableneſs of what I inſiſt upon, I had ſtifled theſe Papers in the very birth, and the Sun ſhould never have ſhone upon them; but that being ſeriouſly conſidered by me, I am encouraged to make them publick; and I am not without hope, but that (notwithſtanding all my defects and infirmities) ſome good may be effected by them. And in this hope, I commit them to God, and to his Benediction.
Now ſince I lay ſo great a ſtreſs upon the ſubject or argument here proſecuted, 'tis requiſite that I preſently give you ſome account of that: 'tis then (in a word,) Holy or Religious Dedication; the principal and main notion of which, is the Devoting of Self and All to God: many other things (as you will find,) are included in it, and are expreſſive of it, but this mentioned is the main thing; as in holy dedication, you have the vitals of Religion, ſo in this act of devoting All to God, you have the vitals of dedication. This (in the general conſideration of it) is a dutie, 1. Very ſpiritual: 2. Very comprehenſive; for indeed all duty is contained in it, (either formally or virtually and reductively:) Dedication to God through Chriſt, is the ſummary of Law and Goſpel; 'tis the Synopſis, Epitome, Abridgment of all Practical Divinity: he that doth this, doth all, he that doth not this, doth nothing. 3. Very neceſſary; both as to the truth of grace here, and alſo as to the poſſeſſion of glory hereafter. Baptiſmal dedication may make men Chriſtians, but 'tis only the dedication (which I ſpeak of) which can make them real Saints in this life, and happy Saints in the life to come. And 4. 'tis a moſt high, raiſed, weighty, fundamental duty; 'tis the very Heart and Spirit of Chriſtianitie, the marrow, pith, kernel, quinteſſence of Religion lies in it: 'tis not only a ſpiritual dutie, but 'tis the very ſpirit of duty. Theſe things you will find fully proved (as I hope) in this Treatiſe, here (that I may not detain you too long in the Porch) I do but glance upon them. Since then I muſt be printing, (notwithſtanding that rooted averſeneſs that is in me thereunto,) could I have pitched upon a better Argument than this? O that the meanneſs of the writer and of the writing, may not diſparage the nobleneſs and excellency of the ſubject!
Worthy friends, I ſet before you no lately upſtart or novel doctrine; I come not with nice and curious points, (tending more to ſpeculation than real profit,) or with what is abſtruſe and intricate, (to perplex your heads;) I put no bone into your hands, (by which your teeth might be broken, rather than your ſouls fed and nouriſhed;) I do not preſent you with matters polemical and controverſial, about Doctrine, Diſcipline, or any other thing: I do not trouble you, with what concerns party and party, ſo as to make it my buſineſs, to bring you over to a ſide; neither do I lead you to things, which lie but in the ſuburbs of Religion, and are a great way off from ſalvation: All theſe (or at leaſtwiſe ſome of theſe,) I have deſignedly and induſtriouſly ſhunned: That which I offer to you, is as ancient as the word of truth, very plain and facile, intelligible to the meaneſt capacitie, of a Practical Nature, tending only to the advancement of piety and godlineſs, that wherein we all agree (as to the Theory,) and which we muſt all practiſe, as we are Chriſtians, that which lies next to the very heart of Religion, and is abſolutely neceſſary to future bleſſedneſs: this is the true ſtating of what I purſue in this Diſcourſe, and all this is wrapp'd up, and to be found in Holy Dedication.
This is the Dutie in general, which I branch out or reduce to two Heads, viz. Dedication Perſonal and Domeſtick: the explication and enforcement of theſe two, is the work and buſineſs of this little volume. I know, other ſpecies might be aſſigned of this Genus, or other Parts of this whole, but theſe two were as much, as I at preſent could graſp, and therefore I name no more. I did intend indeed a Third Branch, but I will give you an account of that by and by. Concerning this two-fold Dedication, I will here ſay nothing; if you pleaſe to peruſe the Book, you will there find them diſtinctly opened, (in what is proper to each of them,) and alſo practically urged, by ſeveral convincing and powerful conſiderations.
That I ingraft a diſcourſe (of the Dedication of the Perſon,) upon this ſtock, (which only ſpeaks of the dedication of the houſe,) is (I confeſs) a breach of the ſtrict Rules of method: But I wiſh this was my greateſt fault, I ſhould more eaſily then preſume upon a pardon. The truth is, when I firſt fixed my thoughts upon the Text, I intended only to ſpeak of Houſe Dedication; but when I had waded a little into that point, I preſently perceived, that it was neceſſarie for me, to premiſe ſomething concerning the dedication of the perſon; becauſe this maxim offered it ſelf to me, that Perſonal Dedication muſt antecede Domeſtick Dedication, and that no man will dedicate his Houſe to God, unleſs he do firſt dedicate his ſelf to God. Upon the evidence of this truth, I could not but do, what I have done: If I have violated the laws of method, you muſt excuſe me; for I could not judge theſe ſo conſiderable, as the carrying on of my great deſign, which was this, to give you an entire diſcourſe upon a duty ſo weighty and ſo neceſſary; and had I ſpoken of the one, and not of the other, the Diſcourſe would not have been entire. Had I foreſeen, that I ſhould have been ſo large upon the Dedication of the Perſon, I would have pitch'd upon ſome Scripture which had been more expreſs and proper to it; but that was as much beyond my imagination, as this is beſides my Text. And when I had made up the garment, I could not think it worth my time and trouble, to ſearch out another Body, which would exactly fit it. But I check my ſelf, in writing thus much about it, for may be leſs time would have done that, than what I ſpend in writing this Apology.
This objection (as to the firſt branch of Holy Dedication,) is made againſt my ſelf, but (as to the ſecond Branch,) there (I fear) objections will be made againſt the Thing: Perſonal Dedication cannot be denied, as a duty lying upon all; but Houſe Dedication (poſſibly) will not ſo eaſily be aſſented to, under that notion. Some ('tis like) may argue againſt this, and that too, upon different grounds and pretexts: for ſome may object, that 'tis Novel; others, that 'tis Jewiſh and antiquated, and now under the Goſpel out of date and ſuperannuated, and therefore not to be preſſed as a duty.
'Tis neither convenient nor neceſſarie, to ſay much for the obviating or anſwering of theſe objections; theſe blocks may ſoon be removed out of the way. As to the firſt, I'm ſure this is not New, to have the higheſt truths, and the moſt important duties, charged with being New: all along Novelty hath been pleaded againſt matters of faith and practice. When Paul preached Chriſt and the Reſurrection, the Athenians branded his Doctrine with this; May we know, what this New Doctrine whereof thou ſpeakeſt, is? Acts 17.19. As they, (though upon a different account,) what New Doctrine is this? Mark 1.27. this is the uſual carriage of men, with reſpect to the great diſcoveries of the Goſpel. But to the buſineſs in hand: Is Houſe-Dedication new? that which was practiſed by David himſelf, is that new? that which was enjoyned by God, in the times of the Law, is that new? (See Deut. 20.5.) that which was done by Abraham, by Joſhuah, and by divers others, (recorded in the word) is that New? State Houſe-dedication aright, and in its full latitude, and you will find, ever ſince Religion was in the world, that ſuch as were ſeriouſly religious, did always make conſcience of it; and therefore is that New? O how apt is the naughtie heart of man, to catch at every thing, which may ſerve for a fence againſt dutie, and which may a little blunt the edge of conviction about it! And as to the ſecond objection, that this dedicating the Houſe is a Jewiſh thing, and not obligatory under the Goſpel, that I abſolutely deny. If it be meant by Jewiſh, that the Jews practiſed this duty, that I grant; but if that be all, that is intended in the objection, then it ceaſes to be an objection: Muſt we do nothing that the Jews did? muſt everie thing be ſhunned by us, as Jewiſh, which was done by that people? then we muſt part with much of our Religion, even in things unqueſtionable. But if it be meant by Jewiſh, the doing of ſomething which was limited to the Jews, and to the Moſaical diſpenſation, and which afterwards was to vaniſh; then the objection is grounded upon a falſhood, and upon a great miſtake, Houſe-dedication being no ſuch thing: I need ſay no more by way of Refutation, than juſt to open the nature of the dutie: take it in general, under the Title of Houſe-dedication, there may be ſome appearance of Judaiſm in it; but take it in its ſeveral parts and branches, (as here I ſpeak to it and urge it,) ſo it conſiſts of nothing, but what is moral, and what is of perpetual obligation: To enter upon the Habitation, by Prayer and Praiſe, is this Jewiſh? To commit the Houſe to Gods protection, is this Jewiſh? To advance Religion, Piety, Godlineſs in the Family, is this Jewiſh? To devote domeſtick mercies to God, is this Jewiſh? Have not all theſe a moral ſtamp and ſignature upon them? and ſo are not Chriſtians under the Goſpel, obliged to them? If the Jews dedication of their Houſes, had li'n only in ſome external, ceremonial, civil Rites, and I had preſſed them upon you, then the objection had been of ſome force; but when I preſs nothing upon you, but what lies in Religious acts, (which are as proper to us as they could be to them,) in the verie ſubſtantial, or eſſential parts of ſanctification and godlineſs, Judaiſm cannot be alledged, to take you off from the performance of it. I deſire the Reader, not to paſs judgment upon the General Title, but firſt to peruſe and weigh the particulars, by which 'tis opened, and then let him tell me, whether Houſe-dedication (as ſo ſtated) be a Jewiſh, antiquated thing, or whether it be not rather a moral duty, and that all perſons whatſoever are now under the obligation of it.
Honoured Citizens, I hope no objections, nor diſcouragements neither, (from without or from within,) ſhall ever be able to keep you off from a due performance of this bleſſed dutie of Houſe-dedication: You are now very buſie, in joyning houſe to houſe, (but not in the Prophets ſenſe, Iſa. 5.8.) in the repairing of your breaches, in the re-edifying of your waſt and deſolate Habitations, (which for ſome time have been forſaken, and left like a wilderneſs, and cut off through the fierce anger of the Lord, Iſa. 27.10. Jer. 25.37.) and herein I pray the God of Heaven to proſper you. Now to preſent you with ſome thing, that might be ſuitable and ſeaſonable for this enterpriſe, this is my principal aim and deſign. As to the late terrible Fire, (the ſaddeſt Tragedy that Providence hath acted (or permitted to be acted) upon the Stage of the world, in theſe latter Ages,) as to that Fire I ſay, which in four days, by four large ſwarths, mowed down ſo many thouſands of your dwellings, this I meddle not with, (farther than as the matter inſiſted upon in this Treatiſe, doth here and there lead me to it; you have had the pious labours of ſeveral perſons already upon that ſad and diſmal Argument, to which I ſhall add nothing:) 'Tis the bright ſide of the cloud that my eye is upon, 'tis the building not the burning of your Houſes which I treat of: and what is it in reference to this, which I urge? but that they may be conſecrated and dedicated to God, whenever they ſhall be built: And under this Head, I reduce all that I have to ſay; and doth not the duty ſpeak for it ſelf? Doth it not carry its own light and conviction along with it? Doth not the late tremendous hand of God call upon you for this? After ſuch conflagrations, will you not enter upon your Houſes, and live in them, with a due ſenſe of God? When God hath been ſo contending with you, ſhall things be juſt as they were before? Shall not the voice of ſuch a rod be heard, in ſome notable reformation? Hath God overthrown many of you, as he overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as brands pluckt out of the burning, and will ye not yet return to the Lord? (Amos 4.11.) Do ye not yet perceive, that 'tis a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God? Will you again provoke God, to return with the ſame judgment? I beſeech you, conſider what God hath done, what you have done, what you are now to do; and carry it ſo, that breaches betwixt God and you may be healed, that his anger (the worſt of Fires) may be quenched, that all differences may be comprimiſed, that you may be ſecured from all evils, and live in the enjoyment of all bleſſings: And the moſt compendious way to this, is firſt to dedicate your perſons, and then your houſes to God: O let God dwell where you dwell; let God be entertained in your Habitations: O keep up his worſhip, promote his intereſt, devote all to his ſervice and glory; live under a continual dependance upon him, and an univerſal devotedneſs to him, and let not ſin find any harbour, or have any reception in your Houſes; thus do, and fear not, all will be well; be you faithful in your dedication, and God will be faithful in his protection and benediction: Perſons and places dedicated, are under a ſpecial providence, God will not have them to be touched.
There are very many things, which your preſent affairs and actings, might lead me to ſpeak to by way of advice: You are much taken up with building, O that ſpiritual building may not be neglected by you. Pray mind the building of your Ark, and do as Noah did, Heb. 11.7. In ſuch threatning times as theſe are, it concerns every man, to have his Ark ready made: 'tis better now to be without an houſe, than without an Ark; we have ſeen ſeveral deluges of judgments, what will be next we know not: Prov. 22.3. A prudent man foreſeeth the evil, and hideth himſelf, but the ſimple paſs on and are puniſhed. You are erecting fair and beautiful Houſes, but are you your ſelves, the Houſe, Building, Temple of God, that he may dwell and inhabit in you? Heb. 3.6. 1 Pet. 2.5. 1 Cor. 3.9, 16. 2 Cor. 6.16. Eph. 2.22. You are building for Earth, but what do you do for Heaven? Do ye lay a good foundation againſt the time to come, that ye may lay hold on eternal life? (as 'tis 1 Tim. 6.19.) Are you by a ſaving Faith built upon Chriſt, that great and only foundation? 1 Cor. 3.11. What aſſurance have ye, of a building of God, of an houſe not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens? (2 Cor. 5.1.) Thus from your external and material buildings, I might take occaſion, to ſuggeſt divers things, which refer to inward, ſpiritual and myſtical Building, (for by this alluſion, the ſpirit of God in Scripture, doth much delight to ſet forth the ſtate and duty of Chriſtians:) As alſo, I might much enlarge in the exhorting of you to ſeveral duties, (upon another account,) ſuitable to your preſent poſture and concern: viz. That ye would for ever humble your ſelves under that mighty hand of God, which hath been ſo ſeverely lifted up againſt you: that the late judicial, amazing Providences of the moſt High, may never be forgotten by you, but that they may, frequently be thought of, and duly improved: that you would take heed of ſecurity, pride, vanity of ſpirit, in ſlighting what is paſt, and in promiſing great things to your ſelves for the time to come; ſo as not to ſay with them, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewen ſtones, the Sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into Cedars, (Iſa. 9.10.) That you would be ſure, in Building-work to take God along with you, and to keep down all carnal confidence: (That place is remarkable, Mal. 1.4. Whereas Edom ſaith, (O that this may never be the language of London!) We are impoveriſhed, but we will return and build the deſolate places; thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, they ſhall build, but I will throw down; and they ſhall call them, The border of wickedneſs, and the people againſt whom the Lord hath indignation for ever. A terrible word this is; the Lord grant you may never ſpeak ſo ſinfully againſt God, and that he may never ſpeak ſo terribly againſt you!) That you would enter into your New houſes with New hearts; that as your houſes are like to be better than before, ſo your hearts and lives may be better alſo; that your old ſins may never be admitted into your New habitations; I ſay, I might be verie large in the urging of theſe things upon you, but I chuſe only to name them; ſome of them fall in, under Houſe-dedication, (to which I limit my ſelf) and there I ſpeak to them; the others, I muſt paſs over, that I may not offend with too much prolixitie.
You perceive in this Dedicatory diſcourſe, I go no higher than to you, who have Authority, in and over your own Private Houſes: As to your Magiſtrates, (who have a greater and a more extenſive Authority,) I could not judge it ſo convenient, (conſidering the preſent circumſtances, wherein I ſtand,) to make my Application to them; otherwiſe, I would 1. have been verie earneſt with them, to come up to Holy Dedication: for who are more under the obligation of this, than they? They have not only a ſingle perſon or a bare houſe, but they have alſo intereſt, power, authority to devote to and improve for God. O what publick bleſſings are Magistrates, when they do this! What abundance of good do they do, by their pious example, and holy zeal: They being as Planets fixed in a publick Orb, how is their light and influence diffuſed amongſt verie many! If they give themſelves to God in an holy life, if they advance Religion, Godlineſs, the worſhip of God in their families, how doth their pattern provoke and excite others to do the ſame. 2. I would humbly have recommended two things to them; the firſt of which refers to the preſent attempts of rebuilding this deſolate City, and 'tis this; That they would endeavour (as their wiſdom ſhall direct them) to further and procure, the ſetting of a Day apart, for ſolemn Prayer, in order to the obtaining of Gods bleſſing upon us, in this great undertaking. Methinks ſo great a work ſhould not be engaged in, without ſolemn ſeeking of God; the foundation of all our Buildings ſhould be firſt laid in Prayer: The happy iſſue and ſucceſs of ſuch an enterpriſe, as the rebuilding of a City, ſo much depending upon Gods bleſſing, (for except the Lord build the Houſe (and much more the City,) they labour in vain that build it, Pſal. 127.1.) Surely he ſhould be ſought unto for this, in a verie ſolemn and ſerious manner. I find this piece of Religion amongſt the verie Heathens, that whenever they entred upon the building of their Cities and eminent places, they always began with the invocation of their Deities; (of this many inſtances might be given out of Hiſtory if it was needful:) Shall Chriſtians come ſhort of Heathens? Shall darkneſs out-ſhine light? Shall Nature outſtrip Grace? Shall Idolaters carry it better to a falſe God, than we to the true God? This is the firſt thing, and that which is proper to our entrance upon the work, (and we are but there as yet:) But then ſecondly, in time (I hope) it will be finiſhed; we are now but laying the foundation as it were, but I truſt in ſome years (the fewer the better,) the Top-ſtone will be laid, and we ſhall cry Grace, Grace, (Zech. 4.7.) we have as yet but the Embryo of a City, but I hope, this will go on to a full and compleat birth: If it ſo be, (which God grant,) then I would humbly recommend this to the preſent Magiſtrates, (or to thoſe, who ſhall live to ſee the finiſhing of what is now but begun,) that this City may be dedicated, (that is) in a publick and ſolemn way committed to Gods protection: Did Nehemiah thus dedicate the walls of Jeruſalem? and why ſhould not we have for this City, (the Metropolis of our Nation, upon the ſafety and welfare of which, the whole Nation both in Temporal's and Spiritual's doth ſo much depend, and which is always like to be environed with many dangers and enemies,) I ſay, why ſhould not we have for this City, as ſoon as it ſhall be built, a general, expreſs, ſolemn, religious Dedication, anſwerable to that of Jeruſalem in Nehemiahs time? of which you read, Nehem. 12.27. (ad ſin. cap.) But theſe are things only proper to our Magiſtrates; and I not preſuming to prefix their Names before this Dedication, it would be improper for me, to ſay more upon them.
If I may not be ſo happy, as to prevail with them for a Day of Prayer, yet let me prevail with you, to be much in private ſeeking the Lord, in order to your particular, and the general concerns of this City: Building-work and praying-work ſhould always go together: where many hands are imployed in the one, many hearts ſhould be imployed in the other. In every buſineſs and undertaking, God ſhould be called upon; how much more, ſhould this be done, in ſo great and weighty a buſineſs as that is, wherein you are now engaging? I truſt God hath gracious and merciful deſigns towards you, and towards the whole City; that he will bleſs and proſper you in what you are about, (as 'tis ſaid of Judah, they built and proſpered, 2 Chron. 14.7.) I hope, he hath not ſaid that of London, which once he did of Tyrus, I will make thee like the top of a rock, thou, ſhalt be a place to ſpread Nets upon, [thou ſhalt be built no more,] Ezek. 26.14. And as the Prophet concerning Babylon, (according to ſome Interpreters,) Thou haſt made of a City, an heap; of a defenced City, a ruin; a palace of ſtrangers, to be no City, [it ſhall never be built,] Iſa. 25.2. But now, if God hath gracious deſigns towards us, they muſt have their effect and accompliſhment in the way of Prayer. That Scripture hath been much upon my thoughts, in Ezek. 36. verſe 10.—The Cities ſhall be inhabited, and the waſtes ſhall be builded: and ver. 33, &c. In the day that I ſhall have cleanſed you from all your iniquities (pray obſerve that) I will alſo cauſe you to dwell in the Cities, and the waſtes ſhall be builded: And the deſolate land ſhall be tilled, whereas it lay deſolate in the ſight of all that paſſed by; And they ſhall ſay, This land that was deſolate, is become like the Garden of Eden, and the waſte and deſolate, and ruined Cities are become fenced and inhabited. Then the Heathen that are left round about you ſhall know, that I the Lord build the ruinous places, and plant that that was deſolate; I the Lord have ſpoken it, and I will do it. Here are gracious promiſes made to Jeruſalem, (whoſe caſe and ours do too well agree, in the late judgment,) but how ſhall they be made good? It follows, verſe 37. I will yet for this be enquired of by the Houſe of Iſrael, to do it for them, &c. You ſee by this, that though God deſigns merciemercy, (and that particular mercy too, which ſuits with your preſent ſtate,) yet he will not actually beſtow that merciemercy, without prayer: ſo that let Gods intentions and purpoſes be never ſo merciful towards us in this City, (for the building up of the waſtes thereof,) yet if he be not ſought unto and called upon, we cannot expect any gracious execution of them: And is not this enough to quicken you to prayer? The Jews in the rebuilding of Jeruſalem, whenever they met with any dangers or difficulties, (and they met with many,) ſtill they applied themſelves to Prayer, Nehem. 4.9. Nevertheleſs we made our prayer unto our God, &c. If you be free from theſe dangers and difficulties, yet the very nature and importance of the work it ſelf, calls upon you to call upon your God. O will you build and not pray? this is (in effect) to ſay, you will build whether God will or not; and is not this highly ſinful? He burnt your Houſes, whether you would or no, will you build them up again, whether he will or no? O take God along with you, (as I ſaid before,) and by humble prayer engage him in the work, and then undoubtedly it ſhall go on and proſper: If he be with you, and undertake for you, the buſineſs is done: I will build thee, and thou ſhalt be built, Jer. 31.4. I will work, and who ſhall let it, Iſa. 43.13. The work may stick upon your hands, and miſcarrie in your hands, but it will go on ſmoothly, and ſhall certainly ſucceed in the hands of the Almighty. Why may not we go now to God, and (with ſubmiſſion to his will, and with a due conſideration of the Nature of the mercy, and of different circumſtances,) plead with him old promiſes? Iſa. 61.4. They ſhall build the old waſtes, they ſhall raiſe up the former deſolations, and they ſhall repair the waſte Cities, the deſolations of many generations, Jer. 30.18. Thus ſaith the Lord, Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacobs tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the City ſhall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace ſhall remain after the manner thereof, &c. Amos 9.14. They ſhall build the waſte Cities and inhabit them. I ſay, why may not we, in the preſent juncture of affairs, plead theſe promiſes to God, in the caſe of London?
Dear Citizens, Let us do our duty to God, and then let us be above all diſcouragements, which may ariſe either from men, or from the work it ſelf, which lies before us. It would not be amiſs, if (in your circumſtances) you would often read over the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah; where you have an Hiſtorical account of the re-edifying of Jeruſalem and of the Temple; in which, you will meet with many things, that will exactly ſuit and parallel your preſent caſe; (for this City (in many reſpects) is Jeruſalems Counterpart:) That famous City you know, was taken and burnt by the Babylonians, and ſo it lay in its aſhes and ruines for ſeventy years: (And I will not meddle with that enquiry, (which is much more proper for perſons far higher than I am,) whether the Babylonians had not an hand in the firing of our City alſo.) Well, when this time was expired, the Jews fall upon the rebuilding of Jeruſalem: but good Lord! what pauſes, interruptions, oppoſitions, diſcouragements, difficulties did they meet withal, in that undertaking? Ezra 4.4. The people of the land, weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building; And hired Counſellors againſt them, &c. And ſeveral of them wrote a moſt malicious letter to Artaxerxes the King of Perſia, deſigning, by their curſed inſinuations to put a stop to the work; (verſe 12.) Be it known unto thee O King, that the Jews which came up from thee to us, are come unto Jeruſalem, building [the rebellious and the bad City,] and have ſet up the walls thereof, &c. Theſe Samaritans and Others too, did all that ever they could to hinder the progreſs of the Jews, in the repairing of Jeruſalems breaches: Sometimes they deride them, Nehem. 4.2. ſometimes they conſpire to fall upon them by force of Arms, Nehem. 4.8. (and then Nehemiah ſet a watch againſt them night and day) (verſe 9.) Sometimes they endeavour to diſhearten them, Nehem. 6.9. For they all made us afraid, ſaying, Their hands ſhall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Beſides all this (from enemies,) the Jews were much diſcouraged, (as you read in the Hiſtory in theſe Books,) from the work it ſelf: O it was ſo difficult, they ſhould never be able to carrie it on, Nehem. 4.10. Yet good Nehemiah (notwithſtanding all this,) would not have the Jews diſcouraged, but he animates them to the work, and in the work; Nehem. 2.17, 18. Ye ſee the diſtreſs that we are in, how Jeruſalem lieth waſte, and the Gates thereof are burnt with fire: Come and let us build up the wall of Jeruſalem, that we be no more a reproach: Then I told them of the hand of my God, which was good upon me, as alſo the Kings words, that he had ſpoken unto me; And they ſaid, [Let us riſe up and build:] So they ſtrengthened their hands for this good work. I paſs by other places, which refer to his encouraging of them in the work: what the iſſue was, you know; notwithſtanding all theſe oppoſitions and difficulties the City was built and finiſhed, to the grief and conſternation of all enemies, Nehem. 6.16. And it came to paſs, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the Heathen that were about us ſaw theſe things, they were much caſt down in their own eyes; for they perceived, that this work was wrought of our God. The times, in which all this was done, were full of diſtraction; yet the Jews were not diſpirited; they ſet upon the buſineſs and did it, even in theſe times; (according to what was propheſied in Daniel) Chap. 9.25. The ſtreet ſhall be built again, and the wall, [even in troublous times:] Now, (Gentlemen) ſome of theſe diſcouragements (or ſome others,) I fear lie upon you, and I heartily lament it; but yet be not diſheartened; ſet upon your work; and ſay, The God of Heaven he will proſper us, therefore we his ſervants will ariſe and build, (Nehem. 2.20.) I rejoyce (with all my heart) to ſee that done which is done; but O that I could ſee our Citizens more vigorouſly carrying on the rebuilding of this City! Jeruſalems wall went on apace, for the people had a mind to work, (ſo 'tis ſaid, Nehem. 4.6.) Surely if perſons amongſt us, had but a mind to build, the City might be finiſhed in a few years: But ſome have got good Accommodations elſewhere, and there they intend to fix; ſome are diſcouraged by the diſtractions of the Times; ſome are taken off upon one account, ſome upon another, and ſo that which was deſtroyed and ruined in three days, is not like to be raiſed up again in many years. 'Tis not ſo proper for me, (a Miniſter of the Goſpel,) to be earneſt with you, in ſtirring you up to build Houſes, (a thing of a Civil nature;) and if affection to the City, and your own intereſt do not lead you to this, all that I can ſay will ſignifie but little: but it would be the joy of my ſoul, if I might ſee London to recover its priſtine glorie, and (in a word) to be London again: And (I hope) you will excuſe, my hinting of theſe things to you, which is occaſioned by my cordial affection to that place, the verie duſt and aſhes of which is precious to me. I return to that which I was upon, and I ſhall add but this; Let us with fervent prayer apply our ſelves often to the Throne of Grace, let us unfeignedly humble our ſelves before the Lord, let us ſincerely reform what is amiſs, let us put away ſin, (there, there is the greateſt diſcouragement;) let us thus do, and then let the work be never ſo difficult, enemies never ſo malicious, the times never ſo bad, we may engage in what lies before us, and God will bleſs us in it. Supplication, Humiliation and Reformation will carrie all before them.
As for me, I ſhall not ceaſe to pray for you; it ſhall be my daily requeſt to God for you, that he will direct you to do that, which may moſt tend to his glory, the good of this City, your own comfort, and the benefit of ſucceeding Generations; and then, that he will be pleaſed, to encourage and proſper you herein, and crown your undertakings with good ſucceſs. The Lord bleſs everie one of you, in your perſons, relations, eſtates, employments, habitations, in all that concerns you: the Lord carry on the work now upon your hands, and then hide and defend you continually. And as for thee (dear London) let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I forget thee: O that thou (Phoenix-like) mayeſt grow out of thy aſhes more glorious than ever thou waſt; that (as 'tis with mettals new caſt) it may be better with thee than before; that (as it was with the perſon of Job) thy latter end may be bleſſed more than thy beginning; that (as it was with the Temple) the glorie of ſecond London may be greater than the glorie of the firſt. The Lord ſay concerning thee, Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more, (Nehem. 1.12.) That it may be ſaid of thee, The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath caſt out thine enemies; the King of Iſrael, even the Lord is in the midſt of thee, thou ſhalt not ſee evil any more, (Zeph. 5.15.) O let not God any more contend with thee by Fire, Plague, or any other judgment: O Lord God ceaſe I beſeech thee, by whom ſhall Jacob ariſe, for he is ſmall, (Amos 7.4, 5.) O that the puniſhment of thine iniquity may be accompliſhed, O daughter of Zion; and that God will viſit the iniquity of the daughter of Edom, and diſcover her ſins, (Lam. 4.22.) The Lord make thee, a quiet habitation, a Tabernacle that ſhall not be taken down, that not one of thy ſtakes may be removed, nor one of thy cords broken, (Iſa. 33.20.) The Lord bleſs thee, and make thee an Habitation of Juſtice, and Mountain of Holineſs, (Jer. 31.23.) That thou mayeſt be called, the City of righteouſneſs, the faithful City, (Iſa. 1.26.) That thou mayeſt be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever: As the mountains are round about Jeruſalem, ſo let the Lord be round about thee, from henceforth even for ever, (Pſal. 125.1, 2.) Amen, Amen.
I have now but a few words to add, concerning this mean Tractate, and I will free you from the further trouble of a tedious Preface. If I ſhould fall upon Apologizing for my ſelf and for it, many words would be requiſite: 'Tis beſt for me to forbear that, (though I acknowledge great need of it,) and without more ado, humbly to caſt it firſt upon Gods bleſſing, and then upon your candor and kind acceptance. If it may pleaſe the Lord, by it to do good to any of you, he, he only ſhall have the glory; and may I but ſee that, I ſhall not much regard the cenſures, which it may pleaſe ſome to paſs upon me. I tell you beforehand, (that you may not expect and look for that, which is not here to be found,) here's no high ſtrains of Rhetorick or humane eloquence, no fine and curious Metaphors, no compt and florid expreſſions to gratifie your fancy; here's no Margent ſtuffed with Citations, (to give me the reputation of an hard ſtudent or well-read perſon;) here's no New notions or Novel matter to ſatisfie ſuch as like nothing but what is ſo; here's ſomething, which may ſuit with the humble, ſerious, hungry Chriſtian, and which I hope ſuch an one may receive benefit by; but as for others, (alas) here is nothing to anſwer their expectations. The ſtyle and language is e'en as plain as your fourth-rate-Buildings, (yet pray let not the Book be confined to Allies and Lanes, but let it be admitted into your Streets alſo:) And the matter treated of, is common and uſual; that which ſeveral of our worthy Divines (under other Heads, and in another method,) have verie fully inſiſted upon: All therefore that I can pretend to, to give you encouragement to peruſe this Diſcourſe, is the ſeaſonableneſs of it, with reſpect to your preſent affair of Building; upon that I take the advantage of urging old and known Truths upon you; and had it not been for that ſpecial occaſion, I had not given you the trouble of Reading, or my ſelf the trouble of writing. I had no ſooner reſolved upon this work, and made a little Proviſion for it, but it pleaſed the Soveraign diſpoſer of all things, to lay his afflictive hand upon me, in a verie acute and dangerous diſtemper. And O that I could ſay, I was yet freed from it! but for ought I can ſee, this diſtemper is like to be to me, like Iacobs bruiſe upon his thigh, I muſt halt of it all my days. As ſoon as my merciful Father gave me ſome relaxation of my violent Pains, I began to pen what here I now publiſh; but God knows, the remainders of my diſeaſe did verie much unfit me for ſuch an undertaking; and I was fain to haſten over things, becauſe I feared everie day (and ſo do yet,) the return of former Paroxiſms: Had it not been for this, poſſibly I might have tendred you this Treatiſe ſomewhat more elaborate; but now you muſt accept of it as it is. I intended a Third Branch of Holy Dedication, viz. the Dedication of Time; but I am prevented and hindred as to that, at preſent.
1. The ſtate of my bodie will not bear a ſtudious and ſedentary courſe; and I am fain to ſpend the moſt of my Afternoon-time in Motion and Exerciſe, for the recoverie of my Health.
2. That's a ſubject ſomewhat large, (according to the method that I have propounded to my ſelf;) and if I ſhould annex that to theſe two, I fear it would make this Volume too big and bulky. If God be pleaſed to continue Life, and to reſtore Health, and if I find that this Piece be in any meaſure uſeful, I may hereafter publiſh what I deſign upon that Argument.
And now Brethren, as to your Building-work, I commit it to God, and to his Bleſſing; and as to your Selves, I commend you to God, and to the word of his Grace, which is able to [build you up] and to give you an inheritance among all them, which are ſanctified. That you may heartily, ſincerely dedicate and devote, Perſon, Houſe, Eſtate, All to God, is the Prayer, and (according to his power) ſhall be the Endeavour of him,
Who deſires to devote himſelf, firſt to God, and then to your ſervice. THO. JACOMB.