Holy Dedication Both Personal and Domestic, Part 2 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Of Domeſtick Dedication, in general: Some things premiſed about it.
I Have, at laſt, got over the Dedication of the Perſon; now the Dedication of the Houſe comes next to be ſpoken to: (which I muſt be the ſhorter upon, becauſe I have been ſo long in coming to it:) This is that, which was chiefly (nay only) in my eye, when I firſt engaged my thoughts in this work: The Text directed me to this, (for it ſpeaks of Houſe-Dedication only) and the preſent poſture, buſineſs, concern, of you (the Citizens of London) directed me to the Text. You are very buſie in re-building your Houſes, which for ſome conſiderable time have lay'n in aſhes; (and I pray God to proſper and encourage you therein): But my heart's deſire is alſo, that you may dedicate, as well as build; that as your Houſes ſhall be finiſhed for your uſe and ſervice, they may alſo be devoted to the uſe and ſervice of God. I could not, when I have walked in the Streets, (indeed ſince the diſmal Fire, they may rather be called Roads than Streets) and ſaw here and there a few Houſes going up, but wiſh and pray, Oh that theſe Houſes, whenever they are built, whoſoevers they are, might be dedicated to God! My thoughts and deſires working much this way, I reſolved, by God's aſſiſtance to do ſomething that might further a thing, ſo excellent and ſo deſirable; and thereupon I entred upon this Work, (though with much diſcouragement, partly from the ſenſe of my inward unfitneſs for ſuch an undertaking, and partly from thoſe bodily Infirmities, which a late have been upon me, and have very much indiſpoſed and diſabled me for ſtudy.)
To come then to that, which was my principal Deſign, the opening and enforcing of Houſe-Dedication. Much hath been ſaid to further Perſonal-Dedication, and (I hope) I was not out of my way when I was ſpeaking to that; for in furthering that, I further this; May I but prevail with Perſons, to dedicate themſelves, I am ſure then, ſuch will not ſtick to dedicate their Houſes to God; and without the former I deſpair of the latter; but where the Dedication of the Perſon goes before, I do not queſtion, but the dedication of the Houſe will follow after. Oh (ſaith Moſes) he is my God, and I will prepare him an Habitation, Exod. 15.2. This is the language of the Self-dedicating Chriſtian; God is my God, I have an Intereſt in Him, I have given up my ſelf to him, and I will alſo dedicate my Habitation to Him; my Houſe ſhall be his, where I dwell God ſhall dwell: He hath prepared an Habitation for me, and I will prepare mine for Him. (Note by the way, that I do but allude to the words of Moſes, I know they carry another ſenſe)
For this Domeſtick Dedication, we have here the example of holy David, the man after God's own heart. (A Pſalm and Song at the dedication of the Houſe of David.) This godly man, could not take up with a convenient Houſe, with all Domeſtick Accommodations; but theſe muſt paſs under a ſolemn and religious Dedication: Surely, his example calls for every mans imitation: who ever thou art, thou art to write after this copy, to follow this pattern; may be, thou haſt not ſuch an Houſe as David's was; his was a Palace, thine, but a very poor and mean Cottage; yet an Houſe it is, let it be dedicated: though thou haſt not David's houſe, if thou haſt David's heart, let thy Houſe be what it will, thou wilt do as he did. Hence I make Houſe-Dedication to be a duty lying upon every perſon, who is the Maſter and diſpoſer of the Houſe: I do not only commend it, as a thing that is very good, (which yet men may do, or not do) or make it to be ſuch a thing, as the Romaniſts make thoſe to be, which they place under their Conſilia Evangelica: but I ſet it before Maſters of Families as a duty, as that which they ought to do, and are bound to do, or elſe they ſin. I would be tender in grounding a poſitive duty upon a hare example, (for 'tis God's precepts not Humane preſidents, that are the foundation upon which Duty is built): But when I meet with an example, lying in ſomething that is moral and obligatory to all, there the example and the nature of the thing (to which the example referrs) is a ſure foundation to build duty upon. That's the caſe here; David's example binds us (as to Houſe-Dedication) becauſe the thing in it ſelf is moral, and conſiſts in that which is moral, (as will appear in the opening of it;) and therefore it obliges all—.But over and above this example of David (if that will not carry it) we have ſomething that looks like a Precept, Deut. 20.5. What man is there that hath built a new Houſe, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his Houſe, leſt he die in the battel, and another man dedicate it. You ſee the Dedication of the Houſe is here enjoined: Now, was this injunction laid only upon ſuch as were going out to war; were not others concern'd in it, as well as they? ſurely they were: Though 'tis true, the command comes in upon this particular caſe, yet 'tis very probable, that it was of univerſal and general extent. All were to dedicate their Houſes, but eſpecially (and without any further delay) ſuch as were going out to fight; (becauſe of the great hazards, that they were to be expoſed to:) It would be no hard thing, from the Jewiſh Writers, and from latter Expoſitors, to prove that this Precept was general, and that the Duty in hand was generally practiſed by the Jews. And if it be further ſaid, that this Dedication (here ſpoken of) was only initiation, or taking poſſeſſion, (according to the import of the word in the original) (as was ſhown in the beginning of this diſcourſe); I anſwer, ſuppoſe it to be ſo, yet this doth not weaken that which I drive at, becauſe this poſſeſſion was to be taken in a religious manner, (as all declare who write upon the words): it was wont to be done with Solemnity, Feaſting, and ſinging Praiſe to God, as the Title of the 30th. Pſalm ſheweth. (So Ainſw. upon the foremention'd place.) Now this kind of initiation doth not come ſhort of that religious Dedication, which I am to urge upon you as a duty. If you take the words then, in their due latitude, and join the practice then, with the precept; they reach to all of us, and ſhow us, how we are to make our entrance upon new habitations. Houſe-Dedication is not only that, which hath been anciently uſed by good men, nor only that *Moris erat, ut novis aedificiis extructis, adhiberentur Ceremoniae, ad purgand & ſanctificanda loca pro inhabitantium uſu. Jun. Imò aedes etiam privatae, ſi conſummatae per Dei gratiam fuerint, ſalubriter uptantur novis uſibus per Hymnos at que preces devotas. Geierus in Dan. 3. in Aphor. ex v. 2.which is very fitting and commendable, but 'tis a duty, and all are under the obligation of it. And this will more fully appear from thoſe particular branches of Houſe-Dedication, all of which now under the Goſpel, are matter of duty, and obligatory to all Chriſtians.
Before I come to open the Nature of it, 'tis neceſſary (for the clearing up of my way, and for the obviating of all Cavils) that I premiſe a few things.
Firſt, therefore obſerve, That 'tis only the Dedication of private Houſes, that I am concerned to ſpeak to: As to the dedicating of Churches, (the places of publick Worſhip,) that is an Argument which doth not properly fall within the compaſs of the words I am upon: If they had ſpoken of the dedication of the Temple, then they would have led me, to have ſaid ſomething concerning the dedication of Churches, under the times of the Goſpel; but they only ſpeaking of the dedication of David's Houſe, I may confine my Diſcourſe to the dedication of Private Houſes.
Secondly, When I ſpeak of the dedicating and conſecrating of the Houſe, you muſt not underſtand me, as if I carryed it ſo high, as to have it wholly impropriated to things of a Spiritual Nature. I would have Prayer, the Worſhip of God, Religion, minded and advanced in your Houſes; but yet withall, you may eat, drink, trade, buy, ſell, tranſact your Secular Affairs and buſineſſes in them. No man will think me ſo abſurd, as to intend any Temple-Conſecration of Houſes, when I mention the dedication or conſecration of them. 'Tis one thing to have the Worſhip of God in a Place, and another thing to have that place impropriated, and wholly ſet apart for the Worſhip of God, ſo as that things of a worldly nature may not there be managed: 'Tis the firſt thing only that I deſign.
Thirdly. In the handling of Houſe-dedication, I do not in the leaſt mean ſuch a dedication as is attended with the alienation of the civil property. As the civil uſe, ſo the civil property is not ſtruck at by me. Pray, keep your Right and Title to your Houſes, and take the comfort of them; let them be yours ſtill: only let God be acknowledged, ſerved, exalted in them. 'Tis true, in ſome Dedications the Proprietary loſt his Right; after he made them, he had nothing further to do with what he had dedicated, (for by this act he paſſed over his Right to God;) As in this particular caſe of Houſes, you read Levit. 27.14. If a man did ſanctifie, (or dedicate by a vow or gift) his Houſe to be holy to the Lord; he had then no right to it till he had redeemed it, by paying the price or rate, which the Prieſt did ſet upon it, and then it was to be his own again. I do not urge the dedication of your Houſes in this ſenſe or notion; ſo as that the civil property ſhould be alienated, only let it be improved for God.
Nor, fourthly, Do I put you upon Houſe-dedication, in the ſetting up of Family-worſhip, ſo as to take you off from Publick-worſhip, and from God's Ordinances in the publick Adminiſtration of them. Both have their proper uſe and worth, and neither of them are to be omitted: God forbid, that the one ſhould joſtle out the other. David here dedicates his Houſe to God; but yet withall, he was for Sanctuary-worſhip; and when he was deprived of this, how paſſionately did he deſire it. You may ſee this in Pſal. 63.1, 2, 3. (and in ſeveral other places), 'Tis ſaid, Pſal. 87.2. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. In the dwellings of Jacob the worſhip of God was more confined, it was ſhut up in his Family; but in Zion, there the worſhip of God was more open and publick; and therefore God loved the gates of Zion more than the dwellings of Jacob: O there are ſignal and extraordinary Bleſſings attending Publick Ordinances; and therefore when the people of God have been deprived of theſe, it hath been a great affliction to them, (notwithſtanding their Family-enjoyments:) you read of them that were ſorrowful for the ſolemn Aſſembly, Zeph. 3.18. The more there are in the Conſort, the ſweeter is the Muſick; the Application is obvious. So that, when your Houſes are dedicated, (as to the ſetting up of Religion in them) I would not have them to ſay, to the places of Publick-worſhip, what once they ſaid to Moſes and Aaron, Ye take too much upon you, ſeeing all the Congregation are Holy; wherefore then lift you up your ſelves above the Congregation of the Lord, Numb. 16.3. So here, I would not have private Houſes to ſay to places (where the Worſhip of God is publickly and duely adminiſtred), We have Prayer as well as you, and the Scriptures read as well as you; and therefore why do you take ſo much upon you? O, though I would be earneſt with you for Family-Religion, yet I deſire you to keep up high eſteems of the Publick-Worſhip and Ordinances of God.
Fifthly, In the preſent diſcourſe, I do not only aime at the bare walls, the external ſtructure, the material building, (as though Dedication-work did only refer to this); but, under the dedicating of the Houſe, I take-in all the Perſons there inhabiting, the whole Family, Domeſtick mercies, Creature-accommodations; all are to be dedicated to God.
Sixthly, The Perſons upon whom the duty is incumbent, are thoſe who ſtand in the relation and capacity of Superiors, Maſters, Parents, Houſholders, Governors (or call them what you pleaſe): where Power and Authority is, there Houſe-Dedication-work lies. 'Tis true, ſuch as are Inferiors, they muſt dedicate themſelves to the Lord; but as to the dedication of the Houſe, that's the duty of Superiors. And therefore my buſineſs in this diſcourſe is mainly with ſuch.
Seventhly, In ſpeaking to theſe, I will not ſo far enlarge, as to ſet before them all the Relative duties that lie upon them, (that I leave to thoſe, who have gone thorough the body of Relative duties): I will limit my ſelf to thoſe only, which have an immediate reference to the dedication of the Houſe to God.
Theſe things being premiſed (for the ends fore mentioned) I come now to ſhow you, What this Houſe-Dedication is; A little will be ſufficient for the opening of the nature of it, but the applying of it will call for a more full Diſcourſe.