Holy Dedication Both Personal and Domestic, Part 2 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. The Nature of Domeſtick Dedication opened.
THe great Queſtion to be reſolved is this, What is it to dedicate the Houſe? or, How are men (now under the Goſpel) to dedicate their Houſes? I will anſwer this, in a few particulars.
I make this Houſe-dedication to conſiſt in four things:
1. In a religious entrance upon Houſes, by ſolemn Prayer and Praiſe.
2. In an humble and fiducial commitment of them to God's Protection.
3. In the ſetting up and promoting of Religion in them.
4. In the devoting and improving of Domeſtick Mercies, to and for God.
To ſome poſſibly, the duty, (as generally propounded) may ſeem novel and ſtrange, and not at all belonging now to Chriſtians under the Goſpel: but ſurely as 'tis reduc'd to theſe Heads, it will appear to be a ſtanding and conſtant Duty, and that which in all Ages ever hath, and ever will be a duty incumbent upon men. A word, and but a word, to each of theſe Particulars.
Firſt, To dedicate the Houſe, it is to enter upon it, by ſolemn Prayer and Praiſe: I ſpoke to this in the explication of the words, ſhowing that Dedication is the entring upon a place, or taking poſſeſſion of it by ſolemn religious rites or acts; 'tis a Religious entrance upon poſſeſſion. Now what are theſe religious rites or acts? They are, Prayer and Praiſe. And I call it [ſolemn Prayer] becauſe in Houſe-dedication, there muſt be ſomething more than uſual and ordinary Prayer, (ſuch as is performed in the Family every day;) there muſt be ſolemn and extraordinary prayer ſuited in ſpecial to this occaſion: But (I ſay) Prayer and Praiſe are thoſe religious acts, which are to be performed by perſons, when they enter into their Houſes in order to the dedicating of them to God. That Houſe-dedication was uſed amongſt the Jews, none doth queſtion; but what their particular *Ʋ. Sed quibus Ceremomis dedioatio illa fuerit peracta, nuſ. quam traditur Piſcator. Tum Homines initiare Domus dicuntur, cum primùm in eis, edere, bibere, habitare incipiunt; Quod pii citra preces & gratiarum actiones minimè faciunt. Hoſpin. de Orig. Templ. f. 114. Hoc genus exercitii veteri populo mandatum fuit, at agnoſcerent, nullius rei uſum ſine gratiarum actione, purum & legitimum eſſe. Calv. Nunt quamvis ceſſaverint Legis figurae, tenonda est tamen Pauli Doctrina, Quaecun que Deus in nostrum uſum destinat, fide & precibus ſanctificari. Id.rites were in this, or what the way and manner was, how they did this, that we do not find either in Scripture or in common Authors; but Divines conclude, that this was done by Prayer and Praiſc. David here pen's a Pſalm to be uſed at the dedication of his Houſe; and in this Pſalm there is Prayer and Praiſe (as hath been ſhow'd). The Apoſtle tells us, that every Creature is ſanctified by the Word and Prayer, 1 Tim. 4.4, 5. And ſo every place is ſanctified by the Word and Prayer. If you would dedicate your Houſes, enter into them this way: Seek God, and bleſs God; call upon him for mercies to be beſtowed, thankefully acknowledg mercies already received. An Conſecratio nullum habet jus, Dedicatio est religioſa. Quid ergo illa tua tum obtestatio, …ibicinis, quid foculus, quid Preces, quid priſca verba volnerunt? Tull. Pro Domo ſuâ. At the foreign, or making of their Gods; the main thing which made the god, was the prayer that the people uſed to him at that ſolemnity. So, that of Martial may be underſtood, Qui fingit ſacros Auro vel marmore vultus, Non facit ille Does; qui rogat ille facit. Epigr. l. 8. c. 24.The very Heathens in their Dedications, both of their Temples, and alſo of private Houſes, they uſed prayer (in their blind way): ſurely 'tis good for Chriſtians, when they are to enter upon their Houſes, to do it by fervent and ſolemn prayer, and ſo to dedicate them to God. This I ſhall ſpeak more fully to, when I come to the Application.
Secondly, To dedicate the Houſe to God, it is humbly and fiducially to commit it to his Divine Protection, and Benediction. You will ſay, this is the ſame with the former; I conceive, it is not; I know, we uſually expreſs and manifeſt this act by Prayer (for therein we profeſs that we do thus recommend our ſelves and all our concerns to God), and in prayer, we ask of God this mercy, that he will keep and bleſs us and our Habitations. But yet Prayer, and This, are diſtinct; for, this is truſt, dependance, or reliance upon God; and ſurely, Truſt and Prayer are different things. When I dedicate my Houſe to God, I do not only pray to him, that he will be pleaſed to ſecure it; but I caſt my ſelf upon Him for this, and in a ſolemn, explicit manner, I commend it to his Holy and Almighty Protection. This is the notion of Dedication, Nehem. 12.27. Where 'tis ſaid, At the [Dedication] of the wall of Jeruſalem, they ſought the Levites. (a) Here was Dedication, and it was very ſolemn too,*Et murorum Civitatis, qui Deo ejuſd…m que Protectioni certis precibus hymniſque commendabantur, una etiam gratiis decenter actis pro conſummatione operis. Geierus in Dan. 3.3. Moenia nrbis Hieroſolymae dedicata dicuntu…, quando Sacerdotes & Populus de eo gratias agebant Deo, quod ope ejus restaurata urbs eſſet: tum orabant, ut ſibi restituta Civitatis ac Libertatis fruitio, tranquilla pacata que concederetur. Hoſpin. de Orig. Templor. fol. 103. Dedicabantur (a): (h.e.) Deo ejuſ que protectioni commendabanmur. Ravan.. in v. Dedicare. (as you may ſee, by that which follows in the Chapter); The thing dedicated was the wall of Jeruſalem. What was this dedication? 'Twas that which I am upon;*Et Mnrorum Civitatis, &c. Nehemiah and the People, in this ſolemn way committed this wall to God's Protection. Here was their ſtrength, (under God); this was to ſecure City and Temple, which much depended upon it; and therefore they commend it thus to God, that he would keep that, which muſt keep and ſecure all; that this Wall might be continually before him, (as the phraſe is, Iſa. 49.16.)—Thus every perſon muſt dedicate his Houſe to God, in the commending of it to his gracious protection: And there's reaſon enough for this; for, to be ſure, unleſs God keep the Houſe, and guard it by His eſpecial Care and Providence, it can never be ſafe. Many that write Books, dedicate them to ſuch or ſuch Perſons; and what do they aime at in this? This is one thing in their eye, that their Labours may be protected by them, to whom they are dedicated. The Chriſtian dedicates his Houſe to God, this is done by the acting of his Holy Truſt upon God, that he will defend it from all evil; I ſay this is one thing, that he doth in this dedication.
Thirdly, To dedicate the Houſe to God, 'tis for a man, to ſet up and advance and encourage Religion in it. Hoc ritu ſimul admonebantur, tunc ritè & ordine unumquemque domo ſuâ frui, ſi quoddam eſſet Dei Sacrarium ubt vigeret pietas & ſincerus ejus cultus. Calv.This (as Calvin obſerves) was one thing deſigned, in this Rite of Houſe-dedication, that men might know that they did, then, in a right manner poſſeſs their Houſes, when they did make them to be as Churches or Chappels, where Piety and the ſincere Worſhip of God might flouriſh. This is a great thing in the dedicating of the Houſe; and (indeed) if I would faſten it upon any one head, I would do it upon this. To dedicate the Houſe, it is to conſecrate it to the Lord; to ſet up in it Piety, Godlineſs, the Worſhip, Fear, Knowledg of God; to keep down in it ſin, wickedneſs, profaneneſs, whatſoever is evil; All is included in that general and comprehenſive word, (which I therefore made uſe of), namely RELIGION. What did David do, when he dedicated his Houſe? O, he reſolved upon this, That Religion ſhould flouriſh in his Family; that Holineſs to the Lord ſhould be written upon all in his Family, that God ſhould be duly worſhipped and called upon in his Family, Quod ille, non deſe ſolo, verùm de ſuâ quo que familiâ voti istius ſponſionem facit, in eo exemplum vel maximè inſigne nobis proponitur gubernandae familiae nostrae. Maſius, in locthat he would not ſuffer ſin to be in his Family; other Houſes might be Atheiſtical, profane, irreligious, but his ſhould not be ſo. Thus Joſhuah did alſo, in a very eminent and exemplary way: As for me, and my Houſe, we will ſerve the Lord, Joſh. 24.15. And Abraham hath a high commendation from God for this; I know him (ſaith God), that he will command his children, and his houſhold after him, and they ſhall keep the way of the Lord, to do juſtice and judgment, Gen. 18.19. And 'tis ſaid of Cornelius, that he was a devout man, and one that feared God with all his Houſe, Act. 10.2. I might enlarge upon theſe Scripture-Inſtances, and upon ſeveral Conſiderations, to enforce the ſame practices upon ourſelves, but that is not my preſent buſineſs; I am only now ſhowing you, what the Nature of this Houſe-dedication is, or wherein it doth conſiſt.
Fourthly, To dedicate the Houſe, 'tis to carry it aright under Domeſtick, or Houſe-mercies; for Houſe here, is not be limited to the bare habitation, or to the perſons therein reſiding, (who make up the Family); but it includes all thoſe bleſſings, mercies, comforts, accommodations, that there are enjoyed. Now, where a perſon carries it aright under theſe mercies, ſo as to devote and dedicate all to God, this is Houſe-dedication A right carriage under mercies, is an expreſſion that takes in many things; when God is eyed in them, as the Spring and fountain from which they flow; when they are all aſcribed to God, and to his Free-grace; when he is admired in them; when the poſſeſſor lives under a deep ſenſe of his unworthineſs of them; when they are enjoyed in God; when they are all reſigned up to God's pleaſure; All theſe particulars are wrapt up in this general of carrying it aright under mercies. But that which is proper, when we ſpeak of the dedicating of our mercies to God, is this, The devoting of all to him, and the improving of all for him. Would you dedicate your Houſes to him? Conſider what your Domeſtick mercies are, (and they are many and precious) and ſee that you dedicate theſe to God; how? devote them to God, and improve them for God. David was as good at this piece of dedication, as at any of the former; (as I ſhall make it out in its proper place): But I will add nothing more at preſent.
Let not any think, I am too ſhort upon this Head: further neceſſary enlargements will better fall in, in the Applicatory part; and if I ſhould ſpeak more here, I ſhould but prevent and anticipate my ſelf there. I ſay again, my deſign in this Chapter hath been but juſt to ſhow you, what Houſe-dedication is, but all inlargements upon it, I refer to that which follows.