Holy Dedication Both Personal and Domestic, Part 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. The want of Domeſtick Dedication, bewailed.
ANd is it ſuch a Thing, Ʋſe 1 as I have deſcribed it? 'tis pitty then, there is no more of it in the World; There are but very few to be found, who tread in David's ſteps. As I lamented the rarity of Perſonal-dedication, ſo I may lament alſo the rarity of Domeſtick Dedication: I wiſh there was not as much cauſe for the one as for the other: And the truth is, if that be ſo rare and ſeldom, no wonder that this is ſo rare alſo; for 'tis certain (as I have ſaid more than once), that no man will devote his Houſe to God, till he hath firſt devoted Himſelf to God. Ah, what do the moſt of men do in their Houſes? there they eat, drink, ſleep, trade, reſide; but there's no dedicating of them to God. This is a duty ſo far from being practiſed, that 'tis ſcarce thought of by the moſt of men, they do not trouble their Heads about it; the most do not go ſo far as to know or to believe that this is a duty: O that we had not too much cauſe, with bitterneſs of ſoul to lament the general neglect of Houſe-dedication!
Let me a little take notice of the Carriages of men, according to their different ranks and orders: There's our Great ones, (who are above others as much as the tall Oakes and lofty Cedars are above the poor ſhrubs), our Noblemen, and Gentlemen: Do they put their necks to this work of the Lord? (Nehem. 3.5.) As 'twas ſaid, Have any of the Rulers believed on Him? (Joh. 7.48.); ſo may I ſay here, Have ſuch amongſt us dedicated Themſelves and their Houſes to God? May not the Apoſtle's, Not many Mighty, not many Noble, be applyed to this? (I Cor. 1.26.) And that of the Prophet, Jer. 5.5. I will get me unto the Great men—, but they have altogether broken the yoke, and burſt the bonds. Might I be ſo bold as to look into the Houſes of theſe Perſons, ſhould I find there religion advanced, the Worſhip and Service of God performed and attended upon; ſin and wickedneſs kept under, mercies improved for God, piety and godlineſs incouraged? O that it were ſo! But inſtead of this, I fear I ſhould find curſing, ſwearing, taking Gods name in vain, drunkenneſs, gaming, luxury, uncleanneſs, oppreſſion, pride, contempt of godlineſs, groſs neglect of Religion? I ſay, I fear this is that which I ſhould meet withal in the Houſes of too many of thoſe whom God hath exalted in the world. If I wrong them, I have reaſon to beg their pardon; but I believe, they have infinitely more reaſon to beg their pardon of God, than I have to beg my pardon of them.
My Lords and Gentlemen, Could I be ſo weak, as to think that ever this poor deſpicable Book ſhould be taken up by your hands, I would then (with all Humility, yet with all faithfulneſs) thus apply my ſelf to you— Why do not you dedicate your Perſons, your Houſes to God? Is this only the Poorman's Duty? Doth your Greatneſs exempt you from ſubjection to the Laws of that God, who is infinitely more above you, than you are over the meaneſt man? Doth not he expect that from you, which he doth from others? nay, doth he not expect more from you, (you having a greater ſhare in his bleſſings, and being more obliged by the good things which he heaps upon you)? Is not that day coming, which will ſet you and us upon the ſame Level? in which all theſe diſtinctions, (that are calculated only for this Meridian of Earth) ſhall all ceaſe, and 'tis Piety only then that ſhall make the difference? muſt you not then give an account of the Talents (of Power, Wealth, Intereſt), that God here entruſts you with? will not the Souls of your numerous Families be required at your hands? Hath God advanced you ſo high, and will you do nothing to advance him? Do you debaſe ordiſparage your ſelves, by being religious, and ſetting up Religion in your Houſes? Is not Religion your higheſt Honour? Here's David, a King, (and therefore above you), a King in the very Zenith of worldly grandure, dedicating his Houſe to God; Is it below you to do thus? Is Moraligoodneſs any diminution to your civil Greatneſs? Do you ceaſe to be Noble by being truly Noble?Qui majores terras poſſident minores cenſus ſolvunt. Pariſienfis. O quantus in populo Christiano honor Christi, ubi Religio ignobilem facit; & mali coguntureſſe nobiles, ne viles habeantur. Salvia. Is God better to you than to others, will you be worſer than others to Him? Shall the beſt Houſes, and the worſt Hearts, the faireſt Eſtates, and the fouleſt Lifes go together? Have you ſo many rooms in your large Houſes, and not one for God? Is it wiſdom, ſo to carry your ſelves in your Palaces here, as to live in a Dungeon of eternal darkneſs hereafter? Is it not but a few days and you will be laid in the Duſt, and muſt bid farewel to thoſe pleaſures in which now you are ſwallowed up? Are former Judgments which lay heavy upon you, quite forgotten? Will not God ſmite again, if you prevent him not, by Perſonal and Family-Reformation? Might not God be owned in your Houſes, and you yet enjoy enough of the ſweetneſs of Temporal Comforts? If you would dedicate your Houſes to God, would not this have a great influence upon all about you to do the ſame? How might you by your examples promote God's Honour, and the good of Souls? Did your ancient Progenitors carry it as too many of you do? Will you inherit their Lands, Houſes, Honours, and their All, ſave only their Virtues? But ſurely, my Zeal tranſports me: Some will ſay, this is a Digreſſion; others will ſay, this is Preſumption; and I ſay, 'tis weakneſs to write to them, who are never like to read what I write.
Come we to Perſons, who move in a lower Orb; 'tis to be hoped, that they dedicate their Houſes to God. I wiſh they did ſo; but upon a very eaſie ſearch, you'l find the contrary. There's the poor Country-man, he hath an Houſe to live in, and there he feeds when he is hungry; there he ſleeps when he is weary; thence he goes to his labours (which circulate upon him), and thither he returns when he hath done his work abroad; Here's his courſe from day to day, from year to year; But where's his Religion? He goes to Church upon the Lord's-day, attends upon the Worſhip of God, hears a Sermon preached; when this is done, (in a very pitiful way, God knows), home he comes, and thinks he hath done enough, and that which is very fair for one week; his religion now (like his beſt Clothes) muſt be laid up till the next Sunday (as he calls it): But what doth he do in his Houſe? how doth he carry it in his Family? O very ſadly. Not a Prayer in his Family, not a Chapter read in his Family, all the week long: He riſes in the morning, dreſſes himſelf, immediately goes to his buſineſs, but he doth not firſt go to God, to beg his bleſſing upon him and his. He calls up his Servants, haſtens them to their ſeveral imployments, but there's no calling upon God: He feeds his ſheep, fothers his cattel, but ſtarves his own ſoul, and the ſouls of thoſe that are related to him: He goes to Market, there he buys or ſells, but drives no commerce or traffick with Heaven. He minds his ground, but not his heart; the weeds muſt not grow in the one, but ſin may grow in the other. He loves to ſee his Grain and Cattel thrive abroad, but he minds not how grace thrives at home, in himſelf and others: He pays his Tythes to his Miniſter, but he gives not the thouſandth part of his time to God; his Rent to his Landlord, but no Rent to God for all his mercies; when the night comes, he goes to bed, without any religious committing of himſelf and Family to God's Protection; juſt as his weary beaſt lies down, ſo doth he. Here's a ſhort account of the poor Country-man's Religion, and is it not a ſad one? I ſpeak not of all, (God forbid, it ſhould be thus with all), but indeed I fear it is ſo with the moſt; 'tis a very rare thing in Country-Towns and Villages, to find a Houſe dedicated to God, a praying Family. O it would make a man's heart to ake, to conſider how 'tis with th' generality in this reſpect.
But 'tis better with the Citizen; He's a knowing perſon, hath great advantages, of being informed in his duty, and quickened to it; ſurely he's as much above the Country-man in Religion, as he is above him in his external garb and port: one may expect in his Houſe to find a due obſervance of God. O you that are Citizens, Is it thus with you? Do men think and ſpeak of you as you deſerve, or not? Are your Houſes dedicated to God? Hath Religion a throne in your Family? I ſpeak it with great comfort, (to the glory of the grace of God), that I believe, there are Thouſands in this City, who deſire unfeignedly to dedicate Self, and Houſe, and all to God; and they carry it accordingly. But is it thus with All? Is it thus with the Moſt? Have we not even here many Houſes, where there is much trading, but no praying? many Maſters of Families, who can take up with a Sunday-Church-Religion, (I ſpeak not agianſt the thing in it ſelf, nor would I caſt any diſparagement upon it), but doing nothing in their Houſes all the week after? And have we not ſome that profeſs God, and yet they do but half it out in dedication-work; ſome will pray at night, but not in the morning, then they are too buſie; ſome will pray in the morning not at night, then they are too weary. Surely though one meal a day be enough for the body, yet one duty a day is not enough for the ſoul: Although we have no common Supper at night, methinks we ſhould have an Heavenly Break-faſt every morning; (but more of this hereafter). O that all ſuch as do profeſs God, were ſincere in this! I might go over the particulars, and ſhow under each of them, how few (even amongſt you) do dedicate their Houſes to God; and I fear that hath been one ground of the Lord's late Controverſie within this City. Upon the whole matter then, it is too evident that Houſe-dedication is very rare. The moſt of men, whether they be High or Low, live in too manifeſt a neglect of it. O let ſuch as are in dedicated Houſes, bleſs God for themſelves, and pity others which are not ſo.