Holy Dedication Both Personal and Domestic, Part 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. The Duty preſſed more generally.
VVEE ſee (by that which hath been ſpoken) how things ſtand; there are but few, who make Conſcience of the Duty in hand: Well, what is now to be done? muſt we let men alone, under this grand Omiſſion? Are there no Endeavours to be uſed, for the removal of this ſad and ſinful neglect? Surely it concerns the Miniſters of the Goſpel, to put forth themſelves with the greateſt earneſtneſs, to make this their great work and buſineſs, (as far as 'tis poſſible) to prevail with Maſters and Governors to ſet upon Houſe-dedication, that it may not always be ſo rare a thing, as hitherto it hath been. In order hereunto I ſhall caſt in my Mite, which (I hope) God will accept and bleſs. And ſo I come to Exhortation. In the managing of which, let me tell you, that though I deſign to reach all Perſons whatſoever, and that the Arguments uſed are of Ʋniverſal extent; yet in ſpecial I ſhall direct my Diſcourſe to you the Inhabitants of this City.
Many of you are yet in your old Habitations; For ever be the name of God magnified, for his ſparing of your Houſes, when all about you was laid waſt and deſolate; Amos 4.11.you were as brands ſnatcht out of the common burnings: As the ſhepherd taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, (Amos 3.12.) So God dealt with you: You read of God's bounding of the proud waves; Job 26.10. Job 38.10, 11.and ſaying to them, Thus far ſhall yee go and no farther: You have ſeen God's bounding of the proud flames, when they were moſt fierce and raging: Now, did you ever dedicate theſe Houſes to God? if not, be entreated now to ſet upon the duty: O 'tis ſad, that you have neglected it thus long, be ſure you neglect it no longer; You are not now to enter upon new Houſes, but yet you muſt enter upon a new courſe; whether the Houſe be new or old, that's all one, it muſt be dedicated; As a late repentance, ſo a late dedication is better than none. May not God well expect that Houſes ſo eminently preſerved by him, ſhould faithfully be dedicated to him?
There are others of you, upon whom the late judicial Providence did fall very heavy; you were fired out of your Houſes, but you are now full of the Hopes of new Habitations. This poor City (for almoſt two years), hath ly'ne as dead, and buried in its own ruines; but there ſeems to be at preſent ſome hope of its revival and reſurrection; it begins to diſcover a little breathing, I truſt in God, it will come to it ſelf again. I have ſometimes fancyed to my ſelf, when I have ſeen the few new Buildings, that are ſcattered up and down in the Ruines, that this is like to the fruits of the Earth, after a ſharp and tedious Winter; the Spring comes, and then here and there you may ſee a blade of Corn or Graſs growing up, which gives an encouragement to the beholder of a further growth: So here, we have ſomething (pardon the expreſſion) like the ſpringing up of a City, here and there an Houſe is finiſhed; But I hope (if the Lord hath ſo great a mercy for us), in time all will be compleated; as 'tis but a blade or two at the firſt, but in a little time the whole field is covered all over. This Summer (if God continue peace to us), we encourage our ſelves to expect a good and conſiderable progreſs in the rebuilding of our deſolate places; and if ſo, then many of you will be Hous'd again. Now, if it ſhall pleaſe God to give you your deſires, to ſucceed you in your building work, and to put you into new Houſes, O this is that which I would earneſtly preſs upon you, Dedicate them to God.
This is the General Exhortation; in the enforcing of which I will offer a few things. 1. Do this, (not only at your firſt entrance, but in the whole courſe of your life, for this dedication is a continued act), and it will be a good evidence of your Perſonal-dedication; if you have dedicated your ſelf to God, (which if you have not done, your condition is ſad), you will certainly dedicate your Houſe to God: As no man can do the latter, unleſs he do the former; ſo whoever doth the former, he will do the latter. This will evidence alſo the Truth of Grace, and the very power of godlineſs. O, where grace is in the heart, God ſhall be in the Houſe; where the perſon is converted, the Houſe ſhall be dedicated; and I ſcarce know any one thing, wherein you have a better diſcovery of a man, whether he be gracious or not, godly or not, than his carriage and deportment in, and towards his Houſe and Family: Doth he own God there? advance God there? devote Perſons, Eſtate, Intereſt, All to God? ſurely he's a godly man. Abraham acted like himſelf, not only when he was willing to offer up his Son, but alſo when he was commanding his Children, and his Houſhold to keep the way of the Lord.Gen. 18.19.
2. This is to do ſomething that is ſingular; this is more than what others do, (I mean ſuch as have no ſupernatural work in them): To get a convenient Houſe to live in, and there to drive on a trade for the World, and to enjoy Creature-bleſſings, this is ordinary; and this is all that the moſt do mind: and therefore, if you carry it otherwiſe, viz. you no ſooner have an Houſe but God ſhall have that Houſe; you are no ſooner ſerved your ſelves, but God ſhall be ſerved by you; where you are gratified, God ſhall be glorified; This (I ſay) is to do ſomething that hath a Bleſſed ſingularity in it.
3. This is the way, to enjoy the preſence of God in your Houſes, to have him to dwell with you. I hope you will look after this: What's the Houſe if God be not in it? What's the moſt convenient habitation, the confluence of all external comforts and accommodations, if God be abſent? What difference would there be betwixt the Palace and the Dungeon, if the Sun ſhould withdraw, and ſo all be covered in darkneſs? And ſo here; Make ſure of God's Preſence, and every Habitation will be ſweet. O do not take up with good rooms, good furniture, good relations, good trading, but get a good God to dwell with you; and he'l be better than all. He ſays of his Church, that,Pſal. 132.1.1. He hath deſired it for his Habitation; This is my reſt for ever; here will I dwell, for I have deſired it. The name of the City is Jehovah-Shammah. Ezek. 48.3Would you have the great God to own your habitations for his Habitation, to take up his reſt with you? Would you have your Houſes, to be called Jehovah-Shammah? then dedicate them to the Lord. As you deſire the preſence of God in you, (in a ſpecial and gracious manner) dedicate your perſons; (then you ſhall be as the Temple of the living God, and God ſhall dwell in you, and walk in you), (as 'tis*foreign. emphatically expreſſed, 2 Cor. 6.16.) As you deſire the preſence of God with you, (in a more common and providential way) dedicate your Houſes.
4. Would you enjoy your Houſes when you have built them, let them be dedicated. It would be ſad, after all your care, coſts, pains, that you ſhould not poſſeſs, what you lay out ſo much upon. 'Tis a ſevere threatning, that in Deut. 28.30. Thou ſhall build an Houſe, and thou ſhalt not dwell therein. So alſo, Zeph. 1.13. Their Goods ſhall become a booty, and their Houſes a deſolation: (that you have felt already; and 'tis further threatned), they ſhall alſo build Houſes, but not inhabit them: (O that this alſo, may not be executed upon you). And, Amos 5.11. Ye have built Houſes of hewn ſtone, but ye ſhall not dwell in them. As you deſire to be freed from this ſharp affliction, be faithful in the diſcharge of the duty, which I am upon; then you are in the way of the Promiſe; Iſa. 65.20, 21. They ſhall build Houſes and inhabit them, and they ſhall plant Vineyards, and cat the fruit of them: They ſhall not build, and another inhabit; they ſhall not plant and another eat; for, as the days of a tree are the days of my people; and mine elect ſhall long enjoy the work of their hands: They ſhall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble. The good Lord accompliſh this word to you in this City!
5. Life is very uncertain. He that was to go out to fight with the enemy, he eſpecially was to dedicate his Houſe, becauſe of the uncertainty of his Life, Deut. 20.5.—I hope this will not be be your caſe: but however, your Life is very uncertain; you live to day, Can you ſay, that you ſhall live to morrow? who knows, how ſoon this poor thred of Life may break in pieces? Every man at his beſt state is altogether vanity. Pſal. 39.5.Life and all the Comforts of it, are fluid, tranſitory, uncertain. Here we have no abiding City, Hebr. 13.14. Nihil in hac vitâ poſſidemus, quod di, cere poſſumus, futurum diu nostrum. Quae uolis videmur firmiſſimè tenere, ea, quoties Deo libuit, temporis momento nobis è manibus offluunt. Omnia nos relinquunt vel à nobis relinquuntur. J. Capel. in Hebr. 13.14. Linquenda Tellus & Domus, & placens Ʋxor. Horat,but we ſeek one to come: O enter upon your Houſes, as thoſe who have death in your eye: They are built of Brick and firm materials, and may ſtand long; but you your ſelves, are made but of brittle things; you are but earthly Tabernacles, a little breathing clay; you would fall every moment, if God did not underprop you. Suppoſe it ſhould pleaſe God, to ſend ſuch a plague, as we had a few years ago, (we have had a ſtrange, unuſual Winter, what it may produce I know not), would you be impenetrable againſt the arrows that fly and waſt at noon-day? (Pſal. 91.5, 6.) Can you build your new Houſes ſo, that the deſtroying Angel ſhall not be able to get into them? If you can ſecure them from Fire, cannot God kindle a fire in your Bodies, ſend a Fever upon you, that ſhall conſume you preſently? O what an uncertain thing is Life! how many ways hath God to put a period to it! Surely therefore it lies upon us, to dedicate our ſelves, our Houſes to God; to advance him in our Hearts and Families; to improve all we have to his glory; to be faithful in the matters of Religion; for we know not how ſoon Death will come; and what ſhall we do in a dying hour, if we have liv'd in the neglect of theſe things? Thou that haſt not given thy Houſe to God, and ſet it apart for him, Canſt thou expect, that he will give thee that foreign, that Houſe which is not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens? (2 Cor. 5.1.)
6. Houſe-dedication is the beſt Houſeſecurity. Would you have your Houſes ſafe? dedicate them to God; thereby you prevent God's Anger, and entitle what is yours, to God's Protection. You have liv'd to ſee dreadful things, (God of his infinite mercy grant you may never ſee the like again): A City burnt! this City burnt! this City burnt with ſuch Circumſtances! Many Thouſands of Houſes, in the ſpace of three days, utterly conſum'd! O, What was it, that kindled this fierce anger of God againſt us? What ſhall we do, that the like may never again befall us? Surely theſe are two Questions, which with the greateſt ſeriouſneſs, we are often to propound to our ſelves; I ſhall go no further than that which I am upon, for an Anſwer to them. One cauſe (I fear) (I dare not be peremptory in aſſigning the cauſes of a judgment ſo unſearchable), was, our not-dedicating of our Houſes to God: Non-dedication brings deſolation; Had Religion, the power of Godlineſs, been ſet up and kept up in your Houſes, they might have ſtood to this day, for ought I know. This, as to the firſt Queſtion: As to the ſecond, I ſay only this, If you would not drink of this bitter cup again, dedicate your Houſes to God. Do not think your walls and bricks will ſecure you, if ſin be harboured, and God kept out of doors: If there ſhould be no malicious men, (or rather incarnate Devils) here upon earth, there is a juſt and jealous God in Heaven. This duty will be your beſt ſecurity: Do you dedicate, and God will protect. I always ſubmit to God's Soveraignty, and to his ſecret Reſerves, (which are beſt known to Himſelf), (and how much there was of theſe as to the dealings of God with many Families in this City, in the late judgment, I cannot determine): But as to the ordinary methods of God, and as to his revealed will, we have great encouragement to hope for Protection and Preſervation, whilſt we ſincerely deſire, to come up to Houſe-dedicating duty.
O (my Brethren) be not offended either at my largeneſs or plainneſs in this my advice; you have not my Pen, but my heart in what I write. And I ſhall think, (though I am ſenſible of many defects), that I have wrote well, if I may but ſee you to do well. All that I aim at is ſucceſs, in bringing you to Dedication-work. Lib. 6. c. 31.*Ʋt ſe diceret quaſi hominem tandem habitare coepiſſe.Suetonius tells us a paſſage of Nero, which I ſhall make uſe of; When he had built him a brave Palace, and had dedicated it, he ſaid, Now he began to live like a man. I allude not to his ſenſe, (for that was naught), but to his words. You are now preparing new Houſes, and e're long you hope to dwell in them; Oh when ever it ſhall be ſo, dedicate them to God, then you'l live and act like true Chriſtians. 'Tis better to be without an Houſe than without an Heart, to dedicate it to God. 'Tis never right ordered and managed, till it be dedicated *foreign Cognationem habet cum foreign, (Rectus): nam initiare aliquid, est illud recté diſponere. Aven.This in General; but I muſt not leave the Exhortation thus; I will go over the Particulars, that make up this Houſededication, and preſs them upon you diſtinctly.