and peculiar Reasons for House-Prayer you pray in secret not only because of the Command but because of those special and peculiar reasons which attend that duty Family-prayer hath the same inducements there are such and such cases circumstances considerations which this duty doth best hit and meet with and is best suited to O therefore make conscience of it There are Family-sins to be bewailed Family-miscarriages to be reformed Family-mercies to be acknowledged Family-wants to be supplied Family-undertakings to be blessed Family-afflictions to be sanctified Family-dangers to be prevented Now are there so many cases proper to a Family as a Family and shall there not be Family-prayer to reach to all these O that Masters of Families would consider what I say 4. Mercy and Justice Pity and Fidelity call upon you to call upon God in and with your Families Have you precious souls committed to you will you let them perish where 's your mercy and pity shall so many Children so many Servants be lost for ever for want of Prayer be not so cruel for the Lords sake You feed their bodies it would be cruelty to let them starve for want of food but is not this worser cruelty to starve their souls never to pray with them never to help them onwards in Heaven's way O though you have not the Grace of a Christian yet if you have but the bowels of a man methinks you should pray in your Families to prevent the ruine of those precious souls that are under your roof Besides this consideration which is proper to Mercy Justice requires this of you Family-prayer is a debt which you owe to them who are under you they owe subjection obedience and service to you you owe prayer to them The Apostle having spoke to Masters to give unto their Servants that which is just and equal presently subjoins Continue in prayer as if this was one thing that Masters in justice are to give to their Servants Col. 4.1 2. O 't is a real wrong to your Servants when you do not pray with them you are not only unmerciful but unjust in so doing not only false to God but injurious to them you may better withhold their wages from them than the duties of Religion 5. If this be nothing to you let me add further Self-love requires this of you I mean by this not so much Self-love with respect to your selves at the great day of Account though that be the main but I mean Self-love with respect to your present concerns you would have your Families blessed your Houses secured Self-love puts you upon this and can you hope for this if you neglect Family-prayer Ah you and yours lie open to judgments so long as this is neglected Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy wrath upon the Heathen and upon the Families that call not upon thy Name This imprecation is a kind of commination God will pour out his wrath upon Prayerless-families Till Prayer be set up in your Houses judgment hangs over your heads the curse of God is over you and all that belongs to you you live in the midst of dangers every moment you lie down every night liable to some sudden and sore evils O 't is not only thus with you that you are out of God's care and tuition but so long as Prayer is neglected you are under his fierce displeasure which is continually ready to break out against you O where 's your Self-love If there was nothing more than that one would think that should put you upon Family-Prayer Do you love your Selves your Houses your Estates your Relations and yet will you not fall upon the means which are proper to bring down the blessing of God upon them No Prayer no Protection from evil no communication of Good in a Covenant way The unpraying Family is the unblessed Family And are these things so what reason have I then to bewail the too general omission of this duty I speak of what is in this City Is Family-Prayer duely performed in every House in this City If one should go from House to House and ask at every House Is God here called upon Doth the Master of this House pray with his Family Oh I fear it would be answered by too many No God is not here sought unto Here we live here we feed here we trade here we rush into the world as soon as we are up and here we go to bed as soon as our business is over but here 's no Prayer O Lord how sad is this that in a City where the Gospel hath been so long so powerfully preached that in a City which hath passed under such variety of remarkable judgments there should be so many Prayerless Houses O 't is a rocky heart from which this consideration doth not fetch some sighs and tears I beseech you who have any conviction or tenderness upon your Consciences let it be otherwise with you Let the Arguments that have been used prevail with you forthwith to set up Prayer in your Houses if hitherto it hath been omitted How would it rejoice my soul might I but hear upon the reading of this That some Citizen was wrought upon to call his Family together and to say The Lord forgive me hitherto I have liv'd in the omission of Prayer with you but now the Grace of God enabling me I am resolv'd to fall upon it morning and evening we will call upon God together we will not only eat and drink together and work together but we will also pray together The good Lord work this resolution in many of you O if it be not within your doors Lord have mercy upon us there will be too much cause to write upon your doors The Lord have mercy upon you Can you read such motives as have been set down and yet not pray Have you liv'd to see and feel such terrible judgments by Plague and Fire and yet not pray Are you upon such uncertainties for the future and yet not pray I trust in the Lord some will be wrought upon 'T is your own advantage that I aime at 't is only your own souls good and your Families good that I design if you will yet go on in an ungodly course what 's that to me I have done my duty Do I come with things disputable to you do I speak as one that pursues the interest of a Party Surely no that which I urge upon you is as cleer as the light of the day and that which all parties agree in and therefore let not any reasonings or prejudices keep you off from the practise of a duty so clear so universally granted Especially you that are Professors do you pray in your Families what a Professor and not pray in thy House what a shame is this what a contradiction to thy profession what a demonstration of the unsoundness of thy Profession what mischief dost thou do to others by this how many loose and carnal persons are hardned upon thy omission what
of a Prophet coming to the Captains of the Host and he said I have an errand to thee O Captain And Jehu said unto which of all us And he said to thee O Captain I a poor Minister bring a message from the Lord to sinners namely that God would have them to enter into Covenant with him Now will these ask me To which of them I bring this message I answer To thee O sinner whoever thou art that hast not yet engaged thy self to God This is every mans duty and let men think what they please till they have done this they have done just nothing in religion The Scripture speaking of the conversion of the Gentiles sets it forth by this Psal 68.31 Princes shall come out of Egypt Aethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God h. e. they shall enter into Covenant with God Isa 44.5 One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord. Zech. 2.11 Many Nations shall be joyned to the Lord in that day and shall be my people O that in these days we might see more of the accomplishment of these Prophesies that the poor Heathens might be brought to joyn themselves to the Lord and that Christians living under the Gospel they also might subscribe with hand and heart to God and enter into the obligation of the Covenant 'T was prophesied of the Jews upon their coming out of Babylon they should be so affected with this great mercy that they would renew and heighten their Covenant obligations Jer. 50.5 They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten Sinners will you speak this as to your selves and make it good will you joyn your selves to the Lord in an everlasting Covenant God incline your hearts thus to dedicate your selves to him I will press this upon you by a few Arguments 1. 'T is an unspeakable mercy that God will deal with the Creature in the way of a Covenant As he is our Soveraign he might have imposed a Law upon us and dealt with us only in that way But such is his mercy and condescension he will deal with us also by a covenant A Law obliges the creature whether he consent to it or not but now a covenant presupposes consent Man being a free and rational agent God deals accordingly with him and sets a covenant before him which if he will consent to he shall be happy for ever Doth not this hold forth infinite goodness in the great God that he will thus treat with us And after all this shall not we be willing to enter into covenant with him Besides this consider the Nature of a Covenant 'T is as the * Pactum est duorum pluriumve consensus in idem placitum Civilians define it the consent of two or more to something that is agreed upon but this is a very imperfect description More fully therefore A * Vide Zanch. in Hos 2.21 Cloppenb in Syntag. Disput Selec de Foedere Coccei de Foedere Camer de Tripl Foedere Wendelin Theolog Christ l. 1. c. 19. Tilenum p. 2. Disput 54. Ames Med. l. 1. câ— 38. 39. quamplures alios de Foedere inter Deum Creaturain tâ— actantes Covenant is a mutual stipulation or compact between two parties as to something wherein they do agree upon which they are mutually obliged each to the other Such a Covenant there is betwixt God and the Creature these two do interchangeably indent and stipulate each to the other the one for mercy the other for duty and so there a mutual obligation passes upon both Says God here is pardon reconciliation eternal life which I offer upon such and such terms and I am willing upon those terms to engage to give out these mercies Says the Creature I accept of those terms and I solemnly bind my self to make them good according to the utmost of my strength Then says God 't is a Covenant betwixt us I bind my self to thee and thou bindest thy self to me be thou faithful to me I will be faithful to thee What an Ocean or Treasury of love and goodness doth God manifest in this federal transacting of things that he should be willing to stipulate with us and to enter into an obligation to us O the heights bredths depths lengths of this love Here 's another difference betwixt a Law and a Covenant a Law binds the subject but it doth not bind the Lawgiver quatenus Lawgiver the obligation there is but to one party but now a Covenant binds both there the * Mutua foederatarum partium obligatio est forma foederis so all express it Foedus propriâ— obligationem duarum partium certis utrinque conditionibus complecti certum est Gomar Haec est mutua reciproca conventio foederis ut homo intuitu promissae mercedis alacrius operetur Deus intuitu operis det mercedem Cloppenb Disp 1. Th. 7. obligation is reciprocal It hath pleased God to deal with man this way and so he binds himself As to his Law we only are bound but as to the Covenant he out of the riches of his grace is willing to be bound as well as we How should the consideration of this immense love of God engage the Creature to Covenant with him 2. The matter of the Covenant on Gods part is very high the terms or conditions on our part are very just and equitable If this be so surely then men will be willing to enter into Covenant with God one would think this should carry it against all opposition and frivolous objections In every Covenant there is something promised and something demanded in order to the making good of what is promised In this Covenant that which is promised is on Gods part and this is the matter of it what is that No less than that God will be your God O admirable transcendent mercy what can be higher than this I will open it under the next particular The terms or conditions are on the Creatures part what are they That the sinner will break off all his leagues covenants with sin and Satan and the world and that he will enter into a league of friendship with and subjection to the blessed God Surely these are very fair and reasonable terms the sinner cannot well object against them God offers very high he goes no lower than the making over of himself whatever I am saith God it shall be all yours but the terms spoil all God stands upon too high conditions and that keeps us of doth he so that would be something indeed for he that promises something upon impossible and unreasonable conditions promises nothing But can you make good what you say Take heed of belying God what doth he require of you Is it to burn in Hell a
name of a Christian whose soul is not set upon this O friends doth God set himself to further your good and will not you set your selves to further his glory Shall so much mercy be received from him and shall no glory be returned to him When Ahasuerus read in the Books how instrumental Mordecai had been to preserve his life he asks what honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this Esth 6.3 Pray do you call for the Book of mercies 't is a vast volume in every page and line 't is filled up with mercy read it a little there you 'l find creating mercy preserving mercy redeeming mercy and the many great things which God hath done for you Now ask what glory hath God had for all this I fear but very little how should this fill us with shame and grief O shall we not pay God his Quit-rent or his Rent-charge Doth he protect our persons estates houses c. shall we withhold his Tribute and Customs You know what I mean by this What a condescension is it that the great God will receive any honour from such poor worms as we are How should this raise and heighten our zeal Do any lose by promoting his glory In advancing God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhetor. we advance our selves by this we gain honour to our selves this is a thing that we are very ambitious of 't is a sweet morsel that we are very greedy of Now the best the surest way to attain this is for us to endeavour by all means to honour God for he tells us He will honour them that honour him 1 Sam. 2.30 The Romans so placed the Temple of honour that there was no coming at it but through the Temple of vertue Would you arrive at honour indeed never think to come to it but by your endeavours to exalt God To conclude this Do you expect to be glorifi'd with God in Heaven and shall not he be glorified by you on earth Doth not that deserve all you are or can do in order to the glorifying of God O set your selves therefore to further this glory of God If you may do it any way whether by doing or suffering Philip. 1.20 whether by life or death if Christ may be but magnified 't is no matter what it costs you and though you decrease and go down in the world if Christ may increase Joh. 3.30 and God may be honoured do you rejoyce How should we carry it like Persons indeed dedicated to God if we were thus zealous for Gods glory 't is not enough to talk of this or to do something in a slighty careless perfunctory manner in order to it but we must study plot contrive act to our utmost devote our selves to the glory of God More particularly I will leave two things with you 1. Let your deportment and conversation be such that God may be glorified Let your light so shine before men Matth. 5.16 that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven so Christ exhorts you The matter of our lives should be such or our lives materially considered should be such as that glory to God might result from them This glory of God lies in the displaying and manifesting of his glorious Attributes and excellencies to and before the world I speak of Gods manifestative glory Joh. 17.4 compar with verse 6. Numb 14.21 Levit. 10.3 Psal 72.19 You that profess your selves a dedicated people do you so live that you may display and manifest Gods infinite perfections that you may make them visible and conspicuous to the world live out the holiness wisdom mercy goodness of God that those that see your conversations may see much of God in them The Apostle speaks of holding forth the word of life Phil. 2.16 There is an holding forth of the God of life as well as of the word of life And the Saints are said to be a chosen generation a royal Priesthood a peculiar people that they should shew forth the vertues of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Dedicated persons must shew forth the excellencies of the blessed God in their deportment 't is not enough for them in their own thoughts to acknowledge and admire them but they must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew them forth to others O let us often put this enquiry to our selves Do we so live as that the Attributes of God are made visible and conspicuous in our conversations 2. Let the glory of God be your supream and main end both in the whole life and also in particular actions 1. As to the whole life take it in the lump and mass this should be every mans end in life to exalt God O Lord thou art my God I will exalt thee Isa 25.1 We live but what is the end which we propound to our selves in living Many carry it as though they propounded no end at all to themselves they come into the world and know not wherefore and then go out of the world they know not whither O that any should be so brutish what a sad thing is it when there shall be an end to terminate life that there is no end to raise and elevate life The most have an end but 't is not this end That which they aim at is to get wealth to be great in the world to please the flesh to pamper the sensual part to make provision for posterity c. But as to the glorifying of their Creator and Maker that they never intend This is sad are these ends fit for a man Much more are they fit for a Christian O that mens profession should be so high and their ends so low Let it be otherwise with you let the end of your life be Gods glory An end makes the man this end makes the Saint Here lies the excellency of a man above a beast he propounds an end to himself and acts accordingly Here lies the excellency of the Saint above a man his end is the glorifying of God this is a blessed end indeed let it be yours If you live live to God Rom 14.7 if you dye dye to God in both eye God as your principal end The person and the life are to be judged by the end when the glory of God is the end then person and life are truly excellent God judges not of men by particular acts but by their fixed and ultimate end O as life is derived from God let it be devoted to God As his mercy is the spring of life let his glory be the end of life What unspeakable comfort and holy confidence will this give you when you come to die if you be sincere in this At the ending of life 't is the end of life that is sweet 'T was so to Christ I have glorified thee on the earth c. And now O Father glorifie thou me c. Joh. 17.4 5. To
the spirit Galat. 3.3 will you end in the flesh Will you draw back from God to the perdition of your precious souls Hebr. 10.39 I trust you will not 'T is observed both by Papists and Turks also for the latter have their religious Orders as well as the former that persons who have once entred themselves into such Orders and so dedicated themselves to God if they leave these they never prosper O Christians have you dedicated your selves in a regular scriptural way If you relinquish your dedication do you think to prosper Farewel peace joy Heaven farewel all when you forsake God and Apostatize from him That you may be thus faithful and constant and in every thing make good your dedication be much in begging of God the special assistance of his grace Praevenient grace made you true in your dedication Subsequent grace must make you true to your dedication O let none relye upon their own strength we may give resolve covenant but if we be left to our selves we shall soon leave God and undo as much as in us lies all that we have done The heart is deceitful grace is weak corruption strong Voluntate suâ cadit qui cadit voluntate Dei stat qui stat Angust temptations impetuous you need assisting and stablishing grace very much David joyned prayer with his resolution I will keep thy statutes O forsake me not utterly Psal 119.8 You have given the hands to God in stipulation lift up the hands to God in supplication for fidelity for perseverance The God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Jesus Christ after that ye have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you 1 Pet. 5.10 Self-dependance doth much endanger self-dedication 3. Thirdly Often renew your dedication though the first sufficiently obliges you yet all obligations are little enough to bind these treacherous hearts of ours the oftner this is renewed the greater awe it leaves upon conscience And though the command of God and the nature of duty are highly obligatory yet fresh and renewed dedications lay a farther superadded obligation upon the person O tye the knot as fast as may be many knots are not so easily loosened After repeated reiterated dedications you 'l be ashamed to be false to God There are some special cases and seasons wherein 't is good for you to renew your dedication Do you fall into some great sin Recover your selves by speedy repentance and renew your dedication These make great wounds and gashes in the soul get them healed presently These endanger the very vitals and strike at the foundation there 's no dallying in this case Great breaches must immediately be made up great sins make a great breach upon conscience upon your dedication and therefore make it up speedily Doubtless David that would renew the dedication of his house after Absaloms sins would also renew the dedication of his person after his own gross and scandalous sins Are you afflicted reduced into great straits Renew your dedication give all again to God at such a time for then you need him most to give to you When Jacob was in great straits and knew not what to do then he said If God will be with me in the way that I go and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Gen. 28.20 21. O be so wise as to renew your gift and your bond in a day of trouble and so ingenious as to make all good in a day of comfort Do you receive some eminent mercy from God Renew your dedication Say Lord thou hast renewed thy mercy and therefore I here renew my duty thou hast given me a very choice and seasonable mercy here I give thee my self for it Do you attend upon the Sacrament before and at and after that ordinance solemnly renew your dedication that 's a duty very proper at this time Indeed in every prayer we virtually do this but in sacramental work we must do it in a more solemn and explicit manner Are you cast upon times wherein there is much Apostacy professors fall off from God like leaves from the trees in Autumn Now renew your dedication that you may bind your selves the faster to God now take up new and stronger resolutions for God saying Though all forsake God you will never forsake him Other cases and seasons might be mentioned but I pass them by 4. Fourthly Adore and admire the infinite goodness of God In your giving your selves to God you do not oblige him but he obliges you when you give most you receive most first grace is given to you and then you are given to God you could not give if first you did not receive O have you devoted your selves to the Lord 'T was he that framed your hearts to this and wrought you up to it Time was when you were just as others are but God who is rich in mercy Eph. 2.4 7. for his great love wherewith he loved you even when you wholly gave up your selves to sin effectually drew you to himself That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards you through Christ Jesus O admire that distinguishing love of God which hath so freely taken hold of you And let this heighten your admiration that the great God is so willing to accept of that poor pitiful self which you tender to him 't is but the paying of a debt and yet God accepts of it as a gift Were you Angels it would be a condescension in God to accept of you but Lord What is man Psal 144.3 that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou so regardest him And that which is highest of all and which may put the soul into extatick admiration that for such a poor self given such a glorious self should be received you give your self to God and in lieu of this God gives his self to you O Saints what have you to do but to lose your selves in the admiring of God 5. Fifthly Further Personal Dedication in others You have done it your selves do what in you lies that others may do so too Do not you rejoyce in your own act Would you have it to do again for millions of worlds Where then is your zeal to further it in others who have not yet dedicated themselves to God Do you not pity such in their state and will you not endeavour to bring them out of it Can you be content to go to Heaven alone Shall the Devils factors be more diligent for him to the ruin of souls than you for God to the salvation of souls O do not let sinners alone till you have been instrumental for conversion and Personal Dedication to them So live that you may win them to God So instruct exhort perswade convince that they may
figurae tenonda est tamen Pauli Doctrina Quaecunque 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 â—ibicinis quid foculus quid Preces quid prisca verba volnerunt Tull. Pro Domo suâ At the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 't is 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 't is 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 ejusdâ—mque Protectioni certis precibus hymnisque commendabantur una etiam gratiis decenter actis pro consummatione operis Geierus in Dan. 3.3 Moenia nrbis Hierosolymae dedicata dicuntuâ— quando Sacerdotes Populus de eo gratias agebant Deo quod ope ejus restaurata urbs esset tum orabant ut sibi restituta Civitatis ac Libertatis fruitio tranquilla pacataque concederetur Hospin de Orig. Templor fol. 103. Dedicabantur a h.e. Deo ejusque 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 'T was 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 't is 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 quoque familiâ voti istius sponsionem facit in eo exemplum vel maximè insigne nobis proponitur gubernandae familiae nostrae Masius in loc that 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 't is 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
by Prayer and Praise And indeed the first laying is not safe or firm without this In our entrings upon New Houses we have several civil rites and customs there are * Many open House-Dedication by these Feastings See Mariana and others cited in Lorinus upon Deut. 20.5 Dedicari res dicitur quan do cum solenni aliquo ritu vel convivio rei usus inchoaatur Menoch Feastings great Entertainments Friends come and rejoice with us and send in their Provisions to be merry with us and this they call House-airing or House-warming I have nothing to say against this usage provided 1. That this be soberly and temperately managed 2. That the main duty to God be not neglected But the misery of it is this we have these external expressions of Love and Joy when the religious part is omitted This I find former * Nos hodie Conviviis Domos nostras Dedicamus parum expenden tes divinum beneficium Muscul Nunc ferè res tota versa est in luxum Conviviorum plurimas Helluationes Moller Writers much lamenting O let not your Dedications lie in eating and drinking much less in intemperance and insobriety but in Prayer and Praise 'T is observed of the * Hoc etiamnum fit à Judais sed helluando pergraecando ludendo aliisque oblectamentis potius festum agitant quà m seriâ ad Deum gratiarum actione ob reportatam ab bostibus victoriam Buxtorf Synag Judaic cap. 23. Jews that they yet keep the Feast of Dedication but how do they keep it In swilling drinking immoderate use of the Creatures and the like but as for the serious remembrance of God's mercy vouchsafed to their Nation upon which that Feast was grounded that is lost O that it was not thus amongst Christians upon other Accounts what feasting are we like to have in this City as persons shall come into their New Habitations Pray take heed of excess do not so soon forget Gods punishing of you for this which I look upon as one of the Cities sins and withall make Conscience of the main As soon as you are setled in your Houses dedicate them by Prayer and Praise David here as soon as his House was built for so I told you some Expositors time the words he falls upon the dedication of it by Prayer and Praise I beseech you do you do as he did A word to each of these First for Prayer That 's a duty always seasonable but in the present case very seasonable Howshall our dwellings be * Peccatis polluuntur precibus sanctificantur aedes Scultet sanctified but by Prayer This is the Sanctifying Ordinance 1 Tim. 4.5 As sin defiles the House Prayer sanctifies it How will you testifie your dependance upon God for mercy in your Houses but by Prayer How will you own God to be your Chief Landlord Dei se inquilinos esse fatebantur Calv. that you hold all from him that you are his and your House is his and your All is his I say how will you own God thus if you do not enter with Prayer Will you settle upon your Houses and not ask God's leave You will not enter into your Neighbours House but you will say first By your leave Is not your House Estate Goods All the Lord's and will you invade his Blessings without his Leave Do you expect Protection from God that he will keep your Houses day and night and will you not in a solemn and special manner pray for this Can you look for any blessing but in the way of Prayer O set some time apart for the solemn performance of this duty Oh let your Prayers enter Heaven as soon as you enter into your Houses and plead with God thus Lord I justifie thee in thy judicial dispensations thou wast just in turning me out of my former Habitation for I did not pay thee my rent for it I did not only deserve to have my House in Flames but to have my Soul to burn in Hell for evermore Notwithstanding former forfeitures present unworthiness thou hast provided another House for me and mine Lord I am less than the least of all thy mercies but since out of thy free mercy thou hast made this provision for me help me to own thee in it to carry it better than formerly I have done Let my House and Heart and all be sanctified let me live and walk in it with a perfect heart Let me devote it and all in it to thy glory let thy special presence be with me and thy special providence over me Secure me from all evil and from mischievous men who are set on fire with Hell Let not my House be good and my Heart naught As my House is new let my Heart be new also Lord I here dedicate my House to thee I and my House will serve thee But I must break off from this the Spirit of God will direct you and assist you when with sincerity you set upon the Duty And then as to Praise In antient Dedications they used to give gifts and to offer Sacrifices In the dedicating of your Houses to God let your Gift and Sacrifices be Praise this is more to God than all Legal or Mosaical Sacrifices Psal 50.13.14 Psal 69.30 31. 'T is of great advantage for men to enter upon their Comforts with Thanksgiving * Non potest fieri utqui Donum Dei gratus agnoscit illo abutatur Muscul Minemur hinc pro omnibus rebus pracipuè cum primùm quid in usum venit Gratias Deo agere inde sane mens amore Dei as ita ad oinnem magis pietatem accenditur simulqueadmonemur at Deâ—Ì„ Donis quà m castissim utatur Quis enim re abutatur ad luxum pro quo jam Deo gratias egit Bucer We do not so easily abuse mercies which we solemnly bless God for Get such a sense of the goodness of God upon your hearts as to call upon your selves to bless God Ah and to call in others too to bless God for you and with you This was David's practise as I might show you in several places and in the managing of this I would have you in a special manner to fix upon those mercies which have a more immediate reference to the occasion As for example your Houses were burnt but as to the most of you a considerable part of your Estates was preserved however your Lifes were not touch'd Indeed this was admirable that in so fierce so terrible a fire the Life 's of more were not destroy'd It might have been with us as with Sodom our persons as well as our Houses and Estates might have bin consumed but the merciful God ordered it otherwise Lot own'd it as a singular mercy though he lost much that his Life was spared when Sodom was burnt Gen. 19.19 'T was mercy that when we were in flames we were not in blood too that 't was not killing and murdering as well as burning Blessed be
set in with your Education to crown your endeavours with success to make the means effectual to the attaining of the end Say Lord that my Child my Servant may be the better for all this I instruct Lord sanctifie instruction I exhort Lord do thou set Exhortation home upon the heart Lord I correct let Correction fetch out pride c. Let me ask you Do you thus pray over your Education Do you pray over and for your Children as Abraham Job and others us'd to do Do you in secret pour out your Souls your Sighs your Tears for your poor Children Do you sometimes nay often plead their case at the Throne of Grace Lord here 's an Ishmael O that he might live Gen. 17.18 here 's a Child O that Christ might be formed in him Gal. 4.19 here 's a child of wrath wilt thou make him an heir of Grace shall my child be thy child thou hast given him Feature Limbs Lineaments Reason Wit wilt thou give him Grace too 't is not the things of the world that I so much design or desire for him but 't is Christ a Covenant Interest a renewed Heart that I breathe after I say do you thus plead with God for your Children Surely if you do God will hear A child of Prayers and Tears shall not perish as Ambrose comforted Monica concerning her Son Augustine O Pray pray thus for them this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Sophocles calls it Sophocl in Ajax this treasure or this stock of Prayers is the best portion or estate that you can leave them And in special when you are at praying-work beg of God that holy Education may be blessed to them Thirdly Compleat your good Education at home by your special care when you are to send them abroad and to dispose of them in the world Surely such as are Conscientious in the former will be very careful in the latter This is like the laying of the Roof in a building He that builds an House will not only lay his foundation and see that that be firm and strong nor only carry up the Superstructure but he will also look to the laying of the roof for without this the foundation it self will be endangered That 's your case here I suppose as to Education you have laid the foundation well and have built well upon it whilst your Children were at home with you Now that which further lies upon you is the laying of the Roof that you dispose well of them abroad which if you do not do the foundation which you have laid will be in danger and all that you have done with so much pains will presently be undone again And therefore I earnestly commend this to Parents not only to be careful of theirs whilst they are with them and under their eye but also to be careful how they dispose of them upon their removal from them Are Children to to go to School or to the Vniversity or to a Trade or are they to enter upon a married state First beg direction of God how and where to dispose of them as Manoah did Judg. 13.8 O my Lord let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the Child that shall be born And then steer your course by Religious Considerations As near as you can place them with such as fear God with such as will clench the nail which you have driven in as one expresses it with such who will build upon that foundation which you have laid and further that good work which you have begun This is a matter of great importance and that which is very necessary we do too often see a good Education spoiled for want of care in this All that was gained at home is lost abroad all that was done by the godly Parent is undone by the careless School-master or Tutor or Master or New Relation Much here might be spoken even from Scripture especially as to that Branch of disposing of Children in Marriage in which the Patriarchs See Gen. 24.3 4. 26.34 35. 27.46 did exercise a singular care as many places show us but I will rather leave further enlargements upon this to your own thoughts I have all along in this tedious Discourse directed my self to Parents and Masters must nothing be said to Children and Servants to show them how they are to carry it with respect to this Religious Education Should I say something upon this I am sure it would not be unnecessary and I hope it would not be unprofitable But yet this being a Digression as to what I propounded at first I shall pass it by The truth is I have made so many Apologies already that I am ashamed to make more CHAP. IX The Fourth Branch of the Exhortation urged THat which I have spent so much Time upon is this to excite such as are Heads of Families to be zealous for the advancing of Religion in their Houses In order to which I have urged three things upon them 1. That they would as far as 't is possible fill up their Houses with such as fear God 2ly That Holy Duties be in them daily duly performed 3ly That they would Religiously educate those who are under their charge There is yet one thing more to be enforced viz. That they would keep sin out of their Houses and instead thereof keep up piety and holy walking with God I might as much enlarge upon this Head as I have done upon any of the former but I resolve to contract You then who have Houses and are in Authority there keep sin out of them shut the doors upon sin barr it out give it no admittance let not sin dwell where you dwell 't is the worst guest that you can harbour or give entertainment to You have excellent Promises made to them who will not admit of sin in their Houses Job 22.23 If thou return to the Almighty thou shalt be built up thou shalt put iniquity far from thy Tabernacles Then shalt thou lay up Gold as the dust c. Yea the Almighty shall be thy defence c. So Job 11.14 If iniquity be in thy hand put it far away and let not wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacle Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot Are you in your old Habitations O remember how graciously they were preserved when the flames were just seizing upon them The knife was laid to the throat as it were and yet they were spared You were saved from fire yet so as by fire if I may allude to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.15 that is with a great deal of danger and difficulty God knows Now after such a deliverance as this shall sin be in your Houses Ezra 9.13 Deut. 32.6 will you thus requite the Lord for so eminent a mercy Are your Habitations continued to be Habitations of Sin After such mercy to your selves and such judgment to your Neighbours shall
sin yet abide with you God forbid Are you to enter into your New Habitations let your great care be to keep sin out of them O that all the Inhabitants of London might wisely consider of Gods doings Psal 64.9 that they would hear and fear and do no more such wickedness Deut. 13.11 that all would set themselves against sin with the greatest dread and abhorrence of it Give me leave to plead with you for surely God is pleading with you to some purpose about this very thing After such dreadful evils as you have seen and felt will you yet sin against God Hath he so emptyed his quiver that he hath no more judicial Arrows to shoot against you though he hath punished you thus and thus cannot he yet punish you seven times more Levit. 26.21 will you provoke the Lord afresh and force him to strike again Will you lay in new fewel for another Fire Is it not enough to see the City once laid desolate Have you sustained so much loss and caused God to do such terrible things against you and yet shall Sin be little in your eye Hath it cast you out of your Habitations and will not you cast it out of your Habitations Can you build so strong as to have your Houses safe if sin be in them O I beseech you take heed of this Do not carry your old sins into your new Houses you 'l bring your goods to them again your Wares your Selves your Families bring what you please but do not bring your sins to them your pride your luxury your covetousness your extortion c. If you would have your Habitations to be peaceable safe comfortable let not Sin be in them Job 5.24 Thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace How shall this be brought about thou shalt visit thy Habitation and shalt not sin so it follows O if you visit your Habitations and defile them God will visit your Habitations and consume them If sin come in at one door judgment is ready to come in at another Sin no more least a worser thing befall you 〈…〉 there are moâ—ser flames for your selves than those which lately laid your Houses in ashes Job 21.28 Where are the dwelling places of the wicked Sin will undermine all your Buildings 〈…〉 't is that Leprosie which will eat out the walls the stone the timber thereof and rot the foundation thereof We read of Phocas he built a very strong wall about his Palace and then he thought he was safe but this voice came from Heaven to him Though thou buildest thy walls as high as Heaven Sin is within and that will pluck it down O do not flatter your selves with foolish confidence that now you build in Brick and so you are not liable to danger for Brick and Timber are all alike to God he can as easily fire the one as the other and if sin be in your Houses they lie open to Gods judicial hand they are under that flying Roll which Zachary speaks of Zach. 5.2 c. Cuivis Patri Familias incumbit ut operam det quo puras habeat aedes Scultet and this sooner or later will fall upon them How therefore doth it concern you the owners and masters of Houses to keep sin out of them to keep your selves and your Houses too pure from Sin And whereas there are some particular and special sins which you may be very liable to through Satans temptations and the corruptions of your own hearts when you enter upon your New Houses as Pride Security not eying of God and the like be sure that here you be very watchful Deut. 8.11 12 13 14 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God c. Lest when thou hast eaten and art full and hast built goodly Houses and dwelt therein c. Then thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God And as you must not sin your selves so you must not let others sin so far as it lies in your power to prevent it You have Children and Servants in your Families do not suffer them to sin you must suffer for that sin which you may hinder and do not You have a sad proof of this in Eli 1 Sam. 3.13 His Sons made them vile and he restrained them not O what dreadful judgments did God inflict upon him for this He did reprove his Sons as you may see 1 Sam. 2.22 23 c. but he did not do it with that sharpness which the hainousness of their crime deserved and he did not interpose his Paternal Authority for the restraining of them from sin and therefore though he himself was a good man God threatned he would do that at which the eares of every one that heard it should tingle 1 Sam. 3.11 and what befell him and his you know very well The Apostle dehorts Timothy from being a partaker of other mens sins 1 Timothy 5.22 This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lies in two things either in the committing of the same sins which others do or else in bearing a part of their guilt in what they do 'T is the latter of these that I meddle with You that are Parents and Masters take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heed how you involve your selves in the guilt of your Childrens and Servants sins may be they lie they curse they swear they profane the Sabbath keep bad company Do you let them alone Do you not reprove them Vitia aliorum si feras facis tua correct them restrain them Alas you sin in their sin they commit the fact but the guilt of that lies upon you as well as upon them Non-impedition is interpretatively an allowance or approbation of what they do a consenting to what they do nay 't is a tacit command According to that known saying Qui non vetat jubet and according to that maxim in the Civil Law See Tayl. Duct Dub. B. 4. Ch. 1. Rule 2d Ames Cas Cons l. 5. c. 10. In maleficio Ratihabitio mandato comparatur This is agreed upon by all Casuists He that omits what is to be done for the preventing of sin or doth that which is not to be done upon which sin follows in another this person is accessary to the sin of others and a partaker with them Now think of this I intreat you and do not suffer those who are under your power to sin against God Have you not sin enough upon your own account have you any need to take in the guilt of your Childrens and Servants sins too where is your zeal for God if you may hinder sin and yet do not Do you love your Children and yet stand still and look on and let them damn their souls for ever what Parent would suffer his child to drink poyson or to run into the fire and he restrain him not Are unquenchable flames nothing to you Do you love your selves and yet contract and bring that guilt upon you which will