to build this Discourse There is sometimes that in the Porch before you enter the main and principal building which may please and profit a judicious Eye Thus 't is here though the words I fixe upon be but a bare Title and so but as the porch or in-let into the Psalm it self yet there is that matter contained in them which may be very useful and may much delight and profit a serious Christian This I am sure of they offer that which fully suits with my present design and therefore here I will lay my foundation Let me premise this in General the Titles of the Psalms are not to be neglected or slightly passed over but but they are to be weighed and considered as well as the Psalm it self Take three reasons to prove and back this Assertion 1. Because according to the opinion generally received they are of divine inspiration that spirit that dictated the Psalm did dictate the Title also They are a part of the Scripture and All Scripture is given by inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3.16 In this blessed book of the Psalms which the Ancient Fathers do very much magnifie there are the Contents prefixed before them as before other parts of Holy Writ the Titles the Psalm it self The first are confessedly of Man merely of Humane invention and addition though I do not deny the usefulness of them The two latter are of God and have his stamp upon them And if so then 't is not without reason that some have been dissatisfied at the leaving out of these Titles in some Editions of the Bible as 't is known they are for why should we lose any Iota or tittle of the word of God Some learned men conjecture that the Psalms at the first penning of them were not put together or put into that order wherein now we have them but that that was done afterwards by * Non est ignorandum c. Esdras ut antiquae traditiones ferunt in compositos eos in unum volumen collegit retulit Hilarius in Prolog in Explan Psalm p. 334. Ezra and that he also that the Church might be the better directed in the use of them set the Titles before them Let this be granted this makes not against what here I have asserted this Ezra being a Prophet and extraordinarily inspired in what he did 2. Because they are of excellent use for they are as a * Quid est Titulus nisi Clavis Vt in domum non ingreditur nisi per clavem ita ut uniuscujusque Psalmi intellectus per clavem h. e. per titulum intelligitur Hieron in Proaem ad Psalm vid. Hilarium in Prologo in Psalm explanat p. 336. Quanquam haec à nobis c. key to open the whole Psalm they contribute much light to the right understanding of it By the (a) Significant Tituli aut rem gestam quae carmini dederit occasionem aut Authorem aut Argumentum aut Genus carminis aut Musicum Instrumentum aut Cantorem aut horum modò plura modò pauciora Castalio in Psal 4. Titles we learn who was the Author of it when it was penn'd upon what occasion what the drift and scope of it is and the knowledge of these conduces much to the clearing up of the Psalm it self I am not willing to stay upon this otherwise it might easily be made out in several instances Do but take this very Title which I have fix'd upon it shews when the following Psalm was composed when it was used upon what occasion it was at the Dedication of the House of David And if you please to read it you will find it to be adapted and suited to such a time and such an end it consists of Prayer and Praise these two are intermingled through the whole Psalm verse 1. I will extol thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me verse 4. Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints and give thanks at the remembrance of his Holiness verse 11. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing c. To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever Here is praise Verse 10. Hear O Lord and have mercy upon me Lord be thou my helper Here is prayer And these were the two things which were mainly used in religious Dedications and therefore though there be no literal or express mention in the Psalm of Dedication yet the matter of it is well enough suited to the Title it consisting of those two great things which I say were most in use in religious Dedications 3. Because precious matter is often wrapp'd up in the very Title taking it by it self apart from the body of the Psalm before which 't is placed These are not only as the key to open the Cabinet but sometimes they are as the Cabinet it self in which many excellent and precious truths are locked up The key though it be made of iron yet 't is valued because of its use for the iron-key will open the lock as well as any other But if it be made of gold then 't is prized not only for its use but for its own intrinsick worth 'T is thus in the Titles of the Psalms and particularly in that which I am upon It speaks of House-dedication that 's an excellent subject a very high and weighty duty as will hereafter appear This we learn out of it out of this Mine we dig this treasure And in respect to this the Jews in their dedicatory Acts made use of it * Ainsworth upon the words So Maimonides tells us who says when the Israelites brought their baskets of first fruits to the Sanctuary and came thither in Companies they sang by the way the 122. Psalm when they came to the Sanctuary they sang the 150. Psalm and when they were come into the Court-yard the Levites said this 30. Psalm This I have premised that I might both a little inform you as to the Titles of the Psalms and also that I might justifie my self in my grounding of the ensuing discourse upon a bare Title It will be convenient before I come to that which I aim at to go over the words and to give you the explication of them and that will take up some time They begin thus A Psalm and Song The learned put a difference betwixt these (a) Vid. Hilarium in Prol. in Explan Psalm p. 336. Psalmus est cum c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in Psal 1. p. 160. Psalmus propriè est illud Carmen quod simul cum Psalterii instrumento suavi voce profertur Ode seu Canticum vox quaedam Musica est cum Harmonia solo ore prolata Euthym. in Praef. ad Psalm they say they differ thus when there was not only the voice but some Musical instrument joyned with it then it was a Psalm when there
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
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
and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Parallel to which is that Col. 3.16 Teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Here are three words Psalms Hymns and Songs concerning the * vid. Gatak Adver Sacra l. 1 c. 10 p 124. difference or distinct notions of which Divines do somewhat differ Hierome goes one way Beza another Grotius a third Zanchy a fourth He that pleases may look into them or peruse Bodius Davenant and other Interpreters upon the Places cited for 't is not my intention to stay upon this Clearly the Apostle alludes to the Hebrew Titles or Divisions of David's Psalms They were divided into Mizmorim Tehillim and Shirim which Titles the Septuagint render by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are the words used here by the Apostle and therefore the inference is good that David's Psalms were in his eye and that he directs Christians under the Gospel to the singing of David's Psalms when he enjoines them to speak to themselves in Psalms and Hymns and Songs these being the Titles commonly applied to those Psalmes and by which they were usually understood You have another Precept for the Duty Jam. 5.13 Is any afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalms So that you see we have an Institution to ground our practise upon upon which the singing of Psalms becomes not only a thing lawful but also matter of duty And what the * Affirmabaâ—â— hane fuisse summam vel culpae suae vel erroris quod essent soliti stato die ante lucem convenire carmenque Christo quafi Deo dicere secum invicem Pliny in that most remarkable Epist Lib. 10. Epist Ep. 97. Tertul. speaks of Hymni antelucani Apol. c. 2. c. 39. Vt quisque de Scripturis sanctis vel de propriâ— ingenio potest provocatur in medium Deo canere This as to the manner was something extraordinary vid. Just. Mart. in Quaest. Resp ad Orthod Quaest. 107. p 462. practise of the Primitive Christians was in their Assemblies as to this is very well known out of Pliny Tertullian Justine Martyr and others I should very much swell up this Discourse should I fall upon the drawing out of the full strength of the Scriptures alledged upon the vindicating of them from all those cavils by which some would evade them upon the answering of all objections made against the duty and the explication of all difficulties about it for brevity sake I will pass by all this and only refer you for fuller satisfaction in all these things to those who have to very good purpose written upon this Argument as Mr. Cotton Ford Sydenham Dr. Manton upon James 5.13 with several others That this Singing of David's Psalms was used in the Temple-worship cannot be deny'd for 't is said 2 Chron. 29.30 Hezekiah commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the Seer That 't is now to be used in publick Worship as a part of it cannot be denied neither David in Psal 95. reckoning up the parts of publick Worship he instances in Prayer v. 6. in Hearing v. 7. in Singing v. 1. c. That it ought to be used in Family-Worship also cannot be deny'd neither Surely they that grant the duty must grant also that 't is very necessary proper useful in private as well as in publick O therefore let me desire you to setup this holy exercise in your Houses Pray there read the Scriptures there and sing Psalms too there The general omission of this is much to be lamented what through profaneness in some and groundless scruples in others how few Families are there in this City in which 't is practis'd How many Houses may a man pass by upon a Lord's day before he come to one where he hears this Heavenly Musick You that are Masters of Families be perswaded to make Conscience of this duty let the praises of the most High God be sung in your Families O what a blessed duty is this how is Heaven delighted with it how is the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And much he adds touching the excellent effects of this Ordinance Just Martyr ut suprà heart raised the affections excited and warmed by it how doth it please God to come in upon the soul in this as well as in other ordinances O the sweetness delight that the sincere Christian finds in it and the profit advantage that he reaps by it To my thinking saith one there is not a more lively resemblance of Heaven upon Earth than a company of godly Christians singing a Psalm together You rejoice in God you rejoice in those many mercies you receive from God Singing is the best expression of your rejoycing Are you merry let not your mirth run out in vain frothy things but in the singing of Psalms Paul and Silas were full of joy and they fall upon singing The Church upon the receipt of eminent Mercy vented her joy this way Psal 126.2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing Let it be thus with you The holy Spirit of God puts men upon this rejoicing That of the Apostle in the connexion is very observable He had dehorted from drunkenness with Wine Eph. 5.18 by way of opposition he exhorts to be filled with the spirit what will follow upon this He tells you ver 19. Speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns c. Where any are full of the Holy Ghost this will certainly put them upon holy expressions of their joy in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Look as men that are full of Wine or Drink they 'l be singing and venting their mirth in their carnal and sinful way so they that are full of God they 'l be singing too but 't is Psalms and spiritual Songs 't is not chanting to the viol Amos 3.5 't is not Songs that God will turn into lamentation as he threatens Amos 8.10 but 't is that which is spiritual in which their holy joy doth run out It would grieve a man as he walks in your streets by your Taverns and Alehouses Lord what tearing ranting cursing singing in a scurrilous and filthy manner may he there hear from day to day 'Pray let something else be heard in your Houses you that profess God and have any sense of Religion O let men hear you singing of Psalms and therein celebrating the memorials of God's mercies to you If you be filled with the spirit you will as certainly do this as men that have drunk to excess do the other And especially upon the Lord's day let this duty be performed in your Houses this is work very proper to to the Sabbath See Psal 92. The title of it is A Psalm for the Sabbath day And how doth it begin thus It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and
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