whence this results viz. Gods right to us I answer 1. From Creation he made us therefore he hath a right to us As he that builds an house certainly hath a right to it It is he that hath made us Psal 100.3 and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture When we lay in the womb of nothing he gave a being to us we are made up of soul and body both are of God the sheath and the blade the Jewel and the Cabinet both I say are of God The soul the nobler part 't is immediately created by him he * Eccles 12.7 gives this spirit and infuses it into the body when 't is organiz'd and prepared for it And upon this creation the soul is Gods All souls are mine so he himself tells us Ezek. 18.4 The body that 's the workmanship of God Psal 139.14 c. by him we are fearfully and wonderfully made by him we were curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth in his book all our members were written c. as the Psalmist sets in forth This being so surely God hath an unquestionable right and title to us 2. From the subsequent acts of Providence FacÃt nam serâ—nt nec minor nunc sumptus Omnipotentiae quà m in Exor dio nâ—stro Eadem est opera eadem cura Si omnipotens illa dextra excuteret nos in nostâ—um praecipites rueremus Nihilum Nieremb Theopolit p. 48. 'T is the Lord who doth preserve us sustain us support us provide for us who doth as it were make us anew every day what is preservation but a continued creation God doth not only build the house at first but he keeps it up by a continual succession of providential mercies and was it not for this it would fall every moment Acts 17.28 In him we live and move and have our being How soon would the poor candle of life be either wasted or blown out if the * 1 Pet. 4. ult faithful Creator did not supply it as to inward defects and secure it as to external violence The beam lives by that Sun from which it comes and the stream is maintained by that spring from which it flows The same dependence is there in us upon that God from whom we derive our being This heightens Gods title 3. From redemption in which Christ hath paid down a price Matth. 20.28 1 Tim. 2.6 a ransom for us we are the Lords by purchase he hath bought us and paid a dear rate for us What a man purchases 't is his own from that purchase there results a propriety In allusion to this the Apostle tells us we are not our own for we are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own For ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in you body and in your spirit which are Gods not only upon the first and original right of Creation but also upon the superadded and accumulated right of purchase Here is the highest foundation of Gods claim and title to us You see then by this whence Gods title to the creature doth arise we are his by Creation Providence Redemption He having then such an indubitable right to us is it not most reasonable that we should give our selves to him When we so do we do but give God that which is his own Is this a gift Indeed 't is rather the paying of a debt than the giving of a gift as I said at the first but the gracious God is pleased to own it so He might make a seizure upon us and sue out his claim upon his own right but he would rather have us by a free gift to give our selves to him His we are by purchase Vindic Piet. p. 3. p. 307. but he expects that we be his also by donation his we are by conquest but he expects we should be his by consent also though he may challenge us as his right yet the most acceptable claim is when he hath us by gift as one expresses it 'T is a great condescension in God to take this for a gift Under the Law God would not have that which was his due before to be given unto him because that was his already Only the firstlings of the beasts Levit. 27.26 which should be the Lords firstling no man shall sanctifie it whether it be Ox or Sheep it is the Lords The reason of this is plainly set down such things were not by vow to be dedicated to God because he had expresly designed them for sacrifice and so they were his already O what an act of grace is this in the great God towards us we are his already and yet he owns it for a gift when we dedicate our selves to him â— am too long upon this pray consider Gods right and and let him have it Give unto Caesar that which is Caesars Matth. 22.21 and unto God that which is Gods You have too long detained from him that which is his right you do that to God which the principles of common honesty would not let you do to man O be convinced of your unworthy dealings with him and now give your selves to him what can be more just equitable reasonable than this 2. The giving of self is but a due retribution and so it becomes a duty not only upon Gods right but also upon the creatures ingenuity Grace brings an holy ingenuity into the heart no man so ingenuous as the gracious man and methinks every man that professes any hope of interest in God should be so ingenuous as to give himself to God Par pari rependere to return like for like this is ingenuity amongst men O that we could perswade men to come up to this in their returns to God! Self is but a fit retribution for self doth God give himself to us as he doth to all in Covenant shall not we give our selves to him Did Christ give himself for us Gal. 2.20 and shall not we give our selves to him And who can reckon up Gods mercies to us shall there be no return made for them Who that hath the least spark of holy ingenuity in him will not be often asking that question of David Psal 116.12 What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me Dost thou ask this question Then I say to thee render thy self to the Lord that 's the best retribution that 't is possible for a creature to make Do not put off God with something that is yours but give him your self as he doth not put off you with giving sua but he gives se so do you deal with him When you have done this here may be some retribution but here is no proportion or compensation Alas what is our self to Gods self What is that which we
is the Prayer and according to his power shall be the Endeavour of him Who desires to devote himself first to God and then to your service THO. JACOMB To the Afflicted Citizens OF LONDON And to every READER THe marvellous industry of the Devil and his Angels in all generations in hindring the preaching and knowledge of that sacred truth which God hath sealed for the sanctifying and saving of mens souls would rise up in judgment against the Ministers of Christ to their condemnation if they should not with resolution and unwearied industry subserve the lover of truth and souls in so happy a work which none but the fiends and friends of darkness do malign Therefore allow me to contribute this poor assistance for thy good by putting into thy hand this paper-Lanthorn in which the Reverend Author hath set up so seasonable a light for the use of the reedified houses of this City The very great number of excellent Books which perished in the flames doth now make some of us retract our repentance for scribling so much and may convince the censurer that it should not be taken as a needless work to endeavour something towards the reparation of so unvaluable a loss The subject of this Treatise is nothing Novel indifferent dark or doubtful but the compendium or summe of all Religion the same thing which is proclaimed as necessary to salvation under various names and titles in the sacred Scripture the very title of Dedication to God methinks should command attention from the Reader and strike his heart with an holy awe as speaking a thing so high and holy what is it but that reverend title which is the mark of God on all that he will own and which he hath commanded his servants to assume Holiness to the Lord. The first part is of Self-Dedication the second of House-Dedication in which is comprehended the Dedicating of All that we have to God of which I may say alluding to Christs words the One is the first and great Commandment and the second is like to it And it is all neither more nor less than the exposition of our Baptismal Covenant that is of our Christianity it self in which we did all by a solemn Vow Dedicate and give up our selves and all that we should have to God I will not so far digress as to give you the reasons of all the other appellations of this same act or state it is called by the name of Vocation Repentance Regeneration the new birth renewing quickening conversion or turning unto God the new creature putting off the old man and putting on the new sanctification grace the spirit translation from death to life the Divine nature life eternal religion godliness the reconciling of man to God righteousness and under most of these names it is ordinarily treated of by Divines but there is no name which more clearly informeth man of the true nature of this work as on his part than these three remaining which all are of the like importance that is Dedicating our selves Devoting our selves and Covenanting with God And therefore I wish that hereafter Divines will more frequently handle it under these most plain and explicit notions which will need least exposition to the more ignorant sort and contain in them their proper perswasives to the work To Sanctifie or Consecrate or Dedicate a person unto God is to separate him from all other common inconsistent uses to the service of his Maker and Redeemer And as Gods service is either that which is common to all Christians or that which is proper to some office of Ministry so there is a double dedication and sanctification one is our separation to God in a holy Christian state of life and the other is a separation to the sacred office of the Gospel-ministery which ought to presuppose the former for none should be more personally holy than those that have a holy office but yet they are too often separated for he may have all that is essential to that office which is to promote the salvation of others who yet shall never be saved himself Holiness to the Lord was the mark of God which Aaron was to wear on his forehead on the fore-front of his Mitre engraven on a plate of pure gold like the engravings of a Signet Exod. 28.36 Holiness to the Lord was Gods mark upon Israel as his sanctified separated people Jer. 2.3 Holiness to the Lord was the title of those things which were dedicated to his Temple-service Isa 23.18 which signifieth no more than Holy to the Lord And Holiness to the Lord is the mark of God on all the possessions and utensils of his servants in the Kingdom of the Mediator as is foretold in Zech. 14.20 21. In that day shall there be upon the bells or bridles of the horses Holiness to the Lord Yea every Pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be Holiness to the Lord and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them and seeth therein All which is but the same in sense with that which is said of true Believers in the Gospel As he which hath called you is Holy so be ye Holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 16. An holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you 2 Pet 2.5 9. To the pure all things are pure Tit. 1.15 It is sanctified by the word of God and prayer 1 Tim. 4.5 It is a sad case and the greatest scandal to the Anabaptists that twenty or thirty or forty years after persons are Baptized and solemnly dedicated to God in the holy Covenant we must be fain to preach to them as the Ancients were wont to do to the Catechumens and must spend most of our time and labour in teaching them what this Covenant-dedication is and in perswading them to a true consent and confuting their prejudice and driving them from the entanglements and security which cause their unwillingness and delays as if we were but preparing them for Baptism And O how happy should we think our selves if after all this we could but find them in that case as all the adult-expectants of baptism should be in even truly penitent believing-consenters to the covenant of God that is true Christians If we lived in a land where the greater part were Heathens and should be so long in preaching our preparatory Lectures to make them Christians and when we had all done could prevail but with a few to be baptized how compassionately or contemptuously would you speak of such wretched obdurate men But sirs would you not thereby condemn your selves Nay are you not under an aggravated condemnation who after you are solemnly listed to Christ in the sacred Vow and Covenant are yet no more perswaded to the thing it self which you have vowed than those Heathens and
true Christian he must come up to the latter Though there be no formal overt-acts yet in the inward actings of the heart there must be this devoting of self to God this therefore is the lowest that I can go and so this however must be urged upon you This being premised I will now fall upon the exhortation which I shall speak to first more generally and then in the several particulars or branches which make up self-dedication In the general notion of it I will enforce it upon you by the ensuing motives which I judge to have much strength in them 1. The truth of Christianity lies in this Personal Dedication You are Christians but are you true Christians You have the external Name and Title and badge but are you so indeed Baptism makes you Christians but 't is self-dedication that makes you true Christians without this you may be accounted Christians by men but you are no better than Heathens than Infidels in the account of God This is Christianity for a man to devote himself to God to love and serve him and to live to him all the days of his life here is the very soul and pith and kernel and spirit of Christianity this is the summe quintessence marrow of Religion When I put you upon self-dedication I do but put you upon being true Christians This and Christianity are Termini convertibiles the true Christian dedicates his self to God and he that doth thus is the true Christian this is the Characteristical note of one that is truly what he professeth himself to be Doth it not concern you therefore to see that this be done O take heed of the name without the thing Many a man stands much upon his Christianity he cannot bear that any should so much as question his being a Christian But let him be who he will if he hath not dedicated himself to God in an holy course he may be a nominal Christian but he is no more and at the great day it will be better for him that he had not been so much if he be no more He that wears Christs livery professes Christ to be his master and knows what his masters will is and yet doth it not he shall be beaten with many stripes Luke 12.47 Profession without hearty and answerable practice will aggravate condemnation The Heathens shall mitius ardere have a cooler fire than such as are called Christians and yet do not sincerely dedicate themselves to God 2. Besides the obligation of your general profession your Baptism in special binds you to this self-dedication You own your Baptismal covenant do you not I presume you will not deny it then I beseech you consider what is the purport intent matter end of this Covenant is it not this To renounce the world the flesh the Devil and all his works and to dedicate your selves to the service work will and glory of God Was not this the first and principal intent of that Covenant namely self-renunciation and self-dedication Then if you do not do this you are false to your Baptismal Covenant and to the obligation that then you entred into And is this a matter to be trifled with Are the * Psal 56.12 vows of God upon you and will you not make them good Prov. 20.25 Is it dangerous to enquire after the making of a vow what is it then to falsifie a vow Will you not perform what you have solemnly engaged your selves to Can you break Covenant with God and prosper Ezek. 17 15. Deceive not your selves God is not mocked he will not be mocked Gal. 6.7 he hath your bonds by him and he will sue them out in his own time and if you perform not the conditions of them God will have reparation some other way and that can only be in your eternal ruin O how many will perish for ever for the violation of their Baptismal obligation And is it not sad that that which puts a glory upon us here upon our non-performance of conditions should deprive us of glory hereafter and expose us to the wrath of God to all eternity And yet thus it is and thus too many will find it to be Be serious I beseech you in the consideration of this and certainly it will prevail with you to dedicate your selves to God Is it I that put you upon this duty Is this something that is but the fancy of some precise or over-righteous person Is it some new thing which a Minister would lay upon you Is it not that very thing which you your selves have sworn to in your Baptism Is not your obligation to it very ancient and yet in full force at this very day Can any time wear out this obligation Though Baptism doth not leave characterem indelebilem yet it doth leave obligationem indispensabilem though there be no * Of this controversie vid. Chamier t. 4. de Sacram. l. 2. c. 12. Gerhard t. 4. de Sacram. p. 335 c. and many others indelible character in the Popish sense yet there is an indispensable obligation And further have you not often owned and renewed this at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Nay have you not heightned and superadded a further obligation upon your selves to be the Lords at that ordinance Do you not say in effect at every Sacrament you receive Lord I here dedicate my self to thee I here seal to be thine I vouch thee for my God and I will be thy servant And after all this will you be false to God I tremble at the thoughts of this perfidiousness Herod would rather be guilty of murder than of perjury Matth. 14.9 for his oaths sake John Baptists Head must go off Many a time thou hast sworn to God and what doth God require upon this but the life of thy lusts the * Rom. 6.6 destroying of the body of sin the blood of thy bosome-corruptions shall not this be done for thy Oaths sake O saith David I have sworn and I will perform it Psal 119.106 that I will keep thy righteous judgments Do you so speak and so do as you love your souls 'T was a great trial to Jepthah to offer up his daughter Judg. 11.31 35. his only child but he had made such a vow and he could not recede whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me c. shall surely be the Lords c. Though it happened that his daughter met him yet she must be offered up for says he I have opened my mouth unto the Lord and I cannot go back This is your case as to your selves and as to your sins In Baptism at the Lords Table you have said that you would be the Lords that you would offer up your beloved sins having thus bound your selves to the Lord you cannot go back Sacramental obligations call for self-dedication 3. God is such a God as that he deserves this at your hands Look upon him as
in Marc. 12.33 de Holocaustis burnt-offering was to be offered up wholly Head and Body and Legs and Entrals all were to be burnt on the Altar therefore it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in this it differed from the peace-offering and thank-offering where part was Gods and part the Priests and part the offerers We must be as the burnt-offering all without us within us all that we are or have must be dedicated to God nothing must be kept for our selves but only in subordination to God The Apostle in that Scripture so often cited bids us to present our selves a living sacrifice Now as Grotius observes this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the general word sacrifice per excellentiam dicitur de Holocausto so 't is often taken so that we must not only offer up our selves to God but we must offer our selves as an Holocaust And this is that which I am driving at our giving of our selves to God must be entire As for example we are made up of body and spirit both are Gods and both must be given to him 1 Cor. 6.20 We have an heart that must be given too that God in special calls for Prov. 23.26 My son give me thy * My God what is a Heart That thou shouldst it so eye and woo c. Herb. Poem p. 54. Heart All we give is nothing without this God values not your estates your external services if you withhold your heart from him where 's your love to God if you do not give him the heart As Dalilah said to her Husband Judg. 16.15 How canst thou say I love thee when thine heart is not with me Ah and God will have the whole heart too He loves a broken heart but not a divided heart 'T is said of Josiah He turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul 2 Kings 23.25 O if you dedicate your selves to God let him have all the heart and all the soul The heart is the seat of the affections to give the heart and all the heart to God it is to let all the affections in their greatest fervour run out after him How doth the Creature please God when his love delight joy desire fear are principally placed upon himself Again you have parts gifts abilities interests estates give all to God He gives to you that you may give to him whatever gifts or endowments you have you had them from God let them be imployed for God May be you are men of interest O that you would improve it for God or you have full estates honour God with your substance you shall not lose by it So shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine Prov. 3.9 10. you have them for this end God doth not give men riches that they may spend and gratifie their lusts that they may live high wear rich apparel build magnificent Houses but that they may do good and serve and honour the Donor with all they have Give back your estates to God that is resign them up to his will imploy them in his service improve them for his glory be ready to part with them for his sake O that where God hath given these things he would also give an heart thus to return them to himself I beseech you consider what you have within without and let God have it all This is to be entire in your giving and so consequently in your Dedication In the Covenant of Grace God intirely gives himself and his All to us in our Dedication we must do the same to him as upon that I can say Deus meus omnia God is mine and so all is mine so upon this I must say Ego fuus omnia I am bis and all that I have is His. 2. Secondly There is subjection in reference to this your dedication must be entire According to the entireness of a mans subjection so is the entireness of his dedication the entireness of the former lies in the universality of obedience to the whole will of God when the heart is brought obedientially to close with every command of the word then its subjection is entire and full Thus then you must dedicate your selves be willing to live in an universal subjection to Gods will As there must be no reserves in giving so there must be no reserves or partiality in doing Give all and do all then the dedication is right and genuine This is in the phrase of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fulfil obedience 2 Cor. 10.6 to * Vajemalle Achari Perfecit post me Vers Syriaca fulfil after God so 't is in the Original 't is spoken of Caleb Numb 14.24 to be compleat in all the will of God Col. 4.12 to be righteous in all the commandments of God as 't is said of Zechary and Elizabeth Luke 1.6 O let it be thus with you whoever thou art that professest thy self to be a Christian and that thou hast dedicated thy self to God look to the extent of thy obedience that it be adequate and commensurate to the whole will of God where the heart is sincere it will be thus as lines that are streight put them together they will all along be contiguous so where the heart is right it suits and joyns with the whole law when you bring it thereunto Davids sincerity lay in this 't was a very high character that God gave of him when he stiled him A man after his own heart now what was this grounded upon upon his integrity in his obedience Acts 13.22 A man after my own heart which shall fulfil all my will He that is for a full compliance with Gods will he 's just such a person as God desires he hits exactly with his heart O sirs that you would come up to this be not partial in your obedience that 's to be as a cake bak'd on one-side Ephraims partiality is set forth by that allusion Hos 7.8 Let me assure you where your obedience is partial your dedication is but hypocritical Many go very far they do much and they seem to come very near the matter and yet they fall short Mr. Vines upon Numb 14.24 because here they are defective There 's a great difference betwixt obeying in part and being partial in obedience The first is from the imperfection of the state the other is from the hypocrisie of the heart He that obeys in part would do more and is troubled that he doth no more he that is partial in obedience thinks he doth enough and if he should do more he would do too much The best of Saints obey but in part but 't is your insincere professors that are partial in their obedience Take heed of this I beseech you do not pick and chuse to keep one command and to break another but carry an equal respect to all then you shall not be ashamed Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when
a little time be remembred no more A Pyramid will not be enough to perpetuate the memorials of this if we be left to our selves I therefore entreat and beseech you the Citizens of London to keep fresh in your memories the late terrible outgoings of Providence both against your selves in particular and against the City in general and in the day of your Praises and in the midst of all your rejoycings for present mercies O remember what is past How that should be remembred and how the remembrance of it is to be improved I cannot here insist upon I desire to shun prolixity and yet I am guilty of it 3dly In your initial Thanksgivings do this also Where God hath blessed you with considerable Estates see that you set something apart for charitable uses Let your Thanksgiving be Thanks-doing Do something towards the relief of them that are in want of them that were great Sufferers by the late Fire and towards others too who are great objects of Charity Hath God yet spared you an Estate O devote it to his glory and the good of his poor necessitous servants Liberality to such is an excellent concomitant to the duty of Praise and a very high Testimony of the reality of your Gratitude I leave this with you and for some reasons I will not further enlarge upon it So much for the enforcing of the First Branch of House-Dedication Secondly In the Dedication of your Houses to God I advise Fiducially commit them to God This implies 1. A casting-off of all Creature-props and dependancies for safety and Preservation 2. A flying to God for his Protection 3. A resting or relying upon God for this mercy Commit your Houses thus to God and if you would do it in a solemn explicit way when you enter into them and then keep the impression of this upon your Spirits all along it would be of great use to you The poor Heathens had their Tutelar Gods upon whom they rely'd for the keeping of their Houses These were the Lares Penates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Domestick Gods of whom the Philologers write much The True God must be by you owned and rested upon for the preservation of your Houses Alas where can we be safe or our Houses be safe but under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91.1 What can secure us but that providence that is always waking and watchful Psal 121.4 look to your persons what a world of accidents are you liable to each of which is enough to make a speedy dispatch of you When you are at home 't is but the breaking of a beam and you are gone when you walk in the Streets 't is but the falling of a Brick or a Tile or a wall or the breaking of a wheel when you are just by a loaden Cart or an hundred such Casualties and contingencies and there is an end put to your Life How many in this City every week are taken away by sad and sudden Accidents and indeed I wonder 't is not more We live inviron'd and surrounded by Deaths that may come upon us in ways that we never dreamt of Little did the Poet Aeschylus when he was sitting in his Yard think that there he should receive his mortal wound but so it was for as the story goes he sitting there with his Hat off an Engle hovering over his bald head and mistaking it for a stone let fall an Oyster hoping by the fall to break the shell which falling upon this poor man's head pierced his skull and so he dy'd And thus it happens in a thousand cases What need have we therefore to live in a constant dependance upon God for his Protection And so as to our Houses how many unseen dangers do hang over them if God do not keep them All your care preventions signifie nothing without this Set your Watches build in Brick look to your Fires and Lights this will not do your work without God's keeping Except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it Except the Lord keep the City the watchman waketh but in vain Psal 127.1 I would not take you off from the use of means for your safety but do not trust here 'T is God only that makes you to dwell in safety Psal 4.8 And therefore dedicate your Houses to God that is commit them to his vigilant and Holy Protection and then fear not I know upon what is past thousands in this City rise up in in the morning lie down at night full of Fears O that we could quiet our hearts by holy Trust what we put into the hands of God is above the reach of man He that hath the Protection of Heaven needs not fear the malice of Hell Saints may encourage themselves in the midst of all dangers and enemies whatsoever from the consideration of that tender and gracious Providence which is over them for the preserving of their Persons Estates Habitations and all that belongs to them Ps 121.3 4. He that keepeth thee will not slumber Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep The Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand The Sun shall not smite thee by day nor the Moon by night The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil he shall preserve thy Soul The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and even for evermore Psal 145.20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him Isa 4.5 Vpon all the glory shall be a defence Job 1.10 Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about his House and about all that he hath on every side Prov. 12.7 The House of the Righteous shall stand Read Psalm 91. 'T is an excellent Psalm for the support of Faith as to Personal and House-preservation Now upon such encouragements as these be perswaded to commit your Selves and your All to God Put all into his Hands fiducially rest upon him and you engage him to take care of you and to secure you from all evil Prov. 29.25 Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe Psal 17.7 Shew thy marvellous loving kindness O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them If the Promises of Protection and preservation be not literally accomplished as to the keeping off some particular evils they shall be made good some other way which will be better for you O therefore trust God and do not give way to Fear when you first enter upon your dwellings commit all to God and every morning every night renew this act of trust and it will be well You may be called the House-keepers but in truth God is the House-keeper both as to Provision and also as to Protection and they must needs be well kept if the Almighty God be the keeper of them Men and Devils can neither touch an bair of your Heads nor a tile of your Houses but