Hooinh egzainiomnh, or, A treatise of holy dedication both personal and domestick the latter of which is (in special) recommended to the citizens of London, upon their entring into their new habitations / by Tho. Jacomb ...

CHAP. XI. The Conclusion of the whole Discourse.

I Have brought you now just to the shore, where I will land you imme∣diately. I have (thorough God's gra∣cious assistance) gone thorough what I propounded to open and apply, viz. Holy Dedication, both Personal and Domestick: The nature of both hath been explained, and the Practise of both hath been enforced by those Ar∣guments and Considerations which were proper to the matter in hand. And so I have done, (though with much weakness), what was to be done on my part, that which remains further to be done, is on your part. Shall this twofold Dedication be acted by you? will you fall down before the light and evidence of that Truth, which hath been here set forth? and live in a bles∣sed Conformity and subjection to it? will you come up to what hath been press'd upon you, in your Personal and Relative Capacity? I say will you do this, or will you not? Shall these poor Labours of mine have some fruit, or

shall they be altogether in vain? shall it fare with this inconsiderable piece, as it doth with many excellent Treatises? (whose price is asked, may be they are bought, nay, may be they are perused; but in a little time they are thrown a∣side, never minded more, nothing comes of them, and the Reader is but just where he was before). O that this was not the entertainment which the worthy Labours of some did find from too many! If mine (which are not worthy to be named with Theirs), do meet with the same entertainment, it will much afflict me upon a double ac∣count; first, that God will not use me as an instrument for the doing of that good which I earnestly desire to do; Secondly, that means used prove inef∣fective and successless, as to the pro∣moting of the Salvation of your pre∣cious Souls. I say, these two things will give me much trouble: but as for other things, wherein credit, esteem, reputation are concerned, I hope I shall value them no more than the dirt un∣der my Feet. You may think of me, and say of me, and of this poor Birth of mine, what you please; but know

that the matter spoken to, is of great weight and importance, and that which calls for your highest respect, and most serious Consideration. Let but that be duly entertained by you, and then for personal respects or disrespects, you have to do with one, who is very in∣different and much unconcern'd.

Dearly beloved Citizens, I renew my Advice to yon, and I beseech you in the bowels of Christ, for God's sake, for your own souls sake,

1. That you will dedicate your persons to God, (as this Personal-Dedication hath been described). Hezekiah spea∣king to this very Argument, he presses it upon the people of Israel by these Considerations; 2 Chron. 30.6. &c. Turn again unto the Lord God, &c. and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the Kings of Assyria: And be not like your Fa∣thers, and like your Brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their Fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see; Now therefore be not stiff-necked as your Fathers were, but yield your selves unto the Lord, &c. and serve the Lord your God, that the fierce∣ness

of his wrath, may turn away from you. Are not these Considerations applicable to you in this City? you are a remnant escaped out of terrible judg∣ments; though Plague and Fire have raged amongst you, yet you live; God hath wrought dreadful desolations in your City, as you see; what wrath yet remains, you cannot tell; how shall it be prevented? O yield your selves to the Lord, dedicate your selves to him; that's the way, to turn away the fierce∣ness of Gods wrath. Providential dis∣pensations that are past, (some in the way of mercy, others in the way of judgment), the present state and posture of things, (wherein further judgmensts seem to be impendent over us), all call upon you for this. Doth God use to begin in this manner, and doth he not go on, till he hath atttained his end, one way or another? How shall we put a stop to him in these judicial pro∣ceedings, but by the yielding of our selves to him? Self-dedication, and House-dedication will prevent City-de∣solation. O therefore let Self-love (if nothing else will prevail) and love to this poor City, put you upon Self-dedi∣cation.

And besides this, pray consider what costly and glorious dedications, the great God hath brought about in Christ for you, Heb. 9.18. Whereupon neither was the first Testament dedicated without blood. Heb. 10.20. By a new and living way, which he hath conse∣crated (or dedicated) for us, thorough the vail, that is to say, his flesh. I med∣dle not with what is Controversial from this place, (for the Romanists find here their Limbus Patrum); I only aim at this; here's costly dedication and con∣secration for us; shall not we now de∣dicate and consecrate our selves to God, in a way of thankfulness? (I touch upon these Motives here, because I said nothing to them in the former Discourse, when I was urging the duty upon you). O that I might prevail with some, (with many, if it be the Lord's good pleasure), to dedicate themselves to God; so as to give up themselves to Him, to surrender their wills to his Will, to resolve for God to separate from a carnal course and a com∣mon conversation, to enter into Cove∣nant with God, and to devote themselves to his glory: What can lie nearer to

the heart of Christianity, than these things do?

2ly. When this is done, than I fur∣ther intreat you, to dedicate your Hou∣ses to God: Personal Dedication should not go without this, as this cannot be without that. What a City should we have, if it might be made up of dedica∣ted Houses! Religion would put a grea∣ter beauty and glory upon it than all our new models in building. O will you seriously weigh what hath been presen∣ted to you? will you make your En∣trance into your Houses with Prayer and Praise? will you solemnly commit them to Gods Almighty Protection? will you set up and advance, Religion, Piety and Godliness in them? (and so consecrate them to God)? will you devote all your Domestick mercies to God? I hope what hath been said, may have some good effect upon some of you, to bring you to the practising of these things. If you resolve upon them than I have but two things further to say to you.

1. Do not only enter upon this House-Dedication, but renew it, as occasion and special cases shall call for it. The

Antients would not have Temple-dedi∣cation to be repeated or reiterated; but surely House-dedication may be, and should be repeated; In three cases e∣specially:

• 1. Ʋnder some great turn or change of life. Suppose it to be mar∣riage; O then there is more of duty to be performed, more of comfort to be enjoyed; then there is a greater need of God for the sanctifying and sweeten∣ing of the relation; and therefore then 'tis good for persons, again solemnly and explicitely to dedicate their House and their All to God.
• 2ly. After the commission of some great sin, by which the House is much defiled. Dedication some make to be nothing but Purifica∣tion; to dedicate the House, 'tis to purifie the House; Surely after great pollutions by sin, the House should be washed and purifi'd again. Many In∣terpreters bring in the Dedication of the Text, upon this; Absalom had greatly defiled David's House, upon his re∣turn therefore he purifi'd it, by a new dedication: Great pollutions call for new dedications.

When Ahaz had defiled the Temple, Hezekiah consecra∣ted it again, 2 Chron. 29. The like

was done by Judas Maccabeus after Antiochus his polluting of the Temple. (as hath been shown). Do you thus do, as to your private Houses; do not suffer sin to lie upon them; of all fil∣thiness let that be washed out; when they have been defiled, let them be purifi'd; How? By Fasting and Prayer.

3ly, After the receipt of some signal and eminent mercy: Some make that to be the occasion of David's dedica∣ting of his House (though they do not agree in the specifying of the particular mercy). Bucer and Munster make it to be, his recovery from some dangerous sickness: The first and second verses in this thirty Psalm seem to point to that mercy. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me: O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave; thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Calvin thinks this was rather his Restauration to his Kingdom, and his victory over Absalom. Well, we cannot determine what the mercy was, but some great mercy David had received, and upon this he doth anew dedicate his House

to God. If it shall be thus with you at any time, do you do the same: Were you preserved when so many Thou∣sands fell by the late Plague? I think your Houses then should have been anew devoted to God: Were they so miraculously kept in the late fire? I think there should have been a fresh dedication of them. As the dedicati∣on should be lasting for constant mer∣cies, so it should be renewed for new and signal mercies. This is the first thing.

Then secondly, I would say this to you, live under a due sense of this, that your Houses are dedicated; and let this fill you with an holy awe, of commit∣ting, or permitting sin in them. Alcwin tells us, that the reason why Churches were dedicated, was this, That men being in them, upon the consideration of the Sacredness of the place, they might abstain from every little vain thought. Surely if men did but revive this upon their thoughts, that they and their Houses are dedicated, they would carry it better than they do. O, shall I abuse the good Creatures of God, to luxury and excess, in that House which

is dedicated to God? shall I defraud, exact, deal dishonestly, in that House which is dedicated to God? Shall I suffer Atheisticall, irreligious persons, or practises in that House, which is de∣dicated to God? I say, it would be of great advantage to you, to live under a constant sense of this, that your Hou∣ses are dedicated to the Lord.

I will add nothing more: Only I shall endeavour daily to second (what here I have wrote) with the most ar∣dent and earnest prayers, that God will be pleased to bless that counsel which hath been given; and to make it effect∣ual towards the attaining of that bles∣sed end, for which it is intended; that these endeavours of mine may not only be, a bare Testimony of my Affecti∣on to you, (Dear Citizens), but that they may turn to a good account in the day of Jesus Christ. O set upon your duty, and go as far in it as you can, and then whatever events you may meet withal, as to your selves, your Relati∣ons, your Estates, your Habitations, you will have comfort in God, in the Testimony of Conscience, and in the te∣nure of the Covenant. Although my

House be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure; for this is all my Salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. 2 Sam. 23.5.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be Honour and Glory, for ever and ever, Amen.

Notes

• Extat inter Canones Con∣cilii Nicaeni conscriptos à Gratiano, Ca∣non qui pra∣cipit, Ecclesias semel consecra∣tas, non iterum consecrari de∣bere vid. Hosp. de Orig. Tem. fol. 701.
• Gratias agit pro restititâ valetudine Bucer. Princi∣pale Argumen∣tum bujus Psalmi vide∣tur esse Grati∣arum actio, pro recuperatâ po••t infirmitatem salute. Munst. vid. Freidlib. Qu. 146. in Psalm.
• Magis credi∣bile est, &c. in loc.
• Dedicantur Templa, ut eis invitetur adventus Angelorum; & Homines in eas intrantes, éti∣am ab exili co∣gitatione se contineant. Alevin de Caen. Dom. (citat. in Ga∣vant. Thes. Rit. p. 4. tit. 16. p. 293).