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. IV. The Duty pressed more generally.

VVEE see (by that which hath been spoken) how things stand; there are but few, who make Conscience of the Duty in hand: Well, what is now to be done? must we let men alone, under this grand O∣mission? Are there no Endeavours to be used, for the removal of this sad and sinful neglect? Surely it concerns the Ministers of the Gospel, to put forth themselves with the greatest ear∣nestness, to make this their great work and business, (as far as 'tis possible) to prevail with Masters and Governors to set upon House-dedication, that it may not always be so rare a thing, as hitherto it hath been. In order here∣unto I shall cast in my Mite, which (I hope) God will accept and bless. And so I come to Exhortation. In the ma∣naging of which, let me tell you, that though I design to reach all Persons whatsoever, and that the Arguments

used are of Ʋniversal extent; yet in special I shall direct my Discourse to you the Inhabitants of this City.

Many of you are yet in your old Ha∣bitations; For ever be the name of God magnified, for his sparing of your Houses, when all about you was laid wast and desolate; you were as brands snatcht out of the common burnings: As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, (Amos 3.12.) So God dealt with you: You read of God's bounding of the proud waves; and saying to them, Thus far shall yee go and no farther: You have seen God's bounding of the proud flames, when they were most fierce and raging: Now, did you ever dedicate these Houses to God? if not, be entreated now to set upon the duty: O 'tis sad, that you have neg∣lected it thus long, be sure you neglect it no longer; You are not now to enter upon new Houses, but yet you must enter upon a new course; whether the House be new or old, that's all one, it must be dedicated; As a late repentance, so a late dedication is better than none. May not God well expect that Houses

so eminently preserved by him, should faithfully be dedicated to him?

There are others of you, upon whom the late judicial Providence did fall very heavy; you were fired out of your Houses, but you are now full of the Hopes of new Habitations. This poor City (for almost two years), hath ly'ne as dead, and buried in its own ruines; but there seems to be at present some hope of its revival and resurrecti∣on; it begins to discover a little brea∣thing, I trust in God, it will come to it self again. I have sometimes fancyed to my self, when I have seen the few new Buildings, that are scattered up and down in the Ruines, that this is like to the fruits of the Earth, after a sharp and tedious Winter; the Spring comes, and then here and there you may see a blade of Corn or Grass grow∣ing up, which gives an encouragement to the beholder of a further growth: So here, we have something (pardon the expression) like the springing up of a City, here and there an House is finished; But I hope (if the Lord hath so great a mercy for us), in time all

will be compleated; as 'tis but a blade or two at the first, but in a little time the whole field is covered all over. This Summer (if God continue peace to us), we encourage our selves to ex∣pect a good and considerable progress in the rebuilding of our desolate places; and if so, then many of you will be Hous'd again. Now, if it shall please God to give you your desires, to suc∣ceed you in your building work, and to put you into new Houses, O this is that which I would earnestly press upon you, Dedicate them to God.

This is the General Exhortation; in the enforcing of which I will offer a few things. 1. Do this, (not only at your first entrance, but in the whole course of your life, for this dedication is a continued act), and it will be a good evidence of your Personal-dedication; if you have dedicated your self to God, (which if you have not done, your condition is sad), you will certainly dedicate your House to God: As no man can do the latter, unless he do the former; so whoever doth the former, he will do the latter. This will evi∣dence

also the Truth of Grace, and the very power of godliness. O, where grace is in the heart, God shall be in the House; where the person is conver∣ted, the House shall be dedicated; and I scarce know any one thing, wherein you have a better discovery of a man, whether he be gracious or not, godly or not, than his carriage and deport∣ment in, and towards his House and Family: Doth he own God there? ad∣vance God there? devote Persons, E∣state, Interest, All to God? surely he's a godly man. Abraham acted like him∣self, not only when he was willing to offer up his Son, but also when he was commanding his Children, and his Houshold to keep the way of the Lord.

2. This is to do something that is sin∣gular; this is more than what others do, (I mean such as have no supernatural work in them): To get a convenient House to live in, and there to drive on a trade for the World, and to enjoy Creature-blessings, this is ordinary; and this is all that the most do mind: and therefore, if you carry it other∣wise, viz. you no sooner have an House

but God shall have that House; you are no sooner served your selves, but God shall be served by you; where you are gratified, God shall be glorifi∣ed; This (I say) is to do something that hath a Blessed singularity in it.

3. This is the way, to enjoy the pre∣sence of God in your Houses, to have him to dwell with you. I hope you will look after this: What's the House if God be not in it? What's the most con∣venient habitation, the confluence of all external comforts and accommo∣dations, if God be absent? What dif∣ference would there be betwixt the Palace and the Dungeon, if the Sun should withdraw, and so all be cover∣ed in darkness? And so here; Make sure of God's Presence, and every Habitation will be sweet. O do not take up with good rooms, good furni∣ture, good relations, good trading, but get a good God to dwell with you; and he'l be better than all. He says of his Church, that, He hath desired it for his Habitation; This is my rest for ever; here will I dwell, for I have desired it. The name of the City is Jehovah-Shammah.

Would you have the great God to own your habitations for his Habita∣tion, to take up his rest with you? Would you have your Houses, to be called Jehovah-Shammah? then dedi∣cate them to the Lord. As you desire the presence of God in you, (in a speci∣al and gracious manner) dedicate your persons; (then you shall be as the Temple of the living God, and God shall dwell in you, and walk in you), (as 'tis emphatically expressed, 2 Cor. 6.16.) As you desire the presence of God with you, (in a more common and providential way) dedicate your Houses.

4. Would you enjoy your Houses when you have built them, let them be dedicated. It would be sad, after all your care, costs, pains, that you should not possess, what you lay out so much upon. 'Tis a severe threatning, that in Deut. 28.30. Thou shall build an House, and thou shalt not dwell therein. So also, Zeph. 1.13. Their Goods shall become a booty, and their Houses a deso∣lation: (that you have felt already; and 'tis further threatned), they shall also build Houses, but not inhabit them: (O that this also, may not be executed

upon you). And, Amos 5.11. Ye have built Houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them. As you desire to be freed from this sharp affliction, be faithful in the discharge of the du∣ty, which I am upon; then you are in the way of the Promise; Isa. 65.20, 21. They shall build Houses and inhabit them, and they shall plant Vineyards, and cat the fruit of them: They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for, as the days of a tree are the days of my people; and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands: They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble. The good Lord accomplish this word to you in this City!

5. Life is very uncertain. He that was to go out to fight with the enemy, he especially was to dedicate his House, because of the uncertainty of his Life, Deut. 20.5.—I hope this will not be be your case: but however, your Life is very uncertain; you live to day, Can you say, that you shall live to morrow? who knows, how soon this poor thred of Life may break in pieces? Every man at his best state is altogether vanity.

Life and all the Comforts of it, are fluid, transitory, uncertain. Here we have no abiding City, but we seek one to come: O enter upon your Houses, as those who have death in your eye: They are built of Brick and firm materials, and may stand long; but you your selves, are made but of brittle things; you are but earthly Tabernacles, a little breathing clay; you would fall every moment, if God did not underprop you. Suppose it should please God, to send such a plague, as we had a few years ago, (we have had a strange, unusual Winter, what it may produce I know not), would you be impenetrable against the arrows that fly and wast at noon-day? (Psal. 91.5, 6.) Can you build your new Houses so, that the destroying Angel shall not be able to get into them? If you can secure them from Fire, cannot God kindle a fire in your Bodies, send a Fever upon you, that shall consume you presently? O what an uncertain thing is Life! how many ways hath God to put a period to it! Surely therefore it lies upon us, to dedicate our selves, our Houses to God; to advance him in our Hearts and Families; to improve all

we have to his glory; to be faithful in the matters of Religion; for we know not how soon Death will come; and what shall we do in a dying hour, if we have liv'd in the neglect of these things? Thou that hast not given thy House to God, and set it apart for him, Canst thou expect, that he will give thee that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that House which is not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens? (2 Cor. 5.1.)

6. House-dedication is the best House∣security. Would you have your Houses safe? dedicate them to God; thereby you prevent God's Anger, and entitle what is yours, to God's Protection. You have liv'd to see dreadful things, (God of his infinite mercy grant you may never see the like again): A City burnt! this City burnt! this City burnt with such Circumstances! Many Thousands of Houses, in the space of three days, utterly consum'd! O, What was it, that kindled this fierce anger of God against us? What shall we do, that the like may never again befall us? Sure∣ly these are two Questions, which with the greatest seriousness, we are often to propound to our selves; I shall go

no further than that which I am upon, for an Answer to them. One cause (I fear) (I dare not be peremptory in assign∣ing the causes of a judgment so unsearch∣able), was, our not-dedicating of our Houses to God: Non-dedication brings desolation; Had Religion, the power of Godliness, been set up and kept up in your Houses, they might have stood to this day, for ought I know. This, as to the first Question: As to the second, I say only this, If you would not drink of this bitter cup again, dedicate your Houses to God. Do not think your walls and bricks will secure you, if sin be harboured, and God kept out of doors: If there should be no malicious men, (or rather incarnate Devils) here upon earth, there is a just and jealous God in Heaven. This duty will be your best security: Do you dedicate, and God will protect. I always submit to God's Soveraignty, and to his secret Reserves, (which are best known to Himself), (and how much there was of these as to the dealings of God with many Fa∣milies in this City, in the late judgment, I cannot determine): But as to the ordinary methods of God, and as to his

revealed will, we have great encourage∣ment to hope for Protection and Pre∣servation, whilst we sincerely desire, to come up to House-dedicating duty.

O (my Brethren) be not offended either at my largeness or plainness in this my advice; you have not my Pen, but my heart in what I write. And I shall think, (though I am sensible of many defects), that I have wrote well, if I may but see you to do well. All that I aim at is success, in bringing you to Dedication-work. Suetonius tells us a passage of Nero, which I shall make use of; When he had built him a brave Palace, and had dedicated it, he said, Now he began to live like a man. I allude not to his sense, (for that was naught), but to his words. You are now prepa∣ring new Houses, and e're long you hope to dwell in them; Oh when ever it shall be so, dedicate them to God, then you'l live and act like true Christi∣ans. 'Tis better to be without an House than without an Heart, to dedicate it to God. 'Tis never right ordered and managed, till it be dedicated

This in General; but I must not leave the Exhortation thus; I will go over the Particulars, that make up this House∣dedication, and press them upon you distinctly.

Notes

• Amos 4.11.
• Job 26.10. Job 38.10, 11.
• Gen. 18.19.
• Psal. 132.1.1.
• Ezek. 48.3
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Psal. 39.5.
• Hebr. 13.14. Nihil in hac vitâ posside∣mus, quod di, cere possumus, futurum diu nostrum. Quae uolis videmur firmissimè te∣nere, ea, quo∣ties Deo libuit, temporis momento nobis è manibus of∣fluunt. Omnia nos relinquunt vel à nobis re∣linquuntur. J. Capel. in Hebr. 13.14. Linquenda Tellus & Do∣mus, & placens Ʋxor. Horat,
• Lib. 6. c. 31.
• Ʋt se dice∣ret quasi homi∣nem tandem habitare coepis∣se.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Cognati∣onem habet cum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, (Rectus): nam initiare aliquid, est illud recté disponere. Aven.