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. V. The Particular Branches of House-Dedication urged.

1. FIrst therefore, Enter upon your Houses by solemn Prayer and Praise. These two are (as it were) the staple Duties of Religion; In the One, we acknowledg what we want, in the other, what we have; In the one we testifie our own emptiness, in the other God's goodness; In the one we take from God, in the other we give to God. But 'tis not for me to run out upon these, in the general nature or notion of them; I am only to speak to them, according to the present consideration. That which I have to do is this; to exhort you, (as the good Providence of God shall fix you in New Habitations), that you would make your Entrance by Solemn Prayer and Praise. (You know what I

mean by Solemn Prayer and Praise, that hath been already opened): You must have the foundations of your Houses twice laid; they are first laid by your workmen, in a common and literal sense; then they must be laid by your selves again, in a spiritual and religious sense, by Prayer and Praise: And indeed the first laying is not safe or firm without this. In our entrings upon New Houses we have several civil rites and customs; there are Feastings, great Entertain∣ments; Friends come and rejoice with us, and send in their Provisions to be merry with us; and this they call House-airing, or House-warming: I have nothing to say against this usage, provided, 1. That this be soberly and temperately managed; 2. That the main duty to God be not neglected. But the misery of it is this, we have these external expressions of Love and Joy, when the religious part is omitted. This I find former Writers much lamenting. O let not your Dedications lie in eating and drinking, (much less in intempe∣rance

and insobriety), but in Prayer and Praise. 'Tis observed of the Jews, that they yet keep the Feast of Dedication; but how do they keep it? In swilling, drinking, im∣moderate use of the Creatures, and the like; but as for the serious remembrance of God's mercy, vouchsafed to their Na∣tion (upon which that Feast was groun∣ded), that is lost. O that it was not thus amongst Christians, upon other Accounts! what feasting are we like to have in this City, as persons shall come into their New Habitations? Pray take heed of excess; do not so soon for∣get Gods punishing of you for this, (which I look upon as one of the Ci∣ties sins); and withall make Consci∣ence of the main. As soon as you are setled in your Houses, dedicate them by Prayer and Praise. David here as soon as his House was built, (for so I told you some Expositors time the words), he falls upon the dedication of it by Prayer and Praise. I beseech you, do you do as he did.

A word to each of these; First for Prayer. That's a duty always seasonable but in the present case very seasonable. Howshall our dwellings be sanctified, but by Prayer? This is the Sanctifying Ordinance, 1 Tim. 4.5. As sin defiles the House, Prayer sanctifies it: How will you testifie your dependance upon God, for mercy in your Houses but by Prayer? How will you own God to be your Chief Landlord, that you hold all from him, that you are his, and your House is his, and your All is his? I say, how will you own God thus, if you do not enter with Prayer? Will you settle upon your Houses, and not ask God's leave? You will not enter into your Neighbours House, but you will say first, By your leave; Is not your House, Estate, Goods, All, the Lord's? and will you invade his Blessings with∣out his Leave? Do you expect Pro∣tection from God, that he will keep your Houses day and night, and will you not in a solemn and special manner pray for this? Can you look for any blessing, but in the way of Prayer? O set some time apart for the solemn per∣formance of this duty: Oh, let your

Prayers enter Heaven, as soon as you enter into your Houses; and plead with God, thus: Lord, I justifie thee in thy judicial dispensations; thou wast just in turning me out of my former Habitation, for I did not pay thee my rent for it; I did not only deserve to have my House in Flames, but to have my Soul to burn in Hell for evermore: Notwithstanding for∣mer forfeitures, present unworthiness, thou hast provided another House for me and mine; Lord, I am less than the least of all thy mercies; but since out of thy free mercy thou hast made this provision for me, help me to own thee in it, to carry it better than formerly I have done; Let my House and Heart, and all be sanctified; let me live and walk in it with a perfect heart,; Let me devote it, and all in it, to thy glory; let thy special presence be with me, and thy special providence over me; Secure me from all evil, and from mis∣chievous men, who are set on fire with Hell; Let not my House be good, and my Heart naught: As my House is new, let my Heart be new also: Lord, I here de∣dicate my House to thee: I and my House will serve thee. But I must break off from this; the Spirit of God will di∣rect

you and assist you, when with sin∣cerity you set upon the Duty.

And then, as to Praise. In antient Dedications they used to give gifts and to offer Sacrifices: In the dedicating of your Houses to God, let your Gift and Sacrifices be Praise; this is more to God than all Legal, or Mosaical Sa∣crifices, Psal. 50.13.14. Psal. 69.30, 31. 'Tis of great advantage, for men to enter upon their Comforts with Thanksgiving; We do not so easily abuse mercies, which we solemnly bless God for Get such a sense of the goodness of God upon your hearts, as to call upon your selves, to bless God; Ah, and to call in others too, to bless God for you and with you; This was David's practise, (as I might show you in several places); and in the managing of this, I would have you in a special manner to fix upon those mercies which have a more immediate reference to the occasion: As for example, your Houses were burnt, but (as to the most of you), a conside∣rable part of your Estates was preserved; however your Lifes were not touch'd. Indeed this was admirable, that in so fierce, so terrible a fire the Lifes of more

were not destroy'd: It might have been with us as with Sodom, our persons as well as our Houses and Estates might have bin consumed; but the merciful God ordered it otherwise. Lot own'd it as a singular mercy, (though he lost much) that his Life was spared, (when Sodom was burnt), Gen. 19.19. 'Twas mercy that when we were in flames, we were not in blood too; that 'twas not killing and murdering, as well as burning; Blessed be God, who restrained the re∣mainder of wrath. 'Twas mercy, that he provided other Habitations for you, in your great straights; That so much of the City was spared, to be an Har∣bour to you: That many of you, who have been thrust into very incommo∣dious places, have yet enjoy'd as much health as ever you did in the midst of your best accommodations; that after a long and sad war, it hath pleased God to restore again the blessing of Peace to us, (without which this poor City must yet have continued in its ashes): That so good and so full an Act hath been passed by the Supream Authority of the Nation, to further the repairing of our breaches: That God hath bles∣sed

you with such a proportion of estate, that you are in a capacity, either to build or to take new Houses; that af∣ter a short ejectment out of your old Houses, God hath provided others for you, and brought you into them, (as your true Domiducus Deus): There are many other mercies that I am sure do occur to your thoughts: O let God in your Re-entrys have some solemn ac∣knowledgment of these signal blessings. And when you are upon this duty, I would commend three things to you. 1. Seriously enquire whether in that great distress, that was upon you in the late Fire, you did not make some solemn Vows and Promises to God, in case he should do thus and thus for you; If so, be sure (without delay) you make them good. O do not forget the vows that you made in the day of your distress! Psal. 76.11. Vow and pay unto the Lord your God. Psal. 66.13, 14. I will go into thy House with Burnt-offerings; I will pay thee my Vows, which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. Eccles. 5.4, 5. When thou vowest a Vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in

Fools; pay that which thou hast vowed: Better it is, that thou should'st not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay. (My Friends), I leave it with you in your own Consciences to consider, whether under the late amazing, terri∣ble Providence, you did not enter upon some solemn Vows and Promises to the great God; if you did, do not forget, or falsifie them; Sincerity in vowing, lies in fidelity in performing: When the Emperor Sigismund, (being in a sore fit of sickness, and making then high Promises of Reformation, in case he should recover) asked his Confessor, how he might know, Whe∣ther he was sincere or not, in his Repen∣tance? the Confessor answered him, If (saith he) you be as careful to make good in your health, what you now promise, as you are forward now in your extremity to promise; then your Repentance is right. So here I say, should any of you ask me, (we had great convictions and ter∣rors upon our spirits, when the City was in flames, O we vow'd and promis'd thus and thus to God, such sins we would leave, such duties we would per∣form), Were we sincere in all this? Ans. If

you now make good, what then you en∣gaged to do, then you were; but other∣wise not. Men are very forward to pro∣mise in a day of affliction, but very backward to perform in a day of com∣fort. 'Twas Pliny's wish, Ʋtinam tales esse sani perseveraremus, quales nos futuros profitemur infirmi; And 'tis mine; O that we were the same under mercies, that we are under judgments! that we were as good at performing un∣der the former, as we are at promising under the later. I did not think, to have said so much upon this, but I fearthere's need of all this, and of much more: O do not think, that God will be put off with your Praise and Thanks (when you enter into your new Houses) if you do not pay what you vowed when you were in trouble.

2dly. When you are blessing God, for what is present, do not forget what is past; whilst you acknowledg his good∣ness in your New Habitations, do not forget his severitie, in what befell your Old Habitations. As Judgments must not jostle out the remembrance of Mer∣cies, so Mercies must not jostle out the remembrance of Judgments. Israel's forgetfulness of the works of God, is

often charged upon them, Psal. 106.13. They soon forgat his works; (& pas∣sim). Are not we herein too guilty al∣so? O the great things, that God hath done in our Age, (an Age made up of wonders)! but how soon are they for∣gotten by us. That his gracious works should be forgotten, that is not so much to be wondred at, (our cursed Natures being so apt to forget mer∣cies); but that, judicial, and such ju∣dicial works of God, should so pre∣sently be out of our thoughts and me∣mories, this is very strange. I will in∣stance only, in the late Plague and Fire. Good God! How many persons were swept away by the one, how many Houses laid desolate by the other! and yet how soon are both forgot! These were Judg∣ments very hardly to be parallel'd, ei∣ther at Home or abroad; God (scarce ever) did the like before, (and I trust will never do the like again); but they are past and gone, and men scarce ever think of them. O that London's Flames that were so hardly extinguished, and put out with so much of difficulty, should so easily be put out of the thoughts and memories of the most. 'Tis but yesterday

since this poor City, was nothing but a furnace of Fire and Smoke; since this raging Element wasted all before it, (scorning all checks and controuls, laughing at our poor Ladders and Buc∣kets); since it came upon us, and went on with that fury, as if our Tides of Water had been turn'd into Tides of Fire: O the beautiful Churches, the magnificent Buildings, the convenient Houses, that it (with the greatest im∣partiality) laid desolate in a few dayes! O the many Families that were utterly undone! O the hurries and distractions that it caused amongst us! O the dread∣ful prospects that I had then in my eye, the dreadful noises that I had then in my ear, (by the crackling of the Tiles, the falling and blowing up of Houses), shall I ever forget them? O the ringing of Hands, the paleness of Faces, the weeping eyes, the great distress of poor Citizens that then I saw, shall I ever forget it? I believe, you saw the same too, and yet we do forget? Ah, if London was built again, and the Ruines and Rubbish but a little out of our eye, I fear all that God hath done, would in a lit∣tle time be remembred no more. A Py∣ramid

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 impro∣ved, I cannot here insist upon; I de∣sire 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 re∣lief 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, Fiduci∣ally commit them to God. This implies,

• 1. A casting-off of all Creature-props and dependancies for safety and Preserva∣tion.
• 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 impressi∣on 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, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Dome∣stick 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 Al∣mighty? (Psal. 91.1.) What can se∣cure us but that providence, that is always waking and watchful? look to your persons, what a world of acci∣dents are you liable to; each of which is enough to make a speedy dispatch of you: When you are at home, 'tis but the breaking of a beam, and you are gone; when you walk in the Streets, 'tis 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 contin∣gencies, 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 'tis not more. We live inviron'd and sur∣rounded 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 thou∣sand cases. What need have we there∣fore, 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, pre∣ventions, 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; 'Tis God only that makes you to dwell in sa∣fety, 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 in∣to the hands of God, is above the

reach of man; He that hath the Pro∣tection of Heaven, needs not fear the malice of Hell. Saints may encourage themselves in the midst of all dangers and enemies whatsoever, from the con∣sideration 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 ever∣more. Psal. 145.20. The Lord preser∣veth all them that love him. Isa. 4.5. Ʋpon 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. 'Tis 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 Pro∣tection, and preservation be not lite∣rally 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 dwel∣lings, 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 first they must have his permission, which he will ne∣ver grant them, but upon very wise and weighty grounds.

Thirdly, Set up, and advance Reli∣gion in your Houses: This is the princi∣pal thing in this House-dedication, and this I shall spend much time upon. I say, set up Religion in your Houses; this is, To dedicate them to God. Some talk of Religious Houses, (they do but talk of them, their practices are known well enough); let yours be such in good earnest, let them be Religious Houses indeed. What is the House with∣out Religion? surely a very sad and dismal place! 'tis better to be, where there is no light, no food, no external conveniencies, than where there is no sense or due owning of God. Homer speaking of an House, where the Hus∣band or the Wife, or the Master, or the Mistress is dead, he calls it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, an House that is but half-perfect; because a principal member is wanting: What is that House, where Religion is wanting? That's indeed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, (for there the main thing, the one needful thing, is not). 'Tis said

of Constantine (that blessed Emperor), In every room in his House, he had the Name and Title of his Saviour, written in great Characters; to note, that his House, and every part thereof, was de∣dicuted unto Christ: Would you thus do? do not set up Names upon your walls, but set up Religion in your Fa∣milies. And 'tis recorded of that eminent Martyr, Bishop Hooper, that in every corner of his House, there was some sent of Godliness: O that it might be so in yours! Tremellius speaking of Fa∣mous Cranmer's House, he says, It was Schola & palaestra Pietatis & Litera∣rum; A School, a Nursery, a place set a part for the exercise of Religion, and Literature: Might your Houses be such, what a blessed thing would it be! then they would be Bethels, (as Jacob called that place, where God appeared to him, Gen. 28.19.); not Beth-avens, (Houses of vanity), but Bethels, the Houses of the Lord. Let me allude to that of David, 1 Chron. 29.1. The Palace is not for man, but for the Lord God. Your Houses are not only for you to dwell in, but God must have a room, mansion, residence in them; and

how can that be, if Religion be not ad∣vanced there?—What (saith the Apo∣stle) have ye not Houses to eat and to drink in? And (say I), have ye Houses only for this? that there you may eat and drink, and trade, and mind your Secular affairs? surely, something more must be done; they must be consecrated to God, Religion must have a throne in them, and be set up in them.

This might be urg'd upon you, from several Considerations; Some might be taken, from that intrinsick excellency, that is in Religion: O look upon it as it is in it self, 'tis a glorious and excellent thing. 'Tis the Creatures due respect to his Creator; it speaks a due sense of God, that the soul is in a right frame and po∣sture towards God. 'Tis the summe of all; All Graces, Duties, are summ'd up in this one word, RELIGION. 'Tis Man's highest advancement; what a poor thing is Man, if he be not a Saint; what is Reason without Religion!—This is a point as vast as the Ocean, if I might launch out into it. It being thus, Shall not Religion be promoted, advanced in your Houses? All speak well of it in the General, but when it

comes to particular practice and appli∣cation, there they discover but low thoughts of it. Besides this inherent ex∣cellency in Religion, pray, consider the blessed advantages and benefits, that go along with it, and flow from it. 'Tis the great prop and pillar, which su∣stains Houses and Families; take away this, the House falls, (as that did, when Samson had pull'd away the pillars of it): Prov. 24.3, 4. Through wisdom is an House builded, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledg shall the Chambers be filled with all preci∣ous and pleasant riches. Surely, the Wise man doth not so much intend here moral, as spiritual and religious wisdom: and by this, he tells us, the House is,

• 1. erected;
• 2. established;
• 3. enriched.

What a gainful thing is Religion! 'Tis the very Nerves and Sinews, the bond and ligament, the Cement of all Socie∣ties; Kingdoms, Cities, Families, are all jointed, fastned, supported by this: 'Tis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, (as Plutarch speaks); and (as the Philo∣sopher tells us), the prosperity of all de∣pends upon it. This is that which lays the foundation of all Blessings; House-dedication

(in the setting up of Religi∣on in it) is always accompanied with God's benediction: O, Religious Hou∣ses are blessed Houses; God blessed Obed-Edom for the Ark's sake, I Chron. 13.14. His blessing upon Persons and Fa∣milies, commences from the very day and hour, in which Religion is set up. Hag. 2.18, 19. Consider now from this day, and upward; from this day will I bless you. How exact and punctual is God, in his rewarding of Piety. O mind the interest of Religion, you will never find it, to be a vain or unprofit∣able thing; all blessings lie in the womb of it; Mercies here, mercies hereafter; the Mercies of the Throne, and the mercies of the Foot-stool, all grow upon this fruitful root, 1 Tim. 4.8. Godli∣ness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the Life that now is, and of that which is to come. Will you not encourage, and mind, and promote Religion in your Houses?

I might enter upon Particulars; Would you have your Habitations blessed? so as to be secured from all evil, filled with all good? so as to be made delightful and comfortable to

you? Let Religion be there; would you have a blessing upon your Children, your Posterity? Be religious your selves, and set up Religion in your Houses, Psal. 112.2. His seed shall be mighty upon the Earth; the Generation of the Ʋpright shall be blessed. Prov. 20.7. The just man walketh in his integrity, his Chilaren are blessed after him. Deut. 5.29. O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, that it might be well with them, and with their Children for ever. The Posterity of Obed-Edom, was blessed for the Ark's sake. See it 1 Chron. 26.8. First, God blessed this Obed-Edom, with a numer∣ous Progeny; you read there of Three-score and two, who descended from him. 2dly, These were all imployed in the House of God. 3dly, They were en∣abled to discharge their imployment. 4ly, They were advanced to great dig∣nity; they were made Rulers and Commanders, through the House of their Father. (These things are ob∣served to my Hand, by an Eminent Person). So that, as you love your Children, and would entail God's blessing upon them, let Religion be re∣garded

and promoted by you. Would you have a blessing upon your Families? let Religion be there, 1 Chron. 13.14. The Lord blessed the House of Obed-Edom, and all that he had: 'Tis more express, 2 Sam. 6.11. The Lord blessed Obed-Edom, and all his Houshold. O who would not entertain the Ark in his House! That precious O intment, that was poured upon the head of Aaron, it went down to the skirts of his Gar∣ments: If you be faithful in the busi∣ness of Religion, God will pour down his blessings upon your selves, and they shall run down also upon all that belong to you. All in a Family fare the better for Religion. Would you have a blessing upon your Estates? look to Religion. Piety, the Fear and Worship of God, owned and farthered by you, are the best way, both for keeping and encrea∣sing these outward enjoyments, Prov. 15.6. In the House of the Righteous is much Treasure, but in the revenues of the Wicked is much Trouble. Prov. 13.22. A good man leaveth an inheritance, to his Children's children; and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. Holy Job, thus dedicated his

House, and therefore God made an hedg about him, and about all that he had on every side, [and blessed the work of his hands, and increased his substance.] The Jews have a saying, that Decimae are sepes Divitiarum; Tythes are a fence or heag to guard and secure all that a man hath. O, would you have your Estates secured? do you secure and ex∣alt Religion, and that will secure you and yours. You see, here is blessing upon blessing, in the discharge of this weighty and fundamental Duty: But what if men will yet neglect this? and suffer Atheism, irreligion, profaneness, wickedness, to be in their Houses? what? O let such know, they are under the curse of God; they and their Houses are liable to the dreadful curses, which the Word denounces: And what are all Comforts in the House, when the curse of God is upon it. God's blessing sweetens all, his curse imbitters all; Wo to them whose Houses are under a Curse! Prov. 3.33. The curse of the Lord, is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the Habitation of the just. Zach. 5.4. you read of the Curse en∣tring into the house of the Thief; it shall

remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it, with the timber thereof, and the stones thereof. O let Atheisti∣cal Masters of Families, that never mind Religion in themselves, or in their Houses, tremble upon the consideration of that flying roll of Curses, that hangs over them. O you Citizens, Merchants, Tradesmen, (whatever your rank or occupation is), if you love God, if you love your Selves, your Children, your Servants, your Estates, let this be the first thing you do, Set up Reli∣gion in your Houses. This was kept up in the time of the Patriarchs, altoge∣ther by what they did in their Families (for their Families then were as so many Domestick-Churches, and all the Churches that were then in being). And Religion now rises or falls in the world, as men regard it in their Fami∣lies. How many might you bring in to God, did you thus dedicate your Houses? how many might be conver∣ted, by living in religious places? what a mercy would it be to poor Creatures, to live under your roof, if you would but do your duty herein? whereas upon your neglect of it, what

a grievous thing is it, (to persons that have any sense of God) to live with you? Psal. 120.5. Wo is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar. To be in your Houses, and there to see nothing but Epicurism, Worldliness; u there to hear nothing but cursing, swearing, scoffing, at the ways of God; nothing that hath the face of Religion to be found there, O 'tis an Hell upon earth to live with such. Be perswaded therefore to do what I have spoke so much to; the fewer come up to this, the more pleasing to God, will your zeal and obedience be: you may meet with scoffs and derision from the world, but 'tis a poor thing to be derided of men, if you may be approved of by God. Let all this (like oyle cast upon the fire) make your zeal more intense and fervent; and say, If this be to be vile, you will be yet more vile. This in General, as to the Third Branch of House-Dedication.

Notes

• Many open House-Dedi∣cation by these Feast∣ings. See Ma∣riana and o∣thers cited in Lorinus upon Deut. 20.5. Dedicari res dicitur, quan. do cum solenni aliquo ritu, vel convivio rei usus inchoa∣atur Menoch.
• Nos hodie Conviviis Do∣mos nostras Dedicamus, pa∣rum expenden. tes divinum beneficium. Muscul. Nunc ferè res tota versa est in luxum Conviviorum & plurimas Helluationes. Moller.
• Hoc etiamnum fit à Judais, sed helluando, pergraecando, lu∣dendo, aliis{que} oblectamentis, po∣tius festum agitant, quàm seriâ ad Deum gratiarum actione, ob reportatam ab bostibus victoriam. Buxtorf. Synag. Judaic. cap. 23.
• Peccatis pol∣luuntur, pre∣cibus sanctifi∣cantur aedes. Scultet.
• Dei se inquili∣nos esse fate∣bantur. Calv.
• Non potest fieri, utqui Do∣num Dei gra∣tus agnoscit, illo abutatur. Muscul. Mi∣nemur hinc pro omnibus rebus, & pracipuè cum primùm quid in usum venit, Grati∣as Deo agere: inde sane mens amore Dei as ita ad oinnem magis pietatem accenditur; simulqueadmo∣nemur, at De••̄ Donis quàm castissim? uta∣tur; Quis enim re abuta∣tur ad luxum, pro quo jam Deo gratias egit. Bucer.
• Psal. 76.10.
• Of the Ro∣man's Domi∣ducus Deus, vid. Dempste∣rum Antiq. Rom. C. 2. f. 187.
• Sacrificium seu Hostiam Pacificorum. Hebraei vocant Se bach Shela∣mim, Sacrifi∣cium Pacis ac Salutis; Erat{que} nunc sponta∣neum, quod ex∣animi devoti∣one, nullâ ur∣gente necessita∣te offerebatur; nunc Votivum, quod reddeba∣tur ex pacto, i. e. quod quis in periculis & I necessitatibus constitutus Deo se in Ec∣clesiâ oblatu∣rum siliberare∣tur promiserat. Gualt. in. Mar. 12.33.
• Epist. 26.1.7.
• Psal. 121.4.
• 1 Cor. 11.22.
• Judg. 17.29.
• Arist. Politic.
• Bish. Brown∣rigge, Serm. 1. p. 12.
• Psal. 134.2.
• Job 1.10.
• Familiae Pa∣trum erant Domesticae Ec∣clesiae. Pareus in Gen. 18.19.
• 2 Sam. 6.22.