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
I have respect to all thy Commandments But that I may be more particular in this Head let me say two things to you and I pray that God will make them effectual Cherish no sin Baulk no duty Do nothing I mean willingly allowedly designedly that God forbids Do every thing to the utmost of your strength that God enjoyns 1. Let no sin be cherished by you 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity The indefinite is equipollent to the universal he that names the name of Christ and says he hath dedicated himself to Christ he must not allow himself in any one sin he must depart from all iniquity The word is full of prohibitions against every sin and of commands to part with every sin but I need not quote them in so known a thing O if you would indeed dedicate your selves mortifie every corruption put away every sin let not one Agag live not one Dalilah or Herodias lie in your bosoms especially let the right eye be pulled out and the right hand be cut off Matth. 5 29. the Delictum dilectum as Aug. calls it let that go Thou hast not given thy self to God so long as thou hast a Peccatum in deliciis entertained and cherished by thee O what subtile insinuations and pleadings are there in our hearts for sin pray answer them with abhorrence and detestation Their great plea is the smalness of the sin Gen. 19 20. they say as Lot of Zoar Is it not a little one O beloved do not hearken to your naughty hearts can any sin be little that is the violation of an holy Law and committed against a great God Though it be but petty Treason will you make nothing of it will not little sins leave much guilt and so do you much mischief Many little sums make the account swell to a great sum little sands make the great mountains and little drops make the great Ocean Do not little sins make way for great sins Si curare parva negligimus insensibiliter seducti audenter etiam major a perpetramur Gregor Mor. l. 10. c. 14. He that allows himself in a little sin will not long stay there he 'l go on to greater sins If the little Thief get into the house the great ones will not be out long Little sippings end in drunkenness if they be often reiterated as well as full draughts the cloud that is very small at the first in a little time over-spreads the whole Heaven The * See Dr. Taylor of Repent p. 127. less the sin the higher the contempt for this shews that the soul can break with God for a very trifle O do not stand mincing of the matter if it be a sin have nothing to do with it 2. Let no duty be baulked To do all that God commands and therefore because God commands it this is a most certain evidence of a gracious heart And shall it be so with you O the time is hastening when one good evidence of sincerity will be more to you than all your Writings Deeds Evidences for your worldly possessions you cannot have a better than this to conform to the whole will of God in doing all that he requires and therefore labour after it Saul did something but he did not all that was commanded and that lost him his Kingdom How many lose Heaven by their being partial in the law of God As for duties that are easie and safe they can submit to them but as to those that have much of difficulty and danger in them here they shrink and beg Gods excuse As you love your souls take heed of this let the duty be never so painful let flesh and blood never so much oppose it be it never so contrary to your carnal interests and inclinations doth it expose you to never so many hazards losses crosses in the world yet if it hath Gods stamp and impress upon it yield obedience to it O this is dedication indeed Suppose it should be the offering up of an only son suppose it should be pray and die or own a reproached scorned persecuted Christ or taking up the cross of Christ and forsaking all for him I say suppose it should be this or that will you say Lord let it be what it will I will do it according to my strength this is to be a Christian O consider there 's the same authority for all duties that God who enjoyns the one enjoyns the other also There is such a connexion betwixt them that if you leave out one you leave out all * He that customarily c. breaks any one Commandment ventures to violate that Authority which by one and the same ordination made the whole Law equally binding and by consequence is habitually and in praeparatione Animi a transgressâ—r of the whole Law Reyn. Life of Christ p. 507. one allowed omission or commission is a violation of the whole law so you have it expresly Jam. 2.10 11. 'T is a good speech of * De Provid L. 3. Salvian Non est justa causatio cur praeferantur aliqua ubi facienda sunt omnia There can be no just reason of preferring some duties before others when all is to be done And again Quando servus ex Domini sui jussis ea facit tantummodo quae velit jam non Dominicam implet voluntatem sed suam When the servant picks and chuses in his masters commands and only doth what he himself hath a mind to he doth not do his masters will but his own Many such considerations might be alledged but I must contract O fulfil after God let the duty be what it will 't is good the assistance of God shall make it easie and the recompence of God shall make it gainful This is the first thing your dedication must be entire and I have shewn wherein the entireness of it consists 2. Secondly Let your dedication be constant and perpetual or let it be for constancy and perpetuity As it must be entire without reserves so it must be constant or for constancy without limitation of time This is further requisite to the truth and reality of Personal Dedication * Perpetua ac solida sunt quae vera sunt simulata non perseverant Ambros Officior l. 2. c. 22. what is true is lasting what is feigned is not so Paint soon washes off but the colour that is natural abides and is permanent 'T is perseverance and constancy which makes the difference betwixt professor and professor and so betwixt Dedication and Dedication Do you desire to dedicate your selves to the blessed God and to do this to purpose Then do it for for ever let it be for all the days of your life Luke 1.75 Thus David did Psal 119.112 I have enclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway even unto the end And verse 117. I will have respect unto thy statutes continually O blessed David not so much because a
one for worldly self is sinful self and so the membra dividentia are not opposita 1. Sinful self must be denied Till the heart be disengaged and disintangled from sin and freed from the love and dominion of sin a man will never give himself to God so long as there is any one lust predominant let it be what it will there will be a keeping off from God Never did any dedicate himself to God but first sin was subdued in him after this is once done self-dedication follows in course Therefore begin with the heart see that the power of sin be broken there as the Priests in the cleansing of the Temple 2 Chron 29.16 they first began with the inner part of it and fetch'd out all the uncleanness that was there So do you if you would be the Lords by donation and resignation of your selves look into the heart purge out that sin that is there get every corruption mastered put it away with detestation and then you are in your way A man shall find if at any time he doth but think of dedicating himself to God if there be any one sin reigning in him this will make him hang off from God and it will smother all inclinations in him to that which I am upon O therefore down with sinful self as sin goes down God goes up in the soul 2. Farther worldly self must be denied for the carnal worldly part in the sinner always sets it self against God O what suggestions reasonings solicitations doth this follow him with to keep him off from God! Till a man therefore be crucified to the world Gal. 6.14 and that earthly part that is in him be removed there 's nothing to be done The young man in the Gospel did seem to bid fair for this dedication but his heart being unmortified to the world that spoil'd all Luke 18.22 23. God and the world cannot have the heart at the same time the heart cannot be given to God if the world hath the prepossession of it O begin your work at the right end take a right method that you may make something of it Would you set upon dedication-work begin with crucifixion-work Gal. 5.24 let those earthly affections that are in you be crucified get the Moon under your feet Rev. 12.1 be dead to present things Col. 3.3 look upon all here below Philip. 3.8 as dross and dung pull the world off from the throne do this first and then you will certainly surrender up your selves to God This is the second means I am the shorter in it because you have so many helps elsewhere about it 3. The third is Prayer In consideration you plead with your selves in Prayer you plead with God the former will not avail without the latter A man may think and think to eternity and yet be but where he was if God by his mighty power doth not do the work Self-dedication is our act but 't is done in Gods strength Isa 26.12 Thou hast wrought all our works in us The desire of it is of God the actual performance of it is of God He worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure Philip. 2.13 As none can come to the Son unless the Father draw him Joh. 6.44 so none can dedicate himself to the Father without the efficacious Almighty drawings and workings of the Spirit First the heart is framed to this by divine grace and then the person gives himself to God The giving self surrendring resolving separating covenanting God-glorifying part of dedication are each of them all of them of God all brought about by a supernatural power Reason may suggest much to further this but it will never produce it in the soul O therefore pray call in Gods help set your selves to beg this frame and you shall prevail The work is as good as done when your hearts in prayer are drawn out after it Go often to the throne of Grace and plead thus with the God of all Grace Blessed Lord I would fain dedicate my self to thee the desire of my soul is that I may live and act that of which here I have read so much I have been my own too long now I would be thine entirely thine everlastingly thine but I 'm a poor weak creature and not only unable to come up to this but naturally I 'm averse to it O do thou help me do thine own work in me give to me that I may give my self to thee draw me and I will run O illuminate my understanding bow my will rectifie my affections work me up to self-denial set in with consideration and fully convince me O for Christs sake do not leave me in my natural non-dedicated condition encline mine heart to an universal subjection to thee Do that in me and for me which all creatures in Heaven and Earth cannot do Let my condition in the world be what thou pleasest but Lord let me be in the number of those few who do sincerely devote themselves to thee O glorifie the riches of thy grace towards me and let the day of thy power arise upon my soul and in spight of all opposition do thy work in me that Personal Dedication may end in eternal glorification Thus Pray and God will hear CHAP. 7. Some things in special urged upon the people of God in reference to their Dedication HItherto I have been speaking to men as they lie in the general lump or mass I will now direct my discourse to the people of God whom he hath singled and called out of this mass I will leave a few things with them and so close up this first Head of Personal Dedication You therefore that are Saints to be sure you have done that which I have been pressing upon others for you are Saints which you could not be without Personal Dedication this being the very forma constituens or that which makes you to be so 'T is observable how Gods people are described and set forth in Scripture by those things which imply and connote Dedication The Temple was dedicated the Saints are the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.17 2 Cor. 6.16 The first fruits were dedicated the Saints are first fruits Jam. 1.18 Revel 14.4 The Priests were dedicated the Saints in a spiritual sense are such 1 Pet. 2.5 Rev. 1.6 It being thus with you that you are dedicated persons let me commend the ensuing particulars to you 1. First I would have you often to revive upon your thoughts your holy and solemn Dedication 'T is easier to think of it than to do it and it would be of great use and much to the advantage of the people of God if they would often think of this How would this further Humiliation when they come short in their duty How would this excite and quicken them to every thing that is good be it never so hard and difficult How would this engage them to universal holiness this being nothing but what
is in the compass and tenor of their dedication How would this fortifie against all the arguings reasonings solicitations of the flesh and make a person to say to the flesh O let me alone I must not hearken to thee for I have given my self to God How would this if it was but duly thought of make Christians to be above the world so as not to be allured by its good nor affrighted by its evil How would this ennoble and greaten the spirits of such did they but consider who they are by vertue of their Dedication The Orator tells us He that knows himself Qui se novit primùm aliquid se habere sentiet Divinum ingenium in se suum sicut simulachrum aliquod Dedicatum putabit Tull. de Leg. l. 2. will perceive there is something divine in him he will esteem his wit parts to be like some Image under a solemn dedication O if the Saints did but aright know themselves they would judge of themselves as having something divine in them their persons parts graces comforts their All being in a manner sacred because dedicated O that you that are Saints would often remember your Dedication this would produce excellent effects many more than what I can here mention 'T is not now to be made but 't is now to be thought of Did we but think of our dedication we should not carry it as we do I speak it with much confidence How doth the power and obligation of the first dedication insensibly abate in us because we do so seldom revive it upon our thoughts 2. Secondly Be true to your Dedication You are true in it you are not as those who flatter God with their mouth and lye unto him with their tongue for their heart is not right with him they are not stedfast in his covenant as 't is Psal 78.36 37. This is not a thing that you speak of or talk of or profess to come up to but you have indeed heartily unfeignedly dedicated your selves to God O as you are true in it be true to it as you are sincere in your entrance be so in your performance Take heed of being false to God and to your Dedication 'T is recorded of the persons whom Hezekiah imployed that they brought in the Offerings the Tithes and the Dedicate things faithfully 2 Chron. 31.12 I do but allude to it you and yours are dedicate things O deal faithfully with God about them Wherein Answ Do not go about to rescind or recal your Dedication Under the Law things dedicated or devoted to the Lord were not to be alienated 'T is very expresly prohibited Levit. 27.28.29 You are so devoted to God will you go about to null or alter or revoke this Would you be free again to prostitute your selves to sin and to the world Would you get off from the bonds that you have entred into I know you would not Keep up your Dedication and walk answerably to it As the Apostle exhorts the Philippians Only saith he let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel Philip. 1.27 So let me say to you O let your conversation be as becomes your Dedication Let there be a suitableness 'twixt your actings and it often put this question to your selves doth this and that become my dedication This is that which I must order my actings by Let the consideration of this put you upon holiness both in the negative and also in the positive part thereof What Shall I sin I that have given my self to God shall I sin Shall sin be lodg'd in that heart committed in that life which I have set apart for God Shall I weaken and falsifie my solemn dedication O sin thou hast nothing to do with me I will have nothing to do with thee for I am wholly the Lords I hâ—ve too often made a breach upon my solemn engagements and have been too false to my God but I will be so no more I will rather break with thee than with God and therefore let me alone O that we could vigorously resist sin and all temptations thereunto because of our Dedication Deut. 27.9 10. Take heed and hearken O Israel this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God and do his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day Josh 24.22 23. And Joshua said unto the people Ye are witnesses against your selves that ye have chosen the Lord to serve him And they said we are witnesses now therefore put away said he the strange Gods which are amongst you and encline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel You read of the sons of Athaliah that they broke up the house of God and also all the dedicate things of the house of the Lord they bestowed upon Baalim 2 Chron. 24.7 was not this great wickedness What will you do less if you take your dedicate persons and imploy them in the service of a base lust If you harbour any known sin you are not true to your Baptismal and Actual dedication Can that woman be look'd upon as true to her conjugal obligation that admits of corrivals and competitors with her Husband and deflowers his bed Are you faithful to God if you love any thing in comparison of him or in competition to him and suffer some hellish lust to defile you O put away sin keep close to God be holy then you act like your selves a proud sensual worldly barren sinful conversation is very unbecoming such as you are I have plainly set before you the things in which your dedication doth consist will you live up to every one of them Let me add but this further If you would be true to your dedication stand to it be fixed and stedfast as to what you have done God is firm to you be you firm to him Have you not made a good choice O stick to it Have you not put your selves into good hands and disposed very well of your selves in giving them to God Can you be better than where you are Can you mend your selves by leaving God Joh. 6.67 68. Will ye also go away Lord saith Peter to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life Have you met with any thing in God or in his ways to give you any just occasion of repenting as to what you have done Jer. 2.5 What iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me Did you indent with God for but such a time and is that expired that you will call in your Indentures or did you enter upon his ways as Actors come upon the Stage to act a part for an hour or two and then all is over or did you take him upon trial as masters do their servants that in case you liked him not you might put him off again Will you turn Apostates Having laid your hands upon the Plough Luke 9.62 will you look back Having begun in
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
resolve we also will give up our selves to God as you have done Bernard hath an expression Major est in amore Dei qui plures traxerit ad amorem Dei He is highest in the love of God you may understand it both of active and also of passive or objective love who hath drawn most to the love of God You cannot in an higher way manifest your love to God or procure Gods love to you than by promoting this blessed self-dedication in others O lay out your selves in order to this and let your endeavours extend to all but especially to your near and dear relations do not suffer a child a servant to continue in a state of alienation from God But this I shall have occasion more to dwell upon under the next Head of Domestick dedication Let me conclude this with the words of that Divine Poet Mr. Herbert Pag 96 97. which are very apposite to my purpose My God if writings may Convey a Lordship any way Whither the buyer and the seller please Let it not thee displease If this poor paper do as much as they On it my Heart doth bleed As many Lines as there doth need To pass it self and all it hath to thee To which I do agree And here present it as my special deed If that hereafter Pleasure Cavil and claim her part and measure As if this passed with a reservation Or some such words in fashion I here exclude the wrangler from thy treasure Wherefore I all forego To one word only I say No. Where in the deed there was an intimation Of a gift or donation Lord let it now by way of purchase go He that will pass his land As I have mine may set his hand And heart unto this deed when he hath read And make the purchase spread To both our goods if he to it will stand How happy were my part If some kind man would thrust his heart Into these lines till in Heavens Court of rolls They were by winged souls Entred for both far above their desert 6. Sixthly I have but this farther to say Let Saints take the comfort of their Dedication O what a rich mine of heavenly consolation am I fallen upon if I could but go to the bottom of it but that I cannot do Have you entirely dedicated your selves to God Can you go over all the branches of it and say you find them all in your selves What shall I say what may I not say for the comforting of you You have Grace and Grace indeed for as hath been said what is grace but Personal Dedication You are sometimes much in the dark about your spiritual state you know not what to think of your selves because of the many discouragements which you meet with in the power and prevalency of corruption c. Can you say this of your selves You have entirely unreservedly fixedly heartily devoted and dedicated your selves to God if so you may take the comfort of a saving work in you when other evidences are blotted and blurr'd if this be legible 't is enough this is an abiding discovery of sincerity and the truth of grace How dear and precious are you in the sight of God! The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 His as by his own Election so by their own dedication The Lord knoweth such not with a bare simple intuitive knowledge but with a knowledge of delight and special approbation God hath your heart and you have his You say to God we are thine there 's the sum of duty and God says to you I am yours there 's the sum of mercy God hath your drop and you have his Ocean You think nothing enough for him he thinks nothing too much for you his Self his Son his Spirit his Heaven his own glory he gives it all to you Surely God intends you nothing but good because he hath so graciously accepted of your offering which is your selves I allude to that of Manoah to his wife Judg. 13.23 You may take this and plead it with God upon all occasions Psal 119.94 I am thine save me Are you in dangers plead from this for protection Are you in wants plead from this for provision Lord I have given my self to thee wilt thou not give me food and raiment I desire no more Lord here 's the Covenant on my part I desire to make it good here 's the Covenant on thy part shall not that be made good then give me bread Psal 111.5 And so for higher mercies O it 's a blessed thing ingerere Deo suam syngrapham as Aug. says his mother Monica used to do to in-mind God and to argue with him from his Covenant Are you in straits you may plead from this for direction But alas I cannot speak out half of that blessedness which belongs to you upon this act Let me conclude with that which is the Zenith of all Personal Dedication shall most certainly end in Eternal Salvation That self which is here dedicated shall be hereafter saved and that which is a poor self here shall be a glorious self hereafter If this be not enough for comfort I know not what is And so let me end this first part of my Discourse with that which shall never end The End of the First Part. Domestick Dedication The Second Part. CHAP. I. Of Domestick Dedication in general Some things premised about it I Have at last got over the Dedication of the Person now the Dedication of the House comes next to be spoken to which I must be the shorter upon because I have been so long in coming to it This is that which was chiefly nay only in my eye when I first engaged my thoughts in this work The Text directed me to this for it speaks of House-Dedication only and the present posture business concern of you the Citizens of London directed me to the Text. You are very busie in re-building your Houses which for some considerable time have lay'n in ashes and I pray God to prosper and encourage you therein But my heart's desire is also that you may dedicate as well as build that as your Houses shall be finished for your use and service they may also be devoted to the use and service of God I could not when I have walked in the Streets indeed since the dismal Fire they may rather be called Roads than Streets and saw here and there a few Houses going up but wish and pray Oh that these Houses whenever they are built whosoevers they are might be dedicated to God! My thoughts and desires working much this way I resolved by God's assistance to do something that might further a thing so excellent and so desirable and thereupon I entred upon this Work though with much discouragement partly from the sense of my inward unfitness for such an undertaking and partly from those bodily Infirmities which a late have been upon me and have very much indisposed and disabled me for study To come then to that
Family-worship is a duty incumbent upon every Master or Governour he is to take care of it to see that the blessed God in his House have that Religious respect and homage which is due unto him Indeed this is the main the first thing that he is to look after The Jews besides their Temple-worship had also their Family-worship which the Master of the House was to perform The Paschal-Lamb was to be eaten in every Family there was to be a Lamb for an House Exod. 12.3 this was Family-worship in part You read of David 2 Sam. 6.20 He returned to bless his Houshold Upon the bringing of the Ark into the Tabernacle O his heart was full of joy and this he had made great discoveries of before the people now he 'l go to his own Family and bless them and spiritually rejoyce with them in Prayer and Praise in the sense of this great mercy O that every day your Housholds might be blessed by you by the administration and performance of Worship and Duty in them I will not any longer insist upon Generals but presently come to those particular Family-duties which I would press upon you The first is Prayer Family-Prayer for I intend not to meddle with the other kinds of Prayer but only to limit my self to this Set up Prayer in your Houses let your Families be praying Families O if it was the Lords will that we might not have in all this City one Non-praying Family God will have his House to be an House of Prayer Mat. 21.13 My House shall be called the House of Prayer Isa 56.7 Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my House of Prayer u. Let it be so with you let your Houses be Houses of Prayer then they will resemble the House of God You must enter upon them by Prayer that I have spoke to but besides this there must be a constant course of Prayer maintained and carried on in them 'T is true we have not any positive or express Command in the Word in which this duty of Family-Prayer is in so many Letters and Syllables enjoined but we have enough in it to ground solid Inferences upon which are sufficient to evince and prove the duty Eph. 6.18 we are commanded to pray with all Prayer and Supplication i. e. with all kinds of Prayer Family-Prayer is one kind of Prayer and therefore we are bound to the performance of it The Prophet imprecates wrath upon the Families that do not call upon God Jer. 10.25 Therefore 't is a duty lying upon Families so to do for it can only be the omission of an unquestionable duty that exposes a person to wrath Many such things might be insisted upon but I shall wave them my business being rather to exhort than to argue That I may prevail with you to set up Prayer in your Houses consider the following Motives 1. This is that which the people of God have always done Where Grace hath been in the heart prayer hath been in the House as Personal Prayer so Family Prayer hath always accompany'd the work of regeneration The Scripture sets many examples before us for the proof of this Mention is often made of Abraham's calling upon God as Gen. 12.8 Gen. 13.4 Gen. 21.33 26.25 We may well suppose that this was done sometimes in conjunction with his family they being with him in his intinerant posture Esther the Queen fasted and pray'd with her Maidens Esth 4.16 Job that offered Sacrifice continually for his Children as 't is Job 1.5 doubtless he did not omit the offering of Sacrifices with his Children What was David's blessing of his Houshold mentioned but now but his praying and praising with his family 'T is said of Cornelius He feared God with all his House and he prayed to God alway Act. 10.2 The connexion seems chiefly to refer to family-prayer If these places of Scripture and examples be not so convincing and cogent as to the duty in hand and its inseparable conjunction with the truth of Grace then you may add what your observation and experience doth readily offer to you Look abroad a little into the world observe how it is with men upon Conversion As soon as ever God hath wrought a saving work in them Behold they pray Acts 9.11 and that in their Families too Before this work alas they pray'd not in their Houses from week to week from year to year but no sooner did God seise upon them in a saving manner but immediately they set up Prayer in their Houses Vniversal experience offers it self for the proof of this Well then let this quicken you to this practise Pray in your Families for if you be gracious renewed sanctified you will do thus this is to carry it as regenerate persons this will be a good evidence that you are really God's people whereas the neglect of this will be a sad evidence that you are none of them I will trust a godly man for Family-prayer He may indeed for sometime being under the power of some Temptation or having taken in some erronious principle omit this duty but if he be a truly godly man he will come to it again 2. Family-prayer hath much excellency in it Prayer in all the kinds of it is very excellent There 's Secret-prayer that 's excellent O for the Soul to be with God alone treating with him in private about its everlasting concernments spreading its more special and particular wants corruptions temptations burdens before him Gen. 32.24 Jacob-like wrestling with him for this and that blessing surely this is excellent There 's publick Prayer when the Saints go together in a * Coimus ad Deum quasi manu factâ precationibus ambiamus Haec vis Deo grata est Tertul. Apolog c. 39. body and offer an holy violence to the Kingdom of Heaven join all their force and strength together for the obtaining of mercy this is excellent Family-prayer comes betwixt these 't is private and yet in part 't is publick 't is publick and yet in part 't is private this is excellent too In respect of its general Nature 't is excellent for 't is Prayer and all Prayer hath excellency stampt upon it in respect of its usefulness benefits precious effects 't is excellent it procures mercies keeps off judgments sanctifies all enjoyments preserves an holy awe of God in the Soul puts a savour and rellish upon all comforts furthers Grace here Glory hereafter All this is done by Family-prayer duely performed is it not excellent will you live in your Houses without it will you lose so great a part of Religion and that too which is so much to your own advantage and to the advantage also of all that co-habit with you Fire is good you 'l have it Food is good you 'l have it Air is good you 'l have it Prayer is good too nay better than all these will you not have that also 3. There are proper
will men say What need we to trouble our selves about Prayer in our Houses when such a neighbour or such a neighbour who go for Professors omit it as well as we And will not the sad effects of this reach to thyself too will not the fervor of thy affections towards God very much abate will not grace insensibly decline will not the power of Godliness languish wilt thou not be at a stand nay wilt thou not go backwards in Heavens way canst thou do any thing more to gratifie Satan Do but observe how it is with persons who cast off Family-prayer or perform it very seldom and in a careless negligent manner and tell me then whether I speak truth or not We read of one Baldwyn Archbishop of Canterbury Pope Vrban writing to him he stiles him Girald Itiner Camb. L. 2. C. 14. Monachum ferventissimum Abbatem calidum Episcopum tepidum Archiepiscopum remissum He was whilst a Monk very fervent when an Abbot then but hot when a Bishop then but lukewarm when an Archbishop then he was key-cold That effect which preferment had upon this person the neglect of secret and Family-prayer hath upon Christians it makes them by little and little to cool in their spiritual heat and in time to come to just nothing you that profess God do not you live what ever others do without this Heavenly duty This in General to urge Family-Prayer It will be asked How often are men to pray in their Families I answer Every day morning and evening The Jews they offered burnt-offerings unto the Lord according to the custom as the duty of every day required Ezra 3.4 that is they offered burnt-offerings morning and evening See v. 3. They had their morning and their evening Sacrifice every day that 's clear from 2 Chron. 31.3 and from several other Scriptures So here you that are Masters of Families * See Whole Duty of Man p. 110. morning and evening in your Houses there must be Prayer oftner if you please but to be sure not seldomer This must be the Alpha and the Omega of every day you must begin and end all with God Hinc omne Principium huc refer exitum Horat. Prayer as one expresses it must be the key to open all in the morning and the Bar to shut up all at night Sit oratio Clavis Diei Sera Noctis 'T is not enough now and then to give God a prayer under some sudden pang of devotion but there must be a daily constant performance of it As to * Morning Prayer I cannot ope mine eyes But thou art ready there to catch My morning soul and sacrifice Then we must needs for that day make a match Herb. Poem p. 54. is it not sweet Is it not good when the body hath been refreshed by sleep in the night to get by prayer in the morning some refreshment for the Soul to begin so as to get an heavenly tincture and savour upon the heart all the day after Have not mercies been received in the night must they not be acknowledged Do not renewed mercies call for renewed praises Do not you need God in the day in sundry respects and will you not therefore go to him and plead with him * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V Ch rond in Pythag. Fragm p. 205. Is it not reason that God should have the precedency will you serve the world before you serve God what a preposterous thing is that Is not this the way to prosper in your enterprizes to be blessed in your undertakings all the day Is not this true that work on earth is done best when work with Heaven is done first as one says Psal 5.3 O in the morning let God hear your voice in the morning do you direct your prayer to Him both alone and also with your Family 'T is the custome of some in this City they pray in their Houses at Night but not at the morning Surely this is an omission God appointed the morning as well as the Evening sacrifice Is there not reason for the one as well as the other Shall we say of Prayer what bloody Gardiner once said of the Doctrine of Justification by Faith that it was good Supper-doctrine but not so good to break fast on I say shall we say this of Prayer And then as to Prayer at Night O do not dare to lie down at night before you have sued out the pardon of the sins of the day past acknowledged mercies received and solemnly put you and yours under God's Almighty Protection Who knows what a Night may bring forth O how many amazing Accidents may fall out before the morning and therefore first commit your selves to God by fervent prayer and then lie down to take your rest I put in Fervent prayer for this indeed is the only prayer God will not be put off with dull dead sleepy devotions he will have you pray in prayer you do nothing if you do not pray with holy fervour Jam. 5.17 As neglects of Prayer are very evil so negligences in prayer are very evil also When you are about God's work take heed of doing it negligently lest you meet with a curse instead of a blessing Jerem. 48.10 I cannot dismiss this Exhortation to Family-prayer though I have been long upon it before I answer a few Objections that many are too ready to make against it 1. Object Say some We pray in secret for our selves and for our Families must we pray with them too Ans Yes Secret prayer is very good a great evidence of sincerity you do very well in making conscience of it but withal you must make conscience too of Family-prayer both are of divine Institution and the one must not thrust out the other Indeed I can hardly believe that you pray in secret See Guâ—n Christ. Arm. 3d. part ch 40. pag. 421. unless you pray in your Houses also He that is sincere in one duty will be sincere in every duty You may do your Relations much good when you are alone in praying for them but probably you will do them more good when 't is not only praying for them but praying for them and with them too for now they too are in God's way and so more capable of Divine impressions and Divine blessings 2. Obj. Others say We go to Church on the Lord's day with our Families and there we pray is not this enough Ans No That-God who requires publick prayer requires Family-prayer also and the whole will of God must be observed O how soon are men cloy'd with duty They never think they have enough of the world but they soon think they have enough of duty You do not give God all of his Sacred Time will you give him no part of your Common Time Will you be Christians on the Lords day and Heathens all the week after And wherein are you better than Heathens in your Families if no religious exercises be there performed
to sing praises unto thy name O most High c. Psal 100.2 Serve the Lord with gladness come before his presence with singing O the admirable mercies that you are to commemorate upon this day That ever to be adored Work of your redemption by Christ is to be fresh upon your thoughts this day should not this put you upon singing of Psalms That you enjoy the Gospel are admitted into God's presence sit under his Ordinances meet with God in them these are signal mercies do you rejoice in them and will you not by Singing manifest your thankeful resentment of them I press you upon nothing but what hath been the custome of the people of God from age to age they would not let a Sabbath pass without singing of Psalms in their Families Set up this duty I intreat you it may possibly expose you to some derision and scorn from your carnal Neighbours but who will value the scoffs of Michals in the discharge of Duty O that as persons walk in the streets they might hear in many Houses in this City praying reading the Word repetition of Sermons singing of Psalms what a comfortable hearing would that be how doth it rejoice my heart when I hear this at any time When God hath inclined you to the duty then be careful that you perform it in a right manner I do not know any part of Worship wherein men do more generally miscarry than in this which I am upon O let it be so manag'd that you may please God profit your selves and edifie one another David's Psalms must be sung with David's Spirit as 't is usually expressed See that the heart be in the duty Ephes 5.19 Making melody in your heart to the Lord. There must be the external voice but the main thing is the Heart David would have both imployed in this service Psal 57.7 My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise v. 8. Awake up my glory c. He means his Tongue and he calls it his glory because that was the member by which he praised and so glorified God So Psal 108.1 O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise even with my glory And Psal 71.23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee and my soul which thou hast redeemed I say look to the Heart that that be in the duty without this the voice is but bodily exercise and that profits not 1 Tim. 4.8 'T is the Heart that God minds the suavity tune ableness modulation of the voice is nothing to him 't is the melody of the Heart which pleases him Let the Heart and the whole Heart be engaged in this work See Psal 103.1 Luk. 1.46 Mind what you are about attend to the matter that you sing so Chrysost opens that of the Apostle of making melody in the heart by attending with understanding Many sing but they do not mind what they sing take heed of this Cum in conspectu Dei cantas Psalmos hoc tract a in mente quod cantas in voce 〈◊〉 modo bene vivendi Serm. 52. saith Bernard And let the Heart be affected and wrought upon by this every duty should have some influence and impression upon the heart and this too as well as any other should have this effect Doth the Psalm present me with the glorious excellencies of God the glorious works of God the precious mercies of God all this should affect my heart Is it a Psalm of Prayer of Praise whatever the matter be the Heart must be duly affected with it Vnderstand what you sing I will sing with understanding saith Paul 1 Cor. 14.15 though I conceive he speaks there of understanding rather in a Passive than in an Active sense Surely we cannot be affected with that which we do not understand And in an especial manner take heed that the carnal part being taken with the external melody do not steal away the Heart from God in the duty O how apt are we to be overcome by this the flesh is pleased and gratified by melodious and musical suavities and then the heart is lost and the spiritual part of the duty is lost How fully and Pathetically doth * Ita fluctuo inter periculum voluptatis salubritatis experimentum c. Quum tamen mihi accidit ut meam ampliùs cantus quam res quae canitur moveat poenaliter me peccare consiteor tum mallem non audire cantantem Ecce ubi sum Elete me cum pro me flete c. Aug. Confess lib. 10. cap. 33. Augustine bewail this as to himself But that I may shut up this See that you sing with grace in your Hearts as the Apostle commands Col. 3.16 Though you have not the faculty or skill of ordering your voices in so tuneable a manner yet be sure you sing with Grace in your Hearts This some do open by Thanksgiving or Thankfulness so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken 1 Cor. 15.57 2 Cor. 2.14 but the most by the exercise the actual stirrings up and excitations of Grace in the Heart or by gracious and holy dispositions of Heart O when you are singing let Grace be up as well as the voice let the one be stirred up as the other is lifted up let gracious affections desire love joy godly sorrow accompany you in the work such as are proper and suitable to the matter of the Psalm which is sung These things I could not but thus briefly hint to you And so I have done with the enforcing of the Second Branch of the Exhortation If you would advance Religion in your Houses and so dedicate them to God then set up the Worship of God the performance of Holy duties in your Families viz. Prayer Reading the Scriptures Singing of Psalmes I hope none will be offended because I have stay'd so long upon so common a subject and gone over that which Hundreds wrote of before 'T is true the subject is common but withal 't is of such importance that we cannot speak too much of it And as common as 't is I think 't is very rare I mean in men's practises Let the thing be done you shall hear no more of it from me but if not I hope some other person will re-assume this work and go over it again much more effectually and convincingly than I have done We must never let you alone till we have brought you to the doing of your duty And this both fidelity to our Master and also love to your Souls calls upon us for CHAP. VIII The Third Branch of the Exhortation urged viz. Religious Education I Go on to the Third Branch of the Exhortation As you desire to advance and set up Religion in your Houses let your Education of Children and others who are under your charge be religious That House cannot be look'd upon as dedicated to God where Religious Education is neglected Now the first step in this is Baptismal
where you promise your selves much comfort I heartily wish that all things may answer your expectation but pray enter upon them with this frame of dedicating or resigning up all to God to be improved for his service to be referred to his dispose What if God should bring another dismal Fire upon your Habitations or what if God some other way should see it necessary to call in his blessings are you willing to give up all to him to have all ordered by him Can you lay your Comforts Conveniencies Enjoyments at his feet let me tell you they are better placed when they are laid at God's feet then when they are laid too near your own hearts this is to carry it aright under Domestick mercies and to dedicate them to God O be not wanting in this Dedication As you must commit your Houses to God's Protection so you must submit your Houses and all blessings belonging to them to his holy will and wise dispose and then you act like Christians indeed CHAP. XI The Conclusion of the whole Discourse I Have brought you now just to the shore where I will land you immediately I have thorough God's gracious 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 Arguments 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 blessed 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 aside 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 account 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 ineffective and successless as to the promoting of the Salvation of your precious 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 under 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 indifferent 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 speaking 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 Fathers 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 fierceness 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 judgments 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 fierceness of Gods wrath Providential dispensations 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 proceedings but by the yielding of our selves to him Self-dedication and House-dedication will prevent City-desolation O therefore let Self-love if nothing else will prevail and love to this poor City put you upon Self-dedication 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 consecrated or dedicated for us thorough the vail that is to say his flesh I meddle 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 consecration for us shall not we now dedicate 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 common conversation to enter into Covenant 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 further intreat you to dedicate your Houses 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 dedicated Houses Religion would put a greater beauty and glory upon it than all our new models in building O will you seriously weigh what hath been presented to you will you make your Entrance into your Houses with Prayer and Praise
before you Enter into covenant with God and then you may look upon all your mercies as covenant mercies How sweet is it when they are not only common mercies but they are covenant mercies the bread is covenant-bread the apparel is covenant-apparel and so in the rest what a relish doth this give to a mercy when it flows upon us through the Covenant Enter into covenant with God your seed will reap the benefit of this upon your covenanting with God God makes over himself to you and to your seed also Gen. 17.7 In doing this you do that which may be a blessing to your posterity when you are dead and gone Enter into covenant with God till this be done what have you to do with the Lords Supper How dare uncovenanting persons come to that ordinance the end of which is the sealing ratification confirmation of the covenant of grace They that have not come into this covenant surely the seal of it doth not belong to them O 't is an awakening consideration till thou hast struck up a covenant with God every time thou comest to the Sacrament thou makest thy self guilty of the body and blood of Christ and thou eatest and drinkest damnation to thy self 1 Cor. 11.27 29. I intreat you to consider these things and let them prevail with you to yield up your selves by covenant to the Lord. Have you done this already This indeed you professed to do in your Baptism but have you done it in good earnest Are ye agreed with God upon the terms In covenants the parties must be agreed upon the terms or else they will not proceed to covenant Are God and you agreed upon the terms They are these that you should put away your sins break your league with Hell Isa 28.15 submit your selves to God to be ruled by him be holy conform to his laws Do you like these terms It cannot be expected that ever you should enter into covenant with God till you approve of and assent to his terms and conditions Pray like them they are very good there 's nothing to be said against them who should rule you but God Who will rule you so well as God Are not his laws so excellent that you may well be subject to them Is not sin such an evil thing that you may well part with it Have you any reason to be in league with it which will be the ruin of your souls for ever Princes will make their leagues with them that may help them in a strait O can sin the world help you in a time of affliction under troubles of conscience at the hour of death at the day of judgment God will be a good confederate to help in all these Fall upon your sins and so enter into Covenant with God Anciently they used to offer sacrifices when they made their Covenants Psal 50.5 Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice What 's the sacrifice that you are now to offer up in your covenanting with God Let it be first your selves and then your sins your selves as a living sacrifice your sins as a sacrifice slain The Apostle speaks of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.1 a living sacrifice give your persons to God as a living sacrifice but now your sins like the sacrifices in the law they must be slain O crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Gal. 5.24 Destroy the body of sin Rom. 6.6 let out the very heart-blood of your bosome corruptions This is the way to enter aright into covenant with God As he confirmed his Covenant in the blood of his son so we must begin our covenant in the blood of our sins But I will add no more upon this wherein I have been so large because of the great importance of the matter Dr. Preston of the New Cov. Ball Bulkely Ruther ford Sedgw. c. and yet I must again refer you to our worthy Divines who have pressed this duty upon men much more convincingly than I can do I promised to speak something touching the explicitness of our covenanting with God but I have in part prevented my self as to that in what I have laid down concerning the explicitness of our dedication And if any desire to be further informed about this they may look into that excellent Treatise cited in the Margent Vindic. of Godliness par 1. p. 201. c. where they will find both motives and also directions about express explicit covenanting with God 6. In the sixth and last place I have but one thing more to stir you up to and then I shall close this Use and that is this Devote your selves to the glory of God David here pens this Psalm in order to the dedicating of his House and he begins it thus verse 1. I will extol thee O Lord c. and he would thus extol God not only by praise but in the course of his life this should be his great design and business To be set for the glorifying of God this is a great thing in our Dedication He that truly dedicates himself to God devotes himself to the glory of God I cannot deny but that this is included in what hath gone before yet because 't is not so plain and express there as I would have it it being a point of so great consequence and so inseparable from personal Dedication therefore I will speak to it here distinctly and by it self And I conceive there is not such a coincidence and coalition betwixt this and the foregoing Heads but that there is some difference As for example take subjection to the will of God he that acts in obedience to this and fully resigns up himself to it he may be said to devote himself to the glory of God this being the true way of glorifying God But here I bring in this upon another account which will somewhat diversifie it from the other There you have that which doth materially tend to the glory of God from the nature of the action but here I am considering the aim and the intention of the person He that obeys God doth that which brings glory to him he that devotes himself to the glory of God doth not only do that but this is that which he aims at and intends There 't is finis operis here 't is finis operantis As a worthy person speaks concerning holiness and godliness Dr. Manton upon Jude p. 200. This saith he is the difference between them holiness more properly implieth a conformity to the Law and godliness an aim of the soul to exalt God so here I may distinguish as to that which I am upon but why do I trouble the Reader with niceties To the business in hand In general let me desire you very much to eye Gods glory let it be precious to you and let your hearts burn with an ardent zeal to promote and advance it in the world Doth he deserve the
name of a Christian whose soul is not set upon this O friends doth God set himself to further your good and will not you set your selves to further his glory Shall so much mercy be received from him and shall no glory be returned to him When Ahasuerus read in the Books how instrumental Mordecai had been to preserve his life he asks what honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this Esth 6.3 Pray do you call for the Book of mercies 't is a vast volume in every page and line 't is filled up with mercy read it a little there you 'l find creating mercy preserving mercy redeeming mercy and the many great things which God hath done for you Now ask what glory hath God had for all this I fear but very little how should this fill us with shame and grief O shall we not pay God his Quit-rent or his Rent-charge Doth he protect our persons estates houses c. shall we withhold his Tribute and Customs You know what I mean by this What a condescension is it that the great God will receive any honour from such poor worms as we are How should this raise and heighten our zeal Do any lose by promoting his glory In advancing God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhetor. we advance our selves by this we gain honour to our selves this is a thing that we are very ambitious of 't is a sweet morsel that we are very greedy of Now the best the surest way to attain this is for us to endeavour by all means to honour God for he tells us He will honour them that honour him 1 Sam. 2.30 The Romans so placed the Temple of honour that there was no coming at it but through the Temple of vertue Would you arrive at honour indeed never think to come to it but by your endeavours to exalt God To conclude this Do you expect to be glorifi'd with God in Heaven and shall not he be glorified by you on earth Doth not that deserve all you are or can do in order to the glorifying of God O set your selves therefore to further this glory of God If you may do it any way whether by doing or suffering Philip. 1.20 whether by life or death if Christ may be but magnified 't is no matter what it costs you and though you decrease and go down in the world if Christ may increase Joh. 3.30 and God may be honoured do you rejoyce How should we carry it like Persons indeed dedicated to God if we were thus zealous for Gods glory 't is not enough to talk of this or to do something in a slighty careless perfunctory manner in order to it but we must study plot contrive act to our utmost devote our selves to the glory of God More particularly I will leave two things with you 1. Let your deportment and conversation be such that God may be glorified Let your light so shine before men Matth. 5.16 that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven so Christ exhorts you The matter of our lives should be such or our lives materially considered should be such as that glory to God might result from them This glory of God lies in the displaying and manifesting of his glorious Attributes and excellencies to and before the world I speak of Gods manifestative glory Joh. 17.4 compar with verse 6. Numb 14.21 Levit. 10.3 Psal 72.19 You that profess your selves a dedicated people do you so live that you may display and manifest Gods infinite perfections that you may make them visible and conspicuous to the world live out the holiness wisdom mercy goodness of God that those that see your conversations may see much of God in them The Apostle speaks of holding forth the word of life Phil. 2.16 There is an holding forth of the God of life as well as of the word of life And the Saints are said to be a chosen generation a royal Priesthood a peculiar people that they should shew forth the vertues of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Dedicated persons must shew forth the excellencies of the blessed God in their deportment 't is not enough for them in their own thoughts to acknowledge and admire them but they must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew them forth to others O let us often put this enquiry to our selves Do we so live as that the Attributes of God are made visible and conspicuous in our conversations 2. Let the glory of God be your supream and main end both in the whole life and also in particular actions 1. As to the whole life take it in the lump and mass this should be every mans end in life to exalt God O Lord thou art my God I will exalt thee Isa 25.1 We live but what is the end which we propound to our selves in living Many carry it as though they propounded no end at all to themselves they come into the world and know not wherefore and then go out of the world they know not whither O that any should be so brutish what a sad thing is it when there shall be an end to terminate life that there is no end to raise and elevate life The most have an end but 't is not this end That which they aim at is to get wealth to be great in the world to please the flesh to pamper the sensual part to make provision for posterity c. But as to the glorifying of their Creator and Maker that they never intend This is sad are these ends fit for a man Much more are they fit for a Christian O that mens profession should be so high and their ends so low Let it be otherwise with you let the end of your life be Gods glory An end makes the man this end makes the Saint Here lies the excellency of a man above a beast he propounds an end to himself and acts accordingly Here lies the excellency of the Saint above a man his end is the glorifying of God this is a blessed end indeed let it be yours If you live live to God Rom 14.7 if you dye dye to God in both eye God as your principal end The person and the life are to be judged by the end when the glory of God is the end then person and life are truly excellent God judges not of men by particular acts but by their fixed and ultimate end O as life is derived from God let it be devoted to God As his mercy is the spring of life let his glory be the end of life What unspeakable comfort and holy confidence will this give you when you come to die if you be sincere in this At the ending of life 't is the end of life that is sweet 'T was so to Christ I have glorified thee on the earth c. And now O Father glorifie thou me c. Joh. 17.4 5. To