542 Whether well compofed Religious Vows Serm. 24.. I. What a Vow is, that we may know of what we (peak ? z. Whether a Vow may lawfully be made by us? . When it is well compofed for Religion's advantage ? 4: How much it furthereth Religion? 5. Whence this influ nce of a Vow upon Religious perfons ? o. What properul'e co makeof the Pofi: ion? I. General!. A Vow is a voluntary and deliberate Promife made unto Godinan Eft pro ; fo s i extrRordin:ary ea%e, It is a R(l; ou romi e made unto kel¡giofa fur p l God in a holy èfaUa Deo, rrlanner, fo a Modern writer definas ir. It is a * Holy and Rcligious Szegedin.loc. promire advir- ear4 and Petly made unto God, either to do or to omit yn. forrrezrhat which appeareth to be gratefull and well pleafng unto him. Eft Sanf #a So BuïanW. I forbear iviquirtai Ns definition of a Vow : If thefe & Religiofá I have given facisfie not, then view it in the words of Peter Martyr, crnfittto 7 a man o of repute and well known to our own ration in the dayes of corrjulto p q'onté,faflá ad Edwarsi the 6th of ever biefl^ed memory . a It ù a Holy Promife, where. atiqutd fader- by we bind our felves to offer fomernhat onto God. There is one more than velomit- who defines it, and he is a m3nwhofe judgment, Learning and H&i- led,qod il- nefs hash perfumed his Name, it is Learned Ptr ns in his Cafes of Con - li gratum q'' , lti accepturnfore /cience. Yaw (faith he) is a Promife made unto God of Things Law: coma;. Bucan. full and Pofble. loc. com. 4 {. Of thefe five defcriptions of a Vow, you may indifferently choofe a Ellfanfla which you will, for when you have chofen either of them and promiffiio q4.2 looked upon it, you will find it lay's an obligation upon theperfon nos obf}ringim y Deoaliquid vowing, and bind's him firi &ly and unalterably to perform his oblaturos effe. vows : for it is (a.) a prorrire b, it is not a Purpofe, not a fingle re- Pet. Mart. loc. folurion, much lefs is it the Deliberation of the mind concerning a com. de voti3. Deet matter not yet determined, but determinable on either part. A Vow r.s3.z3, isa Promife which had it's beginning in a ferions, due, and thorough Deliberation, which from Deliberation paffed into a Rational!, firong and fixed purpofe of doing what had been fo deliberated and Ne committal weighed :Nay further yet, a Vow paffeth into a formal!, and ex- tenter? voven- preis Promife, and fo makes the votary a debter. This part of a oc.>dercer. in Vow Solomon bath long lince prepared to our hands, Ecclef, 5.v.6. i Neq;dixeris Suffer not thy moo/Ito caufe thy flefb to fsnne, neither fay thou before to per errorem the angel that it was errour. Note what Solomon forbid's, viz. &7 imp rit den- cOffend not by rags vowing : Nor feek excufe by faying a it wu an er- tiam voviffe, roasr i. e. through miflake and imprudence thou haft vowed, not obferv- nec ores ing What thou diddeft when thou vowed(i. It muff be a deliberate, and dam a advifed a& of a man if he will duely vow to God. (z.) It is faid dam veneres. Mercer. in loc. £0 be voluntary , the thing' freak's it felt, a Vow mutt be free, it is injurious
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