Berth. 24. elo not exceedingly promote Religion 543 injurious to extort a Promife from a man ; free choice fhould be the fprirg of every promife, much more of every Vow. The old Law empowred Tome perlons to difanull the vow of another, but no Law or reafon can empowre any one to enforce a Vow upon an- other, each one may forbear to vow, Deut. 23 v.22. (3.) As it muff be voluntary and deliberate, fo it mufb be to God alone ; we read Hill, if thou wilt vow, thou (halt vow to the Lord : Not to Angels with fuch as worfhip them, not to Saints with fuperaitiousPapifls, not to any man ; man may promife folemnly unto man, but he may not pow ; man may be the. witnefs of thy vow, but man may not be the obj:d. For the dependance of man upon man, is not great enough to warrant the one in vowing, or the other in expelling fuch a vow ; betide that, we mull not vow to one, we mull not pray to, nor can we expec`l help from mAn in cafes that are juil ground for, and which do require a vow from us. Which cafes (4.) I fay are extraordinary, and more than ufuall either from received mercy or hoped and exp:c`ied mercy ; It is impoffïble he fhould well compofe his vowes, or duely pay them, who makes ordinary, and daily cafes ground of his vowes ; we cannot but forget many an ordinary mercy received, but we may not, muff not forget any vow made We mull pray for every mercy we want, but we may not bind our (elves in the bonds of a vow for every mercy we pray for, this would inevi- tably call us upon the lip of falfehood and unfaichfullnefs in our vowes. But I proceed to the fecond thing to be enquired into, that is, Whe- ther is be lawful' in any cafe for us now under the NewTeflament to make a Vow ? That it was lawfull for the 7etm none have doubted, brt fcm2 doubr is made, whether a Chriftian may voluntarily bind him`t l f to God by making a Vow t The folution of this doubt is ne- 2. General. cclfi ty to our clrarer determination of this cafe, for if vowes were now unlawful'. to us, they could neither be well compofed, nor could they advantage Religion ; and if it may appear they may lawfully be Inn ¡de, then we may go on in the confideration of the remaining particulars. To this fecond then very briefly we anfwer, That a Chrifian may lawfully make a promife or Vow unto God, binding him. felf more than ordinarily unto God for, and in expeïfation of mercy, in force or other more than ordinary cafe or exigency. For a great mercy received already a Chritan may vow thankfullnefs , fora mercy not received but expe&ed, he may vow upon the receipt to tender to the Lord more than ufuall duty. Sncb rows at :hie day may be ufeet
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=