5 So Whether well coz pofed Religious Voris Serra. 24. Vows. It fetfgrace on work, both in that part which eyes Cod to draw nelr-r,anu to keep c'ofer to him, and in that part which keeps eye on hn to prevent, mor.i_,r, and deftroy it : So then *ben a Chri- flian, ( having rceived, or being in expectation of tome extraordi- i ary mercy from God ) dot,h deliberately promife, what is l,:wfull in it feif , acceptable to God, proportioned to the mercy. -and, within his power to perform ; who fo cloth this cheerfully , at,d fincerely , that God may be honoured in the continued remembrance of it, in the pasblick declaring it, and in the exciting of grace, in the perfon Vowing; Thin bath a Chrif .:an well coanpofeei his Vow. And tuck a Vow d:th v.ry much further Religion : Winch will Sipp<ar by handling cl}e next thing, How rr,uch,or in whist things it dab further /n.:! promote Reli- 4 General, gin ? Now there are three grand concerns of Religion, than which How well coin- IC bath none greater; and all three are carried on and promoted by pfed Vows fuch Vows is thefe. promote Retigi. Fief} Religion hath its concernment in the credit and reputation The reedit of which it u, or the d it Iofe h , or nainech as it is ei lie honoured Religion. y g- or reproached by the Profeffors of it : Now when times of excraor- dinary danger drive us to our Prayers and Vows to the true God, and we refolve to have mercy from him , or t ) choofe to fall into his hand, this fats th ° credit and honour of Religion , that it can have recourfe to God whom we knew can deliver us, This is fome;what, but the making a Vow duth not fo much honour Religion as the per. forming of it dot!), when it is hereby declared to the world that Religion is the thing makes men the fame in their mercies, which they were in their diflrefles that the God they worfhip is the true God, able to require their Vows if they fhould negle& to pay them. A Heathen who in diftrefs makes a Vow , and in hi+ fafety performs it carefully, putteth a very high honour upon his falfe God , upon his Idol. What Chrif}ian foever makes and keeps his Vows duty do1h likewife put an honour on the true God. It honours, a. The power and providence of God, by acknowleding its Sovereign_ tp over all in the world, and its parricular di fpofing and over - ruling of as and our concerns , when thou Pra}` °ft and Vowefhin a ftraie, thou feerneft to tell the world thou helieveft that thy God rules the world by his power and providence. But when thou payefl thy Vows, thou really tetìifieft to the world that thou believeft, and owneft this pow- er to thy particular cafe ; fo when ye phrhah , when David paid. their Vows,
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