What aP'oli> io. The Sorts and Ufe of Vows. 9· r6. _Direll.ro. If imyth•t P.~ife/J Cbriftianity rtproach ysu for t~e pr.j'tf!ion of Hnlintji •xd Di/j. gtnct convmce them t/Jat tbty Hypecntzcally prifefi the {amt, a•d that Holmfi " effintial to Chnj!· · Open their Baptifmal Covenant to them, and the Lords Prayer in which they daily pray that G'"J"Y 0 m11y be dont on t/Jrth even M it is _i11 Heave_n, which is more firid:ly than the befi ofus can reach." 1~ difference between them and you IS but tins, whether We lheuld be Chrifiians hypocrirically in jeaft 0~ tn good earnefi. · , ~~~~i~~~*~~~~~u~~~~~~~M!~~**U~~~~~~u~~~~ . - . CHAP. V. 'Dire8ioiiS about Vowr a11d particular Co)!enants witli God. Tit. t. 1)ire8ions for. tl1e right making fuch Vows and Covenants. I· r. Direll, r. UNdtrftand tbt Nature of • Vo,., and the Vfe to which it it ap· What a Vo\Y pointedis. AVow i1 a Promlfe made to Go,J. 1· It is not a bare Affertion or Ne .. ~ . gati~n. 2· It is not a mecr PoVicitatioH, or t:Xprrffi6n of the purpofe or re¥ folution of the mmd: For he that fmh or meancth no more than [I am purpo[erl or rrfolvtd to do tbU J may upon !Ufficic:nt reafon do the contrary: For he tnay change his mind and rtfolurion, wi[h– out any untrut~ nr injury to any. 3· It is not ~ meer Devot!n~ of a thing to ~od for the prefent by actual refignauon. For the prcfent adual DtiJvery of a thmg to Sacred Ufes " no Promife for the future. Though we ufually joyn them both together, yet Dtvovm may be feparared , fromVovrrt. of• It mull be therefore a Promife, which is, A volt<ntary obliging •HtJ {tlf to aHothtr de futuro for fome Good. "5· It is therefore implyed that it be the Act of aRatimal creature , and of one that in that • . . . act hath fame compe~ent ufe o{Reafon, and not of a fool, or ideor, or mad man, or achild that harh V1 h 15 gr:I.Vlbus not reafon for fuch an act, no nor ofa brainfick or melancholy perfon, who (though he be cetffa{anJH) Jirp~~;~t~~iis ci.ther delirant in t~1at bufinefs, or is irre~fiibly born down ~nd nectffi!atetl by his ~ifeafe ro Vow madverti)Cjuod agamfi the fober deliberate condufion of hts reafon ar other ttmes, havmg at the T1me of Vowing ab I~dis _tefli- Reafon enough to firive againll the Act, but not (elf-government enough to refirain a paffionate Me– -!Domum JU~e~ laflcholy Vow. 6. Whereas fame Ctfuifls make Dtlibcration ntcefTary, it mull be undt:rfiood that ro ~~;:~~~e~~~~- the Being of a Vow fo rr.uch Deliberation"is ~equi~re as. ~ay make it a rational humane all, it mull fiet eos facil· be an act ofReafon: but for any further Dehberanon, 1t IS ntctffary only to theweD· being, and not Jime peje~are, to the being of a Vow, and ~it~out it, it i~ a.R.ajh Vow, but not N, Vow. 7• When w~ fay, It muli urpor~ ·qut be a Voluntary All, the meanmg IS not that 1t mutt be totally and abfolute1y Voluntary, without any ~j;j~ufc:~ira~~ fear or. thrrtitning to induce u~ to it; b~t 0nly that it be real!J VolHntary, that is, an act of cb 9 ice, neq; veriraris by aJret agent, that confidenng all th1~gs .doth choofe ~o to do. _He that hath a Sword fet to his Jludio un~~n· brcafi, and doth SrPear or Vow to Cave hts hfc, doth do lt VeJuntardy, as choofing rather to do jr, than rur, ~ed telh. to dye. Man having free-wiU may choofi rather to dye, thanVow, if he think betl: His wilJ may be modtud_.eo moved by fear, but cannot be forced by any one, or any meam whatfQ(ver. 8. When I fay that a ;~ ~red~~~t, Vow i~ a Premi{t, I imply tha~ the M~tttr of it is necefTarily fome real or f~p~ofed good; to bego(}d, Judici guor to do good, or not tu do e·ml. Ewl may be the matter of an Oath ; hut It IS not properly aVow, tiffimum fore, if rhe matter be not fuppofid good. 9· It is a prcmifi made to God, that we are now {peaking of: fu~f:l~~~o Whether the name of a Vow bc::long to a promiiC made only to man) is a quellion dt n(Jmine which we homine edo. need not Hop at. tl:ifwlt. Hos igi1ur jurlre compeller.! & ipfls e~:iriofum propter p~rjuti~, &c. A~D/itl p. HS· Tlte forts of ~. 2· AVow is either a jimplt Promift to God,_or. a Promife bound with an Oath or imprtc~tipn. Vows. Some l4.·ould appropriate the Name of a Vow t? th1s lafrfort only, (when men [wear they mll ~~~ thh or that ). Which indted is the moll (ormidible fort of vo~ing ; but the rrut Jllture of a Vow IS found alfo in aJimple [elf-obliging Promife. . ·The ll(e of ~· 3. The true Reafon and Ufe of VowI is &ut for the more certain and effrDual performance Qf .Vows, our DutitJ : not to make new Larn, and DutieJ, and R.eligionJ for us : but to drive on the hlckward ling~ring foul to do its duty; and to break over difficulties and dclayes: chat by firengthcning our b~'llldJ, and fetting the danger before our eyes; we may be excited to cfcape ir. . The0blig:ui• 9· 4• It is a great queflion, whether our own Vow1 c~n :idH' any new obligacioo to that wl_<1ch be~ cm of:Vuw~. fore lay upon us from the c:ommand ofGod. .Amefi:u faHh ( Ca[. Con{c. /. 4• c. 16.) Non addztw p~·o· . Jrit i,n ijlil nova obliga,io, mqut augttur in fe prior : jfd mag,H agn {cimr & recipitur a nobu; '"' · ·,_ PJj]ive
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