Directions Concerning the Solemn Vows We Are to Make to God in This Ordinance
A RELIGIOUS VOW is a bond upon the soul; so it is described, (Num. XXX. 2.) where he that voweth a vow unto the Lord, is said thereby to bind his soul with a bond. It is a solemn promise, by which we voluntarily oblige ourselves to God and duty, as a “willing people in the day of his power.” The cords of a man, and bonds of love wherewith God draws us and holds us to himself, call upon us by our own act and deed to bind ourselves; and these vows also are cords of a man, for they are highly reasonable; and bonds of love, for, to the renewed soul, they are an easy yoke, and a light burden.
From all the other parts of our work at the Lord’s table, we may infer, that this is one part of it: we must there make solemn vows to God, that we will diligently and faithfully serve him.
We are here to renew our repentance for sin, and it becomes penitents to make vows. When we profess ourselves sorry for what we have done amiss, it is very natural and necessary to add, that “we will not offend any more, as we have done; if I have done iniquity I will do so no more.” We mock God when we say, we repent that we have done foolishly, if we do not at the same time resolve that we will never return again to folly. Times of affliction are proper times to make vows; and what is repentance but self-affliction 1 Trouble for sin was not the least of that trouble- which David was in, when his lips uttered those vows which he spoke so feelingly of: “I will go into thy house with burnt offerings; I will pay thee my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.” Probably it was under this penitential affliction that he “sware unto the Lord, and vowed IS* unto the mighty God of Jacob, that he would find a place for the ark.” Vows against sin, resulting from sorrow for sin, shall not be rejected as extorted by the rack, but graciously accepted as the genuine language of a broken heart, and fruits meet for repentance.
We are here to ask and receive mercy from God, and it becomes petitioners to make vows. When Jacob found himself in special need of God’s gracious presence, he vowed a vow, and set up a stone, for a memorial of it. And Hannah, when she prayed for a particular mercy, vowed a vow, that the comfort she prayed for, should be consecrated to God. Great and precious things we are here waiting to receive from God. and therefore, though we cannot offer any thing as a valuable consideration for his favours, yet it becomes us to promise such suitable returns as we are capable of making. When God encourageth us to seek to him for grace, we must engage ourselves not to reppeive his grace in vain, but to improve and employ for him what we have from him.
We are here to give God thanks for his favours to us; now, it becomes us in our thanksgivings to make vow’s, and to offer to God, not only the calves of our lips, but the work of our hands. Jonah’s mariners, when they offered a sacrifice of praise to the Lord, for a calm after a storm, as an appendix to that sacrifice, made vows. The most acceptable vows are those which take rise from gratitude, and which are drawn from us by the mercies of God. Here I see what great things God hath done for my soul, and what greater things he designs for me; shall I not therefore freely bind myself to that which he hath by such endearing ties bound me to?
We are here to join ourselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant. And it is requisite, that our general covenant be explained and confirmed by particular vows. When we present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice, with those cords we must bind that sacrifice to the horns of the altar, and while we experience in ourselves such a bent to backslide, we shall find all the arts of obligation little enough to be used with our own souls. As it is not enough to confess sin in the gross, saying, I have sinned, but we must enter into the detail of our transgressions, saying, with David, I have done this evil; so it is not enough in our covenantnig with God, that we engage ourselves in the general to be his, but we must descend to particulars in our covenants, as God doth in his comman<ls, that thereby we may the more effectually both bind ourselves to duty, and mind ourselves of duty. It” the people must distinctly say amen to every curse pronounced on 3Iourit Ebal, much more to every precept delivered on Mount Horeb.
Come then, my soul, thou hast now thy hand upon the book to be sworn; thou art lifting up thy hand to the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth; think what thou art doing, and adjust the particulars, that this may not become a rash oath, inconsiderately taken. God is here confirming his promises to us, by an oath, to show the immutability of his counsels of love to us. Here, therefore, we must confirm our promise to him by an oath, to walk in God’s law, and to “observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our God.” Some of the oriental writers tell us, that the most solemn oath which the patriarchs before the flood used, was, by the blood of Abel, and we are sure that the blood of Jesus is infinitely more sacred, and speaks much greater, and much better things than that of Abel. Let us, therefore, testify our value for that blood, and secure to ourselves the blessings purchased by it, by our sincere and faithful dealing with God in that covenant, of which this is the blood.
The command of the eternal God, is, that we “cease to do evil, and learn to do well; that we put off the old man, and put on the new.” And our vows to God must accordingly be against all sin, and to all duty, and under each of these heads we must be particular according as the case is.
1. We must here by a solemn vow bind ourselves against all sin; so as not only to break our league with it, but to enter into league against it. The putting away of the strange wives, in Ezra’s time, was not the work of one day or two, but a work of time, and therefore Ezra, when he had the people under convictions, and saw them weeping sore for their sin, in marrying them, very prudently bound them by a solemn covenant that they would put them away. If ever we conceive an aversion to sin, surely it is at the table of the Lord; and therefore we should improve that opportunity to invigorate our resolutfons against it, that the remembrance of those resolutions may quicken our resistance of it, when the sensible impressions we are under from it are become less lively. Thus we must by a solemn vow cast away from us all our transgressions, saying with Ephraim, “What have I to do any more with idols?”
We must solemnly vow, that we will not indulge or allow ourselves in any sin. Though sin may remain, it shall not reign; though those Canaanites be in the land, yet we will not be tributaries to them. However it may usurp and oppress as a tyrant, it shall never be owned as a rightful prince, nor have a peaceful and undisturbed dominion. I may be in some particular instances, through the surprise of temptations, led into captivity by it; but I am fully resolved through Christ, never to join in affinity with it, never espouse its cause, never plead for it, nor strike in with its interest.
Bind thyself with this bond, O my soul, that though through the remainders of corruptions, thou canst not say, thou hast no sin; yet, through the beginnings of grace, thou wilt be able to say, thou lovest none. That thou wilt give no countenance or connivance to any sin; no, not to secret sins, which, though they shame thee not before men, yet shame thee before God, and thine own conscience; no, not to heart sins, those first-born of the corrupt nature, the beginning of its strength. Vain thoughts may intrude, and force a lodging in me, but I will never invite them, never bid them welcome, nor court their stay; corrupt affections may disturb me, but they shall never have the quiet and peaceable possession of me; no, whatever wars against my soul, by the grace of God, I will war against it, hoping in due time to get the dominion, and have its yoke broken from off my neck, when “judgment shall be brought forth into victory,” and grace perfected in glory.
We must solemnly vow, that we will never yield to any gross sin, such as lying, injustice, uncleanness, drunkenness, profanation of God’s name, and such like, which are not the spots of God’s children. Thoug;h ail the high places be not taken away, yet there shall be no remains of Baal, or of Baal’s priests and altars hi my soul. However my own heart may be spotted by sins of infirmity, and may need to be daily washed, yet, by the grace of God, I will never spot my profession, nor stain the credit of that by open and scandalous sin. I have no reason to be ashamed of the gospel, and therefore it shall be my constant endeavour, not to be in any thing a shame to the gospel; it is an honour to me, I will never be a dishonour to it; I will never do any thing, by the grace of God I will not, which may give occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme that worthy name by which I am called. So shall it appear, that I am upright, if I be innocent from these great transgressions.
We must solemnly vow, that with a particular care we will keep ourselves from our own iniquity. That sin, with which, in our penitent reflections, our own consciences did most charge us, and reproach us for, that sin we must in a special manner renew our resolutions against. Was it pride? Was it passion? Was it distrust of God, or love of the world? Was it an unclean fancy, or an idle tongue? — Whatever it was, let the spiritual force be mustered and drawn out against that. The instructions which Samuel gave to Israel, when they were lamenting after the Lord, are observable to this purpose — ‘* If ye do return to the Lord with all your hearts,” and would be accepted of him therein, “then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth.” Was not Ashtaroth one of the strange gods, or goddesses? Yes; but that is particularly instanced in, because it had been a beloved idol, dearer than the rest, that especially must be put away. Thus, in our covenanting with God, we must engage against all sin, but in particular, against that which, by reason of the temper of our minds, the constitution of our bodies, or the circumstances of our outward affairs, doth most easily beset us, and we are most prone to.
Knowest thou thine ownself, O my soul 1 If thou dost, thou ‘* knowest thine own sickness, and thine own sore,” that is thine own iniquity: bring that hither and slay it; let not thine eyes spare, neither do thou pity it. Hide it not, excuse it not, stipulate not for leave to reserve it as Naaman did for his house of Rimmon; though it hath been to thee as a right eye, as a right hand, as thy guide and thine acquaintance, it hath been a false guide, an ill acquaintance, pluck it out, cut it off, and cast it from thee. Now come and fortify thy resolutions in the strength of
Christ against that; fetch in help from heaven against that; be vigorous in thy resistance of that, and how many soever its advantages are against thee, yet despair not of a victory at last.
We must solemnly vow, that he will abstain from all appearance of evil; not only from that which is manifestly sin, and which carries the evidences of its own malignity written on its forehead, but from that which looks like sin, and borders upon it. Yv’isdom is here profitable to direct, so as that we may not on the one hand indulge a scrupulous conscience, and yet on the other hand may preserve a tender conscience. Far be it from us to make that to be sin which God hath not made so; and yet in doubtful cases it must be our care and covenant to keep the safer side, and to be cautious of that which is suspicious; “he that walks uprightly walks surely.” What we find to be rather a snare to us, and an occasion of sin, or a blemish to us, and an occasion of scandal, or a terror to us in the reflection, and an occasion of grief or fear, it may do well expressly to resolve against, though we be not very clear that it is in itself sinful, nor dare censure it as an evil in others; provided that this vow be made with such limitations as that it may not afterwards prove an entanglement to us, when, either by the improvement of our knowledge, or the change of our circumstances, it ceaseth to have in it an appearance of evil.
And art thou willing, my soul, to come under this bond? Wilt thou put far from thee the accursed thing? Wilt thou in this ordinance make a covenant with thine eyes, and oblige them not to look on the wine when it is red, nor to look on a woman to lust after her? Wilt thou shun sin as the plague, and engage thyself, not only never to embrace that adulteress, but never to come nigh the door of her house. Thy vow being like that of the Nazarite, not to drink of this intoxicating wine; let it be then like his, not to eat any thing that cometh of the wine, “from the kernel to the husk.” Abondon sin and all appurtenances, cast out Tobiah and all his stuff. Resolve to deny thyself in that which is most desirable, rather than give Satan any advantage; to abrid.o;e thyself even in that which is lawful, rather than come within the confines of sin, or bring thyself into danger of that which is unlawful. Happy is the man that fearelh always.
We mast solemnly vow, that we will have no fellowship “with the unfruitful works of darkness, neither be partakers of other men’s sins.” We live in a corrupt and degenerate age, in which iniquity greatly abounds. Our business is not to judge others; to their own masters they stand or fall, but our care must be, to preserve ourselves, and the purity and peace of our own minds; our covenant therefore must be, that we will never “walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners.” When David engaged himself to keep the commandments of his God, pursuant to that engagement, he said to evil-doers., “Depart from me.” And St. Peter reminded his new converts of the necessity of this care — “Save yourselves form this untoward generation.”
Let the Psalmist’s vow be min? then, Having hated the congregation of evil-doers, such as drunkards, swearers, tilihy talkers, and scoffers at godliness, “I will not sit with the wicked.” Though I cannot avoid being som etimes in the sight and hearing of such, yet I will never take those for my chosen companions, and bosom friends in this world, with whom 1 should dread to have my portion in the other world. Religion in rags shall be always valued by me, and profaneness in robes despised. Having chosen God for my God, his people shall always be my people; — “Lord, gather not my soul with sinners.” If thou art in good earnest for heaven, resolve to swim against the stream, thou wilt fmd that sober singularity is an excellrnt guard to serious piety. On all that glory let there be this defence.
2. We must here, by a solemn vow, bind ourselves up to all duty. It is not enough that we depart from evil, but we must do good; that W3 separate ourselves from the service of sin, and shake off Satan’s iron yoke; but we must devote ourselves to the service of Christ, and put our necks under the sweet and easy yoke of God’s commandments, with a solemn promise faithfully to draw in that yoke tul our days. We need not bind ourselves to more than we are already bound to by the divine law, either expressly or by consequence; either as primary duties, or secondary.
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in order to them. We are not called to lay upon ourselves any other burden than necessary things, and they are not heavy burdens, nor grievous to be borne but we mast bin<l ourselves by additional ties, to that which we are already bound to.
We must, by a solemn vow, oblige ourselves to all the duties of religion in general. Jacob’s vow must be ours. “Then the Lord shall be my God.” Having avouched him for mine, I will fear him and love him, delight in him, and depend upon him, worship him and glorify him, as my Lord and my God. Having owned him as mine, I will even eye him as mine, and “walked in his name.” David’s vows must be ours; that we will keep God’s judgments; that we will keep in them as our way, keep to them as our rule; that we will keep them as the apple of our eye, keep them always unto the end.
In the strength of the grace of Jesus Christ, we must here solemnly promise and vow,
1st, That we will make religion our business. — It is our great business in this world, to serve the honour of him that made us, and secure the happiness we are made for; this we must mind as our business, and not, as they most do, make a by-business of it. Religion must be our calling; the callhig we resolve to live in, and hope to live by; in the services of it we must be constant and diligent, and as in our element. Other thing must give way to it, and be made, as much as may be, servicable to it. And this must be our covenant with God here, that however we have trifled hitherto, henceforward we will mind religion as the one thing needful, and not to be slothful in the business of it, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. And art thou willing, my soul, thus to devote thyself entirely to the service of God? Shall that engage thy cares, fill thy thoughts, command thy time, and give law to the whole man? Let this matter be settled then, in this day’s vows, and resolve to live and die by it.
2d, That we will make conscience of inside godliness. — Having in our covenant given God our heart, which is what he demands, we must resolve to employ it for him; for without doubt, he is a Jew, he is a Christian, that is one inwardly; and that is circumcision, that is baptism, that is true and pure religion, “which is of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter.” That we are really what we are inwardly; and they only are the true worshippers, that worship God in the spirit. This is the power of godliness, without which the form is but a carcass, but a shadow. “The king’s daughter is all glorious within.” This, therefore, we must resolve in the strength of the grace of God, tnat we will keep our hearts with all diligence, keep them fixed, fixed upon God; that the desire of our souls shall ever be towards God; our hearts shall be lifted up to God in every prayer, and their doors and gates thrown open to admit his word; and that our constant care shall be about the “hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible;” so approving ourselves to God in our integrity in every thing we do in religion.
3d, That we will live a life of communion with God. — Without controversy, great is this mystery of godliness; if there be a heaven upon earth, certainly this is it, by faith to set the Lord always before us, having an eye to him with suitable affections, as the first cause, and last end, of all things that concern us; and so having communion with him in providence as well as ordinances. When we receive the common comforts of every day from his hand with love and thankfulness; and bear the common crosses and disappointments of every day, as ordered by his wdl, with patience and submission; when we commit every day’s care to him, and manage every day’s business and converse for him, having a constant habitual regard to God in the settled principles of the divine life, and frequent actual out-goings of soul towards him in pious ejaculations, the genuine expressions of devout affections; then we live a life of communion with God. Did we know by experience, what it is to live such a life as this, we would not exchange the pleasures of it for the peculiar treasures of kings and provinces.
Engage thyself, then, my soul, elevate thyself to this spiritual and divine life, and every day may be thus with ihee a communion-day, and thy constant fellowship may be with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ, by the Spirit. Let me resolve henceforward to live, more than I have hitherto done, a life of complacency in God, in his beauty, bounty, and benignity; a life of dependence upon
God, upon his power, providence, and promise; a life of devotedness to God, to the conduct of his Spirit, and the disposal of his providence; and thus to walk with God in all holy conversation.
4th, That we will keep heaven in our eye, and take up with nothing short of it. We are made for another world, and we must resolve to set our hearts upon the world, and have it always in our eye; seeking the things that are above, and slighting things below in comparison with them, as those that are born from heaven, and bound for heaven. Bind thyself, my soul, with this bond, that “forgetting the things that are behind, as one that hath not yet attained, neither is already perfect,” thou wilt reach forth to those things that are before, “pressing forwards towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling.” My treasure is in heaven, my heart, hope, and home, are there; 1 shall never be well till I am there; there, therefore, shall my heart be, and to that recompense of reward I will ever have respect, with an eye to that joy and glory set before me in the other world, I will, by the grace of GoJ, patiently run the race of godliness set before me in this world.
3. We must, by a solemn vow, oblige ourselves to some duties of religion in particular. As it is good to engage ourselves by covenant against particular sins, that, by the help of resolution, our resistance of them may be invigorated; so it is good to engage oursolves to particular duties, that we may be quickened diligently to apply ourselves to them, and may see our work before us.
We should particularly ol)lige ourselves to those duties, of which our own consciences have charged us with the neglect. We have known that good which our own hearts tell us we have not done; we find upon reflection, it may be, that we have not been constant in our secret devotion, that we have not done that good in our families which we should have done, we have been barren in good discourse, careless of out duty to the souls of others, backward to works of charity, unfurnished for and indisposed to religious exercises; in these, or other tilings, vv’herein we are conscious to ourselves that we have been defective, we covenant for the future to be more circumspect and industrious, that our works may be found filled up before God.
When the Jews in Nehemiah’s time made a sure covenant, wrote it, and sealed tp it, they inserted particular articles, relating to those branches of God’s service which had been neglected, and made ordinances for themselves, according to the ordinances that God had given them; so should we do, as an evidence of the sincerity of our repentance for our former omissions, both of duty and in duty. That work of our Lord, wherein we have been most wanting, in that we must covenant to abound most, that we may redeem the time.
We should particularly oblige ourselves to those duties which we have found by experience to contribute most to the support and advancement of the life and power of godliness in our hearts. They that have carefully observed themselves, perha])s can tell what those religious exercises are, which they have found to be most serviceable to the prosperity of their souls, and by which they have reaped most spiritual benefit and advantage. Have our hearts been most enlarged in secret devotion? Hath God sometimes met us in our closets with special comforts, and the unusual manifestations of himself to our souls? Let us from thence take an indication, and covenant to be more alone in secret communion with God. Have public ordinances been to us as green pastures, and have we sitten down by them with delight? Let us resolve to be so much the more diligent in our attendance on them, and wait more closely at those gates where we have so often been abundantly satisfied. Though one duty must never be allowed to intrench upon another, yet those duties which we have tbund to be the most cifectual means of increasing our acquaintance with God, confirming our faith in Christ, and furthering us in our way to heaven, weshouldj with a peculiar care, engage ourselves to.
Though God hath strictly commanded us the great and necessary acts of religious worship, yet, for the trial of our holy ingenuity and zeal, he hath left it to us to determine many of the circumstances; that even instituted sacrifices may be in some respects free will ofierings; he hath commanded us to pray and read the Scriptures, but hath not told us just bow oft and how long we must pray and read; here, therefore, it is proper for us to bind ourselves to that which will best answer the intention of the command in general, best agree with the circumstances we are in, and best advance the interests of our souls; in which we must take heed on the one hand, that we indulge not spiritual sloth, by contenting ourselves with the least proportions of time that may be, much less by confining ourselves to Ihem; and, on the other hand, that we make not religious exercises a task and burden to ourselves, by binding ourselves to that at all times, which, in an extraordinary pang of devotion, is easy and little enough. In making resolutions ot this kind, we ought to be cautious, and not hasty to utter any thing before God, that we may not afterwards say before the angel, “It was an error.” Though such is the decay of Christian zeal in the age that we live in, that few need this caution, yet it must be inserted, “because it is a snare to a man to devour that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry.”
We should particularly oblige ourselves to those duties by which we have opportunities of glorifying God, adorning our profession, and doing good in our places. We are not born for ourselves, nor bought for ourselves; we are born for God, and bought for Christ; and both as men and as Christi’ins, we are members one of another, and we ought to sit down and consider how Vve may trade with the talent with which we are intrusted, though it be but one, to the glory of our Creator, the honour of our Redeemer, and the good of our brethren. The liberal and pious deviseth liberal and pious things, and oblige themselves to them. Think then, my soul, not only what must I do, but what may I do for God, who hnth done such great things for me? How may I be serviceable to the interests of God’s kingdom among men? Vvhat can I do to promote the strength and beauty of the church, and the welfare of precious souls? And if we have thought of any thing of this kind, that falls within the sphere of our activity, though but a low and narrow sphere, it may do well when we find ourselves in a good frame at the table of the Lord, by a solemn vow, with due c.ution to oblige ourselves to it, that we may not leave room for a treacherous heart to start back. Thus J:tccb, for the perpetuating; the memory of God’s favour to him, made it a part of his vow — “This stone which I have set lor a pillar, shall be God’s house.” Thus Hannah vowed, that, if God would give her a son, she would give him to the Lord. It is one of the rules prescribed concerning cost or pains bestowed for pious and charitable uses — “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, so let him do.” Now, lest that purpose should fail and come to nothing, it is good, when the matter of it is well digested, to bring it to a head in a solemn promise, that the tempter seeing us steadfastly resolved, he may cease soliciting us to alter our purpose.
We should particularly oblige ourselves to the duties of our respective callings and relations. Much of Christian obedience lies in these instances; and in them we are especially called to serve God, and our generation, and should therefore bind ourselves to do so.
They that are in places of public trust and power, should here oblige themselves, by a solemn vow, to be faithful to the trust reposed in them, and to use tbpir power for the public good. They that rule over men, must here covenant that they will be just, ruling in the fear of God. Their oaths must here be ratified, and David’s promise must be theirs — “When I shall receive the congregation, I will judge uprightly.” This ought to be seriously considered by all those who receive this holy sacrament at their admission into the magistracy. When publicans and soldiers submitted to the baptism of John, and therebyobliged themselves to live a holy life, they asked and received of John instructions how to discharge the duty of their respective employments; for when we vow to keep God’s commandments, though we must have an universal respect to them all, yet we must have a special regard to these precepts which relate to the calling wherein we are called, whatever it is.
The stewards of the mysteries of God, when they administer this ordinance to others, receive it themselves as an obligation upon them to stir up the gift that is in them that they may make full proof of their ministry. Their ordination vows are repeated and confirmed in every sacrament, and they are again sworn to be true to Christ and souls. He that ministereth about holy things, must here oblige himself to “wait on his ministering; lie that teacheth, on teaching; he that exliorteth, on exhortation.”
Governors of families must here oblige themselves, as David did, to walk before their houses in a perfect way, with a perfect heart; and they must affix this seal to Joshua’s resolution, that, whatever others do, “they and their houses will serve the Lord.” Here they must consecrate to God a church in their house, and bind themselves to set up, and always to keep up, both an altar and a throne for God in their habitation, that they may approve themselves the spiritual seed of faithful Abraham, who was famous for family religion. It is with this intent, I suppose, that the rubric of the public establishment declares it convenient, “That new married persons should receive the holy communion at the time of their marriage, or at the first opportunity after their marriage;” that, being engaged to each other in a new relation, they may solemnly engage themselves t discharge the duties of that relation in the fear of God. And inferior relations must here oblige themselves to do the duty they owe to their supf nor; children to be dutiful to their parents, servants to be obedient to their masters; yea, all of us to be subject one to another. They that are under the yoke, as the apostle speaks, may here make the yoke they are under easy to them, by obliging themselves to draw in it from a principle of duty to God, and gratitude to Christ, which will both sanctify and sweeten the hardest services and submission.
Whatever our employments are, and our dealings with men, we must here promise and avow, that we will be strictly just and honest in them; that, whatever temptations we may be under to the contrary at any time, we will make conscience of “rendering to all their due, and of speaking the truth from the heart; that we will walk uprightly, and work righteousness, despise the gain of oppression, and shake our hand from holding of bribes,” knowing that they who do so “shall dwell on high, their place of defence shall be the munition of rocks, bread shall be given them, and their waters shall be sure.” We find it upon record, to the honour of Christ’s holy religion, when it was first planted in the worhl, that Pliny, a heathen magistrate, and a persecutor of Christianity, giving an account to the Emperor Trajan, of what he had discovered concerning the Christians, in an epistle yet extant, acknowledgeth that in their religious assemblies they bound themselves by a sacrament, that is, they bound themselves not to do any thing evil; that they would not rob or steal, or commit adultery, that they would never be false to any trust reposed in them, never deny any thing that was put into their hands to keep; and the like. The same is still the true intent and meaning of this service; it is the bond of a covenant, added to the bond of a command, that we “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.”
Come then, my soul, come under these bonds, come willingly and cheerfully under them, for he that bears an honest mind, doth not startle at assurances; be not afraid to promise that which thou art already bound to do; for these vows will rather facilitate thy duty, than add to the difficulty of it; the faster thou tindest thyself fixed to that which is good, the less there will be of uneasy hesitation and wavering concerning it, and the less danger of being tempted from it.
Only remember that all those vows must be made with an entire dependence upon the strength and grace of Jesus Christ, to enable us to make them good. We have a great deal of reason to distrust ourselves, so weak and treacherous are our hearts; Peter betrayed himself by confiding in himself, when he said, ‘’ Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.” But we have encouragement enough to trust in Christ; in his name therefore let us make our vows, in this grace let us be strong; surely “in the Lord alone have we righteousness and strength,” he is the surety of the covenant for both parties; into his custody therefore, and under the protection of his grace, let us pour out our souls, and we shall fnid he is able to keep what we commit to him.