The Saints Sacrifice, Section 92 – Section 94
§. 92. Of ſpeed in paying vowes.
IIII. *§. 89.THe firſt opportunity to pay a vow muſt be taken. The Law ſaith, aDeut. 23. 21Thou ſhalt not ſlacke to pay it. bEccl. 5 4.Deferre not to pay it, ſaith the Wiſe-man.
By delay the occaſion that moved a man to make a vow may be forgotten. The occaſion that ſet the heart on fire to make it, being forgotten, zeale will ſoone waxe cold, as water when fire is taken from the veſſell in which it is, or iron taken out of the fire. Nor iron, nor water, nor any other thing naturally cold, is more inclinable to coldneſſe if the cauſe of heating be removed, then mans heart is to waxe heavy and dull, when the occaſions of quickening them are Inſtruction i… a maine cauſe of breaking vowes.either removed, or, which is all one, out of mind and memory.
This then queſtionleſſe is an eſpeciall occaſion of not performing many vowes, that they are not performed in their ſeaſon: but opportunity is let ſlip. Had not God himſelfe Gen. 35. 1.prevented Iacob, it is very likely that he would have failed herein. For he let ſlip his opportunity. We may obſerve it in all mens affaires, that by procraſtination their reſolution waxeth more and more ſlake. In nothing is this more verified then in matters of piety, matters wherein we have to do with God: and that both by reaſon of Satans ſubtilty and ſedulity, endeavouring with might and maine to hinder us in all pious courſes, and to weaken all the helpes we have therein (among which, vowes are none of the ſleightieſt) and alſo by reaſon of our own backwardnes and dulnes thereunto. Satan by time gaines great advantage: and we by time looſe as much, in that our zeale is prone to ſlake in the heat of it.
Exhortation to be ſpeedy in paying vowes. Libenter voveat. & celeriter reddat, & in hoc quod votum reddit meliori ſemper conatu proficiat. Aug. de Fide ad P. Diac. c▪ 3.Strike the iron therefore, as it is in the proverbe, ſtrike it while it is hot. It is then fit to be wrought upon for any thing. Take the firſt opportunity, which is the fitteſt ſeaſon. If in any thing thou wilt make ſpeed, and manifeſt forwardneſſe, do it in performing thy vowes. Haſt thou made a vow whileſt thou art at ſea? pay it ſo ſoone as thou commeſt to land: if thou canſt pay it ſo ſoone. Haſt thou vowed in ſickneſſe? let the payment of it, be the firſt thing thou doeſt upon thy recovery. So on other like occaſions. Haſt thou by vow bound thy ſelfe to read the word and pray every morning? Let this be the firſt worke thou doeſt being up. If thou haſt any weighty buſineſſe to doe betimes, riſe the ſooner, that thy vow may bee firſt done. Let all things give place to it: it, to nothing. A man that is able and willing to pay a debt, accounts no money his owne, till the debt be paid. He will keepe in mind and memory the day of paiment, he will watch for it: his money (as we ſay) burneth in his baggs, till it be paid. Account thy vow a debt. No debt can be more due. No bond more binding. A man of his word had as leave forfeit a bond, as faile of his word. Be thou a man of thy word with God. Pay thy debt: performe thy vow, and that on the day of paiment, in due time; even now, if the now be come, Deferre not to pay thy vowes. Very pertinent to this purpoſe, and emphaticall is this phraſe of the Pſalmiſt, Thy vowes are upon mee O God. Though hee Pſal 56. 12.made the vowes, yet he ſtiles them Gods vowes; becauſe being made to God, they were as a debt due to him, as a bond made by a debtor to a creditor, is not now the debters, but the creditors. Thus then he accounts his vow as a due debt unto God; Thereupon he adds, Thy vowes are upon me, Vowes are debts.whereby he ſhewes, that as a faithfull debter, who hath a mind to diſcharge his bond, oft thinkes of the time of paiment; and in that reſpect his debt lyeth as a burden upon him, neither can he be quiet, till it be paid (As a porter that hath a burden on him, is not at reſt till he be freed from it) ſo this Pſalmiſt had the vow which hee had made to God, as a debt, as a burden, upon him, whereby hee ſhewes, that his mind and deſire was, with the firſt opportunity to be eaſed thereof, which could not be, but by performing the ſame. Such reſpect let us have to the vowes that we make to God, ſuch let our care be in performing of the ſame, and that with all ſpeed, ſo as we may truly uſe theſe words, Thy vowes are upon me O God.
§. 93. Of performing vowes openly.
V. *§. 89.VOwes ſecretly made may be openly performed. This is to be limited according to the nature of the vow. Such things may be vowed, as in the performance of them, it is not meet that aMat. 6. 3.the left hand know what the right hand doth. The doctrine therefore ſaith not, muſt be, but may be openly performed. So were moſt (if not all) of the approved vowes in Scripture. bPſal. 22. 25.I will praiſe thee in the great congregation (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) and pay my vowes before them that feare thee: and againe, c—66. 13.I will go into thine houſe with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vowes. d1 Sam. 1. 24, &c.Hannah brought her ſonne which ſhee vowed to the Lord, unto the Tabernacle at a feſtivall time when all the people aſſembled thither. eGen. 35. 7.Iacob built an altar, a viſible and open memoriall of his vow. fNum. 21. 2, 3.the Iſraelites gave a name (as a publike proofe of the performance of their vow) to the place where their vow was performed.
1 Hereby God is more glorified. An open teſtification of that reſpect which Saints beare to God, and of that care they have to bind themſelves to do ſervice to him, maketh much to his honour.
2 The Church is hereby much edified. Inſtances of Saints ſtanding to their holy reſolutions, and performing their pious purpoſes, cheere the ſtrong, ſtrengthen the weake: and thus is the Church built up.
3 They that make the vowes, by this open manner of making them good, cannot but bee much more cheered in ſpirit, when they ſee their good intentions ſo much to tend to the advancement of Gods glory, and others good.
Inſtruction in the beſt kind of vowes.They who in teſtimony of their due reſpect to God, and in way of gratitude are moved to make vowes to the Lord, let them here learne what are the beſt kind of vowes, and by what vows they may give moſt honour to God, and do moſt good to themſelves and others: even ſuch as may be openly performed in publike aſſemblies. For a Prince, a Noble-man, a Magiſtrate, or any other of great eſteeme, of high place, of good note and name, to vow to joyne himſelfe with aſſemblies that uſe to worſhip God together, to vow to maintaine truth and purity of religion in the places where he liveth, is a worthy vow. For Miniſters to vow to preach the word where people are gathered together diligently and faithfully, a worthy vow. For ſuch as are taken captives, in danger on the fea, impriſoned, viſited with ſickneſſe, or any other way ſo diſtreſſed, as they are reſtrained from the publike places of Gods worſhip, to vow when they are delivered openly, publikely to give thankes to God, a worthy vow. In common judgements, eſpecially of plague, of famine, of ſword, ſuch vowes of publike gratitude are to be made, and publikely to bee performed. It is not enough to vow ſecret duties betwixt God and our ſelves, nor yet private duties in our families, but by this patterne we have direction and incitation for more open, common, and publike duties; which are more honourable kinds of vowes. Yet that herein is a limitation, the next doctrine will ſhew.
§. 94. Of performing holy duties in holy aſſemblies.
VI. *§ 89.SAints are fittest witneſſes of ſacred duties. That which in this verſe is implied under this particle of reſtraint HIS, (in the preſence of all HIS people) is other where more expreſly noted, by a more apparent deſcription, thus, aPſal. 2… 25. Conſiteor non tanti…m coram te, D…mine, &c. ſed etiam in auribus credentium, filiorum hominum, ſoci…rum gaudij mei, &c Aug. Confeſſ. l. 10 c. 4. Mat▪ 76.I will pay my vowes before them that feare him. None but true Saints do truly feare God.
1 This property of Gods people, that they feare the Lord, ſheweth that they will make the beſt uſe of ſuch ſacred, ſolemne duties performed in their preſence. They will glorifie God for this your zeale. They will joyne their ſpirits with your ſpirits in this open performance of duty. They will become followers of you, and learne of you to vow and pay unto the Lord, and that openly, publikely.
2 As for others, they are no better then ſuch hogges and dogges, as are not meet to have ſuch precious pearles, and holy things caſt before them: leſt they trample them under their feet.
Direction for perſons among whom vowes are paid.Be wiſe now ye that are moved to give open and publike teſtification of your inward and private reſolution. Be wiſe in making choice of your company. You that have eſcaped ſundry dangers on ſea and land, that have had victory over enemies, that have beene eaſed and recovered of any maladies, that have beene preſerved from the plague, that have had any other evidence of Gods ſpeciall providence and favour, let not play-houſes, let not tavernes, ale-houſes, and tobacco-houſes, let not aſſemblies of profane perſons, of ſwearers, of drunkards, of riotous and licentious perſons, be the places whither you reſort to recount the deliverances which God hath given you. This rather beſeemeth ſuch as have vowed vowes to Bacchus, to Ceres, to Priapus, to Venus, yea and to Devils, then to the great Lord of heaven and earth. Aſſociate your ſelves with the Saints, with ſuch as feare God, with ſuch as may encourage you in that which you do well, and inſtruct and direct you in that whereof you are ignorant, and wherein you do amiſſe. Goe to that place where that God who hath preſerved, delivered, or any way bleſſed you, delighteth to be, where he moſt manifeſteth his preſence, where he expecteth that your vow ſhould be paid to him. Let your heart bee ſet upon that place, while by Pſal 84. 1, &c.force you are kept from it, as Davids was. So ſoone as poſſibly you can, come to it. You Captaines, Souldiers, Merchants, Mariners, Travellers, or others that come from the ſea, or other dangerous places; you women that are ſafely delivered in childbed, you that have beene ſicke and are recovered, you that have beene cut of the ſtone, or cured of any other malady, you that are looſed out of priſon, you that after any reſtraint have liberty, Let this be the firſt publike place that you come unto. So ſoone as you can ſay, ſay it in truth, ſay it and do it, I will pay my vowes unto the Lord now in the preſence of all his people.
Amen.