4. Take it up again, and read it over, and pray it over, and think it over, with subtracting, adding, altering as upon the most mature deliberation the Matter requires, and then bring it to a serious, humble, and temporary Resolution; and whether you will bring that Resolution under another refining. I submit it to you, but when it hath come under your last hand mould it into a Cautious, Self-dying, Temporary Vow: You know my Brethren better than I, that well composed Vows are extraordinarily helpful for the doing of extraordinary Service, and they are ordinarily blessed with more than ordinary Success, but the Success depends much upon the manner of their composition. I have named three Qualifications, which must be inseparable, namely, Cautious, for rash Vows involve the Soul in ⟨p. 119⟩dreadful Perplexities, that many gracious Persons never extricate themselves while they live. And they must not only be Cautious, but Self-denying. I think I may say 'tis universally true, without so much as one exception, that a Self confident Vow is always broken. What we undertake in our own strength, God not only in Justice, but in Mercy shows us our folly; the more we live at a Dependence upon God in every thing (in a way of Duty, not of Sloth) the more infallible is our Success: Add one Qualification more, and that is Temporary not perpetual; mistake me not, I am not speaking of Baptismal Vows, or of those that make up (as it were) the Substantials of Religion; but of prudential Vows, that help us to the better performance of some special Duties; it is superfluous to speak here against Popish Vows, the word Temporary ⟨p. 120⟩excludes them; and well may they be excluded; who exclude all but themselves from being religious, they call all their own Clergy Secular, i. e. worldly, that are not under some of their perpetual Vows, to them they appropriate the Title of Regular, and count their Votaries the only Religious among them; but all I aim at is this. Many whose hearts are set for God whose Judgments are newly informed, whose affections are warmly engaged, and whose Consciences are tenderly convinced that they must do their utmost to get assurance of their own Salvation, and then their utmost to promote the Salvation of others, and they would fain have the same Impression abide upon their Spirits without any abatement;
4. Take it up again, and read it over, and pray it over, and think it over, with substracting, adding, altering as upon the most mature deliberation the Matter requires, and then bring it to a serious, humble, and temporary Resolution; and whether you will bring that Resolution under another refining. I submit it to you, but when it hath come under your last hand mould it into a Cautious, Self-dying, Temporary Vow: You know my Brethren better than I, that well composed Vows are extraordinarily helpful for the doing of extraordinary Service, and they are ordinarily blessed with more than ordinary Success, but the Success depends much upon the manner of their composition. I have named three Qualifications, which must be inseparable, namely, Cautious, for rash Vows involve the Soul in ⟨p. 119⟩dreadful Perplexities, that many gracious Persons never extricate themselves while they live. And they must not only be Cautious, but Self-denying. I think I may say 'tis universally true, without so much as one exception, that a Self confident Vow is always broken. What we undertake in our own strength, God not only in Justice, but in Mercy shews us our folly; the more we live at a Dependance upon God in every thing (in a way of Duty, not of Sloth) the more infallible is our Success: Add one Qualification more, and that is Temporary not perpetual; mistake me not, I am not speaking of Baptismal Vows, or of those that make up (as it were) the Substantials of Religion; but of prudential Vows, that help us to the better performance of some special Duties; it is superfluous to speak here against Popish Vows, the word Temporary ⟨p. 120⟩excludes them; and well may they be excluded; who exclude all but themselves from being religious, they call all their own Clergy Secular, i. e. worldly, that are not under some of their perpetual Vows, to them they appropriate the Title of Regular, and count their Votaries the only Religious among them; but all I aim at is this. Many whose hearts are set for God whose Judgments are newly informed, whose affections are warmly engaged, and whose Consciences are tenderly convinced that they must do their utmost to get assurance of their own Salvation, and then their utmost to promore the Salvation of others, and they would fain have the same Impression abide upon their Spirits without any abatement;
