Man ashiv le-Yahoweh, or, A serious enquiry for a suitable return for continued life,…

4. ¹This is to lye to God, to men: A vow is a promise made to God, Deut. 23.•3. That which is gone out of thy lips, thou shalt keep and perform even a free will offering▪ according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth. What is first called a vow, is after called a promise, & if thou madest this promise with thy mouth and didst not really intend the fulfilling of it, but didst it, either to deceive thy self or others; or (had it been possible) God himself, what is this but a lye? If the words of thy mouth ⟨p. 134⟩were not conformable to the thoughts of thy mind, that thou spakest one thing in thy sickness, and didst intend another; thou spakest not as thou thoughtest, thou art guilty of a lye ^*ethical. But forasmuch as thy words do not agree to the things thou spakest of, thou art guilty of a falsehood logical, both are bad, though the first is worst. And is not this an aggravation of thy wickedness to lye to God when thou art under his rod? Do not parents deal more severely with their children, if they find them lying, when they are under the rod? Are we not like to children, when they are scourged, will promise any thing to be spared, but presently be found in the violation of their promise? But take heed how thou liest unto God. Remember the fearful instance of Ananias and Sapphira, Act. 5.3. Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lye to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land. Vers. 4. Whiles it remained was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thy heart? that thou hast not lied unto men but unto God. Vers. 5. And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost.

4. ¹This is to lye to God, to men: A vow is a promise made to God,