A37046:574
The law unsealed
The law unsealed: or, A practical exposition of the Ten Commandments With a resolution of several momentous questions and cases of conscience. By the learned, laborious, faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. James Durham, late minister of the Gospel at Glasgow.
Glasgow: printed by Robert Sanders, 1676
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
We mind not here to meddle with speculative Debates about Vows, but to hold us only at what concerneth Practise: And say, 1. That such Promises to God, and engagements, being rightly made and taken on, or rightly gone about; are not only Lawful, but sometimes necessarily called for, as appeareth. 1. From the Command, which is to Vow, as well as to perform, Psalm 76 11. 2. From Example of Saints in all Ages: David faith, Psalm 119. when his frame is most tender, Verse 57. I have said. I will keep thy words. And thereafter, Verse 106. I have sworn, […] well perform it, That I w•ll keep thy righteous Judgements. For, saying and swearing to God are near the same; and who sincerely say in secret, may in some Cases also Articulately swear. 3. From the end of Vows, which is to bind us to something the more straitly, and to evidence our greater desire and willingness to be so bound: And therefore they being Midses, for that end; when the end is in a special manner called for: and may, in all probability, be the better obtained, by the use of this Mean: then is it called for also, and cannot be omitted. 4. From the Lords gracious accepting of such Engagements and Vows, and approving of them. 5. From the several Promise and Prophecies of them, as commendable and good service, from Men to God, under the Gospel, Isai. 19. 18. and 21. Jer. 50. 4, 5. Isai. 44. 5.
We mind not here to medle with speculative Debates about Vows, but to hold us only at what concerneth Practise: And say, 1. That such Promises to God, and ingagements, being rightly made and taken on, or rightly goneabout; are not onely Lawful, but sometimes necessarily called for, as appeareth. 1. From the Command, which is to Vow, as well as to perform, Psalm 76 11. 2. From Example of Saints in all Ages: David faith, Psalm 119. when his frame is most tender, Verse 57. I have said. I will keep thy words. And thereafter, Verse 106. I have sworn, well perform it, That I wll keep thy righteous Judgements. For, saying and swearing to God are near the same; and who sincerely say in secret, may in some Cases also Articulatly swear. 3. From the end of Vows, which is to bind us to something the more straitly, and to evidence our greater desire and willingness to be so bound: And therefore they being Midses, for that end; when the end is in a special manner called for: and may, in all probability, be the better obtained, by the use of this Mean: then is it called for also, and cannot be omitted. 4. From the Lords gracious accepting of such Engagements and Vows, and approving of them. 5. From the several Promise and Prophecies of them, as commendable and good service, from Men to God, under the Gospel,