4. Motive to Remember your Dangers and Deliverances; the Vows of God are upon you; Oh! what did you say to God in the day of your distress and calamity? Lord, if thou wilt now appear, and be a present help in time of trouble, it shall never be forgotten, it shall be remembered to the Lord as long as we have a day to live; but when God brings poor Souls off, many do not only forget their Vows, but deny them;1 In Ancient times it was usual in eminent dangers, whether at Sea or Land, to make Vows; We read that Jonahs Mariners they Vowed Vows; David did thus,2 Thy Vows are upon me, O God! I will render praises unto thee, &c. (and in another place) I will pay thee my Vows, 3which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble; But because this is so ordinary to make Vows at Sea, and brake them a Shore, let me enlarge a little upon it. 1. Why should you forget your Vows after your Deliverances? They were not rash Vows, there might have been some excuse, if you had made them rashly, you might then have had a Plea, for saying it was an Error; but in times of distress, men are serious, when Death and Eternity is set before them, and they upon the ⟨p. 126⟩brink of another world;4 dare you sinners rashly Vow, in this day of your distress; O no, your Consciences will bear witness against you, that you were in sober-sadness at that day. 2. Why should you forget your Vows after your Deliverances, for God will require payment? Nay, this is not only the Reason why we should not forget to pay, but why we should not delay to pay; When thou vowest a vow to the Lord thy God, thou shouldst not slack to pay it, for the Lord thy God will require it, yea, will surely require it of thee, and it would be sin in thee. Take it for granted he will do it, yea,5 he will surely do it. 1. He will require it, so as to call to a payment day, he will demand it, he will send unto you a Summons to pay the Vows you made to him in the day of your Distress. Oh! how often is Conscience Gods Officer, that he sends to you to demand Payment? O says Conscience, Sinner, pay what thou owest to the God of thy deliverances; is not he a God to whom the Vows must be performed? 2. He will require it, so as to punish the non-payment; and so requiring is here taken, and in many other places, the Lord doth very often severely punish Vowbreaking;
4. Motive to Remember your Dangers and Deliverances; the Vows of God are upon you; Oh! what did you say to God in the day of your distress and calamity? Lord, if thou wilt now appear, and be a present help in time of trouble, it shall never be forgotten, it shall be remembred to the Lord as long as we have a day to live; but when God brings poor Souls off, many do not only forget their Vows, but deny them;1 In Ancient times it was usual in eminent dangers, whether at Sea or Land, to make Vows; We read that Ionahs Marriners they Vowed Vows; David did thus,2 Thy Vows are upon me, O God! I will render praises unto thee, &c. (and in another place) I will pay thee my Vows, 3which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble; But because this is so ordinary to make Vows at Sea, and brake them a Shoar, let me enlarge a little upon it. 1. Why should you forget your Vows after your Deliverances? They were not rash Vows, there might have been some excuse, if you had made them rashly, you might then have had a Plea, for saying it was an Error; but in times of distress, men are serious, when Death and Eternity is set before them, and they upon the ⟨p. 126⟩brink of another world;4 dare you sinners rashly Vow, in this day of your distress; O no, your Consciences will bear witness against you, that you were in sober-sadness at that day. 2. Why should you forget your Vows after your Deliverances, for God will require payment? Nay, this is not only the Reason why we should not forget to pay, but why we should not delay to pay; When thou vowest a vow to the Lord thy God, thou shouldst not slack to pay it, for the Lord thy God will require it, yea, will surely require it of thee, and it would be sin in thee. Take it for granted he will do it, yea,5 he will surely do it. 1. He will require it, so as to call to a payment day, he will demand it, he will send unto you a Summons to pay the Vows you made to him in the day of your Distress. Oh! how often is Conscience Gods Officer, that he sends to you to demand Payment? O says Conscience, Sinner, pay what thou owest to the God of thy deliverances; is not he a God to whom the Vows must be performed? 2. He will require it, so as to punish the non-payment; and so requiring is here taken, and in many other places, the Lord doth very often severely punish Vowbreaking;
- 1Jonah 1. 16.Ionah 1. 16.
- 2Psal. 56. 11.
- 3Psal. 66. 25. 15.
- 4Eccles. 5. 4, 5.
- 5Deut. 23. 21.
