Regulations of God binds all men forever, whether in heaven or hell, Psalm cxi. 7, 8. No human law or self-engagement binds men, but only in this life, in which they remain imperfect, and are encompassed with temptations to seduce them from their duty. In heaven they've no need of such really helps to duty, and in hell they can not be profited by them.
The obligation of lawful promises, oaths, vows and covenants, in addition to of human laws, respecting moral duties, however distinct is you can forget separable from the obligation of God's law, than Christ's two distinct natures are separable, the one from the other, but closely connected in manifold respects. In binding ourselves to necessary duties, and to other items so long and as far as is conducive thereto, God's law as the only rule to direct us how exactly to glorify and enjoy him, is created the rule of our engagement. Our vow is no new rule of duty, but a brand new bond to help make the law of God our rule.
Even Adam's engagement to perfect obedience in the covenant of works was nothing else. His fallibility in his estate of innocence, made it proper, he should be bound by his own consent or engagement, in addition to by the authority of God. Our imperfection in this life, and the temptations which surround us, make it needful, that people, in like manner, should be bound to exactly the same rule, both by the authority of God, and our own engagements. It is in what the law states of God, that most our deputed authority to command others, or to bind ourselves is allotted to us.
The necessity of moral duties by what the law states of God obliges us to use all lawful methods to promote the performance of them; and hence requires human laws and self-engagements, and the observance of them as conducive to it. Nay they're also expressly required in his law, as his ordinances for helping and hedging us in to the duty. To make lawful vows, in addition to in making human laws we exert the deputed authority of God, the supreme Lawgiver, granted to us in his law, in the manner which his law prescribes, and in obedience to its prescription.
In forming our vows being an instituted ordinance of God's worship, which he hath required us to receive, observe, and keep pure and entire, Psalm lxxvi. 11. & cxix. 106. & lvi. 12. Isaiah xix. 18, 21. & xlv. 23, 24. & xliv. 5. Jeremiah l. 5, 2 Corinthians viii.5,--we act precisely in line with the direction of his law, and in obedience to his authority in it, --binding ourselves with a connection, binding our soul with a connection, Numbers xxx. 2-11--binding ourselves by whatever we utter with your lips verses 2, 6, 12, --binding ourselves with a binding oath,--binding ourselves--binding our soul by our own vow--our own bond, verses 4,7,14.
In forming our vow, we, in line with the prescription of his own law, solemnly constitute God, who's the supreme Lawgiver and Lord of the conscience,--the witness of our self-engagement, and the Guarantee, graciously to reward our evangelical fulfillment of it, and justly to punish our perfidious violation of it. The more punctual and faithful observation of God's law, notwithstanding our manifold infirmities and temptations, and the more effectual promotion of his glory therein, is the end of our self-engagements, in addition to of human laws of authority.
And with a due regard for their binding force, as above stated, is this end promoted,--as hereby the obligation of God's law may be the more deeply impressed on our minds, and we are shut around obedience to it, and deterred from transgressing it.-- In consequence of our formation of our vow, regarding its matter, manner, and end, as prescribed by God, He doth, and necessarily must ratify it in most its awful solemnities, requiring us by his law, to pay for it as a connection of debt,--to perform and fulfill it being an engagement to duties, and an obligation which stands upon or against us, Numbers xxx. 5, 7, 9, 11. with Deuteronomy xxiii. 21-23. Psalm lxxvi. 11. & 1. 14. Ecclesiastes v.4, 5. Matthew v. 33. Personal injury
In obedience to this divine requirement, and considering our vow, in that precise form, in which God in his law, adopts and ratifies it, and requires it to be fulfilled, we pay, perform, and fulfill it as a connection, wherewith we, in obedience to Him, have bound ourselves, to endeavor universal obedience to his law, as our only rule of faith and manners. Whoever doth not, in his attempts to obey human laws or to fulfill self-engagements, consider them as having that binding force that your law of God allows them; he pours contempt in it, as ordinances of God, and on what the law states of God for allowing them a binding force.
Thus, through maintaining the super-added but subordinate obligation of human laws, and of self-engagements to moral duties, we do not make void, but establish the obligation of God's law. The obligation of a vow, by which we engage ourselves to necessary duties commanded by what the law states of God, must therefore be inexpressibly solemn. Not just are we required by what the law states of God before our vow was made; but we are bound in that performance, to fulfill our vow, being an engagement or obligation founded in the supreme authority of his law warranting us to produce it. We're bound to fulfill it as a mean of further impressing his authority manifested in his law, upon our own consciences,-- as a connection securing and promoting a faithful obedience to all or any his commandments. We're bound to fulfill it, in obedience compared to that divine authority, by derived power from which, we as governors of ourselves made it to market his honor. In those or like respects, our fulfillment of our vows is just a direct obedience to his whole law.
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