272.1 jephthah's vow. 61
paid to them. It will be well if we lay this to heart in future. Peradventure we have, Hke Jephthah, inconsiderately opened our mouths to the Lord : let us then at least, like Jephthah, proceed to the performance of our vows. The duty we have undertaken may be difficult and self-denying ; but if he, after having unintentionally devoted his only daughter to the Lord, would not go back, notwithstanding the sacrifice was so exceed- ing great, so neither should we hesitate to perform the most difficult of our vows.
But there is yet another way in which we follow the steps of Jephthah. Who has not in a time of sickness, or danger, or trouble, or alarm, determined with himself, that, if he should be delivered, he would devote himself more unto the Lord, and to the pursuit of heavenly things ? Look back, all ye who have been restored from sickness, ye who have been delivered from the pangs of childbirth, ye who have seen your friends or relatives cut off by death, ye who have been in a storm at sea, or been alarmed by thunder and lightning ; look back, and call to mind the vows that are upon you ; and see how Jephthah will rise up in judgment against you for your violation of them.
How this subject applies to Ministers, I need not say: but if I were addressing them, me thinks the subject would apply with ten-fold force to them, seeing that their vows were all taken with foresight and solemnity, and involve duties more important than pertain to any other situation under heaven.
But, whatever be their office or character, two things I would say to all : first. Be cautious in making vows ; and next, Be conscientious in performing them. Inquire into the nature and extent of any engagements before you enter into them: for, as Solomon says, " It is a snare to a man to devour that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry^." If we have rashly engaged ourselves to do what the law of God positively prohibits, we must recede from our vow, and humble ourselves before God for our temerity. The forty conspirators who swore that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul, and Herod who swore that he would give his daughter whatsoever she should ask of him, had no right to bind themselves to such an extent, and would have sinned less in violating, than they did in keeping, their engagements. But where oiu- vows are practicable, they must be kept, even though the observance of them be attended with great cost and trouble^-: and the attempting to set them aside by the plea of inadvertence or of difficulties attending the observance of them, will only deceive our own souls, and bring upon us the heavy displeasure of our God**. We remember the judgments
"^ Prov. XX. 25. a Deut. xxiii. 21— 23. " EccI. v. 4— 6.