-We read of Jacob's vow, Gen. xxviii. 20,-22. which was fome hundreds of years before the Mofaic inftitutions; and therefore we may fay, it is "not of Mofes. This vow was approven of God, as

"to him; for he that bears an honest mind doth never startle "at affurances."

Dr. Gill, in his commentary on the words, And fwear to the Lord of hofts, obferves, That it is not by him, but to him ;-it is fwearing allegiance to him, owning him to be their Lord, King, and Lawgiver; and refolution to obey him in all his commands and ordinances. On the words, Yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, he obferves, that they fhall lay themselves under obligation to ferve the Lord, and act according to it: fee Eccl. v. 4, 5. And this is to be understood, fays he, not of legal vows, as that of the Nazarite, or any other, but of the spiritual one of praise and thanksgiving: fee Pfal. 1. 14. and lxv. 1.

The Dutch annotators on the words, And fwear to the Lord of hofts, obferve, that the meaning is, "They fhall engage them

felves to the true God by oath, forfwearing and forfaking "falfe gods." By forfwearing, they mean abjuring, or renouncing upon oath.

Annotations by certain learned divines thereunto appointed, printed at London 1651. commonly called the English or the Affembly's annotations. And fwear to the Lord of hofts,] "Not "fwear by him, Jer. iv. 2. and v. 2. though that be men "tioned as one prime piece of God's royal prerogative ;—but "fwear to him, as Pfal, cxxxii. 2.; that is, bind themselves by "folemn oath to depend upon him, and be loyal fubjects unto " him, 2 Chron. xv. 14, 15. Ezra x. 5. Neh. x. 29. Pfal. cxix. "106. (as people, and princes alfo, are wont to do to their

liege lords and fovereigns, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 13. Ezek. xvii. "23,-18.) abandoning their former idolatries and fuperftiti"ons." Yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it : "Another evidence, and acknowledgment of their depen"dence on God, and loyalty to him: of the former, by mak

ing vows; the latter, by their due payment and performance "of what they had vowed."

And in the fame ftrain run their notes on Ifa. xlv. 24.

Unte

we learn from his words to Jacob twenty years after; I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedft a vow unto me, Gen. xxxi. 13 *We read of Job's oath, and it is generally thought that he lived before the times of

་་

me every knee shall bow:] "That is, the knowledge and ac"knowledgement of me, by fubmiffion to me, and worship " done me, fhall pass through the whole world. The apostle "applieth it to the laft judgment,-which tho' it be not the "main drift of God's fpeech in this place, yet is therein neceffarity included." Every tongue shall fwear;] "Swear by me, or fwear allegiance to me.' See ch. xix. 18. xlviii. 1. "In the latter days, fays Mr. Clark, on Ifa. xix. 18. when "the gospel fhall be more generally embraced in the world, a "confiderable part of Egypt fhall be converted, and make pro* feflion of the true religion, and become members of the gospelchurch; and engage themselves by covenant to become subject 56 to the Lord of holts." See 2 Chron. xv. 15. Pfal. cxxxii. 2.

Ifa. xlv. 23. Clark's annot.

* The late reverend Mr. Daniel Wilcox of London obferves, in a fermon on thefe words, that "God is the God of Bethel, "as approving his people's dedicating themfelves by vow, in confirmation of their covenant to him. This is their reafonable fervice, and what his promifes and grace fhould readily "lead them to. When God repeats his promifes to us, engage "ing to be our God, how just and reasonable is it that the

engagement thould be mutual, and that we, in the most "folemn manner, fhould bind ourselves to him? And God re"wards with favour thofe Ifraelites indeed, that thus vow a "vow unto him, as Jacob did, The Lord fhall be my God, Gen. "xxviii. 21. They are now a peculiar people, having vowed "themselves to the Lord; and he will, at laft, declare the "peculiar value he has for them before all the world, faying, "Gather my faints together unto me, thofe that have made a co"venant with me by facrifice." Practical Sermons, Vol. I. P. 68.

Jacob's vow, however, as it runs in our verfion, feems not much to his advantage: For it reprefents him as bartering with Bb

Mofes. As God liveth, fays he,-All the while my breath is in me, and the Spirit of God is in my noftrils;

:

his Maker; vowing, that if God load him with his benefits, then, he will take God himself for his God: If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I go, and give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my Father's house in peace; then fhall the Lord be my God. According to this reading, Jacob's vow was only conditional, not abfolute he did not accept of Jehovah as his God, but on condition that he fhould do this and that. He would first have his benefits, and then himself. But who does not fee that this is diametrically oppofite to the covenant of grace? It is our interest in God himself, that entitles us to all his benefits. Because he is ours, all are ours. According to our translation, Jacob refolved to try God before he trusted in him as his God. Certain however it is, that we cannot lawfully try him, but by trufting. Our acceptation of him must be regulated by his giving. Now, he makes an abfolute offer of himself to us, and not at all a conditional. Particularly his promise to Jacob was most unlimited and unconditional; Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee, in all places whither thou goeft; and will bring thee again into this land: for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of, Gen. xxviii. 15. Now, as God's promise was to Jacob, fo behoved Jacob's vow to be to him: The one was to be grafted on the other, otherwise it could not be acceptable. Nay, it is evident, that Jacob in his vow, has his eye all along upon the promise as it's firm foundation; and that therefore the one must agree to the other. This is fo obvious, that he who runs may read. Setting the one over against the other, how ftriking is the contrast!

God's promife, ver. 15.

1. I am with thee;
2. And will keep thee, in
all places whither thou
goeft;

3. And will bring thee
gain into this land.

Jacob's vow, ver. 20.

1. If God will be with me; 2. And will keep me in this way that I go;

3. So that I come again to my father's boufe in peace.

my lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit, Job xxvii. 2, 3, 4. Now, if it was the prac tice of the faints to vow unto God before the times of Mofes, why may it not be equally lawful for them to do the like after? Why depart from the literal fignification of the words in this prophecy, without neceffity? But what neceffity here? May not the faints vow to God now, as lawfully as they did of old?

How beautiful the agreement here, claufe answering to elaufe, the word If only excepted! But as there is not an If in all the promise made to the patriarch, one would be ready to apprehend that fuch a word is not really in his vow, but that rather there is fome inaccuracy or mistake in our translation: and this I take to be indeed the cafe. It is certain that the

particle ON, here rendered If, alfo fignifies feeing, fince, or for as much as; and is so read, Job xiv. 5. SEEING his days are determined. Ezek. xxxv. 6. SıтH thou haft not hated blood. I therefore apprehend, that it should have been so tranflated in this paffage; and would accordingly read it thus, SINCE God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on; and SINCE I fhall come again to my fathers houfe in peace; and SINCE the Lord will be my God; THEN this ftone which I have fet up for a pillar, fhall be God's house and of all that thou shalt give me, I will furely give the tenth unto thee. What a beauty in the paffage read thus! Jacob believes, and therefore fpeaks. His vow follows his faith. Nothing doubtful here: no conditional If, but a firm faith founded on the promise; and hence the ftrongest refolutions to ferve his God. Since God will be with ine; and Jehovah will be my God, &c. He believes that God would do as he had faid. He does not purpose to obey, but because he was fo by his

that Jehovah may be his God; own free promise. He does not fay, that if God will do this and that, then he fhall be his God; no: but believing that Jehovah was his God, and that therefore he would do the part

It is obfervable, that the compilers of our Confeffion and Catechifms, when speaking of religious oaths and vows, quote the prophecy, Ifa. xix. 211 The Egyptians fhall know the Lord; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lard, and perform it *. Now,

of a God to him in protecting and providing for him, he purs pofes to run in the way of his commandments; and in token of this, to give him the tenth of all that he had. See Junius and Tremellius on the place. Placet. Effais de morale, Vol. V. P. 324. Bolton's Tract, Stigm. p. 90.

* The very venerable Zanchy, who was born the year before the Reformation began in Germany, and who in depth of judgment and learning was fecond to none of the Reformers, when treating on the third commandment, handles the subject of vows under nine distinct queftions, He obferves, That by the law

of nature, the patriarchs were authorised to vow unto God ← that all vows neither did, nor do belong unto the ceremonial • law, but fome also to the moral that though legal vows

G

which respected the offering of animals, and things of the like kind are abrogated; yet we must not fay, that these which respect the moral law are forbidden. Such, fays he, was the vow of Jacob, and of others before the law; fince they were led only by the law of nature, and the infpiration of the holy Spirit.' He lays it down as his firft thefis, That it is not only lawful for a Christian to make vows unto God, but also that it is expedient for him, and acceptable to the Lord, which he proves by feveral arguments. And quoting Ifa, xix, 21. he fays, That it is to be understood chiefly of the vow which every convert to Chrift vows in baptifm; but this does not hinder but that fecondarily it may and ought to be understood of other lawful vows alfo which are pleafing unto God fince it is a general prophecy concerning the vows of the New Teftament, which becaufe at moft, they are nothing ⚫ but renovations of that comprehenfive vow which is made in baptifma, (for there we promife whatever can be promifed), therefore they are all comprehended under the name of a vow in the fingular. Nay, he adds, That that is alfo more