Following up our vows.
"Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God." Vows were formal promises or engagements made in acknowledgment of Divine mercies, or as conditions on which Divine help was sought. They are illustrated by Jacob's vow after the vision at Bethel; by King Saul's vow at Michmash; Absalom's vow which was made the excuse for starting his revolt; St. Paul's vow, which explained his presence in the temple courts, etc. The vows of the olden time are precisely represented by our solemn resolves, our good resolutions, which become promises and pledges of what we will do. The psalmist found out, what we have all found out through our own experiences, that it is easy to make vows and promises, and to take solemn pledges, but far easier to neglect them and let them go unfulfilled. Therefore in moments of awakened feeling, he exclaims, "I will pay my vows unto the Lord," and he advises God's people to "vow and pay"—to follow up their vows, and never to rest until they are fulfilled. It may be well to note what is the mission of vows. They are helpful in strengthening the will. A purpose may be formed which will stand but little testing, and exert but feeble influence. We strengthen that purpose if, in relation to it, we take open pledge, we make solemn promise. Our own inward purpose may be easily forgotten; no one knows about it but ourselves, and so its power of influence on us is small. Turn our purpose into a public vow, and we are helped by remembering that others, and God, expect us to be faithful to our word. How has it been with the vows we have made in the past? Have we joined "vowing" and "paying"?
I. OUR VOWS AT CONFIRMATION, AND UNION WITH CHRIST'S CHURCH.
II. OUR VOWS ON BIRTHDAYS, NEW YEAR DAYS, ETC.
III. OUR VOWS WHEN ENTERING ON NEW LIFE RELATIONSHIPS—MARRIAGE, ETC.
IV. OUR VOWS ON RESCUE FROM PERILS, OR RECOVERY FROM SICKNESS.
Thinking over all these vows, who among us can fail to be impressed by the thought of how much is unpaid, and how much we owe to God? Never have we had a year of life in which our payment of vows matched our New Year promises. What a heap of unpaid vows the years have piled up! What a heap of imperfectly paid vows! Very seldom, indeed, have our vows been fully kept; and we search our lives almost in vain to find any single instances in which we have done better than we vowed. It is important that we should have solemn opportunities for calling our vows to remembrance, such as sacramental seasons provide. So we may be set on new efforts to "pay our vows."—R.T.