Remember Your Vows by A. P. Van Horn

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Oct 18, 1877

Remember Your Vows.

By A. P. Van Horn

“When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not slack to pay it, for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee, and it would be sin in thee.” Such was one of the Lord’s statutes recorded in Deut. 23 : 21. This instruction was by Bible writers, often repeated. It was a very solemn act to make vows unto the Lord, or in the presence of his people.

It is still a custom of those who profess to love the Lord, when they enter his service, and as they pass on in their pilgrimage, to make vows unto God. It seems to be a duty, when under conviction of sin, and a pleasure when the sweet blessing of heaven rests on the soul. But how often the case, that many, who profess to renounce the world for Christ’s sake, forget their true source of strength, and fail to properly equip themselves from the armory of heaven. And when thus brought in contact with evil influences the power of the foe is too strong—they fail to overcome, carelessness steals over them, and ere they are aware of it they are destitute of their first love.

But on being brought under the reproving influence of the Spirit of God they resolve anew to walk in the light. When the church assemble to exhort one another according to the divine command, these, instead of bearing an enlivening testimony, suffer under a sense of remorse over broken vows. Their feelings are moved to tenderness under manifestation of divine love and mercy, and once more they gather strength to form new resolutions. A course of continual backsliding destroys self-confidence and weakens the faith. A life-time spent in sinning and repenting, backsliding and confessing, may at last prove a sad failure.

Before a person can fight successfully in the Christian warfare he must put on the whole armor as the apostle Paul describes in Eph. 6 : 13–18, and thus equipped he will “be able to stand against all the wiles of the devil.”

God’s people are always glad to welcome back the erring. Our Lord is ever merciful, and is continually inviting us to draw nigh unto him, yet he has taught us that we should not be wavering and double-minded nor trifle with sacred things.

And now gentle reader—a word with you. Have you ever made vows unto God? When you heard the claims of his law presented did you say, My course of life shall be changed? Have you been in perilous situation at sea, and did you say then in your mind, Lord bring me safely to land and I will serve thee? Or have you been on a sick bed with the terrors of death staring you in the face, while the thoughts of neglected opportunities seemed like so many thorns in your pillow? Did you say then, Lord raise me up to health and I will walk before thee in newness of life? Whatever the vow was, it was by heaven recorded. Let us each so live that we may at the final judgment have it said that we have fulfilled our vows and done what we could. For again we read from the sacred word, “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.” Eccl. 5 : 4, 5.

A. P. VAN HORN.

Portland, Oregon.