Duty to Pay Our Pledges by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 10, 1879

Duty to Pay Our Pledges.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

In carrying on the various branches of the third angel’s message, it often becomes necessary for our brethren and sisters to make definite pledges to assist in the different departments of the work; such as pledges for our houses of publication, foreign missions, meeting-houses, tents, etc.

These pledges are made in good faith, and those who make them intend to pay them; but sometimes they are allowed to run on year after year unpaid, and in some cases they are never paid. Those who made them seem to forget their obligation to fulfill their promise. Times are harder than they expected, and they have found other ways for their means, and they persuade themselves that it is not a debt anyway, and they can let it go unpaid. But the Lord does not regard it in that light, as we shall show from the Bible. He plainly and repeatedly declares that a pledge, or vow, once made to the cause of God, is sacred, and must be fulfilled; that the Lord will hold it as a sin against them if it is not paid. Thus the Lord says: “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. It is right to make vows and pledges to the work of God; for the Bible says, “Vow, and pay what thou vowest.”

Generally these pledges are made to the cause of God when our brethren and sisters are in favorable circumstances to see their duty in this respect. The wants of the cause are set before them. Their hearts are touched by the Spirit of God and the power of the truth. Others are making pledges, and the servants of the Lord are earnestly appealing to them to do their duty. Under these circumstances, they begin to have some proper sense of what they ought to do, and they pledge accordingly. But afterward, when they are no longer under these good religious influences, and their fervor decreases, and the cares of life press upon them, and selfishness returns, and there is no one to urge them to duty, they forget the promises they have made. They excuse themselves in various ways, and then finally make themselves believe that they are not able to pay these vows, or will put it off indefinitely, and thus virtually neglect to pay them at all.

This is nothing new; for the Lord has frequently spoken in the Bible upon this point. In the text above quoted, the Lord says, “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it;” that is, do not keep putting it off, serving yourself, gratifying all your own wants, and leaving the cause of God until the last. Then he says, “Pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.” While it is our duty under certain circumstances to make solemn vows to the Lord, and the Lord is pleased with such vows, yet it is far better never to make them than to break them after we have vowed. So the Lord decides. In another text we read:—

“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. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.” Deut. 23:21–23.

Here the Lord says that when you have made a vow to God, you should not be slack about paying it. This is the same idea again. Do not put it off, keep deferring it, neglecting to do it, and let your own wants come in first. By doing this way, you will finally neglect it entirely. But will not the Lord forget it, and let it pass? No, indeed; for he explicitly says, “The Lord thy God will surely require it of thee, and it would be sin in thee.” Thus we see that every pledge we have made to God is recorded in Heaven; it will never be forgotten; the Lord will not excuse us; it must be paid. It will be sin in us if we do not pay it.

Once more I read: “If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.” Num. 30:2. This is to the same effect. When you have given your word in a vow to God, you shall never break your word. The Lord says you shall do according to all that you vow and your mouth has spoken.

Dear brethren and sisters, look over the promises you have made to God, sacred promises, recorded in Heaven and remembered of the Lord. Have you done your duty in fulfilling them? Have you not allowed self to come in, and take its place before the sacred cause of God? I find in different States, and districts, and churches, old pledges on the College, on tent funds and our missions, and particularly on S. B. Some of these are three or four years old. This looks bad; it is certainly displeasing to God, and the Lord says it is a sin. Don’t think you can excuse yourself in not paying them. You should use judgment in making these pledges, but when once you have made them, remember they are sacred promises, and it will be sin in you if you do not fulfill them.

D. M. Canright.