Sacredness of Vows
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something to do in order that life might be a blessing to him. The gold
and silver are the Lord’s, and He could rain them from heaven if He
chose; but instead of this He has made man His steward, entrusting him
with means, not to be hoarded, but to be used in benefiting others. He
thus makes man the medium through which to distribute His blessings
on earth. God planned the system of beneficence in order that man
might become, like his Creator, benevolent and unselfish in character,
and finally be a partaker with Him of the eternal, glorious reward.
God works through human instrumentalities; and whoever shall
awaken the consciences of men, provoking them to good works and a
real interest in the advancement of the cause of truth, does not do it of
himself, but by the Spirit of God which worketh in him. Pledges made
under these circumstances are of a sacred character, being the fruit
of the work of the Spirit of God. When these pledges are canceled,
Heaven accepts the offering, and these liberal workers are credited for
so much treasure invested in the bank of heaven. Such are laying up a
good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on
eternal life.
But when the immediate presence of the Spirit of God is not so
vividly felt, and the mind becomes exercised in the temporal concerns
of life, then they are tempted to question the force of the obligation
which they voluntarily assumed; and, yielding to Satan’s suggestions,
they reason that undue pressure was brought to bear upon them and
they acted under the excitement of the occasion; that the demand for
means to use in the cause of God was overstated; and that they were
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induced to pledge under false pretenses, without fully understanding
the subject, and therefore they wish to be released. Have ministers
the power to accept their excuses and say: “You shall not be holden
to your pledge; you are released from your vow”? If they venture to
do this, they become partakers of the sin of which the withholder is
guilty.
Of all our income we should make the first appropriation to God. In
the system of beneficence enjoined upon the Jews they were required
either to bring to the Lord the first fruits of all His gifts, whether in
the increase of their flocks or herds, or in the produce of their fields,
orchards, or vineyards, or they were to redeem it by substituting an
equivalent. How changed the order of things in our day! The Lord’s
requirements and claims, if they receive any attention, are left till the