And the human recently tore expertise confidence and court, privileges was no need of such a vow to obtain God's favor. Our vows should not be made to win God's help, but as expression of our gratitude and We do not need to bribe Him to do aught for us. Not the burnt-offering as inducement for God to deliver, but God's deliverance inducement to the burnt-offering. Whether or not Jephthah did really offer his child is not material to our present consideration, for it must have been as great agony to shut her away from the cherished of Oriental woman, as to her consumed on a funeral pyre. JEPHTHAH'S VOW Jdg. 11, 31 Simeon VOWS were common under the Mosaic dispensation: they were even encouraged by God himself, order that his people might have opportunities of manifesting the that was their hearts by offerings that were not enjoined, and services that were not commanded. cases of difficulty, where it appeared of more than ordinary importance to secure the divine favour and protection, the patriarchs had resorted to vows, and bound themselves, case he should vouchsafe to them the desired blessing, to render unto him according to the benefits he should confer upon them. Thus when he had just left his father and family order to seek a foreign land a refuge from his brother's vengeance, vowed, that, if the Lord would be with him and restore him to his home peace, he would take God entirely for his God, and devote to him a tenth of all that he should possess. the time of the whole people of resorted to the same measure, order to obtain success against the Canaanites. This, it must be confessed, has a legal appearance, and looks like offering to make a bargain with God: but vows certainly be made perfect consistency with the liberal spirit of the Gospel: for it is intimated, that under the Gospel, yea even the millennial age, such a practice should obtain; and we know that both made a vow himself and united with others services to which by a voluntary engagement they had bound themselves. The vow of Jephthah has engaged the attention of learned men all ages: but they are by no means agreed as to the import of it. We propose, I. To explain his vow- It must be confessed, that the Jewish writers general, together with their great historian Josephus, were of opinion, that Jephthah offered his daughter to the Lord as a burnt-offering. Of the same opinion also were the generality of writers the early ages of the Church. Multitudes also of the most approved authors amongst the moderns take the same side of the question. But we are constrained to differ from them; and the more attentively we have weighed their arguments, the more fully are we persuaded that Jephthah did not offer up his daughter as a burnt-offering, but only devoted her to the service, the exclusive service, of the Lord. confirmation of this opinion, we would call your attention to the particular circumstances of the vow: 1. The making of it- 2. The execution of it- But there is yet a third source from whence we derive arguments confirmation of this point. We have noticed the vow reference both to the making, and the execution of it: let us now proceed to notice, 3. The honour God put upon it- Such, we are persuaded, was the vow that Jephthah made: we proceed, II. To suggest some instruction from it- Both the father and the daughter afford us very instructive lessons. We learn, 1. To avoid the rashness of Jephthah- 2. To imitate the piety of his daughter-. English Pointer,Bird Dog,English pointers for sale, english pointer puppies, English pointer dog, English pointer breeders, pointer pup, Pointer for sale, bird dogs for sale, Elhew pionter, trained pointer, pointer bird dog, started pointer, finished pointer, trained gun dog, American pointer, Texas English pointer, pointer puppies for sale, pointer breeders Texas, bird dog breeder Texas, Texas pointer breeder, bird dog trainers, bird dog triaining, retriever training, german shorthair training, Labrador retriever traiing, german shorthair trainers Texas, English Pointer Training, Whippoorwill Wild Agin, Funseeker's Rebel, Funseeker Rebel, Whippoorwill Razor, Phantom Wizard, Phantom's Wizard, Abilene Texas Kennel,