uire what is promised to another by oath, than what is vowed to
himself. The vow binds the soul with a bond which cannot be else than
the bond of a covenant with God; but that bond also which is made by
swearing an oath to bind the soul being spoken of in the same manner as
the bond made by the vow, cannot be another than the bond of a covenant
with him.[46] God is properly a party to the covenant made in vowing to
Him. When an oath is sworn at the desire of men, they are a party to the
covenant that is entered into by him who swears; but God is party to a
covenant that is also thereby made; and when the oath is sworn in secret
to God, He alone is a party to the covenant into which the juror enters.
In all the cases God is a party to a covenant to which he who swears is
the other. Again, though Christ forbade unlawful swearing, yet when he
says, "Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time,
Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform _unto the Lord_ thine
oaths: but I say unto you, Swear not at all,"[47] he does not teach that
the oath, when properly sworn, is not to be performed to God, but rather
intimates, that when He is properly appealed to in swearing, he is
thereby contemplated as having addressed to him a solemn promise or vow,
the fulfilment of which he will demand. A severe penalty followed the
non-payment of the vow,[48] and the punishment due to the
non-performance of an oath sworn, even to men, is represented as
incurred by failing to fulfil a covenant obligation to God himself. The
children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of
Manasseh, sware thus to their brethren of the children of Israel, "The
Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall
know, if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the Lord,
(save us not this day,) that we have built us an altar to turn from
following the Lord, or if to offer thereon burnt-offering, or
meat-offering, or if to offer peace-offerings thereon." And testifying
to their conviction that a failure in the fulfilment of their promise
would be a breach of an engagement to God himself, they said, "Let the
Lord himself require it."[49]

Accordingly, the giving of the "oath for confirmation", whether of a
statement of fact or of a promise to be fulfilled in the future, is in
every case a taking hold on the covenant of God. There is every possible
variety in the matter of the engagements made by o