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A Vow (n.) taken ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠in boyhood is the clergy's device to capture men before maturity, when many would have character enough to refuse becoming Christians by an act of hypocrisy.

A Vow (n.) between ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠lovers is sworn the wrong way round: they swear by their love to love forever, when they should swear their love to each other by eternity.

A Vow (n.) made ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠to God is a snare, as they say of promises, only if it is not what it ought to be; kept, it is a leading-string to salvation, and broken, one loses oneself.

A Vow (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠silent, or spoken in that immortal "Yes" — and this abstraction finds such concrete expression that all the stenographers united could not describe a week of married life.

A Vow (n.) can ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠be a dodge: declare the gift that would help your parents 'already given to God', and God is not pleased; if your life is God's, let it serve people in his name.