Vox Dei & hominis.: God's call from heaven ecchoed [sic] by mans answer from earth. Or a survey of effectual calling. In the [brace] explication of its nature. Distribution of it into its parts. Illustration of it by its properties. Confirmation of it by reasons. Application of it by uses. Being the substance of several sermons delivered to the people of Heveningham, in Suffolk. / By J. Votier, minister of the gospel.

CHAP. III. II. Ʋse, for Terrour.

THis doctrine in the next place speaks woe, [S. 1] and condemnation with a loud voice, to those that are not effectually called; it discharg∣eth a volley of shot, & thundreth an whole peal of ordnance in the faces of those that are un∣changed; & like pictures, that are made to look everie way, as it smileth upon the godly, as you shall hear afterwards, so it frowneth, & looketh louringlie upon the ungodly: And as Ahab said of Micaiah touchilie, so may we say of this doctrine trulie, in reference to wicked men, that it doth not prophesie good concern∣ing them, but evil. Doth the Lord effectuallie call, whom hee did predestinate, then you who yet are not called, have cause to wax pale, and to be filled with tremblings of spi∣rit: It is like the hand writing upon the wall, and may loose your joints, and cause your knees to smite one against the other; and that upon these accounts, and the consideration of these ensuing particulars.

1. Such cannot yet conclude, that they [S. 2]

are predestinate; they have no ground, nor foundation, whereupon such conclusions may stay themselves; where the deluge of sin rests still upon the spirit, and ways of a man, or wo∣man, thoughts of predestination, can find no rest for the sole of their feet, but must either return, and die in the rest of fond imagination, or else flutter up and down, till for want of be∣ing feathered by grace, they fall, and perish in the inundation of unrighteousnesse: Such de∣serve to be hist at in the Schools of the Saints, who make a flourish with such conclusions, and are not able to produce the premises. The Scripture giveth no warrant thus to conclude; for Peter joyneth election, and sanctification together; where he saith, Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience, &c. 1 Pet. 1. 2. or to sanctification rather: What though you have civilitie, and outward con∣formity, is that firm ground, fitting for thee to anchor upon with determinations of thine ele∣ction; you may haplie make shift to passe the corps du guard, of man; and so to say the word, that none can gain say you, yet God can perceive your lisping; and when you come to the passages of Jordan, that lead into the heavenlie Canaan, and shall say, Lord let me go over, and open unto me. The Lord will say, art thou not a sinner, a rebel, and an unbeliever; and though thou say nay, yet the Lord will find thee out; and bid thee say Shibboleh, which thou canst not do; but in∣stead thereof will say Sibboleh: Thou canst say

outward calling, but not inward calling; thou canst say common grace, but not special grace; thou canst say, I am a Christian, but thou canst not say, I am a Saint. There thou stammerest, and stutterest, and art not able to speak right; Be not deceived, God will not be mocked: And is it not a most doleful, and direful condition for a man to be in, wherein he cannot say up∣on sufficient grounds, my name is written in Heaven, I am one in the Catalogue, and list of the elected, and chosen of God.

Whom the Lord chuseth, he chuseth to ho∣linesse, to sonship, now if these things be not in thee, what hast thou to say for thy predestinati∣on? It is true, Gods people are many times under dark dispensations, and their condition so clouded, that with Paul and his company, neither Sun, nor Stars for manie dayes do ap∣pear to them; so that their hope of being sa∣ved is taken away; but yet their condition is far distant from thine: For they have the root, though not the branch, the habit, though not the act: Though they cannot through impe∣diments, yet they ought by Gods command∣ment to conclude his eternal loving thoughts towards them; yet withal they have such a glimmering, and see so much of land, and dis∣cover the coast, though but in a small mea∣sure, that if put to their choice, they would not exchange conditions with thee: but as for thee, that art in thy sins, thou hast no right, neither oughtest thou to conclude any such thing to thy self.

2. If such do conclude, they do but delude [S. 3]

themselves; onlie Saints can make right syllo∣gismes in this matter, for mood, and figure; because themselves through the grace of God are in a good mood, and they have the figure, and image of Jesus Christ upon their hearts: others can make paralogismes, as the Apostles word is; and are good, or rather bad at falla∣cies, which is the way of disputing altogether in the devils Schools; and what a desparate thing is it for a man to cheat, and bear false witness against himself in things of so great moment, when he is forbidden such demea∣nour towards his neighbour in the ninth com∣mandement.

Friend, and Christian Reader, you are full of conclusions, and do abound with determi∣nations of his kind, yet wanting the inward and saving workings of the spirit, you do but cozen, and deceive your selves: If you say, you are chosen, and are not called; if you say, you are purposed to life, and are not pre∣pared for life, that your name is registred in Heaven, and not your nature regenerated on Earth: If you think you are the object of pre∣destination, and not the subject of sanctifica∣tion, you do erre in your thoughts, and greatly mistake: Hath your hope for Heaven no other staffe to lean on, but the broken reed of Egypt? Will that building last, that hath no other foundation than the sand? Hear what Paul saith, If a man think himself to be some∣thing, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself, Gal. 6. 3. It is universally true, in divine, mo∣ral, civil, and natural things; and very ap∣plicable

to our purpose: He that thinketh himself to be something in regard of predesti∣nation, and is nothing in regard of effectual vocation, deceiveth himself; yet there is no∣thing more common with people, than thus to do; and this is the misery, and the mischief of all, that people will not be beaten out of these thoughts, and sayings, though there be not the least of reason for them.

To run upon mistakes in temporals, may be great detriment, but to do it in spirituals, is like to prove grievous damnation: Is thy con∣dition ever the better for such conceptions? Is it sufficient warrant for hopes, and confiden∣ces, to have nothing but the hand and seal of Satans delusions. There is nothing will bring thee more woe, and speaks thy condition more sad, than these delusions: It may be truly said of thee, a deceived heart hath turned thee aside, that thou canst not deliver thy soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand. Deceitful flat∣tery will prove destructive cruelty; bottomless conclusions will prove bottomlesse confusion, if the spirit prevent not by Scripture confuta∣tion; and in the end thou wilt find this course but a counterfeit salve for thy sins, a skinning of the sore, and the devils breath to carry thee down the more swiftly, and easily upon the tide, and stream of temptation into the gulph of perdition. The Lord uncase this de∣ceit for thee, and shew thee the hellish and hideous face thereof: Rational men will have a reason for what they think or do; and should not Christians make the divine reason, the

basis of all their inward, and outward moti∣ons: It is most unsafe for us to enter into the labyrinth of predestination, to pace it with our own feet, to make particular applications of it to our selves without the clue of Scripture-rea∣son; and doth not that, even in the text, say? Whom he predestinated, them he also called. If effectual calling say not Amen, thy strong conceits have none of the spirit's seal: If those that have true grace, may have doubting fears concerning their predestination, then thy cer∣tain thoughts without grace are but a delu∣ding fancy; If they may yet suppose their con∣dition sad, thou hast no reason to conclude thine safe. Christ saith, Woe, when all men speak well of you; and doth not a woe also be∣long to such, who think, and speak well of themselves causelesly. Deceits of this nature will prove like mountains of snow, which with the heat of Gods wrath will dissolve into floods of sorrow.

3. In the next place consider, what content∣ment [S. 4] can you take in any enjoyment, whilest you are unchanged, and so cannot make out, that you are one of God's chosen? What feli∣city in any temporal favour without this? Health is the sauce of our morsels, peace gives a rellish to our rest. Plenty is a foil to our peace; a cheerful spirit within, is the quaver of our mirth, without; our enjoyments like lo∣ving brothers are mutual helpes to each other; but an interest in God, and a sence of that in∣terest is the crown and glory of all: without this, the rest will not concoct well, but produce

crudities, and distempers in the spirit; with∣out this Benjamin what are all the rest? who could smile at the highest attainments of na∣ture, which would prove, but fawning flatte∣ries, without the presence of this: It was the counsel of Jesus Christ to his inceptors, his young beginners; Notwithstanding, in this re∣joyce not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoyce, because your names are writ∣ten in Heaven, Luke 10. 20. If we had the de∣vil under our girdle, and our selves were not in God's heart; if we had never so much pow∣er on Earth, and had no place in Heaven, what would it advantage us? If the world were thrown into your bosom, and your name not written in God's book, could you say, you had enough? Heraclitus said, if the Sun were wan∣ting, it would be night for all the Stars: If the Sun of righteousnesse hath not risen upon your heart with healing under his wings, the glory of your accommodations lies buried in darknesse, and yields no pleasure to the eye; what satisfaction can there be in the world's goods, if thy maker be not thy Husband? Which he is to none, but those that are effe∣ctually called: The blaze of temporal privi∣ledges will soon out, if the knowledge of prede∣stination do not maintain the flame: If you cannot upon good grounds, to wit, the right application of Christ, which is done in effe∣ctual calling, make out a real appointment to glorie, may it not, is it not sufficient to marre your mirth, to spoil your sport, to damp your delight, in things here below; if seriously con∣sidered,

and duely thought on? Can meat be savoury without this sauce? Can drink be sweet without this sugar? Though a Sea of temporal immunities should come flowing in, yet it is this fair fresh stream, that alone can glad the soul. What contentment can there be in Remi, and Remaliahs son, if the waters of Shiloah do not bubble softlie by the door? Indeed, peo∣ple like swine, like beasts, do find, and take delight in these huskes, and they are as dear to them, as their heart; and do account their having of these things to be their happinesse: but it is, because they know not what their state and condition is, that they are lost in sin, nor what it is to be without some certainty of predestination, (they not being able to reach in their contemplations, things of so high con∣cernment) which did they know, it would make their hearts to shrink for fear: but that is but adverse felicity, whose foundation is nothing but bruitish insensibility; and that is not to be accounted the joy of a Christian, of a man, that hath its rise from nothing subjective∣ly, but beastlike ignorance, and supinesse: Haman accounted all his wealth, and greatness nothing, so long as he could not have his will of Mordecai: so maiest thou say, and the Lord make thee to say so; I have wealth, and wit; health, and honour; friends and favour; profit, and preferment; peace, and plenty; goods, and gold; meat, and mony; Lands, and Lordships; life, and liberty: but what good do these do me, they avail me nothing, so long as sin sits in the throne; so long as I am

not called, not converted; and know not that I am elect, and chosen: How can I look upon them with delight, when I cannot perceive they are enamelled with eternal love: It is most true, that Paul saith; Ʋnto them that are defiled and unbelieving, is nothing pure, Tit. 1. 15.

4. The next sable consideration, that main∣tains [S. 5] this tragick scene, is this, that they can take no comfort in the promises propounded. The Scripture is a rich mine, full of golden promises; one of the promises there is worth a world: There are peace and pardon, grace and glory, love and liking, salvation and sonship, Heaven and happiness promised; but only to those that are truly called. The Scripture is a treasure of precious promises, a store-house of gracious engagements: They are spread thick upon the pages of holy writ; The Manna of spiritual promises falls there together with the dew of Heavenlie doctrine: They both descend, and distil together. This laden tree is forbidden fruit to thee; And as Peter said to Simon Magus, so I to thee in the name of the Lord, who art in thy sins, Thou hast neither part, nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. It may justlie be said to thee, touch not, tast not, handle not, for they belong not unto thee. It is for the Saints onlie to sit down at this feast, you that are sinners must be excluded this Paradise: who do you think the Authour to the Hebrews means by heirs of promise, Heb. 6. 17. but gracious souls? and more plainly

doth he expresse himself, when he saith, that they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance, Heb. 9. 15. May it not be just cause of sadnesse to thee, to think, that thou maiest not warm thy self at this fire; to think, that thou maiest not pluck one fair ap∣ple from the tree; that there should be so ma∣ny heapes of gold, and sums of treasure, and thou not able to say, one penny is thine own: There is no saving good but by the promises, and yet such is thy condition, that they be∣long not to thee. How canst thou sleep with∣out this pillow under thine head? Doth it con∣tent thee to have ordinary mercies by a com∣mon providence without an interest in a speci∣al promise? Promises of mercy, favour, love, good will are not general, but particular, not to all, but to some; that is to say, to the Saints, the renewed, the effectually called: This is one thing, whereby the Apostle aggravates the misery of the Ephesians former natural conditi∣on, that they were strangers from the Covenants of promise, Ephes. 2. 12. and not without good reason adds, having no hope. Those that hope without book, hope in vain: Souls, do not lay claim to the covenant, without you find the condition wrought in you; do not chal∣lenge glorie for your right, unless you can find grace in your heart; do not say you are par∣doned, unless you find your self purified; verilie, it must needs be very sad, if you but seriouslie consider it, that there should be so much good promised, but none to you, be∣cause you are still bad: He that carrieth a

promise in his bosome, hath an antidote against all disasters; and he that wants it, lies exposed even to eternal destruction; you had better want any thing, than this.

5. In the fifth place: Those that are not effe∣ctuallie [S. 6] called, and therefore cannot make out their predestination, have no true bladder to support them in affliction. How can such stand in storms of trouble, who know not, but that they are the beginnings of eternal woe? Will not their head be soon under water, who can∣not make out to the contrary, but that they are the objects of reprobation, because they are not the subjects of regeneration: These are sinking thoughts; you must not look al∣wayes to sit as a Queen, and see no sorrow, you must not look, that the Sun should alwayes shine warm upon your head; that your peace should have no period, your summer dayes no date, your felicitie no fate: No, the clouds will gather, the Heavens grow black, miserie invade you, and sorrow seize upon you in one kind, or another: Oh, how it would lessen your trouble, quench the flame, mitigate the dolour; if you could but make out, that you were one, that did belong to God, and that your name were in the book of life: It will be sad, when the waters rise, and you have no Ark to return unto; when the storm comes, and you have no sheltring place: whereas to be in an estate of grace is a great support to a soul, when under hatches; I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts, Psal. 119. 94. I am thine by predestination, I am thine by effe∣ctual

calling, for through grace I seek thy Laws and waies; were not these things great staies to his spirit? Dionysius said, that this benefit he had by the studie of Philosophie, that he bore with patience his alterations and changes; so this is the benefit that comes by grace, that such may bear their sufferings not onely with patience, but also with joy, yea and may sing in the midst of a prison: The ship of the soul, being ballasted by grace, and effectual calling, is preserved from being overturned by tem∣pests of sorrow. David was one of God's, and in an estate of grace, and this he had some knowledge of, or else he could not have kept his ground, as he did against the thundrings of Shimei's railing tongue; without these things you will be like a wild Bull in a net, when you are caught in the toile; You will have no pa∣tience in, nor hardly profit out of your trou∣bles. Doth not David once and again put the bottle to his mouth, and suck in this cordial in the time of his spiritual swoonings; that God was his God. The want of these things must needs make the fornace of the fiery trial more hot and burning; than otherwise it would be: It is doleful for a man or woman to be in such a condition, that they may say, I want goods, and I want grace too; I want peace, and I want piety; I want liberty, and I want life; I want comfort, and I want conversion; I want Friends, and I want God's favour too; when God shall strike you with his rod, and you can∣not make out, but that his blowes are from loa∣thing, and not from love; that they are from

a foe, and not from a Friend; it will be very dismal, if you cannot say, these wounds have I received in the house, and at the hand of my Friend, and these are the chastisements of my Father in mercy, and not to misery, it will prove a sore shaking to thy spirit, a sad aking to thy soul.

6. The last bitter Pill is this: Such have no [S. 7] support in death; what will you do when death comes and mowes down the flouri∣shing Flowers of your temporal comforts, when this great Philistine stops the Well of your out∣ward consolations? Though now you are a∣live, yet you must die; Death will find you out, and when he comes, will not return with a non est inventus, We cannot find him. And can you die comfortably, that have not lived graciously? Can you end with safety, that have not begun with sanctity? can you have peace with the grave, who have no peace with God? can you be willing to be called out of the world by death, who were never called in, to God by grace? you may have strong fancies, but you can have no sure Faith. If you be not effectually called, and have not the true specta∣cles of faith and repentance, whereby you may be enabled to read your own name, in Heaven's court-rolls; What will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation, which will come [from death?] to whom will ye flee for help, and where will ye leave your glory? without me ye shall bow down as Prisoners [of the grave] and fall among the slain, [by the stroke of death.] The sting of death is sin, saith the Apo∣stle,

1 Cor. 15. 56. It is sin, that maketh death to bite, and leave the venome of his teeth be∣hind him: you are yet in your sins, death there∣fore must needs be bitterer to you than gall, and wormewood; you are yet without grace, and cannot make out that you are one of Gods; you cannot therefore lay this snake in your bosome with safetie. Have not such thoughts sadned thy heart, when death's messengers have knocked at the door? certainly they have, un∣lesse thou be given up to fearednesse of con∣science, and stupefaction of Spirit, which is worse than the strongest sence of sin, and mi∣serie; without grace death must needs be the King of terrours; what is your reason, why you are yet loath to die? Do you not say, it is this? Oh, if I were fit, I should not fear: If I had that upon me, and in me, that Ministers speak of, I should be willing to die; If I did but know, that I did belong to the Lord, and that I were one of his chosen, it would never trou∣ble me; why, you can never make out the latter without the former. You can have nei∣ther actual, nor habitual comfort in death without these things; you had better never to have been born, than thus to die; better ne∣ver to have looked forth of your Mother's womb, than thus to look death in the face: friends, relations, accommodations, helpes, are all too weak twiggs to lay hold on to keep from drowning in this Sea of fear, if there be not grace: you may send to Ministers to come to you (I wish with all mine heart, people would send to Ministers to come to them in the

time of their health and prosperity; and deal with them about the state of their souls) but they, if they be faithful, dare not, cannot speak peace to you, while you are in your sins; for what peace, so long as the vile∣nesses, and abominations of thine heart are so many: There is no peace, saith the Lord, to the wicked. What comfort can they have in, or against death, who cannot rightly particula∣rize the promises of eternal life, which such cannot do as we have shewed in the former head: If spirituals be absent, temporals will prove, but miserable comforters: Though now you hold up your heads, and blank at nothing; and you laugh at the shaking of the spears, and account darts as stubble; yet in your moneth, when you come to be gravid, and go bigge with the sorrow of languishing sicknesses, and fear of approaching death, you will change your tone, and sing another song; if you be not as bad or worse than the Devil; for he hath such a sence of his condition, that it makes him to tremble: Thus you see what a dreadful condition all are in, that are not effectually called; no comfort present, or future; none in life, or in death; none in earthly and com∣mon; none in Heavenly and spiritual good things: They may well have their name chan∣ged, and be called Magor-Missabib, fear round about; for there is just cause they should be a terrour to themselves.

Notes

• 1 Kings 22. 8.
• Bez. in loc.
• Judg. 12. 6.
• Gala. 6. 7.
• Homo prae∣destinatus est esse fi∣lius Dei. Aquin.
• Acts 26. 20.
• Jam. 1. 22. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Isa. 44. 20. Adulatio fallax crudelis est.
• Vitiis sem∣per servi∣unt blan∣dimenta, lenoci∣nantur dulcia de∣lictis.
• Luke 6. 26.
• Gaudium solummo∣do verum est, quod de creato∣re conci∣pitur.
• Esth. 5. 13.
• In sacrâ Scriptura quicquid promitti∣tur felici∣tas est.
• Acts 8. 21.
• Procul hinc, pro∣cul este profani.
• Spem me∣rito con∣conjungit promissio∣nibus de Christo: nam abs∣que his quicquid sperant homines, frustra sperant. Bez.
• Hic mu∣rus ahe∣neus esto, &c.
• 2 Sam. 16. 12.
• Ps. 42. 11. Ps. 43. 5.
• Mitigat vim dolo∣ris consi∣derata ae∣quitas fe∣rientis.
• Vix bene moritur, qui male vixit.
• Isai. 10. 3, 4.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Isai. 48. 22.
• Quis mor∣tem tem∣poralem metuat, cui aeterna vi∣ta promit∣titur?
• Job 41. 29.
• Jer. 20. 3.