But the main Note and Observation is,1 That emptiness in those that profess themselves to be Gods People, is a very great evil. Oh! it is a great charge upon those that grow in Gods Vineyard, that profess themselves to be Gods, to be charged with this, That they are empty, an empty Vine. When we would speak of a man contemptuously, as one that hath no natural or aquisite excellency in him, we say such a one is an empty,2 or a slight fellow; and that's the meaning of the word that you have in Mat. 5. 22. Whosoever calls his Brother, Racha, shall be in danger of the counsel; the word Racha, it is empty, it is as much as if he should call his Brother an empty fellow, for that's the signification of the word Empty. 3And in Jam. 2. 20. Knowest thou not, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? The words▪ are, Oh empty man, knowest thou not, O empty man, that faith without ⟨p. 304⟩works are dead? There's many that keeps a great deal of noise of Faith, and of Gods free-Grace, and yet are extreme empty men and understand little of the true excellency of the Covenant of Grace;4 Knowest thou not, O empty man, that Faith without Works is dead? Speak as much as thou wilt of Faith and Gods Grace, yet if there be no Works, thou art an empty man. Nature will not endure emptiness; some of the Philosophers have said, that the world would rather be dissolved than there should be any vacuity;5 creatures will move contrary to their nature rather than they will suffer a vacuity. Certainly an emptiness in the souls of Gods people, it is the worst emptiness that is in the world:6 For,
But the main Note and Observation is,1 That emptiness in those that profess themselves to be Gods People, is a very great evil. Oh! it is a great charge upon those that grow in Gods Vinyard, that profess themselves to be Gods, to be charged with this, That they are empty, an empty Vine. When we would speak of a man contemptuously, as one that hath no natural or aquisite excellency in him, we say such a one is an empty,2 or a slight fellow; and that's the meaning of the word that you have in Mat. 5. 22. Whosoever calls his Brother, Racha, shall be in danger of the counsel; the word Racha, it is empty, it is as much as if he should call his Brother an empty fellow, for that's the signification of the word Empty. 3And in Jam. 2. 20. Knowest thou not, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? The words▪ are, Oh empty man, knowest thou not, O empty man, that faith without ⟨p. 304⟩works are dead? There's many that keeps a great deal of noise of Faith, and of Gods free-Grace, and yet are extream empty men and understand little of the true excellency of the Covenant of Grace;4 Knowest thou not, O empty man, that Faith without Works is dead? Speak as much as thou wilt of Faith and Gods Grace, yet if there be no Works, thou art an empty man. Nature will not endure emptiness; some of the Phylosophers have said, that the world would rather be dissolved than there should be any vacuity;5 creatures will move contrary to their nature rather than they will suffer a vacuity. Certainly an emptiness in the souls of Gods people, it is the worst emptiness that is in the world:6 For,
- 1Obs. 1.
- 2Mat. 5. 22 Racha explained.
- 3Jam. 2. 20 [Greek or Hebrew].Iam. 2. 20 〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
- 4some Antinomians.
- 5vacum non datur.
- 6Reasons.
