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moral nature, are incumbent on all believers in a way of love or charity.

But this 'looking diligently' to the good of others, and to prevent their evil, is not here prescribed as a moral duty, whereunto we are obliged by the light of nature and royal law of love, but as that which is also an especial institution of Christ, to be observed in his church. The Lord Christ hath ordained, that the members of the same church and society, should mutually watch over one another, and the whole body over all the members to their edification. This therefore is here prescribed to these Hebrews; and that the practice of it is so much lost as it is, is the shame and almost ruin of Christianity.

The word signifies a careful inspection to a certain end;' and hereof there are two parts: 1. The promotion of spiritual good. 2. The prevention of all that is spiritually or morally evil. Hereunto it is peculiarly applied by the apostle in this place. And he instanceth in four things, in this and the following verses. 1. Failing of the grace of God. 2. The springing up of a bitter root. 3. Fornication. 4. Profaneness; wherein he compriseth the principal sins of the flesh and of the spirit, which professed Christians are in danger of. And he doth it in a regular gradation, from the lowest declension from grace, to the highest contempt and defiance of it, as we shall see in the opening of the words.

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Secondly. In considering the evils cautioned against,

First. The first evil to be obviated by this church inspection, is, failing of the grace of God. Μη τις ύστερων απο της χάριτος του Oεov, 'Lest any man fail of the grace of God.'

1. By the grace of God, God's gracious favour and acceptance in Christ, as it is proposed and declared by the gospel, is intended. Herein all spiritual mercies and privileges, in adoption, justification, sanctification, and consolation, do consist. For these things, proceeding from the love, grace, and goodness of God in Christ, and being effects thereof, are called the grace of God. The attaining and participation of these things, is that which in the faith and profession of the gospel, men aim at and design; without which, both the one and the other are in vain. This grace, under all their profession of the gospel, men may fail of, and this is the evil cautioned against. The word VOTEPE signifies sometimes 'to want,' or be deficient in any kind, Matt. xix. 20; Luke xv. 14, xxii. 35. Sometimes, to come behind,' 1 Cor. i. 7; 2 Cor. xi. 5. Sometimes, 'to be destitute,' Heb. xi. 37. Sometimes, to fail, or come short of,' as Rom. iii. 23; Heb. iv. 1. See the exposition of that place. It nowhere signifies to fall from,' so that the inquiries of men about falling from grace, as unto these words, are impertinent. Wherefore, to fail of grace,' is to come short of it, not to obtain it, though we seem to be in the way thereunto; see Rom. xi. 7, ix. 30, 31. So also, to fall from grace,' Gal. v. 4, is nothing but not to obtain justification by the faith of Christ.

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This therefore is that which the apostle intimates, namely, that there were, at least that there might be, in the church, some or many, who under the profession of the truth of the gospel, yet, through their sloth, negligence, formality, unbelief, or some other vicious habits of their

minds, might not attain unto the grace and favour of God, exhibited therein unto sincere believers. For this comes not to pass without their own guilt. And the mind of the Holy Ghost in the words, may be comprised in the ensuing observations.

Obs. I. The grace, love, and good-will of God, in the adoption, justification, sanctification, and glorification of believers, is proposed unto all in the gospel, as that which may infallibly be attained in the due use of the means thereunto appointed; namely, sincere faith in Christ

Jesus.

Obs. II. The outward profession of the gospel, with the performance of the duties, and enjoyment of the privileges thereunto belonging, will not of themselves instate any man in the grace of God, or in an assured interest therein. Men deceive themselves when they rest in these things. And multitudes do so, yea the most are angry, if they are told that there is any more required of them.

Obs. III. There is no man, who, under the profession of the gospel, comes short of obtaining the grace and favour of God, but it is by reason of himself and his own sin. The proposal of it, on the terms expressed in the gospel, is sure, and none shall ever fail of it, who embrace it on these terms. This is included in the word, which hath a charge in it of a vicious deficiency in seeking after this grace.

Obs. IV. Negligence and sloth, missing of opportunities, and love of sin, all proceeding from unbelief, are the only causes why men, under the profession of the gospel, do fail of the grace of God.

Now, this is the first thing which the apostle enjoins believers to exercise their church-inspection about; namely, lest there should be amongst them unsound professors, such as, through their negligence, carelessness, and fostering the love of some sin, or of the world, were not like to attain unto the grace of God, on the terms of the gospel. These they were to consider in all their circumstances and temptations, to instruct, exhort, warn, and admonish, that they might be brought unto sincerity in faith and obedience. This was their charitative episcopacy; this was the duty, this was the practice of the members of churches of old; and it is not to be admired, if many churches now come short of them in faith and holiness, seeing the very duties whereby they might be preserved and promoted, are lost or despised. Whatever is pretended to the contrary, if any one should endeavour the reduction of some such known duties into the practice of churches, he would be laughed to scorn.

This is the first, and the least degree of men's miscarriage under the profession of the gospel; yet is it that, from whence all the rest of the evils mentioned do arise and proceed. For of this sort of men it is, from them that fail of the grace of God under the profession of the gospel, as unto a real interest therein, that those who fall into the ensuing crimes do come.

Secondly. The next evil cautioned against, is the springing up of the root of bitterness. And we must inquire, 1. What is this root of bitterness. 2. How it springeth up. 3. How it troubles all. 4. How it defileth many; which is the progress here assigned unto it by the apostle.

1. As to the first, pila wikoias, all agree that the apostle hath respect unto the words of Moses, Deut. xxix. 18, Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood.' Gall or hemlock, was a poisonous weed in the eastern countries, as Hos. x. 4, and these names are applied unto poisonous sins, Amos vi. 12; Deut. xxxii. 32. Now it is evident, that in the words of Moses, by this root, a person, or persons, inclining to apostasy and departure from God, are intended. So the foregoing words do make it manifest, 'Lest there should be among you man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; that is, lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall or wormwood, be it one or more, man or woman, family or tribe, that is thus affected, it is a root of bitterness among you. Hence it is evident, what or who it is that the apostle intendeth. It is not any evil in the abstract, any heresy or sin, but persons guilty of this evil, which he intends. And this is that which in another place he expresseth by an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God,' which he cautioneth these Hebrews to exercise their mutual inspection about, as he doth in this place, ch. iii. 12-14. See the Exposition. Wherefore, this root of bitterness are persons in the church, whose hearts are inclined and disposed unto apostasy from the gospel, on one pretence or another, with a return either to Judaism, or sensuality of life, as the following instances do also intimate. And this exactly answers the sin condemned in Moses, of an heart turning away from the Lord our God.' And such it is evident that there were many at that time among the professing Hebrews.

And this evil is called a root of bitterness: First. A root, and that on a double account. 1. Because at the beginning it is hidden in the hearts of men, where it cannot be discovered. So speaks Moses, Whose heart turneth away.' So it is with roots, until they discover themselves by springing up. 2. Because from hence, from this evil heart of unbelief, doth the whole evil of apostasy in every way proceed, as fruit from its proper root. Secondly. It is called a root of bitterness, because of its noxious and poisonous qualities in them in whom it is, and unto others also.

2. Towards the completing of the evil intended, it is said that this root, avo ovovoa, 'springs up.' This is the natural way whereby a root discovers itself, both where it is, and of what nature. Generally, when men's hearts are inclined unto apostasy from the gospel, as then to Judaism, and now to Popery, they conceal it for a season, like a root in the earth; but, as they have opportunity, they begin to discover what is within. And several ways they do so. Commonly they begin the discovery of themselves in the neglect of church assemblies and duties, as the apostle declares, ch. x. 24, 25. Thence they proceed to perverse disputings, and contention against the truth, 1 Tim. vi. 5, and so go on to manifest themselves in practices, as occasions, opportunities, and advantages are administered. This root will not always lie covered, this evil heart will manifest itself; which is the springing up which is here intended.

3. The first effect hereof in the church is trouble springing up,

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Evoyλn, do trouble you.' It doth so, it will do so, in and upon its springing up. The word is nowhere used in the Scripture but in this place. It is to give trouble, by bringing things into disorder, tumult, and confusion. And a threefold trouble is, or may be, given the church. by this means. 1. A trouble of sorrow and grief for the evil, sin, and eternal ruin of those who have been united with them in the same society of the profession of the gospel. It is no small trouble unto them, who have the bowels of Christian compassion, to see men wilfully ruining their own souls, as they do in this case, ch. x. 26-28. 2. When those in whom this root is are either confident or many, they will trouble the church, disorder it, and cast things into confusion, by wrangling disputes, speaking of perverse things, endeavouring to draw disciples, to corrupt and deceive, as is the way and manner of all apostates. 3. They trouble the church, by bringing an evil report upon it, for divisions, conentions, and instability; ofttimes, also, by one means or another, exposing it to external trouble and persecution. This is the first effect which the springing up of this root of bitterness in churches, or among professors of the gospel, doth produce: it troubleth them.' And herein the apostle includeth an argument unto the diligent inspection which he exhorts unto, namely, the prevention of this trouble in the church.

4. The last effect of it, the utmost of its progress, is, that many be defiled by it; da Tavτns, and thereby.' By this root so springing up, and bearing this fruit of trouble. A dangerous thing it is to have such things fall out in churches, namely, that there be amongst them a man or woman, a family or tribe, few or more, that on any pretences incline unto a departure from the truth of the gospel. It seldom stops with themselves. The ignorance, negligence, darkness, but especially the want of experience of the power of the truth of the gospel, are easily imposed on by them, and thereby they are defiled. And thus it often falls out, not with one or two, but with woλo, many.' Ofttimes whole churches have been ruined by this means. Yea, hereby a fatal apostasy was introduced in all the visible churches of the world.

6

There is no difficulty in the expression of the apostle, of their 'being defiled,' avowo, as though it were not proper to be defiled by a root springing up. For the apostle doth not speak of the manner of its operation and infection, but of the effect it produceth; and this is, that men who have been cleansed by baptism and the profession of the truth, should be again contaminated with abominable errors, or filthy lusts, as it is fully declared, 2 Pet. ii. 18-22. And we may observe,

of

Obs. V. That the root of apostasy from God and the profession the gospel, may abide invisibly in professing churches. So our apostle declares it at large, 2 Tim. ii. 16—21, with the reason of it. And we may thence infer, 1. That we ought not to be surprised when any such root discovereth itself by springing up; it is no more but what we are warned of. 2. That in such a season it is divine election that secures true believers from apostasy and defilement, 2 Tim. ii. 19; Matt. xxiv.

24.

Obs. VI. Spiritual evils in churches are progressive. From small imperceptible beginnings, they will grow and increase to the worst of

evils, 2 Tim. ii. 17, iii. 13. And it will thence follow, that it is the duty of churches to watch against the first risings and entrances of such evils amongst them, which is here given them in charge.

Obs. VII. It is the duty of churches, what in them lies, to prevent their own trouble, as well as the ruin of others.

Obs. VIII. There is a latent disposition in negligent professors to receive infection by spiritual defilements, if they are not watched against. Many will be defiled.

Obs. IX. That church-inspection is a blessed ordinance and duty, which is designed by Christ himself, as a means to prevent these contagious evils in churches. And the neglect of it is that which hath covered some of them with all manner of defilements.

VER. 16, 17.—Μη τις πορνος, η βεβηλος, ὡς Ησαν, ός αντι βρώσεως μιας απέδοτο τα πρωτοτοκια αύτου· ἱστε γαρ ότι και μετεπειτα θελων κληρονομησαι την ευλογίαν, απεδοκιμάσθη μετανοίας γαρ τοπον ουχ εύρε, καιπερ μετα δακρυων εκζητησας αυτην.

My Tic TоOVOS. Syr. Lest any man should be found among you who is a fornicator.' H BeEnλoç. Syr. ND, and fainting,' or a backslider.

AVTI Bowσews as. Vul. Propter unam escam.

of meat.'

once.

Rhem. One dish

Bez. Uno edulio, 'One morsel,' something to be eaten at 'One morsel of meat;' but it was 'broth,' which is no

We say, less edulium than 'meat.' 'lore yap. Vul. Scitote enim. you do know.' Syr. 1 уT,

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For know ye,' imperatively. For You are knowing of it.'

VER. 16, 17.-Lest there be any fornicator or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right. For ye know that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

The apostle proceeds to give other instances of such evils, as whereby Christian societies would be corrupted, and way made for total apostasy; which were to be diligently heeded and carefully watched against. And the end hereof is, that either such evils may be prevented, or that those who are guilty of them may be recovered, (the difficulty of which is declared,) or that they may be cast out of the church, that it be not defiled; these are the ends of this inspection.

He puts together fornication and profaneness, and that probably for these three reasons: 1. Because they are, as it were, the heads of the two sorts of sins that men may be guilty of, namely, sins of the flesh and of the mind, Eph. ii. 3. 2. Because they usually go together. Fornicators, that is, those who are habitually so, do always grow profane; and profane persons, of all other sinners, are most apt to set light by fornication. These things are written with the beams of the sun in the days wherein we live. 3. They are the especial sins whose relinquishment,

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