"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled." "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; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; and it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination (stubbornness) of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst" (Heb. 12:15; Deut. 29:18.)

The book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book, is the one I which speaks of man with God-communion, and the results of obedience. It deals, therefore, with the question of responsibility, and, as a natural consequence, is largely hortatory. Based upon the teachings and experiences recorded in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, it draws from them lessons to warn and guide as to the path in time to come. So too with various portions in the epistle to the Hebrews. Itself a Levitical book devoted to priesthood, sacrifice, and kindred themes, with the eleventh chapter, which treats of the path (the wilderness journey), it has now and again, notably in this chapter (12:), a strain of Deuteronomic warning and exhortation- based on the teachings and experiences recorded in previous chapters. Corresponding, thus, in their themes, it is natural to find a quotation from the Old-Testament book. It will be interesting and helpful to examine both passages, and note as well their differences as their resemblances. Deuteronomy is a book of the Law, and " the law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things," is as well a contrast to as a figure of those things. The theme of Deuteronomy is obedience and communion, but the way to obey, the way to keep in communion, is by keeping the law; so while we have a similar theme in this portion of Hebrews, the way is not by keeping the law, but by continuing in grace. And this is most important and helpful to note. We all boast in grace, and claim freedom from law; yet nothing is easier than, in principle, to leave the former for that law which, now as ever, " gendereth to bondage." In the passage before us, therefore, we are exhorted to look diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God. Let us, then, first see what is that grace specially brought before us in this epistle.

Christ the Son, as God (chap, 1:), Man (chap, 2:), Son over God's house (chap, 3:), High-Priest (chaps, 5:, 7:), is the Person set before us. In all the precious and amazing perfections of this blessed One, other objects are set aside, whether angels, Moses, or Aaron; and, as the apostles on the holy mount, we see "no man, save Jesus only." Next, the work of this blessed Person is set forth -"When He had by Himself purged our sins."-"That He, by the grace of God, might taste death for every man." And, coming to the ninth and tenth chapters, we have the precious doctrine unfolded in all its beauty and sufficiency-"Without shedding of blood is no remission."

" Not all the blood of beasts
On Jewish altars slain
Could give the guilty conscience peace,
Or wash away the stain.

" But Christ the heavenly Lamb
Took all our guilt away,-
A sacrifice of nobler name,
And richer blood than they."

The covenant too under which this grace is administered is put in contrast with the " law of a carnal commandment." It is a " better covenant" whose laws are written on the heart,-an "everlasting covenant" sealed in the blood of the faithful Mediator, not dependent on man's infirmity, sin, and unbelief. Therefore it is a covenant 'ordered in all things, and sure." Lastly, the place to which this grace introduces us. We have our High-Priest who has "passed through the heavens," "set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." Christ has entered " into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." Heaven, closed as it was to us, opened only upon that lowly spotless One, is now, by virtue of that sacrifice of His which rent the vail from the top to the bottom, opened to our believing gaze, and " we see Jesus, . . . crowned with glory and honor." This is the tabernacle of our worship " which the Lord pitched." But more than this:we not only see Jesus our High-Priest entered within the vail, but we are permitted by grace to follow Him there, and, as purged and clean worshipers, to offer "the sacrifice of praise to God continually." " Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus."

All this has not been a digression from the subject before us. In guarding against the springing up of roots of bitterness, we are to see that none fail or are lacking in the grace of God. That grace presents to us Christ in His person and work, the covenant under which we enjoy this, and the place where we draw nigh unto God, If under the law the people were to teach its precepts "diligently unto their children,"-"And thou shall talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest clown, and when thou risest up " (Deut. 6:7),-none the less under grace are we to go over its precious truths to one another at all times, under all circumstances.

Let us next see the force of the words, "looking diligently." They translate one Greek word-" episcopountes " -literally, " overseeing," or acting as bishops. We are our "brother's keepers," and "members one of another;" as such, we are to oversee, to care for one another. The passage in Deuteronomy goes more into detail-".Lest there should be among you man or woman or family or tribe." No one is so exalted as to be exempt from this care, none so insignificant as not to require it; whether a single individual be concerned or a family, or even a whole tribe, as in the case of Benjamin (Judges 19:, 20:), they were to see to it that no root bearing gall and wormwood should be allowed to spring up. And how needful all this is ! Evil is contagious :" a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump"-"thereby many be defiled." As an illustration of the spreading nature of evil, see the history of Israel at Kadesh (Num. 14:etc.). The ten unbelieving spies bring back an evil report of the land :this finds ready lodgment in hearts only too willing to doubt God, and the whole nation turns away from the " pleasant land." Nor does the evil end there. Next comes the rebellion against the authority of Moses and Aaron by Korah and his company, involving many others :then the whole congregation murmur and are judged, and finally Moses and Aaron are dragged down by this evil.

And what is the "root" which bore all this gall and wormwood ? It was that unbelief which would not continue in God's goodness – a root starting in the hearts of the spies, and throwing its baleful branches over all, and poisoning the nation with its bitter fruit. So too to-day, and in the history of the Church. The whole assembly at Corinth was infected by known evil in the midst unjudged. How often do we see a little thing spreading and involving large companies of God's people ! How needful, then, the exhortation to look diligently, or to act as bishops-overseers ! But what are we to watch for ? Not this or that failing, this or that shortcoming, but " lest any man come short of the grace of God." This is the root which bears all the bitter fruit:grace lacking, holiness will be lacking. So in our Lord's word to Peter, making him a pastor, or care-taker, of His sheep. Thrice He tells him to care for them- "Feed My lambs :shepherd My sheep :feed My sheep." What is the main duty of the shepherd ? To see that the sheep are fed; not, primarily, to recall the wanderers- that is but an incident, but to lead them in green pastures and by still waters. This we see in the word to Peter. Once he is told to shepherd the sheep-involving the restoration of wanderers and needed discipline, but twice to feed them-sheep as well as lambs. So too the true pastor, while careful to restore the wanderer, will chiefly be watchful to prevent such wanderings, by seeing that every heart is "established with grace."

This prevents legality, knits the saints together, makes Christ more precious and sin therefore more hateful. What must be the effect on a brother or sister, for instance, who is never visited except when some failure on their part requires it, and who is sure, whenever any approach is made in a pastoral or care-taking way, that "something must be wrong" ? On the contrary, let it be plain that the great object is, "building one another up on our most holy faith,"and often unjudged things will come to the surface and be firmly and thankfully put away.

Let it not be thought for a moment that the pastor should wink at sin:this he dare not, cannot do. But all power comes from grace,-all holiness too, and the soul rejoicing in grace will be holy in walk. The root, then, which bears the defiling, poisonous fruit of sin is, departure from God as known in the perfect grace of Christ. A cold heart soon leads to a wrong path. Such a state nourished will defile a whole company,-nay, such a spirit has defiled the whole Church at large. It is the spirit which says, "I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness (R. V.) of my heart."-Nothing shall interfere with my enjoyment, although Christ and His grace are not precious. " To add drunkenness to thirst,"-to allow the desires to express themselves in the actions :this is the Laodicean spirit of to-day,-" I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;" the opposite of that chastened spirit which finds its rest, as well as food, (" He maketh me to lie down in green pastures,") in the fullness of that grace »upon one view of which we have been dwelling.

God calls us back-back from any thing and everything which may have taken up our hearts-to His simple, full, and perfect grace,-to a glorified Christ who is the embodiment of that grace. Let us exhort and help one another to know more of it. Let us all be overseers in this precious sense, to turn one another into these pastures -to set some of the King's dainties before His guests (2 Sam. 9:). How soon frictions would disappear, irreconcilable troubles be healed, the wanderers be restored ! Lord, teach us all to learn of Thee !