to .the EPHESI AN S. good which he r,cceivcd, and is an Inflrument of God fo for to convey that blef.. ~ ling, of that promife made tothofe that ccnlldel- the poor, Jo6 •9· I~· The blef- .Serm. I:_ ling of bun (fates .Jo6, havmg relteved them, verf I2.) that was ready to V'V""'Y' perilh, came upon me: fo m like manner thofe whomGod bath made Ordmances of fome fpecial good ro others, God alfo accompames.rhe1r Prayer and wellwilhing with power ro convey that good m a· more fpec1al manner than others, · that yet do in a common :elation of Brethren wifh it: Thus Parents being inflruments of conveywg hfe 10 tillS World and the good blcfsmgs of life to their Children, and if Godly, have the Promifes of the Covenant of Grace to them, thence they are efpecially honoured, that by blefsing their Children they lhould bring down thofe good things which they are in _other refpeCls really appointed the inflruments of; and when rh-rough the1r Chddrens obcdtence they are comforted (the promife of long life, ~r. being made to fuch Children) and rhey thereupon blefsing them (as the Parnarchs dtd) God. regards that blefsing qf theirs fo far as to fulfil thofe promtfes thereupon: fo Jt JS m Kmgs alfo blefsing their people, being fer up for their good, Rom. I l_, ~c. And anfwerably Miniflers being fer up as Stewards of the g?od blefswgs of the Gofpel, To 6ring the glad tidmgs of Peace, &c. hence the1r well.w!fhmgs of Grace and Peace; and of all thofe blefsings of the Gofpcl, which in their Preaching they bring, they are a fpecial means fanClified by God to ~ring down thofe blefsings upon thofe that obey their Miniflry; and therefore as when they come to a people, they are faid to come in the fulnefs of the blefsing of the Gofpel, as Ram. 1 l'·lo• fo when they depart, their farewels,and falutes, and well-wi01es made.up of thofe deftres of the blefsings of the Gofpel which they Preach, have • fpecial efficacy in their Mouthes above any other, as their Minif\ry alfo bath, and their Prayer~ are faid to have, Jam, I'. and therefore God bad them as to Preach Peace, fo towilh Peace, Ltth 10. even that Peace wluch they Preached. But however in that (as was lhewn) Grace andPeace,&c. are as well a falutation Chriflian there is in that refpeCl warrant enough for ~in_iflers t~ difmifs their Congregari: ons with them, or the hke to them. And 1t ts certam that fo far as any fuch kind of well·wifhes are warranted of God to be ufe~, (as _it is acknowledged of all hands they are, ettherby way ofFarewel, or mflttutJon) that there will an anfwerable blefsing from Gad accompany them; for elfe holy things, and (d God's name lhould be ufed in vain. Thus much as concerning the more general fcope of this and the lil<e Apoflo– lical falutations and blefsings ufed fometimes at the beginning, fometimes at the end of their Epiflles, fometimes in both. What difference there is in this from thofe in other Epiflles (for they ufed a variety of ~ords ) I will not now take · notice of, my work being to Interpret this only. The Parts thereofare thefe, 1. The good things wi01'd, Grace a11d Peace. 2. The Author's of both thefe, God the Father, and the Lord JeJU! Chrifl. · >· The Perfons to whom, to you, whom he had afore fiiled Saints and Fa'ithfi•l. The Particular Expojition of the Words. Grace andPtace. For the underflanding of thefe two, I fhall lhew the difl'e- The ditrer"''" renee between them~ between Giaco [ Grace] is the free favour of God, and that importidg here, not the Attri- aod Peaoe. bute as it is in God (for that is incommunicable unto us, and focannot bewifh'd us ) as thofe gracious aCls of his favour and love towards us immanent in Cod, but fer upon poor Creatures, whom he hath chofen in Chrifl, even thoughts of Grace andPeacetowards m, as Jer. 10, ", which are .thecaufe, the Fountain of all the good things befiowed, which good thi11gs are therefore diflinguilhe'd from ·thu Grace asitisinGodtowards us; thus Rom; )' '1· [The Grace of God, msdthe Gift /Jy Grace] are made two diflinCl things; Gracr isthere mentioned
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