An Expojition of the Epi!1~e ~ tioned .•..the Caufe ofbe{[owing the good tbi>rgJ be{[owed, or rath~r called gljts Serm. l. 6y Grace. And thus Grace :fnd the lree favour of God arc hel<l lorth in rh.s ~veryChopter, as the fpring of allgood to us, for he rcfolveth all the blcillngs benowed on us into the Rrcbes of hts Gract as the efficient caufe, Vfrj. 7· and to the glory of his Grace as the final, verf, 6. and fo likcwife Chap. 2 • . verj.' 7• 8. yea, and in the Text here ' he faics, Grace be to ) '011 fm glv, and aput, that only fir{[; (and not Grace rmd Peace to you, as ufually cl fewhere) and when he after adds [ a11dPeace·] he feems to fpeak of 1t but as a thmg ea![ in by Grace, as all other thing1 are faid to be to the Kingdom of God fought firll:, Peace then is the Fruit and effetl: thence flowing, and one of the etfeds ot· gifts of Grace, and that Synecdochically mentioned for all thc'ren. Peau with God isthefir{[ benefit benow'd, that follows upon Faith; foRom 5'· '· (the fcope of that Chapter being to enumerate the fruits of Faith, he mentions that fir{[,) Bei11g jujl.jiedby Forth we h,we peace wrth God; and as it is put· to exprefs the fir{[, fo the Ja{[ bleifing benowed alfo, The md of th<1t ma11 is Pface, faith the Pfalmin, Pjizl. 37· 37· fo the joyes of Heaven are termed, l(tr. )7· 2, The R ighteous when he dies, is faid to enter into Peace, and it is calied Peace in Heaven, Luke I 9· 38. and accordingly peace is reckoned as the reward given the righteous at latter daY., Rom. 2. 1 o. Glory ( faith he\ a1ld Prace 6e to him, &c. and therefore it mu!t needs comprehend a!! other bleffings coming between, and fo even all from the fir{[ to tbe la{[, it is a perfeCtion of good, as in the acceptation of the Jews, and the perfetl:ion of all fpiritual good in the fenfe of the Aponies, Rom. •+ 7· 1he whole Kingdom of God confttls in Ri~bttoufiujs [and Peace ,d Joy J thus not Jufiilication only is called Peace but Sanetificati<>n alfo, 1 The(.:;.23. The very God of Peace Srmilifie ) 'Ott; yea, and the growth and pertetl:wn of that IS fa1d there to be from God. as he is a God of Peace; fo it follows [ SantJzfte ) 'O!t wholly] the word ~"'"''"' is total– ly and finally, it fignifies both. Thus likewife, Joy i11 the Holy Ghojl, and Com– mtmio1l with God is called Peace, Peace whzch paffith ,,/J·rmdn/fa11ding, Phil, 4• 7· To conclude then, as Grace and Peace are the fum of the Gofpel, fo of this Evangelical bleifing h~re ;_ and fo exprefs even the fulnefs of the blelfing of the Gofpel, as the expre!IJOn IS, Ram. I). g. And more parucularly and re· flrainedly, our Reco11ciliatio11 with God conft!\s of two parrs, ptace and good– wiU; as with men alfo all Reconciliation doth. Thu• if you would make an enemy to be friends with one, you mun fir{[ make peace for him ; and when you have done,. becaufe a man may {[i!l fay, I will be at peac,e with him, but I can never love htm agam as I have done, therefore to have him made a Friend a Favourite again, and fo reconciled perfetl:ly, you mun obtain grace and fa: vour and good wi!l for him too. Thus it is between God and us, Col. 1. 20. Chrijl havzng made peace t/;rough the blood of hJS Crofs, he reco~tci!ed a/J thitrgr to hi~(eif ; when !1e had once made peace, then he reconciled them, made themfnends, whtch IS clear out of Free Grace. You have both in the Song of the Angels (for they began to Preach the Gofpel) fay they, Luhe 2, q. Peace o~tEarth, goodwzUtowards mm; here IS grace and peace, i.e. good·will, that is, he will not only pardon you, and be at peace with you but he will love you, and be a friend very gracious to you. Thefe two are ali one with what here are termed Graceand Peace. Now for the Seco11d thing, the Author of both thefe, From God the Father, mzd from thf Lord .7ef.u Chrifl.] You IJJal! ob· ferve how in that ble!ling of the Old Tenament, Num6. 6. Jehovah is men– tioned three times, ]fhovah 61efs thee, &c. .7ebovah 6e graciom, and .!eha. vah give thee peace, &c. whereby the three Perfons, and their bleifing of us are intended, though not explicitly mentioned; but here (as became the Gofpel) they are di{[intl:ly named, From God the Father, mzd from the Lo>·d Je[m Chrijl, . Why God is called the Father, and Chri{[ the Lord, I llialllhew in opening the next Verfe. ' Only this here, That God be{[ows not this Grace as he is a Creator, or Author of nature in common to men as his Creatures, but as he is become a Father in Chrin, and fo bell:ows.it in a peculiar love, out of which be will
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