Ohs. 2. Observe, again, the aptness of the requests to the persons for whom he prayeth. ' Those that are sanctified and called' have still need of ' mercy, peace, and love.' They need mercy, because we merit nothing of God, neither before grace received nor afterward. The very continuance of our glory in heaven is a fruit of mercy, not of merit. Our obligation to free grace never ceaseth. We need also more peace. There are degrees in assurance as well as faith. There is a temperate confidence, and there are ravishing delights, so that peace needs to be multiplied also. And then love, that being a grace in us, it is always in progress. In heaven only it is complete. Take it for love to God ; there we cleave to him without distraction and weariness or satiety. God in communion is always fresh and new to the blessed spirits. And take it for love to the saints ; it is only perfect
VeR. 2.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 65
in heaven, where there is no ignorance, pride, partialities, and factions — where Luther and Zuinglius, Hooper and Eidley, join in perfect concert.
Obs. 3. Again, observe the aptness of these requests to the times wherein he prayed, when religion was scandalised by loose Christians, and carnal doctrines were obtruded upon the church. In times of de- fection from God, and wrong to the truth, there is great need of mercy, })eace, and love. Of mercy, that we may be kept from the snares of Satan. Christians, whence is it that any of us stand ? that we are found faithful ? It is because we have obtained mercy. They would ' deceive, if it were possible, the very elect/ Mat. xxiv. 24. Why is it not possible to deceive the elect as well as others ? of what mould are they made ? wherein do they differ from other men ? I answer — • Elective grace and mercy interposeth ; it is not for any power in them- selves, but because mercy hath singled them out, and chosen them for a distinct people unto God. And we need peace and inward consola- tions, that we may the better digest the misery of the times ; and love, that we may be of one mind, and stand together in the defence of the truth.
Obs. 4. Again, note the aptness of the blessings to the persons for ^ whom he prayeth. Here are three blessings, that do more eminently and distinctly suit with every person of the Trinity ; and I do the rather note it, because I find the apostle elsewhere distinguishing these bless- ings by their proper fountains ; as Eom. i, 7, ' Grace to you, and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.' Sort the blessings right ; there is grace from the Father, and peace from Christ. So here is mercy horn God the Father, who is called ' the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort,' 2 Cor. i. 3 ; and peace from the Son, for ' he is our peace,' Eph. ii. 14 ; and love from the Spirit : Eom. v. 5 , ' The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given to us.' Thus you see every person concurreth to our happiness with his distinct blessing.
Obs. 5. In the next place, how aptly these blessings are suited among themselves : first mere?/, then peace, and then love. Mercy doth not differ much from that which is called g^-ace in Paul's epistles, only grace doth more respect the bounty of God, as mercy doth our want and need. By mercy, then, is meant the favour and good-will of God to miserable creatures ; and peace signifieth all blessings inward and outward, as the fruits and effects of that favour and good- will ; more especially calmness and serenity of conscience, or a secure enjoying of the love of God, which is the top of spiritual prosperity. And then love sometimes signifieth God's love to us ; here I should rather take it for our love to God, and to the brethren for God's sake. So that mercy is the rise and spring of all, peace is the effect and fruit, and love is the return. He beginneth with mercy, for that is the fountain and beginning of all the good things which we enjoy : higher than love and mercy we cannot go, for God's love is the reason of itself, Deut. vii. 7, 8 ; Eom. ix. 15 ; Isa. xlv. 15, and we can deserve nothing at God's hands but wrath and misery ; and therefore we should still honour mercy, and set the crown upon mercy's head (as further anon) ;
1 Qu. ' to ' ?— Ed.
56 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 2.
that which you give to merit yoii take from mercy. Now the next thing is peace. Mark the order still ; without mercy and grace there can be no true peace : Isa, Ivii. 21, ' There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked ; ' they say, ' Peace, peace,' but my God doth not say so. Christ left his peace with his own disciples, John xiv. 27, and not as worldly and external peace is left, in the happiness of which both good and bad are concerned ; that is general, but this is proper, confined within the conscience of him that enjoyeth it, and given to the godly. It is the Lord's method to pour in first the ' oil of grace,' and then the ' oil of gladness.' Alas ! the peace of a wicked man it is but a frisk or fit of joy, whilst conscience, God's watchman, is napping ; ' stolen waters and bread eaten in secret,' Prov, ix. 17. The way to true peace is to apply yourselves to God for mercy to be accepted in Christ, to be renewed according to the image of Christ ; otherwise sin and guilt will create fears and troubles. Again, the last thing is love ; great privileges require answerable duty. Mercy and peace need another grace, and that is love. It is God's gift as well as the rest ; we have graces from God as well as privileges, and therefore he beg- getli love as well as mercy and peace ; but it must be our act, though w^e have the grace from above. We would all have mercy and peace, but we are not so zealous to have love kindled in our hearts. Mercy, peace, all this runneth downward, and respects our interest, but love,- that mounteth upward, and respects God himself. Certainly they have no interest in mercy, and were never acquainted with true peace, that do not find their hearts inflamed with love to God and a zeal for his glory ; that as he hath ordered all things for our profit, so we may order and refer all things to his glory and honour. Mercy runneth down from God, and begets peace of conscience, for peace of conscience is nothing else but a solid taste of God's mercy ; and peace of con- science begets love, by which we clasp about God again ; for love is nothing else but a reverberation or beating back of God's beam upon himself, or a return of duty in the sense of mercy ; so that God is at the beginning and ending, and either way is the utmost boundary of the soul : i all things are from him and to him.