* Grace he unto you and peace.' These are the good things wished. We see the apostle, a blessed man, that had been ' in the third heaven' rapt up, 2 Cor. xii. 2, that had been taught of Christ what things were most excellent, and had himself seen ' excellent things which he could not utter,' 2 Cor. xii. 4, when he comes to wishes, we see out of heavenly wisdom and experience he draws them to two heads, all good things to ' grace and peace.' If there had been better things to be wished, he would have wished them, but grace and peace are the principal things.
Quest. What is meant by grace here ?
A71S. G-race, in this place, is the free favour and love of God from his own bowels ; not for any desert, or worth, or strength of love of ours. It is his own free grace and love, which is shed by the Holy Ghost, and springs only from his own goodness and loving nature, and not from us at all. This is grace. It must be distinguished from the fruits of it ; as the apostle doth distinguish them, ' grace, and the gifts of gi'ace,' Rom. v. 15. There is favour and the gifts of favour, which is grace inherent in us. Here espe- cially is meant the fountain and spring of all the favoui* of God, with the manifestation of it, with the increase of it, with the continuance of it. He wisheth these things, the favom* of God, with the manifestation of it to their souls ; that God would be gracious to them, so that he would shew his gi'ace ; that he would discover it, and shine upon them ; and to that end that he would give them his Holy Spirit, to shed ' his love into their hearts,' Rom. v. 5. This shining of God into the heart, this shedding of the love of God into the heart, is the grace here meant ; God's favour, with the manifestation of it to the soul, and with the continuance of it, and the increase of it stiU. ' Grace unto you.' As if he should have said, I wish you the favom- of God, and the report of it to your souls ; that as he loves you through his Christ, so he would witness as much by his Holy Spirit to your souls. And I wish you likewise the continuance of it, and the in- crease of it, and the fruits of it likewise (for that must not be excluded), all particular graces, which are hkewise called graces. They have the name of favours, because they come from favour ; and favour is the chief thing in them. What is the chief thing in joy, in faith, in love ? They are graces. They cannot be considered as qualifications, as earthly things in us. They proceed from the grace and love of God, and have their especial value from
2 COBINTHIANS CHAP. I, VEE. 2. 17
thence. So I wish you the manifestation, the continuance and increase of favour, with all the fruits of God's favour, especially such as concern a better life. The word is easily understood after the common sense. Grace is the loving and free respect of a superior to an inferior ; the respect of a magistrate to such as are under him. Such a one is in grace with the prince, we say. We mean not any inherent thing, but free grace. So in religion it is not any inherent, habitual thing, grace ; but it is free favour, and whatsoever issues from free favour. This must be the rather obsen'ed. this phrase, against the papists. We say we are justified by grace, and so do they. What do they mean by being justified by grace ? That is, by in- herent gi'ace. We say. No ; we are justified by grace ; that is, by the free favour of God in Jesus Christ. So is the acception ■'■■ of the word. But, to come to the point, that which I will now note is this, that Doct. A Christian, thour/h he be in the state of grace and favour ivith God, yet still he needs the continuance of it.
He stands in need of the continuance of God. St Paul here prays for grace and peace, to those that were in the state of grace already. Why ? The reason of it is, that we run into new breaches every day, of ourselves. As long as there is a spring of corruption in us, a cursed issue of corrup- tion, so long there will be some actions, and speeches, and thoughts, that will issue, that would of themselves break our peace with God, or at least hinder the sweet sen*e of it. Therefore, we have continual occasion to renew our desires of the sense and feeling of the favour of God, and to renew om* pardon eveiy day, to take out a pardon of course, as we have now the liberty to do. So oft as we confess our sins, * he is merciful to forgive us,' 1 John i. 9. And to ■svin his favour, we have need every day still of grace. I list not to join in conflict here with the papists concerning their opinion.