Galatians 1:3–4

Here is laid downe the second part of the Preface, which is the Salutation propounded in the forme of a praier, Grace and peace, &c. Grace here mentioned is not any gift in man, but grace is Gods, and in God. And it signifies his gratious fauour and good will, whereby he is well pleased with his elect, in, and for Christ. Thus Paul distinguisheth the grace of God from the gift that is by grace, Rom. 5. v. 15. and sets grace before the gift as the cause of it. Here comes the errour of the Papists to be confuted, which teacheth that the grace, which makes vs gratefull to God, is the infused gift of holinesse and charitie: whereas indeed we are not first sanctified, and then please god: but first we please God by grace in Christ, and then vpon this we are sanctified and indued with charitie.

Peace is a gift not in God, but in vs: and it hath three parts. The first is peace of conscience, which is a quietnesse and tranquilitie of minde, arising of a sense and apprehension of reconciliation with God. Rom. 5. v. 1. The second is peace with the creatures: and it hath fiue branches. The first is, peace with angels, for man is redeemed by Christ: and by meanes of this redemption, sinfull man is reconciled to good Angels, Coloss. 1. 20. The second is, peace with the godly: who are all made of one heart and mind, Isai. 11. 9. The third is, peace with our selues: and that is a conformitie of the will, affections, and inclinations of mans nature to the renewed minde. The fourth is, peace in respect of our enemies. For the decree of God is, Touch not mine annointed, and doe my Prophets no harme. Againe, all things Psal. 105. 15. turne to the good of them that loue God. The fift is, peace with Rom. 8. 28. the beasts of the field. God makes a couenant with them for his people. Ose. 2. 18. The creatures desire & waite for the deliuerance of Gods children, Rom. 8. They that trust in God shall walke vpon the Lyon and the Bafiliske. Psal. 91.

The third part of peace is prosperitie and good successe: whatsoeuer the righteous man doth, it prospers. And all things prospered in the house of Potipher, when Ioseph was his steward, because he feared God, Gen. 39. 1, 2.

To proceed, Paul sets downe the causes of grace and peace, and they are two, God the father, and Iesus Christ. And here it must be remembred, that the father and Christ, as they are one God, they are but one cause: and yet in regard of the manner of working, they are two distinct causes. For the father giues grace from none but himselfe, by the sonne; and Christ procures grace and peace, and he giues it vnto men from thefather. Furthermore Christ is described by his propertie, Our Lord, and by his effects in the next verse.

The vse. Whereas Paul beginnes his praier with grace, we learne that Grace in God is the first cause and beginning of all good things in vs. Election is of grace. Rom. 11. v. 5. Vocation to saluation is of Grace. 2. Tim. 1. 9. Faith is of grace. Phil. 1. 29. Iustification is freely by Grace. Rom. 3. 24. Loue is by grace. 1. Ioh. 4. 9. Euery good inclination is of grace. Phil. 2. 13. Euery good worke is of grace. Ezech. 36. 27. Eph. 2. 10. Life euerlasting is of grace. Rom. 6. 23. To auoide any euill is the least good, and euery good is of God. It may be said, that will in man is the cause and beginning of some good things. Answer: In the creating or imprinting of the first grace in the heart, will is no cause at all, but a subiect to receiue the grace giuen. After the first grace is giuen, will is an Agent in the receiuing of the second grace, and in the doing of any good worke. Yet this must be remembred, that when will is an agent, it is no more but an instrument of grace, and grace in God is properly the first, middle, and last cause of grace in vs, and of euery good acte. Hence it followes, that there be not any meritorious workes that serue to prepare men to their iustification: and that the Cooperation of mans will with grace in the acte of conuersion, whereby we are conuerted of God, is but a fiction of the braine of man. Lastly, this doctrine is the foundation of humilitie: for it teacheth vs to ascribe all to grace and nothing to our selues.

Secondly we learne, that the cheife good things to be sought for, are the fauour of God in Christ, and the peace of a good conscience. Consider the example of Dauid, Psal. 4. v. 7. & Psal. 73. v. 24, 25. and of Paul, who accounted all things dung for grace and peace in Christ. And the peace of good conscience is as a guard to keepe our hearts and minds in Christ. Phil. 4. 7. The fault of most men is, They spend their daies and their strength in seeking riches, honours, pleasures: and they thinke not on grace and peace. After the manner of beasts, they vse the blessings of god, but they looke not at the cause; namely, the grace of God. Our dutie. Aboue all things to seeke for grace and peace. The reason; true happinesse, which all men desire, consists in peace, and is founded in grace: they are said to be happie & blessed that mourne, & suffer persecution for iustice sake, Mat. 5. because in the middest of their sorrows & miseries, they haue the fauour of God, & the peace of good conscience.

Thirdly in that grace & peace are ioyned, we learn, that peace without grace is no peace. There is no peace to the wicked, saith my god, Isai. 57. last. They which make a couenāt with hel & death are soonest destroyed. Isai. 28. 18. Laughter (saith Salomon) is madnes: namely, when it is seuered from grace and peace. When men say peace, peace, then comes destruction, 1. Thess. 5. The prosperitie of the men of this world, ends in perdition. read, Ps. 73.

Paul saith not simply that Grace and peace comes frō God, but from God the father and from Iesus Christ: that he may teach vs rightly to acknowledge and worship God. For God is to be acknowledged and worshipped in the father, in Christ, & in the holy spirit. It was the fault of the Pagans, and it is the fault of sundrie Christians to worship an absolute God, without the father, and without Christ. This fault must be amended, for it turnes God to an Idol.

Againe when Paul saith, that grace proceeds first from the father, and secondly from Iesus Christ: he sets downe the Order which God obserueth in the communication of grace & peace. The father is the fountaine of grace, and giues it from none but from himselfe. Christ againe is (as it were) a conduit, or pipe, to conuaie grace from the father to vs. Of his fulnesse we receiue grace for grace. Ioh. 1. In him we are complete. Col. 2. Election, Iustification, Saluation, and all is done in, and by Christ. 2. Tim. 1. 9. The vse. I. Let them that trauell vnder the burden of a bad conscience, and a bad life come to Christ by turning from their sinnes, and by beleeuing in him, and they shall obtaine grace, & finde rest to their soules. II. In our miseries, our hearts may not be troubled ouermuch, but we must alwaies moderate our sorrowes. For if we beleeue in Christ, we shall alwaies haue grace and peace. Read Ioh. 14. 27. III. We must moderate our cares for this life. For if we trusting in Christ, haue grace and peace, we shall want nothing read Psal. 4. v. 6. 7.

Iesus Christ that giues grace and peace, is called, Our Lord, for two causes. One is to teach vs to acknowledge Christ aright, and that is as well to acknowledge him to be our Lord, as wel as our Sauiour. He is a Priest to procure life, a prophet to teach the way of life, a Lord to command them to walke in the way of life. The fault of our times: All men professe Christ: yet many allowe of no Christ, but of their owne deuising: namely, a Christ that must be a Sauiour to deliuer them from hell, but not a Lord to commaund them; that they cannot brooke. The second cause why Christ is called our Lord, is to signifie the persons to whome grace and peace belong, and they are such as acknowledge Christ for their Lord, and yeild subiection to him in heart and life. They finde rest to their soules, that take vp the yoke of Christ in newe obedience, and the patient bearing of the Crosse, Math. 11. v. 29.