Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 6 · Verse and explication 23
Vers. 23. Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith from God the father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
NExt, in the conclusion of the Epistle, is contained the Apostles ordinary fare-well wish: wherein, designing those to whom he writeth by the name of brethren, he wisheth unto them in particular, 1. Peace, that is, peace with God, with their own conscience, one with another, and all sort of prosperity. 2. Mutuall love among themselves; for, Gods love to them is comprehended under grace in the following verse. 3. The grace of faith, the fountain of the former, 1 Tim. 1. 5. All which he wisheth from God the Father, not excluding but including the Son and holy Ghost; (See upon Col. 3. 17. doct. 3.) and from Jesus Christ the Mediator, through vertue of whose merit and intercession all saving benefits are conveyed unto the Elect. Doct. 1. Ministers, who would have their pains attended with successe towards the Lords people, ought to beg that from God by prayer to be wrought in them, which by their preaching they endeavour to inculcate on them: for, peace, love and faith, are the sum of all which he hath been presently instructing them in, and pressing upon them, and here he seeketh all from God by prayer; Peace be to the brethren. 2. A Ministers prayers for obtaining the Lords blessing upon his pains towards his flock, should be serious, servent, insisted upon, and often inculcated untill a gracious answer thereof be granted: for, the Apostle began with this prayer, or wish, chap. 1. 2. and here he closeth with it; Peace be to the brethren. 3. Even Believers are not made perfect in grace at the first, the Lord doth carry on that work by steps and degrees, that somewhat of Him may be seen in every step; and therefore as themselves are bound to grow in grace, by adding one grace to another, 2 Pet. 1. 5, 6. and one degree of the same grace to the former, 2 Pet. 3. 18. So, it is the duty of others to help them on towards growth by their prayers and wishes: for, those who were already regenerated among the Ephesians, had faith, love, and peace wrought in them at the first, and Paul wisheth here a further degree of, and growth in, those from God to them; Peace be to the brethren. 4. Though it be the duty of all to live in peace and love, yet a truely Christian and peaceable frame of spirit, together with love, which is not a meer moral vertue, but a saving grace flowing from the root of faith, is only to be found among true Believers, and should be soughtafter by such especially; coldrifenesse of affection, and unpeaceable walking, being more unbeseeming them than any others: for, therefore doth he wish for peace and love to the brethren, that is, those chiefly who were brethren in Christ and born of God. 5. There cannot be a peaceable frame of spirit in any towards others, nor yet an harmonious walking with them, nor any thing else, except sinfull renting and shamelesse striving, but where the grace of love is; whereby the heart is armed against all irritations arising from the infirmities of others to break the bond of peace, Eph. 4. 2, 3. for, he conjoyneth these two in his wish, peace, whereof, one branch is a peaceable frame of heart and harmonious walking, and love: Peace be to the brethren, and love. 6. As the graces of faith and love are different, and therefore the one cannot be the form or essence of the other; So they are alwayes conjoyned; where one is, there the other must be also: for, he speaketh of them as two different graces, whereof the one doth necessarily follow upon the other; And love with faith. 7. See what is already observed from Gal. 1. 3. Philip. 1. 2. Col. 1. -2. upon the persons from whom, and through whom those good things are wished and sought; even from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.