A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

2 The Apostle puts Grace before Peace: so Nature told us in the mouth of her great Secretary, Aristotle; that Justice, is the elder sister to Peace. Agreement in evil is not love, but conspiracy: such men have only Metum & noxam conscientiae pro foedere: The terror and guilt of conscience for their combination. The Scripture tells us, that^t Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other. Aug. Fiat justitia, & habebis pacem: Live righteously, and thou shalt have peace.^u Depart from evil, do good, seek Peace, and pursue it: nay thou shalt not need to follow it, for it shall f•llow thee: Peace will come of it self to seek Righteousness. On the contrary, where is no love of goodness, there can be no goodness of love. We ask our Watchman, as Jehoram did Jehu; Is it Peace? He must answer, Alas what peace,³ when there is no grace? There is many a Dives dreaming of nothing but ease and peace in his life;^x Soul take thy rest, eat, drink, and be merry. There is many a Balaam desiring nothing but peace in his death: but he must live in grace, that would die in peace. It is a vulgarism; such a man died like a Lamb, though perhaps he lived like a Wolfe. As though Consumptions might not spend mens choleric humours, Apoplexies stop the passages, which otherwise would not be fuller of pains than reluctations; as though palsies might not take away speech, Lethargies dull, and Dropsies drown the vital spirits. There be many causes in Nature to make men die quietly, not sanctifiedly. Sisera after a draught of milk was no more sensible of Jael's hammer, than Holofernes after a tun of wine was of Judith's sword. But true Peace will not sup, where Grace hath not broken her fast. Our peace below is a continual war against Satan: shall be above, an eternal victory over Satan. Be diligent,^a that you may be found of God in peace, without spot and blameless. You see the way to be found of God in peace; it is to be furnished with Grace, to be without spot and blameless.