Jude 1:2 Mercy to you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. 1. Spiritual blessings are the best blessings we can wish to ourselves and others. It is true, nature is allowed to speak in prayer, but grace must be heard first. 2. Observe 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. 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 in heaven, where there is no ignorance, pride, partialities, and factions. 3. 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 defection from God, and wrong to the truth, there is great need of mercy, peace, and love. Of mercy, that we may be kept from the snares of Satan. And we need peace and inward consolations, 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. 4. Note the aptness of the blessings to the persons to whom He prayeth. Here are three blessings that do more eminently suit with every person of the Trinity; and I do the rather note it, because I find the apostle elsewhere distinguishing these blessings by their proper fountains, as Romans 1:7. So here is mercy from God the Father, who is called "the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort" (2 Corinthians 1:3), and peace from the Son, for "He is our peace" (Ephesians 2:14), and love from the Spirit (Romans 5:5), "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. 5. How aptly these blessings are suited among themselves: first mercy, then peace, and then love. (T. Manton.) Parallel Verses KJV: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. |
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