I try to spread my little sails,

And wait for pow'rful moving gales. v

When pow'r 's convey'd, I work; but see,
'Tis still his pow'r that works in me :
I am an agent at his call,

Yet nothing am, for grace is all. w

u 1 Cor. xv. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

v Psalm lxxi. 16. I will go on in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. Song iv. 16. Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.

w Phil. ii. 12, 13. Wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence: work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Gal. ii. 20. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 2 Cor. xii. 9. And the Lord said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

II. OF REWARDS OF GRACE AND DEBT.

In all my works I still regard

The recompense of full reward; x
Yet such my working is withal,
I look for no reward at all. y

God's my reward exceeding great,
No lesser heav'n than this I wait: z

x Heb. xi. 24-26. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter: choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season: esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.

y 1 Tim. i. 9. God hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began. Titus iii. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

z Gen. xv. 1. After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Psalm xxiii. 25, 26. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.

But where's the earning work so broad,
To set me up an heir of God? a

Rewards of debt, rewards of grace,
Are opposites in ev'ry case; b
Yet sure I am they 'll both agree
Most jointly in rewarding me. c

Though hell's my just reward for sin, d
Heav'n as my just reward I'll win, e

a Ezek. xxxvi. 32. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you; be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. Rom. viii. 16, 17. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.

b Rom. iv. 4. Now to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

c Ps. lviii. 11. Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. Isa. lxii. 11. Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. And xl. 10. Behold the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him behold his reward is with him, and his work before him.

d Rom. vi. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. Ver. 23. The wages of sin is death. Eph. v. 6. Let no man de

Both these my just rewards I know,
Yet truly neither of them so.*

Hell can't in justice be my lot,

Since justice satisfaction got; f

Gal.

ceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. iii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

e Gal. iii. 13, 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Eph. i. 13, 14. In Christ also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Rom. v. 21. Grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. And vi. 23. The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

f Rom. iii. 25, 26. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

* Through these opposite voices of law and gospel.

Nor heav'n in justice be my share,
Since mercy only brings me there. g

Yet heav'n is mine by solemn oath,
In justice and in mercy both: h

g Rom. ix. 15, 16. God saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth; but of God that showeth mercy. Titus iii. 4-7. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost: which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

h Psalm lxxxix. 35, 36. Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. Heb. vi. 17, 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. Psalm lxxxix. 14. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne; mercy and truth shall go before thy face. Ver. 16. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. Ver. 24. But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him [David my servant]: and in my name shall his horn be exalted. Ver. 28.