The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…

2. There is a Reward of Grace and mere Promise. When such a reward is a sure consequent of such an antecedent; not that it was a Cause, or Merit, but God hath appointed such a necessary order and connection, as between grace and glory; glory necessarily followeth, not by causality of our works, though from grace, but by the fidelity of the promise. Hence God is said to be Debitor sibi, not nobis, reddit debita nulli debens; and therefore this eternal life, which is called a reward, is in other places called a gift, and [Greek or Hebrew], an Inheritance, very frequently, in allusion to the Land of Canaan; where several Tribes had their several portions of Land by lot, not according to any worth; and that the Ancients did mean no more by Meritum, our learned men show at large.

2. There is a Reward of Grace and meer Promise. When such a reward is a sure consequent of such an antecedent; not that it was a Cause, or Merit, but God hath appointed such a necessary order and connexion, as between grace and glory; glory necessarily followeth, not by causality of our works, though from grace, but by the fidelity of the promise. Hence God is said to be Debitor sibi, not nobis, reddit debita nulli debens; and therefore this eternal life, which is called a reward, is in other places called a gift, and 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, an Inheritance, very frequently, in allusion to the Land of Canaan; where several Tribes had their several portions of Land by lot, not according to any worth; and that the Ancients did meane no more by Meritum, our learned men shew at large.

2. Consider the Appropriation and Distinction of this Reward; He shall receive his reward, implying by this, that there are degrees of reward, and glory in Heaven. There are some learned men that think there are no degrees of glory in Heaven, but all are alike. And certainly, there are many places, which are usually brought to prove it, which when throughly understood, do not convince it, yet I believe the different Degrees of glory to be a truth; and this Text, among others, may confirm it; where you have an excellent Appropriation, [Greek or Hebrew] for [Greek or Hebrew], is not here opposed to a contrary species, as in other places, He shall receive according to his works, good, or evil, but to degrees in the same kind, one labours in the good work of the Lord more, and another less; now according to this gradual diversity, shall be gradual differences of glory.