Master of His own word and grace

Verse 1
Master of his own word and grace,
The Lord is wise in all his ways,
And knows his own design,
His gospel sends whene’er He will,
The sovereign purpose to fulfil
Of purest love divine.

Verse 2
His counsellours we cannot be,
The motives of his actions see,
The reasons comprehend;
But should with silent awe adore,
Nor pry into his choice, before
Our faith in vision end.

Verse 3
He now instructs us to receive
The gifts which he vouchsafes to give
With humblest thanks and praise:
For if we claim them as our right,
We force him to withdraw the light,
And to revoke the grace.

Hymnal/Album: Originally titled: “‘They were forbidden of the Holy Ghost, to preach the word in Asia.’—[Acts 16,] v. 6.” This hymn appears in the 1764 manuscript “MS Acts.” This manuscript is part of the collection of the Methodist Archive and Research Centre in The John Rylands Library, The University of Manchester (accession number MA 1977/555, Charles Wesley Notebooks Box 1). Accessed through the website of The Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition, Duke Divinity School. Published in The Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley, Collected and Arranged by G. Osborn, Vol. 12 (London: Wesleyan-Methodist Conference Office, 1871), page 313.
Publishing: Public Domain