The Potter and the Clay.
JEREMIAH xviii. 1‒6.
_The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hands of the potter, so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel._
AT sundry times, and in divers manners, GOD was pleased to speak to our fathers by the prophets, before he spoke to us in these last days by his Son. To _Elijah_, he revealed himself by a small still voice. To _Jacob_, by a dream. To _Moses_, he spake face to face. Sometimes he was pleased to send a favourite prophet on some especial errand; and whilst he was thus employed, vouchsafed to give him a particular message, which he was ordered to deliver without reserve to all the inhabitants of the land. A very instructive instance of this kind we have recorded in the passage now read to you. The first verse informs us that it was a word, or message, which came immediately from the LORD to the prophet _Jeremiah_. At what time, or how the prophet was employed when it came, we are not told. Perhaps, whilst he was praying for those who would not pray for themselves: Perhaps, near the morning, when he was slumbering or musing on his bed. For the word came to him, saying, “Arise.” And what must he do when risen? He must “go down to the potter’s house” (the prophet knew where to find it) “and there (says the great Jehovah) I will cause thee to hear my words.” _Jeremiah_ does not confer with flesh and blood, he does not object that it was dark or cold, or desire that he might have his message given him there, but without the least hesitation is immediately obedient to the heavenly vision. “Then (says he) I went down to the potter’s house, and behold he wrought a work upon the wheels.” Just as he was entering into the house or workshop, the potter, it seems, had a vessel upon his wheel. And was there any thing so extraordinary in this, that it should be ushered in with the word BEHOLD? What a dreaming visionary, or superstitious enthusiast, would this _Jeremiah_ be accounted, even by many who read his prophecies with seeming respect, was he alive now? But this was not the first time _Jeremiah_ had heard from heaven in this manner. He therefore willingly obeyed; and had you or I accompanied him to the potter’s house, I believe we should have seen him silently, but intensely waiting upon his great and all-wise Commander, to know wherefore he sent him thither. Methinks I see him all attention. He takes notice, that “the vessel was of clay;” but as he held it in his hand, and turned round the wheel, in order to work it into some particular form, “it was marred in the hands of the potter,” and consequently unfit for the use he before intended to put it to. And what becomes of this marred vessel? Being thus marred, I suppose, the potter, without the least imputation of injustice, might have thrown it aside, and taken up another piece of clay in its room. But he did not. “He made it again another vessel.” And does the potter call a council of his domestics, to enquire of them what kind of vessel they would advise him to make of it? No, in no wise. “He made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”