Jeremias 18

Horae Homileticae de Charles Simeon

Jeremias 18:6

6 "Ó comunidade de Israel, será que não posso eu agir com vocês como fez o oleiro? ", pergunta o Senhor. "Como barro nas mãos do oleiro, assim são vocês nas minhas mãos, ó comunidade de Israel.

DISCOURSE: 1058
THE POTTER’S POWER OVER THE CLAY

Jeremias 18:6. 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 my hand, O house of Israel.

WHILE the grandeur of the heavenly bodies fills us with a sense of our own insignificance [Note: Salmos 8:3.], we may learn many instructive lessons from the meanest creatures upon earth. The instinctive wisdom of the crane or swallow, the provident care of the ant, and the grateful acknowledgments of the ox and ass, are proposed to us as models for our imitation [Note: Jeremias 8:7; Provérbios 6:6; Isaías 1:3.]. Nor are works of art less capable of suggesting useful hints to a reflecting mind. In the passage before us the prophet was commanded to observe a potter forming his vessels, and to declare to the Jews that they were, notwithstanding all their boasted strength, as much subject to the will of God as the clay was to the potter’s will. To illustrate this we shall shew,

I. The power of God over us—

We can scarcely conceive any greater power than the potter has over the clay. He forms, or mars, or varies the shape of his vessels, as he pleases. Such is God’s power over us,

1. Individually considered—

[Every man is altogether in the hands of God. Our bodies are instantly brought low, when he sends a fierce disease to prey upon them. Nor can the physician’s aid profit us, till he be pleased to bless the means prescribed [Note: Jó 33:19.] Our souls are also entirely dependent upon him. When his time is come, the obdurate relent, the dead arise, the drooping are comforted, and the weak established. Till then, the Bible is a sealed book, and the most faithful ministers are only as sounding brass [Note: Salmos 107:12.]

2. In our collective capacity—

[The most flourishing families, how soon are they brought low! And how speedily may they be restored to their former prosperity [Note: Jó 1:18; Jó 42:12.]! Nor are the most powerful kingdoms less at his disposal. He can raise a mighty empire from the most contemptible beginnings [Note: Isaías 51:1.Deuteronômio 7:7.], or reduce it to utter ruin in a single hour [Note: 2 Reis 19:35.Êxodo 14:28. If this be the subject of a Fast Sermon, the circumstances of the nation may properly be adverted to in this place, and the duties inculcated under the second head must have a national, as well as personal bearing.]. As the smallest motion of the finger suffices to effect any change upon the potter’s clay, so the secret volition of the Almighty operates with irresistible energy through the whole creation.]

This truth being universally admitted, we shall proceed to shew,

II.

What effect the consideration of it should produce upon us—

Every perfection of the Deity should occasion some correspondent emotion in our hearts. The thought of his unbounded power over us should produce in us,

1. A holy fear—

[What our deserts are, both individually and collectively, none can doubt. To repent then of all our sins, and to turn to the Lord with all our hearts, is our first duty. This is the special point inculcated on the Jewish nation by God himself [Note: Read ver. 7–10 and mark emphatically ver. 11.]. And where is the individual who does not feel the necessity of having it impressed on his own mind? Know then, all of you, that you are at this instant preparing either for heaven or for hell. If in your final condition you are “vessels unto dishonour,” the fault will be your own. If happily you prove vessels of honour, it will be solely in consequence of God’s electing love [Note: Atos 9:15.], and his new-creating power [Note: Romanos 9:21. Distinguish between κατηρτισμέναby themselves, and God’s agency in ἃ προητοίμασεν.]. Cry then mightily to Goof to “accomplish for you and in you all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.”]

2. A meek submission—

[God best knows how to effect in you the purposes of his grace. For the most part he makes use of afflictive dispensations for our good; and, of whatever kind they be, we can have no just reason to complain. If the clay has no right to complain of the potter who forms of it a vessel such as he himself pleases, much less can “a living man,” who is out of hell, have right, under any circumstances, to “complain” of God [Note: Isaías 45:9. with Romanos 9:19.]. Under every trial, of whatever kind it be, we should say, “It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.”]

3. A humble trust—

[If only we lie as clay in his hands, we have nothing to fear [Note: Isaías 51:12.]. Both men and devils are with him but as an axe or saw, with which he accomplishes his own purposes [Note: Isaías 10:15.]. We have only to commit ourselves to him, and we shall have his work perfected in our hearts, and be made vessels of honour meet for the Master’s use [Note: 2 Timóteo 2:20.]. How weak soever, or worthless we be, God will glorify himself in our complete salvation [Note: Isaías 40:27.]

Introdução

CONTENTS TO VOL. IX.

Discourse

Text

Subject

Jeremiah

1026. Jeremias 2:4.

The Ingratitude of Men

1027. Jeremias 2:12.

The Fountain of living Waters

1028. Jeremias 2:19.

The Evil of Backsliding

1029. Jeremias 2:23.

Self-Vindicating Sinners reproved

1030. Jeremias 2:27.

The Folly of neglecting God

1031. Jeremias 2:31.

God’s Complaint against the Rebellious

1032. Jeremias 3:11.

Comparative Criminality

1033. Jeremias 3:12.

God’s Invitation to his People

1034. Jeremias 3:19.

The true Source of Salvation

1035. Jeremias 3:22.

Invitation to Backsliders

1036. Jeremias 4:3.

Repentance the Means of preventing Ruin

1037. Jeremias 4:14.

The Importance of suppressing vain Thoughts

1038. Jeremias 4:19.

The Miseries of War

1039. Jeremias 5:23.

God’s Bounties and our Ingratitude

1040. Jeremias 6:16.

The good old Way

1041. Jeremias 8:4.

Expostulation with the Impenitent

1042. Jeremias 8:11.

Healing our Wounds slightly

1043. Jeremias 8:20.

The Remedy for those who have lost their Seasons of Grace

1044. Jeremias 8:22.

Christ our Physician

1045. Jeremias 9:3.

Fortitude recommended on the Side of Truth

1046. Jeremias 9:23.

True and sufficient Grounds of Glorying

1047. Jeremias 13:11.

The Contempt with which God’s richest Mercies are treated

1048. Jeremias 13:15.

A Call to Repentance

1049. Jeremias 13:23.

The Power of evil Habits

1050. Jeremias 13:27.

God is desirous of saving Men

1051. Jeremias 14:7.

God’s Name the Sinner’s Plea

1052. Jeremias 14:7.

A Pattern for National Humiliation

1053. Jeremias 14:20.

How to plead with God

1054. Jeremias 15:16.

The Word of God precious

1055. Jeremias 17:5.

The Duty of trusting in God

1056. Jeremias 17:9.

Necessity of knowing Ourselves

1057. Jeremias 17:10.

God’s Rule of Judgment

1058. Jeremias 18:6.

The Potter’s Power over the Clay

1059. Jeremias 20:9.

A Soul under Discouragement

1060. Jeremias 23:6.

The Lord our Righteousness

1061. Jeremias 23:23.

The Omnipresence of God

1062. Jeremias 23:28.

Fidelity required in Ministers

1063. Jeremias 25:5.

Religion is not a Source of Evil to those who embrace it

1064. Jeremias 29:11; Jeremias 29:13.

God will be found of sincere Worshippers

1065. Jeremias 30:10.

God’s gracious Designs towards his chosen People

1066. Jeremias 30:17.

The Conversion of the Jews—our Duty to promote it

1067. Jeremias 30:21.

God’s Regard for those who approach unto Him

1068. Jeremias 31:3.

Gracious Influences the Fruit of electing Love

1069. Jeremias 31:7.

The Restoration of the Jews

1070. Jeremias 31:8.

The Christian Pilgrims

1071. Jeremias 31:10.

The preached Gospel a Source of Blessings to the World

1072. Jeremias 31:18.

The Reflections of a Penitent

1073. Jeremias 31:30

The sure Consequences of sin

1074. Jeremias 31:31.

The New Covenant

1075. Jeremias 31:35.

The Church’s Security

1076. Jeremias 32:37.

The future Conversion of the Jews

1077. Jeremias 32:39.

Salvation is of God from first to last

1078. Jeremias 33:3.

The Importance of Prayer

1079. Jeremias 33:6.

Conversion of the Jews—a Matter of Importance to God and Man

1080. Jeremias 35:13.

Disobedience to God condemned

1081. Jeremias 36:27.

Jehoiakim burns the sacred Roll

1082. Jeremias 42:20.

Dissimulation reproved

1083. Jeremias 44:16.

The Impiety of ungodly Men

1084. Jeremias 45:5.

We must not seek great Things

1085. Jeremias 47:6.

The Means of terminating War

1086. Jeremias 50:4.

Repentance described

1087. Jeremias 50:20.

God’s Mercy to his People

1088. Jeremias 51:5.

God’s Mercy contrasted with our Sinfulness

1089. Jeremias 51:10.

Duty of acknowledging God’s Mercies