G 0 D COMPARED TO A p 0 T T E R. Book II. to know God in a Way of Love, and be careful to concern themfelves with him,&c. 5· lt is of abfolute Neceffity and Concern, for all to haften to come and reconcile themfelves to him, that they may be admitted into his Favor, as the beloved Ones of his Family and Houfhold. Their ftanding out inevitably incurs Mifery, for there is no Safety out of his Service and Favor; 'Ihere is no Peace to the Wicked, faith my God. G 0 D COMPARED TO A p 0 TT ER. We are the Clay, and thou art our Potter; we are all the Work of tby Hand, Ifa. lxiv. 8. Hath not the Potter Power over tbe Cla)'? &c. Rom. ix. 21. ACCORDING to the ufual Method of Scripture Metaphors, we find the Lord God fet forth under the metaphorical Notion of a Potter, which fhall be illuftrated in the enfuing Parallel. METAPHOR. I. A Potter is an Artificer, an Arrizan or Work man, one fkilful to work in Earth, or to ferm PARALLEL. I. GOD is the Maker of all Men and Things, that ever were, or !hall be. and make Pots, and other Velfels of Clay. II. A Potter prepares his Clay I I. God creoted or prepared the Earth, the or Matter firft, of which he inClay, before he formed Man, and out of it was he tends to make his Velfels ; and made: And the Lord made Man of the Dujl of the when he hath made it fit, and reaGround, Gen. ii. 6. dy for the vVheel, he goes to work. HI. A Potter projeCts before– hand, what Kincl of Velfel he will make of fuch Clay; he hath the Form and Fafhion of it in his Mind, before he goes to work; nay, (and it may be) makes known what a Velfel he will make. IV. A Potter makes Velfels of divers Sorts and Sizes, and for fe– veral Ufes 1 Some are for more ho– norable and noble Services than others. V. A Potter finds fometimes, that whilft he is forming and fafhi– oning his Work upon the Wheel, the Velfel is marred in his Hand, and then he makes another Velfel of it, as feemeth good to the Pot– ter, ]er. xviii. 4· VI. A Potter hath Power over the Clay, of the 'fame Lump, to make one Velfel unto Honor, and another to Difhonor, Rom. ix. 21. Ill. Known unto God are all his Works from the Beginning. He contrived in his eternal Coun– fel, what a Kind of Creature he would make Man; nay, at the Time of his Formation, he declared what a rare Velfel he fhould be: Let us make Man in our own Image, a;icr our Likenefs; and let him have Dominion over the Fifh of the Sea, and Fowls of the Air, &c. IV. God makcsVclfels of divers Sorts and Sizes: A11 Men are not of the.Jike Stature and Beauty irr their fidt Formation; neither are they fo, as they are made or formed anew in Chrii1: J efus; for fome Velfels are defigned by the great Potter to contain the Golden Oil, and Soul·tnriching Trea– fure, for the emptying of them unto others. V. God fomctimes, whilft he is at Work to form and fafhion a Soul for his own Ufe, by the Preaching of the Gofpel, finds the Veffel marred in his Hand, the Clay yields not, nor is pliable; and finding it will not be a fit Velfel for Honor, he makes a Velfel for Difi10nor, Rom. ix. 21. VI. God may do what he will with a rebellious People, that are as a Lump of Pollmion in his Hands, as the Houfe of Ifrael was: lf he forms and fafhions any of them to be Velfels of Mercy, it is infinite Grace; if he makes fome of rhem, through his long Sufferance, and for their abomi nable Sins, Velfds ofDeftruClion,he isjuft, Rom. ix. 22. VII. A Potter takes great care VII. God takes great care of rhofe Pots or Vefof the Veifels he hath made, and fels he hath made, nay, twrce made, or formed beftowed his Labor and Paim upfor himfelf: He gives a Charge concerning them, on, that they may not be broke; and rebukes Kings for their Sakes; ja)'ing, '!ouch 1!(/f
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