The Great Mystery of Godliness Opened, Exposition on verse · Verse 21
VERSE 21.
Hath not the Potter power over the clay, of the ſame lump, to make one veſſel unto honour, and another unto diſhonour.
IN this Verſe our Apoſtle goeth on in his perſonal Anſwer to the Caviller and Carnal Reaſoner, and having in the verſe foregoing, brought a general compariſon, to prove the groſſeneſſe and abſurdity of the Reaſoners argument; now here in this 21. verſe, the Apoſtle ſubjoyneth a particular inſtance, adding weight and force to his former ſimilitude; as if he had ſaid, Doubtleſſe it is a moſt abſurd thing for men to quarrel with God; as for example, it is as if a piece of clay in the hand of the Potter, ſhould riſe up and find fault with the potter, for making one veſſel to a better uſe, and another to a baſer uſe; why? becauſe the Potter hath full power and authority over the clay, to make what he will.
Now the particular implication of this verſe, that which is herein implyed, is thus, God is the Potter, and man is the clay, and as it is lawful for the Potter to make of the clay one veſſel for ſervice at the Table, and another for baſer ſervice in the kitchin, or Chamber; ſo much more is it lawful for God, to make of man one for honour, and another for diſhonour, the Apoſtles reaſoning is, à minore ad majus, from the leſſer, to the greater; and if the Potter, who is but a creature, hath power over the clay which is a creature alſo, to make one veſſel to an excellent uſe, and the other to a baſer uſe, ſurely then the authority of God over all and every creature is far greater; the Lord hath abſolute power to diſpoſe of all, as it pleaſeth him this way, or that way, that is the general drift and purpoſe of the Apoſtle.
Now the words of this verſe being taken as the firſt part of the Compariſon, of the Potter & the clay, there is no hardneſſe in them for the ſenſe and meaning of them,Syr. foreign. An non habet poteſtatem figulus Luti? Explication of the words of verſe 21. foreign (Syriac foreign) Ex eadem maſsa. Divers opinions concerning the ſence and meaning of theſe words onelyonly they are put down by way of interrogation which is of greater force, and not by way of poſition; and the affirmation of this Interrogation is thus much: That the Potter hath power and lawfull authoritie over the clay; for ſo the word in the Original ſignifieth. But being taken in the Application, as that which they doe imply, as namely, implying God to be the Potter, and man to be the Clay, then there is ſomething in them very needful to be explained, and there is difficultie in them, (Hath not the Potter power over the Clay?) That is in the implication of them; Hath not God power and lawful authoritie over Man, as the Potter hath over his Clay? Yea, much more hath the Lord power over Man, to make, to ordain, and to appoint (of the ſame lump:) Some doe underſtand of the ſame lump to be meant the ſinne of Idolatrie, in which the Children of Iſrael were in Egypt: That the Lord out of that ſame lump of Idolatrie in which the Children of Iſrael were with the Egyptians, ſaved the Iſraelites, and deſtroyed the Egyptians; but this is too ſcantie, too narrow, and not large enough for to expreſſe the Apoſtles meaning; for the Apoſtles drift is not here of inflicting of puniſhment for that man can give a reaſon of, but the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of Gods ordaining, and appointing.
And again, ſome Divines doe by this word lump underſtand the maſſe of corruption, mans fall, mans corrupting by Adams tranſgreſſion, Adam being wrapped in ſinne.
Alludens (inquit) ad Adami creationem humanum genus umdum conditum, niſi in opificis mente, comparat maſsae Luti, ex qua Deus poſtea, prout ab aeterno decreverat, condiderit, & quotidie condat tum eligendos, tum reprobandos, qui etiam declarat verbum faciendi, foreign, &c. Objection of the Anabaptiſte propounded and anſwered.But though this be the opinion of many reverent Divines, yet it cannot be the Apoſtles meaning, becauſe as ſaith Reverend Beza, in this ſence the Lord cannot be ſaid to make men veſſels of diſhonour, but to finde men alreadie in their eſtate veſſels of diſhonour. Again, the compariſon it ſelf ſeems to exclude and ſhut out all reſpect to corruption, that there is no reſpect had to the corruption of man from everlaſting; for you ſee here God is compared to a Potter that taketh a piece of clay not ſtained with any pollution, corruption, ſpot or tincture, for then the Potter might have ſome excuſe to make a baſe veſſel of it; becauſe it was a ſpotted, and tainted piece of Clay, ſo God taketh man, as in himſelf not corrupted, for then there was ſome cauſe why the Lord ſhould caſt away this man, and not that man; therefore we are here to underſtand not man corrupted, but mankind generally taken, (One veſſel to honour, and another to diſhonour;) that is to make one veſſel to his Glory to honour everlaſting, and another to be veſſels of wrath to ſhame and confuſion.
I know what the Anabaptiſts object againſt this, for they ſay it is very impious, groſſe and abſurd thus to expound this compariſon, this maketh God to have no wiſdome. For what Potter is ſo fooliſh to make his pots to break them, and to throw them away purpoſely, ſhall we ſay then, God made man to deſtroy him, to throw him to utter confuſion, ſo that ſay they this is a very impious Expoſition of the compariſons; But herein they ſhew their fooliſhneſs and weakneſs.
I anſwer, we affirme no ſuch matter either of the Potter, or of God, that God makes man to deſtroy him; for what is it for God to deſtroy a man? It is when he confounds, and turneth man to nothing, when he doth annihilate and diſſolve him to nothing; but for God to finde a man in his corruption, to throw him into Reprobation, this is no deſtroying of a man.
Again (beloved) the Potter is a Creature, and hath received a Law from God his Creatour, that he muſt carrie himſelf toward his workmanſhip according to his Law, that he may prove profitable, either to the Church, or to the Common-wealth.
Now this he doth not if he make his Pots with a purpoſe to break them; then he liveth idlely and is a vain fooliſh fellow: But God the great Lord of Heaven and Earth, who hath made the world, he is not bound to any ſuch law will the Anabaptiſts in their foolerie bring God under a Law? he is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and he hath the Prerogative Royal, and he is bound to no Law, no more to preſerve them being made, then to make them of nothing when they were not; will they bring God under their girdle, and under their law? therefore notwithſtanding their cavil, the meaning remaineth a truth, and it is as if the Apoſtle had ſaid,Sence and meaning of the words. Hath not God power, and abſolute lawful authoritie over man; and as the Potter hath over the Clay, even out of the ſame lump and maſs of mankind, taken generally to appoint, and to ordain, one man to be his veſſel of mercy in life and glory in Heaven, and to another to be a veſſel of his wrath in the destruction of hell: And thus much for the Apoſtles meaning.
Come we now to ſtand upon the words in particular,Miniſters in preaching of the Word muſt bring ſimilitudes of things known to their hearers, not of ſtrange, uncouth and far fetcht, it may be of ſuch things as never were in the world, or at the leaſt never know… to their hearers. and firſt of all in regard of the compariſon, which is brought from a thing that is eaſie and ordinarie, obvious things, the potter and the pots before a mans eyes ordinarily. And this we ſhall find hath been uſual with the holy Meſſengers and Miniſters of God, in preaching and publiſhing the word they have brought examples and ſimilitudes not rare and far fetched, but things that are known to the people; Thus did the Lord Jeſus in Matth. 13. He compared the Kingdome of Heaven to many obvious things well knowne; To ſeed ſown in the ground, to a grain of Muſtardſeed, to a Leaven hid in three pecks of meal, which every common huſwife knowes.
And this therefore may bee reprofe to ſuch Preachers, that doe in preaching to a common populous Auditorie, they fetch compariſons from things beyond the Moon, from Celeſtial bodies and orbes Centrivals and Concentrivals I know not what, and alſo from things beyond ſea, from Hiſtories out of Plinie, beaſts aad creatures that vulgar people know not, Ʋſe. and ſo they make the poore people who underſtand them not to gaze and and wonder at them, and in ſtead of explaining, they make things more hard and difficult.
Again, We ſee man is compared to an earthen veſſel, and a pot of clay, here we are put in mind of our framing and making, and what we are in reſpect of our matter and ſubſtance; and hence the obſervation is this.
That man is as an earthen veſſel, as a pot of clay; Doctrine. the beſt and the ſtrongeſt man in the world in reſpect of his body is but a veſſel of earth, a compound of clay made of the duſt of the earth; this ſpeaketh the Holy Ghoſt in Gen. 2.7. Man was made of the duſt of the ground; and in Gen. 3.19. The Lord ſaith unto man after his fall, Duſt thou art, and to duſt thou ſhalt returne; Thou art immortal in reſpect of thy firſt making, but now thou art but duſt, Gen. 18.27. Abraham acknowledgeth himſelf to be but duſt and aſhes; A man of excellent parts and endowments. And in the 2 Cor. 5.1. The Apoſtle calleth our bodies, Earthly houſes, tents and tabernacles made of earth and clay. The Scripture is plain and plentiful in expreſſing this to be a Truth, that man, yea the ſtrongeſt man is but an earthen veſſel, and a compound of clay; and we may ſee this to be a truth in common experience, the ſoul being removed from the body by death the body falleth flat upon the ground, it rots, putrifies, and is ſoon diſſolved to the Elements, and materials of which it was made, and lieth like a ſtinking carrion if not buried, and turns to the earth of which it was, Eccle. 12.7. Duſt returneth to the earth as it was.
For the Application, the conſideration of this truth that our bodies are Ʋſe 1 but clay, ſerveth as a notable means to work in us humilitie, and to frame in every one of us an humble conceit of our ſelves, why ſhould duſt and clay be proud and lifted up in conceit of its own worthineſſe, in decking and garniſhing the body, What art thou? A lump of earth, a clod of clay, and if this were truely conſidered, it would abate the pride of theſe proud Peacocks, that ſpend almoſt a whole day in tricking and trimming themſelves; nay, in ſetting of a band, they would then ſay, what do I in tricking and trimming up a pot of clay, an earthen veſſel. But grant this to be true, that thou excelleſt others in beautie, and in comely proportion, yet remember thy making, thy mettal whereof thou art made, of the ſame earth with others, and for all thy beautie and comely proportion, a little cold, a little ſickneſſe, a fit of an ague, or feaver will ſhake thee, and make the ſhrink, and goe ſhaking and quaking, and as David ſaith, Pſalme 39.11. When God rebuketh and chaſticeth man for his ſinne, his beautie conſumeth and turneth to nothing, the red cheeks, beauty and comely propotion, at one blaſt of ſickneſſe commeth to nothing.
And conſider, we are but potſheards, and a potſheard is but a potſheard overlaid with ſilver, clay is but clay gilded with gold, and if thou haſt theſe endowments of thy body above others, it commeth not from thy bodie which is but clay, but it is put upon thy body by the good hand of thy God, and therefore be not proud of it, but learn we to be humble, and to walke humbly before the Lord of Heaven and Earth, we are but earthen veſſels before the Lord, he may even quaſh us, and beat us in pieces; yea as the Pſalmiſt ſaith in Pſalme 2.9. The Lord hath a rod of Iron; and we know the ſtroake of an Iron rod upon an earthen pot ſhattereth it all to pieces; The Lord hath an Iron rod to ſmite the men of the world, that goe on in their ſinnes of riot and exceſſe, eſpecially now at this time of the yeare; If they did but conſider, that the Lord hath an Iron rod and can breake them in pieces in the very middeſt of their mirth; we ſee it ſometimes in many merrie meetings the body is thrown on the ground, and the breath taken from it, for can the earthen pot indure the ſtroke of the Iron rod? no, it daſheth it all to pieces, not ſo much as a ſheard left, to take fire out of the earth, and can many a poore ſilly earthen veſſel, endure the ſtroke of the Iron rod of God; therefore learne we to walke humbly before the ſight of the great and glorious God, remember thy making whereof thou art made.
Ʋſe 2 This being ſo that man is an earthen veſſel, and a pot of Clay, upon this ground all Gods Children are to know to their comfort that the Lord doth tender them as earthen veſſels, as weak, frail and brittle veſſels, according to their weakneſſe and tenderneſſe, and according to their infirmities.
As we know the Potter, he knoweth that his pot of earth cannot endure a hard knocke and ſtroake, and therefore he handleth them very nicely, and gently, and according to the tenderneſſe of it; ſo dealeth the gracious God of Heaven and Earth with his own Children, he knowes whereof they are made, he knowes they are but duſt, Pſalme 103.13, 14. He is a pittifull Father, and hath compaſſion of his Children, becauſe he knoweth whereof they are made, and that they are but duſt and aſhes; as the Prophet Eſay ſaith, Eſay 27.16. of the Lord, I will not be alwayes angry with my People, for then the Spirit would fail before me, I will not alwayes ſtrive and contend with them, leſt they ſhould be deſtroyed; ſo that this may be a comfort to Gods Children, that the Lord eſteemeth of them as they are duſt and aſhes, and ſo pittieth them.
Hath not the Potter power over the clay, of the ſame lump, to make one veſſel unto honour, and another unto diſhonour.
IN the next place conſider we, God is here compared to a Potter, in reſpect of the Potters power over his clay, that as the potter hath lawful power over his clay, and may lawfully make of his clay what he will, even ſeveral veſſels, to ſeveral uſes, even ſuch power and ſuch authority, or rather greater power, and greater authority hath God over mankind, to make and appoint men to ſeveral ends, even ſome to honour, and ſome to diſhonour. You ſee then this being the ground of the compariſon, that man hath lawful power over the clay, to make of the ſame lump different veſſels to divers uſes; ſo Gods power is far greater to make out of mankind, ſome to honour, and ſome to diſhonour: the Obſervation from this implication, is thus much,
That God hath lawful power and authority over man, to ordain, and Doct. 2 to appoint them unto ſeveral ends at his own good pleaſure, as the potter may put upon his clay what form or faſhion ſoever he will, and may make and frame of it veſſels to divers purpoſes and uſes; by the ſame right, and with greater reaſon it ſtands, that God may ordain and appoint men to ſeveral ends as it pleaſeth him. And to this purpoſe in the very ſame compariſon ſpeaketh the Lord, to the houſe of Iſrael, by the Prophet Jeremiah, in Jer. 18.6. O houſe of Iſrael, cannot I do with you, as the Potter doth with his clay; as the clay is in the hand of the Potter, ſo are you in my hand, O houſe of Iſrael. As the Potter may do with his clay what he will, ſo may I with you; and in Luke 12.6. The Lord Jeſus forewarning of us whom we ought to fear, as namely God onelyonly; he deſcribeth, that God, to have power to caſt into hell fire, fear not him that can kill the body, but fear him that can kill both body and ſoul: and the ſame word is uſed there,foreign. which ſignifieth lawful power, as is here, thereby ſhewing, that God hath lawful power, not onelyonly to take away the life of the body, but to caſt it into hell. And it muſt needs be ſo, that God hath greater power and authority then the Potter, to appoint and ordain men to ſeveral ends, then he hath to make veſſels of the ſame lump of clay to ſeveral uſes; why?
The Reaſon is, becauſe the Pottter he is but a creature himſelf, Reaſon. and the clay is as much, and the potter hath the clay made to his hands; but God, he made all men of nothing, as Pſal. 100.3. The Lord hath made us, and not we our ſelves; and in this reſpect the Lord hath Sovereign power and authority over all men, yea his right over all men is abſolute, yea ſuch, and ſo abſolute is the right of God over all men, as that the Lord might have made man, and he might not have made man; and the Lord now having made man of nothing, ſo he may at his pleaſure bring him to nothing ſuddenly, the Creator out of the liberty of his will, and abſoluteneſſe of his power, may do with his creature what he will; which power the potter hath not, becauſe he is but a creature, and the clay is a creature alſo, it is made to his hand.
This ſerveth as one ſpecial ground, to clear God of injuſtice and wrong doing, that he hath appointed ſome men to life and glory in heaven, Ʋſe. and others to everlaſting ſhame and confuſion; this ground of truth cleareth God in this cauſe, though carnal Reaſoners do go about nothing elſe but to quarrel with God, as the Arminians and Anabaptiſts, ſay they, herein you do go about to prove God a tyrant, and that he doth deal tyrannically with men, in deſtroying of them. But they are deceived; for why? we know tyrants they do their own will, either with men, or againſt them, onelyonly becauſe their pleaſure is ſo, they reſpect neither law, nor equity, nor Conſcience, ſo he may do his will, and have his pleaſure; this is the manner of a Tyrant: Now God he ordaineth men to ſeveral ends, not onelyonly according to his own good pleaſure, but according to the lawfulneſſe of his good pleaſure, as he may lawfully do, and as he hath lawful power and authority; whereas the Tyrant careth not, whether it be right or wrong, he will break through all the bounds of truth and law; there is no ſuch matter with the Lord, but the Lord he doth it according to his lawfull power, and lawful authority to diſpoſe of men, to do with them as he will; the tyrant hath not ſo.
And again, there is a large and wide difference between God and a Tyrant, both in reſpect of their wills, and alſo in regard of their ends: As firſt of all, the will of Tyrants, what is it? according to their own luſts, and their own pleaſure; and they being wicked and ſinful, make their wills as wicked and ſinful: but the Will of God, (God being moſt holy,) it is according to his nature, and his nature being holy and pure, his Will is moſt holy and pure.
Again, Tyrants reſpect wicked ends, in dealing hardly with their ſubjects, in taking away their lives, and their liberties, and that is to ſatisfie their own cruel and bloody minds. But now the purpoſe of God in dealing with men, reſpecteth the praiſe of his glory, and of his mercy; which two ends are ever holy and good: the ends of Tyrants are according to their Tyranny, but the end of the Lord, in ordaining ſome to ſhame, and ſome to honour, is the glory of his Juſtice and mercy: and therefore it doth not follow from hence, that we make God cruel, and Tyrannical, becauſe we affirm, that God hath out of his mere good will and pleaſure appointed ſome to ſhame, and ſome to honour, becauſe the Lord hath power ſo to do.
And this ſhould teach us to be ſo far from charging God with Tyranny, and indeed to drive this further, we are not ſuffer once ſuch a thought to ariſe in our hearts, that God dealeth hardly with us in any thing whatſoever, no not when thy eſtate ſeemeth unto fleſh and blood to be moſt deſperate; nay we are to be far from this, to think that God dealeth hardly with us, nay when we are under the hand of God, in ſome great and grievous diſtreſſe, let us then remember thus much, and think with our ſelves, the Lord hath lawful authority, to appoint men to everlaſting deſtruction: now if the Lord hath not thus dealt with us, but given us a better and everlaſting eſtate to life and glory; Oh how can we think that God dealeth hardly with us in any thing, he having evidenced his love unto us in Chriſt Jeſus; no, though our diſtreſſes be but at the height, and we in the deepeſt mire of miſery,We are to be thankful unto God in our deepeſt diſtreſſes, and to give him the glory of his mercy and Juſtice. In maſsa pura non corrupta. we are then to be thankful unto God, even when we are plunged into the deepeſt Afflictions we can think of; we are (though it ſeem harſh and hard) to bleſſe God, and to conſider in the time of our afflictions, O Lord, if thou ſhouldeſt deal with us as we have deſerved, we had been long ſince in hell: now if the Lord do mitigate our Judgments, and hath appointed us to ſalvation, we are to magnifie his mercy, conſidering his lawful authority over us to do what he will with us.
Again, we conſidering, that the lump of clay is here to be conſidered untainted, free from tincture, and pollution; ſo we are to conceive of mankind, in the making of him free from corruption.
That Gods will in appointing men to their ſeveral and final ends, is abſolute,Gods will is dependent on nothing out of God. Doct. 3 and independent, it dependeth upon nothing in man good or evil; God had not reſpect to man at all, either to ſin original, or actual, neither to his fall, nor to his works good or evil; but as the Potter maketh of the ſame lump being not tainted with any tincture, ſo the Lord in appointing men to their final ends, and everlaſting eſtate, did it out of his free will, depending upon nothing in man, it was abſolute. And hence it is that the Apoſtle determineth Gods predeſtination, his chooſing of ſome to life, and reprobating of others, in the good will and pleaſure of God, in Epheſ, 1.5. and in the 11. verſe he ſaith, God worketh all things after the counſel of his own will; not unadviſedly, but with counſel.
Becauſe the Will of the Lord is the higheſt cauſe of all things, and when we are come to that, we are not to ſearch any further; nor to reaſon Reaſon about it, but to reſt in the will of God; Gods will being the Supream cauſe of all things.
This being a truth, Ʋſe. it beareth ſtrongly againſt the opinion of ſome erring ſpirits, as namely thoſe that ſay, that God in appointing men to their final ends, had reſpect to ſomething in man, as either to their faith, and good works, or to their unbelief, and obſtinacy in ſin. Now this doth not onelyonly make the will of the Lord dependent upon mans will, that if men will be ſaved, they ſhall; if not, damned; but this opinion of theirs, if we mark and obſerve it, it maketh a diſſimilitude between God and the Potter, which are here put together in affinity, and agreement; But this doth overturn and contradict it: And if this be true, then this text is not true; for if God had reſpect to ſomething in man, ſurely then God need not appoint any perſon definitively nor certainly to be a veſſel of honour, but conditionally, if they did believe. And ſo they make God to frame divers perſons, diverſly qualified, to divers ends, and that with reſpect had to their qualification, all men if they believe, ſhall be ſaved; if not, none. And ſo this diſannulleth and overthroweth this ſimilitude of the Apoſtle, of the Potter, who maketh of the ſame lump veſſels to honour, and veſſels to diſhonour; ſo God out of the general lump of mankind not corrupted, maketh ſome men to honour, and ſome to diſhonour.
I but may ſome ſay, the Apoſtle ſaith, Object. in 2 Tim. 2.21. if any man purge himſelf from evil, he ſhall be made a veſſel of honour: ſo that it dependeth not upon Gods will, but upon our purging of our ſelves, and our purifying of our hearts and lives.
To this I anſwer, The Apoſtle in that place alledged, Anſw. he ſpeaketh not either of the decree of election, and fore-appointing of ſome men to life and ſalvation, nor yet of his effectual vocation, and effectual calling. But in this place the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of the office and duty of Chriſtians; and he ſheweth how a Chriſtian muſt carry himſelf different from a Reprobate, and anſwerable, that he may be a veſſel of honour ſanctified, and purged from the droſſe of Corruption, and from the ſin and ſinful courſes of the world. And this is the duty of every believing and elect Child of God; thus they ought to demean and purge themſelves, and to carry themſelves even as ſanctified veſſels fitted and prepared for glory; ſo that this ſtill remaineth a truth, that Gods will in appointing men to their final ends, it is abſolute. And we are to hold this as a certain truth; for if we be in the number of Gods choſen, we are built upon a ſure foundation, namely the abſolute will of the Lord, and that ſtandeth more firm and ſtable, and immoveable, then the frame of heaven and earth: the very frame of heaven and earth ſhall be turned upſide down before this ſhall be ſhaken: Oh what an excellent ground of comfort is this to as many as know themſelves to be in the number of Gods choſen, that they ſhall never loſe it; it being built upon ſo ſure a foundation, as Gods moſt abſolute will, which can never be moved.