Syrian Potter at his Wheel. Adelbert Bartlett, Photographer. J. G Macaulay Pastor of Wheaton Bible Church.
Jeremiah 18:1-6 S ECOND CHANCE is not a law of nature. There is something inexorable, something irretrievable, about the operation of natural law, which makes one tremble. It is this fact which makes scientists afraid of their own discovery of atomic power. Second chance is not a law of society. A man who once fails will never rise again if society has its way. If he ever does build success on the ashes of his tragedy, he will do so against terrific odds. Society never forgets. Despite all the talk of rehabilitation of criminals, a man with a criminal record starts again under a grave handi cap, however sincere his repentance, however complete his reform. A young man of my acquaintance was employed in a Federal reserve bank, hoping for a banking career. At the time of his marriage, he "borrowed,” without permis sion, a sum of money from the bank, hoping to return it before the tally was taken. Failing to do so, he was charged with embezzlement, found guilty, and committed to the penitentiary. Through the influence of some who knew the sterling qualities of the young man, his sen tence was greatly reduced. But on his release, did the bank reinstate him? Would any bank in the country have him? You know the answer. His banking career was over. He had no second chance. Christian men cared for him and gave him an opportunity which society as such denied him. In the eyes of society "once a criminal, al ways a criminal.” A failure is always a failure. Second chance is the law of grace. We see it at times in individual relationships. Where society will put a per manent stigma on an unfaithful wife, a loving husband will give her a second chanee. Where a bank, because it represents society, will not look at a man who has once
failed, an individual employer will let a chastened de faulter try again. And it is the glory of God to give com plete, hopeless failures a second chance. As the potter w ill take up a piece of clay which has the first time fallen apart in his hands, and remolded it, so God takes up broken lives and'makes them over again. That is the message of this oracle of Jeremiah’s. "The vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make i t ” The lesson was applied first To the nation Israel, but it has equal application to every sin ner, and to every sinning Christian. How God yearned over His people Israel, to make them a glory and a praise in the earth, but they, resisting His hand upon them, became a fouled, marred vessel. "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.” The Bible is full of the mercy of God, as well as His judgments. Who ever repented and turned to the Lord for mercy, and was refused? "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” is as true in the Old Testament as in the New. It is equally true for Jew and Gentile. To my mind the story of Manasseh, King of Judah, is outstanding as an example of the second chance. For over fifty years, this wicked king multiplied iniquity and abomination in his kingdom, till chastening overtook him. Nevertheless, when he humbled himself before God and sought mercy, the sinner was reclaimed, and restored to the place of privilege, so that he belatedly sought to THE KI NG' S BUSINESS
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