The clay and the potter .

Isaiah 45 9 .  We hear much of what man does and can do and ought to do . But we by no means hear so much of what God is doing and has purposed to do . Man's agency stands very prominently out to view . God's arm and power are hidden . It seems almost as if man would thrust God aside , and take the reins of government out of His hands and be to himself a god . Man gets great credit for doing and saying great things . God gets little glory . The position of the sinner , as the receiver of salvation ( and every blessing connected with it in this life and the life to come , ) is denied . And man is exalted to be a co-operator with God in the matter of salvation . He begins the work by becoming willing , and God ends it . He does what he can , and God does the rest . He is represented as helping God to save him . Or rather, we should say that God is represented as helping man to save himself !  In the old creation God did it all . But in the new creation , as it is a far more stupendous work , He requires the assistance of man . . Nay , He commits at least the most difficult and momentous part of it to man himself . If some of the new theories be true , God is not  all n all , but is on the contrary , considerably indebted to man - and man , in like manner is not a little indebted to himself . In this we hear still the whisperings of the old serpent , "Ye shall be as gods , " and we see man , like his first father , aspiring to the Divine prerogative .
    God has a way , a plan , a purpose , well and truly ordered . This plan which He acts by , He has revealed , and He expects us to take it as our guide in all our schemes . This plan touches and rules things both great and small , nations , communities , churches , with all their movements . Man's wisdom would be to search our this plan , and to to shape all his movements accordingly . In attention to this must not only lead to fruitless efforts and unscriptural schemes , but to much false religion , self will , formality , excitement and sectarianism . God's design is to glorify Himself , to show the whole universe what an infinitely glorious being He is . This is His mighty end  in all He does and says , to manifest Himself and show forth His glory . For this , sin is allowed to enter into the world . For this ,the "Word was made flesh" For this the Son of God shed His blood and died . For this He is taking out of this world a people for Himself . To this all things are tending , and in this shall they be consumated before long . Nothing less than this does God propose to Himself in His doings , and nothing less should we ever make our aim and end . All things are but means to this end . Even the incarnation of His Son is but means toward an end , but not the end itself . The ingathering of His chosen ones is the means , but not the end . " For of Him , and through Him , and to Him are all things ; to whom be glory forever ."   Horatius Bonar