April 29

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Anise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words 3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels 4 And 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 it 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 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 mine hand, O house of Israel. 7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; 8 If this nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil, that I thought to do unto them 9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, 10 If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them

"We are the clay, and Thou our potter." That is true whether we give ourselves into the hands of God or not. It is true even while we are in rebellion against God; it is true of us while in the blessed process of recon-

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ciliation; and true throughout the whole of the glorious process and progress of redemption.

"The first time I went to a potter's house was in a very remote part of the Southern States. I do not know that what I witnessed there was a fair sample of the ruder forms of pottery, but I judge it was. I had never seen a vessel shaped on the wheel before, and I asked the potter to let me see him make one. He took a little lump of clay, but instead of putting it immediately on the wheel, he took it in one hand and began to give it very heavy blows with his fist. I almost thought he was angry with the poor clay before him, and I said, 'What are you doing with it? I thought you were going to make a vessel.' 'So I am, when I get it ready. I am getting the air-bubbles out of it. If I were to put it on the wheel as it is, it would be spoiled in a few moments. One of those little bubbles would mar all my work. So I beat it and beat it, and in this way get all the air out of it.'

"Ah! I thought, so does God have to treat us. The great difficulty with us is those little bubbles of self-conceit, of our own self-will, and sometimes of our self-righteousness—something that, in the process of God's work, would wonderfully mar it. So He has to deal with us severely; but He is not angry with the poor clay before Him. He is not angry with us when He puts us through this process of adversity. He is only getting out of us all that would mar His blessed work. How wise it is, then, for us just to accept with perfect simplicity, His will."—Sarah F. Smiley.

Closet Promise.—Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.—Isa. xlviii. 10.

Let thy heart be cast in the furnace,

Thy red gold, precious and bright;

Do not fear the hungry fire,

With its caverns of burning light;

And thy gold shall return more precious,

Free from every spot and stain;

For gold must be tried by fire,

And a heart must be tried by pain.

In this cruel fire of sorrow

Cast thy heart, nor faint, nor wail;

Let thy hand be firm and steady,

Do not let thy spirit quail.

Wait, thou, till thy trial passes;

Take thou, then, thy heart again;

For as gold is tried by fire,

So a heart is tried by pain.

I shall know by the gleam and glitter

Of the golden chain you wear,

By your heart's calm strength in loving,

Of the fire they have had to beat.

Beat on, true heart, forever;

Shane bright, strong golden chain;

And bless the cleansing fire,

And the furnace of living pain.

—Adelaide Proctor.