Matthew Poole and continuators on Jeremiah 18:6

6 O house of Israel cannot I do with you as this potter ? saith the LORD: behold as the clay is in the potters hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel .

God now expoundeth to the Prophet his design in bidding him go to the Potters house, it was to instruct or confirm him, in the power that he had over his creatures.

For saith he as is the clay to the Potter, so is the house of Isra[illegible: 1 letter]l (and indeed so are all the Sons and Daughters of men) unto God, God hath the same power over them, that a Potter hath over the clay and a greater rig[illegible: 1 letter]t to do what he pleaseth with them, then any Potter hath relating to the clay; the clay is but the Potters purchase not his creature, but man is Gods creature. God by his Prophet Isaiah made use of the same similitude, Isa. 45.9. So doth the Apostle, Rom. 9.20. That God hath an absolute soveraign power to do what he pleaseth with the work of his hands, can be denied by no men of sense, whether God useth this his soveraignty in the eternal punishment of sinners that is, another thing, he hath a soveraign power, but he acteth as a just judge rendring to every man according to his works.

Marginal references: Isa. 64.8.