>Therefore the great Potter must remake us.
He may have to break some nations to pieces
like a potter's vessel. It is possible for a
nation to be so stiffened in national sins that
there may be nothing for it but to break it in
pieces. We pray <span class="smcap">God</span> that we may not be
so far gone as that, that we may still be plastic
clay in the hands of the Potter. That is
our prayer, that is our ideal, to be a new<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span>
England, a new British Empire, and that <span class="smcap">God</span>
may use us as His instrument in freeing the
world.</p>

<p>3. But&mdash;and let this be my last word&mdash;we
ourselves <em>individually</em> must be re-created.
Have you ever thought, brother or sister, that
the great Potter had a design for you? That,
when He planned you, He planned a devoted
man who would be a powerful influence in
the world; that He planned you, my sister,
to be an example of attractive goodness.
How many people have you brought to
<span class="smcap">Christ</span>? How powerful a witness do you
give in this city? Suppose that you, who were
meant individually to be powerful instruments
in <span class="smcap">God's</span> hand, vessels He could use, have
become middle-aged cynics, or sneer at the
religion you profess to believe in, there is only
one thing to be done. You must get back to the
design the great Potter had for you. We have
all some reason to admit that we have been
marred in the hands of the Potter, and to ask
the Potter to make us into another vessel as it
may seem good to the Potter to make us. In
this there are only two conditions&mdash;to look<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span>
up and to trust heaven's wheel and not earth's
wheel.</p>

<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
<span class="i6">"Look not thou down, but up!<br /></span>
<span class="i7">To uses of a cup,<br /></span>
<span class="i0">The festal board, lamp's flash and trumpet's peal,<br /></span>
<span class="i7">The new wine's foaming flow,<br /></span>
<span class="i7">The master's lips aglow!<br /></span>
<span class="i0">Thou, heaven's consummate cup, what needst thou with earth's wheel?"<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a><br /></span>
</div></div>

<p>We have to realise this, that we can be remade,
that <span class="smcap">God's</span> power can do anything;
but that we may go on for ever as we are unless
we really put ourselves in the hands of <span class="smcap">God</span>.
What, then, I ask every one of you, is to
take the clay of your nature with the prayer,
"Just as I am, without one plea," and place
it in the great Potter's hands, that He may
re-create you into the man or woman <span class="smcap">God</span>
meant you to be. Nothing can more effectually
shorten the days for our boys in the
trenches.</p>

<hr class="chap" />

<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span></p>




<h3>II</h3>

<h4>THE SPLENDOUR OF GOD</h4>

<blockquote>

<p>"O <span class="smcap">God</span>, wonderful art Thou in Thy holy places: Thou
wilt give strength and power unto Thy people. Blessed
be <span class="smcap">God</span>."&mdash;Ps. lxviii. 35.</p></blockquote>


<p>At the great Convention of all the clergy of
London in Advent, 1915, we saw reasons for
thinking that what the world had been losing
sight of was the <em>majesty</em> of <span class="smcap">God</span>; the lowered
sense of sin, the neglect of worship, the uppishness
of man, the pessimism of the day, and the
querulous impatience under discomfort, are
all signs of the loss of the sense of the majesty
of <span class="smcap">God</span>.</p>

<p>But I want now to go farther than this;
I want to prove that the only way to revive
praise, hope, peace, sacrifice, and courage,
is to revive a belief, not only in the majesty, but
in the splendour of <span class="smcap">God</span>. It was said not long<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span>
ago that even good Christians believed all the
Creed except the first clause of it.</p>

<p>But if we leave out the first clause, "I
believe in <span class="smcap">God</span>," see what happens.</p>

<p>1. Prayer becomes unreal. It is only a
delight when it is felt to be communion with
a very noble and splendid person.</p>

<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
<span class="i0">"<span class="smcap">Lord</span>, what a change within us one short hour<br /></span>
<span class="i1">Spent in Thy presence can prevail to make!"<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a><br /></span>
</div></div>

<p class="noind">is only true if that short and glorious hour is
spent with an inspiring and glorious personality.
When, like Moses, our faces should shine as
we come down from the mount.</p>

<p>2. Praise becomes practically impossible.
Sometimes we say, "We really must praise
<span class="smcap">God</span> more." But we cannot <em>make</em> ourselves
praise, any more than we can move a boat by
swinging up and down in it. We must pull
against something to make it move. What we
want is an adequate idea of the splendour of
<span class="smcap">God</span>. When we come in sight of Mont
Blanc or Niagara, or when we hear of some
gallant deed on the battlefield, we say
"How splendid!" quite naturally. We shall<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span>
praise quite naturally when we catch sight&mdash;if
only for a moment&mdash;of the true character
of <span class="smcap">God</span>, or believe He has done something
great.</p>

<p>3. Religion, which means something which
<em>binds</em> us to <span class="smcap">God</span>, becomes an uninspiring series
of detailed scruples about ourselves. Self-examination
is most necessary; but it was well
said by an experienced guide of souls that,
"for every time we look at ourselves, we ought
to look nine times at <span class="smcap">God</span>."</p>

<p>Do some of you feel as I speak that your
religion does not help you; that, while you
have not given up your prayers, or coming to
church, it is rather a burden than a help, or
at any rate not such a help as it might be?
It is because you have lost sight of the splendour
of <span class="smcap">God</