to those, and not to these, that they must look, as the rule of their actions. Still however we dare not deny that God is the Sovereign of the universe, who acts in all things " according to the counsel of his own will, and for the praise of the glory of his own graced :" and though we would by no means make this a prominent subject of our ministrations, yet we cannot but think that the occasional contemplation of this mystery is, as our Article expresses it, " full of pleasant, sweet, and unspeak- able comfort."]
Besides the perfection of God's designs, we see prefigured in this account,
II. The mode in which they are accomplished —
[The stillness with which the work of the temple pro- ceeded intimated the still and silent way in which God carries on all his works, in the world, in the Church, and in the souls of men.
In the world we behold men carrying on their designs with great noise and tumult : but God is secretly and silently effect- ing his oivn purposes in the midst of all. Each of the four great empires, the Chaldean, Persian, Grecian, and Roman, suc- cessively rose on the ruins of that which preceded it ; but none of the conquerors imagined whose counsels they were fulfilling, or whose instruments they were. Sennacherib boasted what victories he had gained ; but he was only an axe or saw in the hand of Omnipotence^. We shall have a perfect insight into this matter, if we look at the transactions which took place at the death of Christ : all parties followed the bent of their own hearts ; but all accomplished with the utmost possible exact- ness the counsels of the Most High. God spake not to them by any audible voice to direct them ; nor did he interpose in any visible way to guide their motions ; but he presided in the storm, and overruled every disposition of their hearts for the accomplishment of his own eternal purpose \ And it is a most consolatory thought, that, in all the great events which are now taking place in the world, " the counsel of God shall stand, and he will do all his will."
In the Church more especially does God carry on his work in this way. It was said of our Lord, that he should " not lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street'^:" he was to found his kingdom upon earth by a secret and invisible influence on the minds of men. His Apostles also were to go forth in dependence on that power, and, by their simple tes- timony, to convert the world unto him. In their attempts to
e Eph. iii. 9, 11.
^ Isai. X. 5 — 7, 13—15. and xxx^di. 24 — 27.
i Acts iv. 27, 28. ^ Isai. xlii. 2.