" what God's hand and his counsel had determined before to be done°." The doctrine of our text therefore, though strange at first sight, is no other than what the Scriptures plainly and universally assert.]
Let US then proceed to,
II. Make some reflections upon it —
In contemplating Jehovah as he is represented in this place, we must of necessity observe,
1. How sovereign his power !
[God gave the kingdom to Saul ; then rent it from him, and gave it to DaWd and Solomon ; then reduced it to two tribes only, in the hands of Rehoboam, giving the other ten to Jeroboam. In all this he acted sovereignly, disposing of it according to the counsel of his own will. And thus he does in all the kingdoms upon earths : " He doth according to his will in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth ; and none can stay liis hand, or say unto liim. What doest thoui?" Nor is this true in reference to kingdoms only: he disposes equally of families and indi\-iduals ; " He is the judge ; he putteth do\m one, and setteth up another''."'
How effectually does this consideration cut ofi' all occasion for pride in those who are elevated, and for complaint in those that are debased ! for as, on the one hand, " they who have received a gift can never reasonably boast as if they had not received it," so, on the other hand, every sufferer must say, " I was still and opened not my mouth, because thou didst it." Seeing then of what practical use this reflection is, let us recur to it on all occasions, for the humbling of our minds in pros- perity, and the quieting of them in adversity.]
2. How mysterious his influence !
[In all the circumstances before mentioned, the different persons acted freely ; and yet, as we have seen, were overruled by God in every step they took. How incomprehensible is this to our finite understandings ! AVe know not how sjDirit icts upon matter ; how then can we expect to know in what manner the Spirit of God acts upon our spmts ! Yet if we know fi-om experience that our own spirit does assuredly act uj)on our material body, we may be equally assured, upon the testimony of God, that there is a spiritual influence exercised by him upon the minds of his people. There is indeed a con- siderable difference between the mode in which that is exer- cised towards the godly, and the ungodly : in influencing the
° Acts iv. 27, 28. P Dan. ii. 21.
1 Dan. iv. 17, 35. >■ Ps. Ixxv. 7.