all the efforts of his enemies were overruled for the manifestation of his glory. But there are two thoughts in particular which we would suggest as arising from this transaction:
1. How vain are the counsels of ungodly men!
[Doubtless the chief priests and Pharisees exulted in the hope that they had now attained complete success: but their devices were turned to their own confusion. It was thus throughout the whole history of our blessed Lord, and espe- pecially in the diversified events of his last hours : his enemies plotted together, and executed all their malignant purposes against him : but behold, in all that they did, they unwittingly "fulfilled the Scriptures ''" so that not one word of all the prophecies was left unaccomplished. In one sense they were Sata7is agents; for it was " he who put it into their hearts" to reject and crucify their Messiah : but in another sense, they were instruments in the hands of God, to execute the things which " his hand and his counsel had determined before to be done''." Thus also it has been with all who have conspired against the Lord in e^■ery age : he has invariably " disappointed the devices of the crafty," and " taken the wise in their own craftiness'^." Two objects his enemies always have in view; the one is, to injure his people, and the other is, to defeat his cause : but they are made, against their will, to advance the interests of both. In the history of Job we are informed, how Satan exerted himself in every possible way to ruin that holy man : but, after all his eflTorts, he only rendered Job the more exalted monument of grace, and augmented the happiness which he laboured to destroy^. In like manner, the enemies of the Church have been uniformly baflled in all their attempts against it. Tiiey put to death that eminent disciple, Stephen; and raised a persecution against the whole Church, so that none, except the Apostles, dared any longer to continue at Jerusalem : but the effect of their persecution was, to destroy one preacher, and to raise up a thousand in his stead '^. At another time, having directed their hostility against the Apostle Paul, they prevailed so far as to get him confined in prison for two whole years. What a deadly blow must this, as we should think, have given to the Church ! yet St. Paul himself tells us, that it " turned out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel ;" since many in Caesar's palace, who would otherwise have never heard the word, were brought to the knowledge of it ; and multitudes, when they saw his faith and patience, were stirred
^ Acts xiii. 27. '= Acts iv. 25 — 28.
^ Job v. 12, 13. e Job xlii. 9, 10. with Jam. v. 11.
*■ Acts viii. 1, 4.