J. N. Darby said, “Purpose is the intention of His will, and counsel is the wisdom He takes in carrying it out” (The Christian Friend, vol. 9 [1882], p. 215). W. Scott said that purpose “refers to the blessed fact that God in Himself, in the exercise of His own divine and sovereign will, has devised a system of government and glory to be displayed in coming ages.” He also said that “counsel is a term that intimates the way, the means, and the method of carrying out that purpose” (Doctrinal Summaries, p. 46; Truth For the Last Days, vol. 2, p. 166). G. Davison said, “The term ‘eternal counsel’ is not once mentioned in Scripture, but ‘eternal purpose’ is [Eph. 3:11]....Purpose necessitated counsel, and from this spring the ways of God. I have not yet found a Scripture connecting purpose with the ways of God, but we have at least two connecting His ways with His counsel [Acts 2:23; Eph. 1:11]....Purpose is the objective which God has before Him; divine Persons took counsel as to how it was to be secured; and the ways of God are bringing it all into effect” (Precious Things, vol. 4, p. 212).