2 Kings i. 1 1, 12. Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty ivith his fifty. And he answered arid said unto him, 0 man of God, thus hath the king said. Come down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them. If I he a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
MANY things recorded in the Old Testament appear at first sight to savour of harshness and seve- rity. The utter extirpation of the Canaanites, and the judgments inflicted occasionally on the Israelites themselves, were doubtless such dispensations as we cannot contemplate without feeling that " God is very greatly to be feared." The instance before us is of a very terrific nature ; and we may be ready to wonder, how a good man could deliberately call fire from heaven to consume two whole companies of fifty each, when they had no alternative but to fulfil the orders given them, or be put to death for a viola- tion of them. But, if any thing appear to us inex- plicable, it is owing to our ignorance, and not to any inequality in the divine government. As to the con- duct of Elijah, we will proceed to shew,
I. How it may be vindicated —
As being " a man of like passions with us," he might err, and did err, on some occasions ; but in this matter he did nothing that was in any wise un- becoming his high character. Consider,