1 Cor. 11. 4.and 14+ 5; 6. &c- f Heb. of the Sacrifice, which being here oppolcd to the time of their offering, which was the morning,v.26. muſt needs be meant of the Evening Sacrifice; of which ſee Exod 29.39. &c.which is called the Sacrifice, by way of Eminency, becauſe it was more folemn-and publick,and fre= quentcd,than the morning Sacrifice;of which divers Reaſons may be given. See Exod. 12. 6. Pſal: 141. 2. Affs 3; 1. 3 Heb there was 0 attention ; Either, Firſt, Of their god, who was ſo far from an- iwering,that he did not mind any of their Words and Actions. Or, Secondly, Of the Pcople,who were now tired out with ſo long at-= tention and expectation;and therefore more readily deſerted them, and approached to E/jah and his Altar, at his Call, v. 3o.
30 And Elijah ſaid unto all the people, Come near unto me 56, And all the people came near unto him and he repaired z the altar of the L ORD k that was broken down /.
h Come away from theſe impudent Deceivers to m2, and expect from me what Satisfaction you defire.: Which by the Peoples help was quickly done;the Materials being all ready,& very ſlightly pur together,only tor the pretent occalion.E Which had been built there by tome of their Anceitors for the offer ing of Sacrifice to theGud of drach, which was frequently done in H:gh-Places,of which this was none of the le:ſr cminent ones: bur being for ſome rime neglected, 18 needed Reparations: | Eirher,Firſt, by the Prieſts of Bazl at this time, who laped upon it to that end : of which ſee on wer. 26. Or rather, Scco::dly,by ſome of the Baa/ites,our of their Enmity to 'the Txue God, whoſe Temple. becauſe they could not reach,they ſhewed their Malignity in deſtioying his Altars, chap 19. 14.
31 And Eljah took eweive ttones, according to the number of the tribes of the fons of Jacob m,unto whom the word of the LORD came, ſaying, * Iſrael ſhall be thy name s.
1 This h2 did, partly, to renew the Covenant between God and all the 'T'11ves, as Myſes did, Exod. 24. 4 Partly, to ſhew, thar he prayed and acted in the Name,and for the Service of the God of all rhe Patrizrchs, and of all the Tribes of 1/-ae/.and for their good: and partiy,to teach the People, that rhough the Tribes were divided as ro their Civil Government,they ought all ro be united in the Wor- thip of the ſame God and in the ſame Religion. » Which Jacob was graciouſly anſwered byGod when he prayed to him, & was honou- , red with the glorious Title of Jrae!, which noted his prevalency £4 with God and Men. And I calling upon the ſame God,doubrt nor of a like gracious Anſwer;S if ever you mean to have your Prayers granted,you muſt nor ſeek to Baal for it.who,as you now lee, nei- ther hears nor regards his moſt devout Worſhippers ; but unto the God of Jacob; and if you would recover the Honour which was once conferred upon Jacob, and continued a long time to kis Poa ſreriry. you mult return to that God from whom you are revolted.
32 And with the ſtones he o builr an alcar pin theName ofthe LORD q : and he made a trench abourt the altar, as grear as would contain two meaſures r of ſeed.
o With the aſbiſrance of the People, who readily yielded their helping hand. p Which, though generally forbidden, he might do, becauſe he did it by che command & ſuggeſcion of God, who can diſpence with his own Laws,and upon apparent & urgent necefli- ty,and for a work of great mercy.(to which even byGods Command rhe Ceremonial Laws muit give place, Hof.6.6. Mar.2.27.) even for the convertton of the {/raelites, whom it was impoſlible ro bring ro the Altar of Jeruſalem at this time. q By the Authority of God, and for his Worſhip. » z. e, Two third parts of an Ephah: which ihews that the Trench was of a competent largeneſs.
23 And he pur the wood in order, and cut the bul- lock in pieces, and laid 4im on the wood,aud faid, Fill 2 K 2 four
* Gen. 32: 28. 2 Kings 17. 34+
, IP. RVII. | SeeJurg. four barrels with water /; and * pour zt on the burnt- p: 29. ſacrifice, and on the wood fr. | [Which they could quick!y fetch.either from the River K:ſhon;or, if that was dried up,from rheSea;both which were at the foot of the Mountain. See Jer. 46.18. t This he did to make the Miracic more glorious,and more unqueſtionable,and ſo more ſucceſsful.
24 And he ſaid, Do i: the ſecond time. And they did zt the ſecond time. And he ſaid, Do 3: the third time. And they did zt the third time.
And the water + ran round about the altar, and
he filled the trench alſo with water.
26 And it came to paſs, at the time of the offering of the evening {acrifice «, that Eiijah the prophet came near, and ſaid, LORD God of Abraham, Ifaac,and of Iſrael, let it be known this day, that thou ar: God in Iſrael, and that I am thy ſervant, and hat I have done
all theſe things x at thy 'word y.
« Which time he choſe, that he might unite his Prayers with the Prayers of the Godly Jews at Jeruſalem, who at that .time aſſem- bled together to pray, A#s 3; 1. x Brought this Famine, gathered the people hither, and done what have done, or am doing here. y Not in compliance with my own Paſſions,but inObedience to thy Command,as thy Agent and Minifter-For that aftion of ſhutting up Heaven, and that of killing the Prieſts of Ba?!, muſt needs expole him to grear Envy and Reproach;which made this Publick Vindica- tion neceſſary,as it was allo effeQtual,being witneſſed from Heaven.
37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou «rt: the LORD God,and tha: thou baft
eurned their heart z back again a.
Z That they may feel ſo powerful and ſudden a change in their Fearts, that they may know it is thy Work, and the effet of thy Grace to them, and in them. Or, when thou haſt turned, &c. or, be- cauſe thou, &c. So the Particle Yau is oft uſed;and the Senſe 1s, That they may know thee to be the True God, by the effe&ts of thy Divine Power, in converting their Hearts, and that in ſo miracu- lous a way,and in anſwer to my prayers. 4 Unto thee,from whom they have revolted.
28 Then the fire of the LORD fell,and conſumed the
burnt-ſacrifice, and the wood, and the ſtones, and the duſt, and licked up the water that as in the trench.
39 And when all che people ſaw 7:, they fell on their faces 6 : and they ſaid, The LORD, he zs the God; the LORD, he is the God c.