Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto
thee, Here we [are]?
] Thy humble servants; we have been where thou didst send us, and have executed what we were bid to do, and are returned, and here we are waiting further orders; see ( Matthew 8:9 ) ; no; lightnings are only at the command of God, and there have been some awful instances of it, ( Leviticus 10:1 ) ( Numbers 11:1 ) ( 16:35 ) ; but not in the power of men; indeed we have an extraordinary instance in Elijah, who, at the motion, and under the impulse of the spirit of prophecy in him, called for fire, or lightning, to consume captains with their fifties, and it came down on them, and consumed them, ( 2 Kings 1:10 2 Kings 1:12 ) ; but he is not to be imitated herein: when the disciples of Christ desired the same upon a provocation, they were severely reproved by him, ( Luke 9:54 Luke 9:55 ) ; were these at the call and dispose of men, what dreadful things would be done in the world! for if good men, when provoked, would make use of such a power to destroy the lives of men, much more bad men; and our eyes would continually behold the flashes of lighting, and our ears hear the roarings of thunder, and the terrible effects thereof; but neither mercies nor judgments are at the command of men, but of God.