2 Chronicles 7:1 - Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Bible Study & Commentary

Verse 1

2 Chronicles 7:1. The fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt- offering, &c. This circumstance is added to what is recorded in the first book of Kings. Hereby, and by the cloud filling the whole house, was shown God’s gracious acceptance of Solomon’s prayer and sacrifices; and an assurance was given that he would be present in this place, and grant all their lawful petitions. By the former of these, it is generally thought, the first sacrifice that we read of in Scripture, that of Abel, was declared to be acceptable to God. And when the tabernacle was erected and dedicated, and Aaron was consecrated, there was the same testimony given of God’s presence there as here, Exodus 40:34-35; Leviticus 9:24. The surest evidence of God’s acceptance of our prayers is, the descent of his holy fire of love upon us. And the heart which is filled with a holy awe and reverence of the divine majesty, (as the glory of the Lord filled this house,) the heart to which God manifests his greatness, and (what is no less his glory) his goodness, is thereby owned as his living temple.

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments

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Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments

One of the most eminent of the early Methodist ministers in England, Joseph Benson was born at Melmerby, in Cumberland, Jan. 25, 1748. At sixteen he became a Methodist and was converted. In 1766 Mr. Wesley appointed him classical master at Kingswood School. He devoted himself closely to philosophy and theology, studying constantly and zealously.Joseph Benson became a Methodist circuit rider in 1771. A close associate of Wesley, he was chosen to be a member of the Legal One Hundred who governed the Conference at Wesley's death and he was president of the Conference two times. As one of post-Wesley Methodism's most popular preachers, he sometimes addressed crowds of over twenty thousand. Wesley established an extensive organization, including the circuit riding system and a media or press to showcase books, pamphlets, and a monthly magazine. After the death of John Wesley, Joseph Benson took over the Methodist/Wesleyan movement and the organization that Wesley created.During the Bristol dispute of 1794 he led the conservative Church Methodists and was against moves which suggested that the Methodists were breaking ties with the Church of England; he was one of the last leaders to contend for the methods and philosophy of eighteenth-century Wesleyan Methodism. The circulation of The Methodist Magazine rose from ten thousand to twenty-four thousand per issue on his watch, and it was one of the most widely read periodicals in pre-Victorian England. He was an able writer, serving as apologist against Joseph Priestley, as biographer of John Fletcher, and as author of a multi-volume commentary on the Bible.Benson was influential in Methodism, and through the press, especially the magazine, he was able to extend his influence to non-Methodists as well. He and other Methodist leaders, through preaching and publication, disseminated their conservative social and political credo and may be credited in part with creating a climate in which the seeds of Victorianism could thrive.... Show more

One of the most eminent of the early Methodist ministers in England, Joseph Benson was born at Melmerby, in Cumberland, Jan. 25, 1748. At sixteen he became a Methodist and was converted. In 1766 Mr. Wesley appointed him classical master at Kingswood School. He devoted himself closely to philosophy and theology, studying constantly and zealously.... Show more

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