A compleat history and mystery of the Old and New Testament logically discust and theologically improved : in four volumes ... the like undertaking (in such a manner and method) being never by any author attempted before : yet this is now approved and commended by grave divines, &c. / by Christopher Ness ...

1 Samuel, CHAP. V.

THE Fifth Chapter sheweth how the Philistines were punished for carrying away the Ark of God Captive.

The First Remark is, The procuring cause of the Philistines punishment was their prophanation of the Ark of God, which was his own Institution by Moses in the Wil∣derness, &c. and though Israel had now most grosly abused it, by over-valuing and Ido∣lizing it, so that God justly suffered it to fall into the hands of the Philistines; yet will not God suffer it to be under-valued and abused by Uncircumcised Hands; which they did, in placing it, (when they had taken it captive) in their Temple of Dagon their Idol at Ashdod, consecrating it as a most rich spoil, and a famous Trophy to their supposed God, by whose help (they thought) the Victory was ob∣tained, v. 1, 2.

The Second Remark in General is, Though the Israclites had much benefit by their having the Ark of God among them heretofore, (as in its being their Conduct to Ca∣naan, when the Cloudy-Pillar departed from them, in the Dividing of Jordan, in the

overthrow of Jericho, &c.) Yet now when it was faln into the Philistines hands, these Ʋncircumcised ones found but little joy in their having it, but it proved fatal to them, and Plagued them from Place to Place, and from one City to another.

N. B. This happened that Men may know how little good is gotten by Holy things, if not used in an Holy manner.

The Third Remark is, The particular punishments wherewith God Plagued the Philistines for abusing his Holy Ark; this was first upon their Religion or rather Super∣stition, in confounding their Idol Dagon, once and again to make it the more con∣temptible, v. 3, 4, 5. As,

First, God, who had seemed to be Asleep hitherto, now Awakes in the Vindication of his own Ark, and will not suffer Dagon to be its Co-Rival, but with his own im∣mediate Hand throws Dagon down flat upon his own Dunghill; insomuch that when the Philistines Priests came early in the Morning to Worship Dagon, behold they find their Dagon himself in a posture (as it were) of Worshipping the Ark of God, before which the Idol was not able to stand.

N. B. And thus it still falls out, That Diabolical Delusions all fall down before the Glori∣ous Light of the Gospel of Christ; (whereof this Ark was a Type.) There is no concord be∣twixt Christ and Belial, 2 Cor. 6.14, 15.

N. B. How the first fall of Dagon came to be hushed, the Sacred Scripture telleth us not, but saith only, [They of Ashdod arose early, &c.] to wit the Crafty Priests of Dagon were both Curious to observe what Correspondency their Idol had with its new Neighbour, and whether Dagon had received any damage thereby; Surely they were no less Careful than Curious to redress the Alteration and Detriment before the People were stirring to take any cognizance thereof; which indeed they did: And all be∣cause they feared lest their Dunghill Deity should come into contempt, and thereby their Double Honour of Reverence and Maintenance would fall down with their Dagon to the Dust. And suppose any of the People were peeping so early as themselves, they could soon Sham such credulous By-gots with telling them it was only a Casualty.

N. B. However the Curiosity and Carefulness of those Superstitious Priests in Rising thus Early, &c. may serve to shame our sluggishness in a better Worship, at which David was Early, Psal. 5.3, &c. We Read how our Lord Rose Early to Pray for us, &c. Mar. 1.35.

Sanctificat, Sanat, dit at quo{que} Surgere Manè.

To Rise betimes in the Morning makes Men Holy, Healthy and Wealthy. But

Secondly, Seeing the first fall of Dagon was not effectual to convince those Sottish Idolaters of their Mad folly, the Lord of the Ark throws Dagon down the second time with more violence (after the Priests had reared up this poor sorry Cod, who could not rear up himself from his first fall) insomuch that now the Lord brake the Head of Dagon quite off, and the Palms of his. Hands so that nothing but the Stump remained, v. 4.

N. B. The Head is the seat of Wisdom, and the Hands of strength, as they are instru∣ments for action; now both Priests and People come and behold what a Silly God they had hitherto Worshipped, one that had neither Wisdom nor Power to help himself, much less to help his Worshippers: But as the Prophet saith. [He could act neither good nor evil,] Isa 41.22, 23. We may well suppose that the place where Dagon stood up aloft in, was the most honourablest part, and highest end of his Temple, and most remote from the Door of entrance; yet was his Head and Hands found choped off upon the Threshold of the Door: Which plainly intimateth, that God gave this Infamous Idol an horrible hurle, with utmost disdain and detestation.

N. B. God hurl'd him, though not as he did Lucifer, from Heaven to Hell, Isa. 14.14, &c. yet from one end of his Temple to another, from the highest and most honourable, to the lowest and most contemptible part of it; namely to the Threshold; where any of the People might trample upon their God, and tread this Dunghill-Deity under foot as unsavoury salt, Matth. 5.13.

N. B. Thus the God of Israel Conquers the Philistines Dagon upon his own Dunnghil, while the Philistines had Conquered Israel: Nothing but the Stump of Dagon was now left, and no doubt but that also was sorely battered and broken by so fearful a fall. The upper part of an Human shape was Demolished, and nothing is left but the lower part, which was in the form of a Fish.

Desinit in piscem mulier formosa Supernè, Horace.

And, Frons Hominem praesert, in piscem desinit Aluus. saith Virgil.

So that the Account these two Poets give of Dagon is, That it was some Mere∣maid or Sea-Nymph, unto whom they ascribed that great Honour of their Victory over Sampson, Judg. 16.23.

N. B. And thus far these fond Philistines found out the right Fund of their then Triumph, which was not a Male but a Female; for never any Man could match Samson; but he was once and again over-matched by a Woman, and it was that Woman Delilah, who delivered Samson into their hands; yet may we here say, the Philistines were thus far mistaken herein, that it was not a Sea Nymph, but a Land-Nymph which was their grand Patroness; and they were more beholden to Flesh than to Fish, in their catching and captivating of strong Samson, &c.

N. B. Moreover, Behold here the vain Superstition of the Philistines, [They will not tread upon this Threshold, &c. ver. 5.] Whether they did this, either by way of Vene∣ration, thinking Dagon's touching had Sanctified it, or by way of detestation, because it had been so fatal to their God: This matters not whether way; However God had his Holy hand in over-ruling their Superstition, in making it a means to perpetu∣ate the Memory of this famous Miracle of Dagon's falling before the Ark, and break∣ing his Neck upon the Threshold to Gods own Glory, and to the shame of Idolatry; which otherwise very probably would have soon been forgotten.

N. B. 'Tis pity such reverencing of the Thresholds of Temples, should be found as among Pagans, so among Papagans also, who Kiss the Threshold of Peters Church in Rome at this Day.

The Fourth Remark is, The Lord of the Ark, after he had plagued those Supersti∣tious Philistines in their Idol, next falls foul upon their very Bodies; ver. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. When their former Nocuments upon their Idol did not prove effectual Documents to them, either for Reclaiming them from their Idolatry, or for Returning the Ark back to Israel, then God plagueth their Persons with Emerods, which some think was the Lues Venerea, or the foul disease, others say it was Ʋlcus in Ano, or Fistula in the Fundament, but most are of Opinion, it was the Emrods, or Piles, a Disease, mentioned only here, and Deut. 28.27. whatever it was; they are expresly said to be destroyed therewith; it proved a Destructive Disease to them as the great God set it on upon them. Ordinary Piles be of two sorts, the Outer and Knobbed, which may more easily be come at, and Cured: And the Inner or blind Piles, because they cannot be seen.

N. B. These are most painful, and more hardly Cured, as not capable of any Ap∣plications, these fall out ordinary: But this Plague upon the Philistines was undoubt∣edly extraordinary, and of the latter sort also; because 'tis said [The Lord smote them in their Secret Parts,] ver. 9. God wrote their Sin upon their Punishment. He Plagued them in their Dishonourable Parts, for placing his Ark in a Dishonourable place, by their Dishonourable Dagon: God paid their Posteriours, as Austere Masters do their dull Puny-boys.

N. B. The dulness of those Philistines under God's Rod was obvious, not only in Worshipping Dagons Altar; but also Dagons Threshold, when it was thrown down from its Altar; and still persisted in their dull Duncery. Some say that Sodomy was their Sin, and therefore their Punishment was upon Their hinder parts, Psal. 78.66. 'Tis certain it brought a shameful soreness on them in a contrary part, and of a contrary Na∣ture to the honourable soreness of Circumcision. Possibly this Disease had a complication of other Diseases as the Disentry, or Bloody-Flux; the Viscerum Tormina, or Griping and Twisting of the Guts; all which made it so Destructive as well as Dolorous to them.

The Philistines had before cryed out [Wo unto us] when the Ark came into Israel's Army, Chapter 4.8. They cryed then without cause, but now had they a just cause to cry [Wo unto us;] when the Ark was come into Ashdod of the Philistines.

N. B. They found the Ark was now Too hot for them to hold, and therefore now cry, [The Ark shall not abide with us,] and [What shall we do with it?] v. 7, 8. Now had they learnt a little better language: Dagons fall was but a casuality before, but now it is [The hand of God that is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our God:] Vexatio dat intel∣lectum, Their Affliction had been some Instruction to them; and had they consulted with the Priests and People of God, they would have learnt better than to cry [Away with the Ark,] our Triumph over it, is become our Trouble by it. They should have

cryed, [Away with our Dagon, and with our Idolatry,] as Isa. 30.22. and [Return the Ark to the Right owners.] But all the Five Cities of the Philistines, (saith Josephus) must have their share in Suffering as they had in Sinning.

N. B. The Scripture mentions only Gath, v. 8. and Ekron, v. 10. Thus they sent the Plague of God up and down with the Ark to neighbouring Cities: Only Ekron (that did Cry out more keenly for grief, that the Ark was coming among them, than ever Israel had shouted for Joy at its coming into their Army,) had some allay to their Plagues; for all that were smitten with Emrods there, Died not, as they had done at the other Cities. The Reason is, because the Ekronites only did desire the Restoring of the Ark, v. 11, 12.