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 Sam. CHAP. VI.

CHapter the Sixth Relateth the Restitution of the Ark of God by the Philistines to Israel. Remarks upon this Restitution are,

First, The Time when it was Restored: Namely, after it had been kept in Captivity for Seven Months, v. 1.

N. B. This was but a small time of the Philistines Triumph over the Captive Ark, to shew that the Triumph of the wicked is short, Job 20.5. As on the other hand the Troubles of the Godly are but for a Moment, Isa. 10.25. and 54.8, &c. Yet God re∣serves Everlasting Loving kindness for them in a better World. But how little Joy had those Philistines in their Trophies of Triumph over the Ark of God? God soon altered their Jovial Scene, and turned their Mad Merriments into most sad Moans and Mour∣nings; their Laughter within a few days was changed into most Doleful Lamen∣tation, &c.

N. B. The Hebrew reads it [The Ark of the Lord was in the Field of the Philistines] v. 1. when the Plagues of God were upon them, that they found the Ark too hot for their private Houses to hold it as a Prisoner; they then set it in their Open Fields, and thereupon were they so Plagued again with Mice and Moles, (say the Rabbins;) that these Vermin turned up their Grounds, and so devoured their Grain, even in the very time of Harvest, v. 13. That after all the former Plagues upon their Persons, this Plague upon their Corn in Countrey-Fields strikes them with a fresh fear, that now they were endangered to be destroyed by a grievous Famine: Now they Resolve to return the Ark.

The Second Remark is, The serious Consultation about the Ark's Restoration; managed by the Princes of the Philistines with their Priests; (whom, though they were Idolaters, they had in great Veneration,) and the Princes would act nothing without Advice from their Priests, v. 2, 3, 4, 5, &c. wherein is.

N. B. First, The Princes or Lords of the Philistines Question, 'tis not whether shall we send it away? For that was resolved to be done before, Chap. 5.11. though they were loth to lose so great a prize, and had kept it Seven Months in hope that their Plagues might in that time cease; yet were they still Plagued into a willingness to part with so Rich a spoil; Though unwilling enough to gratifie Israel (their Enemy) so far as to return it, which was their chief Confidence.

N. B. Though there were some Opposers of these Five Lords Decree of sending the Ark back, as is intimated, v. 6. who are exhorted not to harden their Hearts as Pharaoh had done to his own destruction, because it would be a reproach to their Nation; yet were they over voted, and therefore 'tis said here, [What shall we do to it?] Not [What shall we do with it?] Nor do the Lords say, [Whither, but wherewith shall we send it?] Knowing that the Manner of the Action might marr the Matter, though it were good.

N. B. The Priests Answer to the Princes Question was; 1. Send it not empty, v. 3. The Light of Nature taught them, that a Present was necessary. This in General. (2.) In Special: There must be a Trespass Offering to appease the displeased God, and this must be made of the best Metal, Gold, and the form of it must be the Figure of their Buttocks, the place of the Plague of Emrods, and of the Mice that marr'd their Land.

N. B. Yea and as to the number of those Trespass Offerings, there must be five of each; Answerable to the Five Lords of the Philistines.

N. B. All these Offerings were not only Superstitious, but also very Rediculous; suggested (as some suppose) by Satan to those Priests in contempt of the God of Israel: For those Diviners (as they are called, v. 2.) did undoubtedly deal with the Devil.

N. B. However the Providence of God overshot Satan in his own Bow, and over∣ruled this designed scorn to his own glory, causing them to give him the Honour in Gold, in those very things wherein they had the pain in Flesh, and making them truckle so far as to purchase his favour with the best of their Metals. In all acknowledging that their Plagues were not by Chance but from the Lord, whose displeasure they sought to pacifie.

The Third Remark is, The Auxiliaries proposed also by these Philistine Priests for transporting the Ark from Philistia into Judea: (1.) A New Cart must be made; And (2.) Two Milch Kine never yoaked must be tyed to this New Cart, and their Calves must be brought home from them, v. 7.

N. B. For them to draw the Cart from their Calves to a strange Country, was notoriously against the common Course of Nature, that below a Miracle it could not be done; and would rather have proved an hindrance than an Auxiliary means or fur∣therance of the Ark homeward to Israel.

N. B. Nay 'tis a wonder these two Ʋntamed Heifers did not break both Cart, Ark, and the Box of Presents all to pieces to be at their Calves.

N. B. But behold a Beam of Omnipotency, the Natural inclinations and the pre∣cipitant motions of the Creature, are over-ruled by the supernatural and irresistible in∣fluence of the great Creator.

The Fourth Remark is, The putting into practice this project of those Priests; all was done by the Princes according to the Priests prescriptions, and all in a pretence of Reverence and Veneration to the Ark of God, and to make an experiment whether their Plagues came casually upon them by the Influence of the Stars, or they were in∣deed inflicted upon them by the God of Israel; if so, then he would Lighten his Hand from off them, upon the Success of this Attempt, v. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

Josephus saith here, that they set the Kine with the Cart [in trivio abs{que} Auriga instigatore, &c.] in a place where three ways met, and without a Carter to drive and direct them.

N. B. Indeed 'tis said the Lords of the Philistines went after them, but not with them, to guide the Kine in the right way: For though those Lords pretended to be as Pages in honour to Gods Ark, which they followed as its Servants for its more honourable dismission; yet in truth they did it to prevent all impostures by others; and that themselves might be the more assured of the reality of this miraculous event. This they saw with their own Eyes [That the Kine took the strait way to Bethshemesh, all along Lowing for their Calves left behind them; not turning either to the Right Hand or Left.] God manifestly appearing to be the guide of them in this course so contrary to their Natures, and not driven forcibly end-ways by any Man driver.

N. B. Let us here with Moses in Exod. 3.2, 3. Turn aside to behold this great wonder. 'Tis a very great wonder that God would thus gratifie those Idolatrous Philistines with such a Miraculous Sign, when they thus tempted him to decide their doubts about the Original of their Plagues, upon such a meer contingency as was this Case; when as it was more probable that God would rather punish their Superstition and harden their Hearts still to their utter destruction.

N. B. 'Tis a wonder that the Philistines were not all cut off (as the Bethshemites were here, v. 19.) when they first laid their foul Hands upon it, when they first took it Captive; and now again, when they Carted the Ark (though upon a new Cart;) seeing the Lord made a breach upon David for his doing the very self same thing, 2 Sam. 6.3.

N. B. No Reason can be rendred for this severity of God against his Servants, and his indulgency towards his Enemies, but this, God confers greater priviledges upon his own People, and therefore if they Transgress against all their Light and Love, &c. he infers greater punishments upon them, as Amos 3.2. David and the Bethshemites had the Light of the Law of God by them, and therefore sinned more against knowledge than those poor blind ignorant Philistines could do: Therefore God did not only spare them in Carting his Ark, but also condescended to work this Miracle for their Con∣viction: More especially, it being a work that so much concerned his own Glory, and the comfort of his poor People Israel; who now looked upon themselves as forlorn

and forsaken of God, the pawn of his Presence being so long lost to them, as the Ark was absent for Seven Months from them.

N. B. In which doleful Day God's People could not but look upon all their other Comforts as so many Ichabod's, while God's Ark (Israel's Glory) was absent from them. Therefore may it well be supposed God wrought this Miracle, not only for convincing the Superstitious Philistines, but also, and more especially for comforting his Disconsolate Israelites that lamented after the Lord, and after his Ark.

N. B. Nor do we find that God rejected those shameful presents of those sinful Phili∣stines, whereby he might seem to be rather dishonoured than glorified with a figure of their secret and unseemly parts, in which their Emrods were fixed, because this also did proclaim God's Glory, and did perpetuate the sin and shame of the Ʋncircumcised among the Lord's People, who could not but upon this occasion the more deride and despise them, whom God had thus stigmatiz'd with such an Ignominious a Disease, and whom themselves had thus branded with such loathsome Portraitures, &c.

N. B. Those Kine Lowing all along as they went to Bethshemesh (which signifies the House of the Sun) doth represent the moaning Christian in his Motion to the House of the Sun of Righteousness, groaning and crying all along, Oh Wretched Man, who shall deliver me! Rom. 7.24.

The Fifth Remark is, The Arks Reduction to Bethshemesh, in its way to Shiloh, v. 13, 14, 15, &c. and its Reception by the Bethshemites.

First, Honourably, which is express'd by their rejoycing to behold it, by their running to meet it, leaving their Harvest-work in the Field behind them, and as it were crying to it, [Oh Welcome, Welcome! we lost our Glory, when we lost thee, long Seven Months have we wanted thee, and shame hath covered our Faces all this tedious time; but now, Oh, blest be God, that thou art returned to take away our Reproach!]

N. B. After this manner Bethshemesh (a City of Judah) rejoyced at the return of the Ark; thus far they did well, and had they not afterward received it Irreverently (as now they did Honourably) they had not smarted so severely, as in v. 19. nor was this all in their Rejoycings.

But Bethshemesh (being a City given to the Priests, Josh. 21.16.) had them ready to take down the Ark of God, and to make the Kine and the Cart (neither of which could be put to any common use, both of them being Consecrated to God by bearing his Ark) to be a Burnt-Offering to the Lord, as a Testimony of their thankfulness to him for redeeming the Ark out of the Philistines hands, and for his returning it to Israel.

N. B. And they took down also the Coffer, wherein the Golden Mice and Emrods were contained (for such was the Philistines Reverence to the Ark, that they durst not open it to put their Jewels of Gold therein, but put them in a Coffer distinct from it) these probably were preserved by the Israelites for a lasting Monument and Memo∣rial of the Philistines shame, who had alway after an Implacable Hatred against Israel.

N. B. Upon the same account the Censers of Korah, and his Complices were kept for a Memorial with some small alteration, Numb. 16.40. from whence some suppose, that those ridiculous Presents (which the Philistines fondly call'd Jewels) were not al∣lowed to abide in that disgraceful form, but the Gold of both might serve to make Golden Vessels for the Sanctuary, &c.

The Sixth Remark is, The Return of the five Philistine Lords back to Ekron the same day, v. 16. namely, when they had beheld with Amazement that prodigious Provi∣dence of God, in carrying the Cart and Kine with the Ark home, so contrary to the course of Nature into its own Countrey, and the joyful Entertainment the Ark found there, they staying so long, as to see the Ark taken down, and their own Coffer of Jew∣els accepted, then hasten they home to tell all these Tidings, which were enough to Convince them, but not effectual to Convert them, for they still retained their old Ma∣lice against God's People, as it appeareth afterwards, Chap. 7.3, 7, 8.

N. B. Those are the worst sort of Miscreants among Men, that know good, yet do evil; these Lords had seen a Beam of God's Omnipotency, yet return'd to their Ido∣latry, &c.

The Seventh Remark is, The Arks sad dismission from Bethshemesh, after its glad Re∣ception there, v. 19, 20, 21. The cause why was, The Curiosity both of Princes, Priests and People, in peeping into the Ark of God, which was not to be done upon pain of death, Numb. 4.20.

N. B. And no doubt but their presumption of prying into the Ark, might be grounded from a Jealousie, that the Philistines had taken something out of it, or put

something into it, while it lay Captive Seven Months in their Hands; and this oppor∣tunity might make them over-desirous to view the Tables of the Law of Moses, which they never had seen, nor ever were like to see after the Ark came into the Holy of Holies, where they might not approach; beside, they thought they might presume the more, because the Ark had been polluted by the hands of the Philistines, who, for any thing they knew) were not punished for so doing, and now it was exposed to publick View; therefore having this occasion they might make the bolder with it. But Oh! How dear did these Men pay for their presumptuous prying and peeping, Fifty Thou∣sand and Seventy lost their Lives for so doing!

N. B. No such Severity God shew'd to the Philistines, because they knew not his Law, as his Israelites did, or might do: If Ʋzzah do but touch the Ark, he dies for it, 2 Sam. 6.7. 1 Chron. 13.10. but Philistines may hand it into a Cart, and not die: If Ananias, &c. commit Sacrilege, Peter punishes him with Death, Acts 5.5. but so he did not to Simon Magus, Acts 8.20. God expects more from his People, than from Aliens.

N. B. 'Twas a marvelous good Providence, that the Lords of the Philistines were gone; had they seen this severity, it would have harden'd their Hearts more. Some Object here and say,

First, That it is improbable such a vast number of Men should be found in so small a City as Bethshemesh was, then the Living had not been so many as to Bury the Dead: Hereupon Josephus saith with other Rabbins, that only Seventy were slain, &c. which though it seem but a small number, yet might be call'd a great Slaughter, either from the smalness of the place, or from the quality of the Persons, those being their princi∣pal Men; nor could so many as Fifty Thousand, &c. all peep into the Ark.

Answer 1. To find fault with the Testimony of the Scripture of Truth, is of dangerous Consequence, giving advantage to the Anti-Scripturists, that do too Atheistically deny its Authority, &c.

Answer 2. All those peepers were not only the Bethshemites, but also from all other ad∣jacent parts; therefore the Text saith, [God smote of the People,] not of the Citizens of that City, for without all question, a great Concourse from all parts of that Countrey could not but run and be there to behold the lost Ark restored, to make up so great a number.

Answer 3. So many might take time to peep successively; but suppose all did not so, yet were slain, they might deserve Death for other sins known to God, though un∣known to Men; who may account those Innocent, whom the Lord reckons heinously guilty: God's Judgments ought not to be censured by us; for though they be some∣times secret, yet are they always just.

Objection 2. This seems too much severity for so small a sin as this was?

Answer 1. The City of Bethshemesh (which signifies the House of the Sun) was now under such an Eclipse and darkness, as peevishly to think that God was over-strict, lay∣ing the blame all upon God, and none upon their sins, v. 20. and therefore desire to dismiss the Ark as the cause of this Rigour: David himself had something of this sin, 2 Sam. 6.8, 9. and the Gadarins much more, Matth. 8.54.

Answer 2. God always shews most severity in punishing his own People, especially in matters that immediately concern'd his Worship, and Men are not competent Judges, because we understand not the unsearchable Reasons of his Judgments, [Who hath been God's Counsellor, &c?] Rom. 11.33, 34. we ought not to search into God's Se∣crets, which belong to him only, Deut. 29.29. Hic oportet mirari, non rimari; we may better admire than express them, and we ought not to reprehend, what we cannot com∣prehend: The Philosopher could say, [Nihil interesse, pedes nò quisquam, an Oculos in clie∣nâ domo ponat:] 'Tis as unmannerly a trick to pry into another Man's House with his Eyes, as to press into it with his Feet: How much more unlawful was this prying and peeping into the Secrets of God, so expresly against God's Law? Numb. 4.15, 18, 19, 20. Arcana Dei, sunt Arca Dei: The Secrets of God ought not to be searched into, lest we smart for it as they did, Eorum quae scire nec datur, nec fas est, docta est ignorantia, saith Calvin; As 'tis a Learned Ignorance not to know what is unrevealed, so 'tis a sort of madness to pry into them.

N. B. The Bethshemites here take care to rid their hands of the Ark, which they should have more reverently retained, and therefore requests Kiriath Jearim (a more Religious City) to send for it, v. 21. pretending it was too nigh the Philistines, who might fetch it from them, and the rather because it was in the way to Shilo, &c. but intending only their own safety.