Sermon 19: 1 Samuel 5:1-6

1. Now the Philistines took the ark of God and carried it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2. And the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it beside Dagon. 3. And when the Ashdodites arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and they took Dagon and set him back in his place. 4. And when they arose early on the following morning, they found Dagon fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon remained in its place. 5. For this reason the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon do not tread upon the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, to this day. 6. But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the Ashdodites, and he destroyed them; and he struck with tumors Ashdod and its territories in the more secret parts of their bodies.

How great a stumbling block the capture of the ark of the covenant was for the Israelites, carried off in triumph by enemies who would insult and tear the divine majesty with abuse, we have heard above. For true religion seemed then to have utterly perished. The mouths of all the profane seemed to have been opened to lacerate with every kind of insult the law and worship of the living God. And it is indeed probable that the Philistines, had not a greater force restrained their spirits, would have seized that ark of the covenant to insult God, and would have triumphed over God, as it were, because the Israelites had boasted of this God in vain — from whom they had expected salvation, in whose protection they had been. Let us therefore see what happened next concerning that ark. The Philistines are said to have taken the captured ark and brought it into the temple of their god Dagon, and placed it in an honorable position beside Dagon. There is no doubt, as I said, that a certain hidden fear restrained them, since otherwise it is certain they would have insolently insulted the ark of the Lord. For who does not know that unbelievers seize upon the slightest occasion for boasting and exalting themselves even against God himself? Here, however, the most ample opportunity seemed to have been offered to the Philistines for despising and reviling the God of the Israelites, and for insulting him as if vanquished, whose power and might in defending his chosen people had utterly collapsed. Therefore, since they not only do not despise the ark but hold it in honor, it is clear that this came from God, who by his inner power restrained the Philistines lest, puffed up with pride, they should insult the ark and hold it in mockery — the ark in which the law of God was enclosed.

From this the great ignorance of the Jews becomes apparent: who, whenever certain things occur in the sacred Scriptures that seem not to commend the ark and the law of God, invent fables and do not scruple to alter entire sentences, provided they may escape criticism and defend the law of God. And so they fabricate that the ark had been stripped of the law of God and Aaron's rod, which were contained in the ark of the covenant, and that therefore an empty ark was left behind. On the contrary, it is clear from this that God exerted his power and restrained his enemies from laying hands on the ark, as we shall see more fully hereafter. For it is certainly beyond doubt that the Philistines, following their own nature as guide and restrained by no higher power, would have held that ark of the covenant in mockery and would have insulted the living God himself, mocking his majesty and tearing with blasphemous words the doctrine he had prescribed for his people. But they are not permitted to go further, being tamed and restrained by a greater power.

Nor indeed does God accept that honor: for the worship of God, had the ark remained longer in the temple of Dagon, would have been corrupted and adulterated. But that supreme administrator of all things so arranges everything that the wicked, though restrained by fear, even if inwardly they harbor lofty thoughts and swell with pride and arrogance, cannot carry out what they intend in their minds. For God restrains their hands and holds them as if captive, not permitting his glory to be obscured. He distinguishes good from evil and does not allow his truth to be mingled with falsehood. For at first sight these things would seem very contradictory: that God wished to be honored by the Philistines, and yet detested them and afflicted them with severe punishments. For if he demanded the honor due from the Philistines, and his divinity was acknowledged when they saw their god Dagon prostrated on the ground — why then does he afterward afflict them by sending the most grievous diseases into their private parts, namely tumors? But there is no contradiction in God here. For it is certain that the Philistines, left to their own nature, would have come most insolently and unrestrainedly to the contempt of God, and would have torn his name and worship with jeers, insults, and blasphemous words, had they not been bridled by a greater force. And therefore God impels even the unwary to show honor to the ark. Yet he does not thereby allow his worship to be adulterated. He cannot bear an idol as a companion. He does not wish the glory of his majesty to be diminished, or so much taken from his glory that, among unbelievers, as if enclosed in a hired temple, he should be considered lesser than the idol which the Philistines worshipped as God, even though he was received with honor. These things, I say, from God's perspective, are not at all contradictory but harmonize beautifully with each other.

Moreover, from these things it is also evident that, although the ark was captive, the Philistines nevertheless took nothing from God's power and might. Therefore, in the opinion of men, God allowed his power to be led into captivity, so that by this sign the people might recognize that God had withdrawn from them and had taken away the doctrine of his law. Nevertheless, he himself remained whole and always the same, and will remain so, whatever men may attempt and even conspire against him. Mortals will never take anything from God without his retaining his right intact. For he always protects himself and his glory, even against the will of his enemies and all their fury, and, though they may creep about, he exerts his power. For otherwise a door would be open to unbelievers and blasphemers for calumnies: Where now is that power, where are those wonderful works that the God of Israel once accomplished? Where are the miracles that he has performed until now? Where is his presence in the peril of his chosen people? Surely he would have been met with laughter and every kind of insult, and held to be no different from idols, which when damaged, cast to the ground, and broken, neither move nor resist. From which it is quite evident that they can neither help nor protect their worshippers and admirers in times of trouble, since they cannot protect themselves. But God wished to provide for his honor: for without any human help he prostrated the idol of the Philistines, named Dagon.

Concerning this word Dagon, we said in the book of Judges that it can be taken either for grain — as if he were called the god of grain, because in their opinion he sent abundance of grain — or for fish: for the Hebrew word signifies both. And among the Jews the opinion prevailed that this idol had the form of a fish. But since they were rather bold in inventing many fables, great trust should not be placed in them. There are, however, in these doubtful matters more probable conjectures, which it was not especially necessary to set out here at greater length. God indeed in his word gave us far more familiar instruction. And it is possible to gather even from the pagans themselves that in Syria and Palestine fish were held as gods and worshipped. For as some laugh at the superstition of others, they speak of the Syrians as those who abstain from the flesh of fish — which is not said of them without reason. From where one may conjecture that the idol of Dagon had the form of a fish from the waist down, to which also the name referred; and therefore they believed that some divinity was enclosed within it.

What then happened to this idol we must next consider. And first, the Ashdodites are said to have risen early in the morning and found Dagon fallen, lying on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord. By these words it is indicated that God, although the ark had been captured and he was held captive by the enemies, was nevertheless not captive, but exerted his power and exercised supreme authority and dominion. Now Ashdod was an ancient and famous city which, having been previously destroyed, had been restored and rebuilt by its inhabitants; and it was one of the five satrapies of the Philistines, once most illustrious. And so it had been rebuilt by its inhabitants because of the fertility of the place. The Philistines therefore chose it, because it was famous, as the city to which they would lead the ark of the covenant as if in triumph, so that fame of it would spread everywhere. But behold, while they are planning triumphs, God exerts his power. From which it becomes evident, and in which as in an image one may contemplate, what is said both in the Psalms and expressly in Isaiah: that when God reveals himself, idols fall and are exposed to the mockery and ridicule of all. And prophesying specifically against Egypt, Isaiah says: Behold, the Lord, riding on a swift light cloud, shall come into Egypt, so that the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, etc.

Speaking of the conversion of the nations, concerning the preaching of the gospel throughout the whole world. For he indicates that God will finally bring it about that his doctrine will be proclaimed in every region, and he says: Behold, the Lord shall come into Egypt — that is, shall come into the possession of Egypt — and the idols shall fall. Here indeed the papists, after the manner of the Jews, have invented a fable: namely, that the idols fell in Egypt upon the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ. From which we see how great is the audacity of men when they allow themselves anything and bring forth their inventions, by which the true sense of all Scripture is corrupted. For the meaning of those words of the prophet is universal: namely, that the idols will fall when God makes manifest his majesty through the preaching of the gospel.

The same is said in the Psalms: that at the coming of the King all idols shall be broken. For the world is always agitated by the thick darkness of shadows and many tempests, until God disperses them with his splendor. And Satan drives men mad with his tricks and impostures, until God reveals himself to us and we recognize that all judgment belongs to him alone. For this scruple always naturally stirs and pricks men: that this world was not created by itself, but by some power and superior divinity by which it is governed and administered. But they fashion gods for themselves from their own imagination, and worship whatever divinity their will has dictated; so that a god uncertain leads to uncertain worship — and thus true God is consigned to oblivion, because men of course follow their own inventions. But as long as we cling to our own opinions, it is certain that we shall never recognize the true God, but on the contrary shall be plunged more and more into the mire of our own filth. But when the word of God is preached with efficacy, and the true God is set before our eyes as if pointed out with a finger, then we must cling to him alone. And I confess indeed that unbelievers will profit nothing, for they are blind — indeed, utterly blinded — from whom Satan has gouged out the eyes through unbelief; and therefore they can neither see nor derive any benefit. But if the sacred word of God and the gospel have taken deep root in our souls and have efficacy, we shall not only venerate the true and supreme God, but also bid all superstitions and false worship to be far from us. For those who follow their opinions inclining to this or that side and doubt the truth have as yet made little or no progress in the preaching of the gospel. Thus you may see many who confess and acknowledge that the doctrine is good and holy, yet retain their former trifles and foolish devotions. But God cannot endure corruptions of this kind. Therefore, whenever God out of his benevolence reveals himself to us, all vain superstitions must be renounced; yet not all profit equally in this fear without distinction. For not all profit equally. For although unbelievers and despisers of God have a clear testimony of divine power and proclaim it with great cries, they do not for that reason abandon their idol-madness. Take as an example these Philistines, who, when their god had been prostrated on the ground by divine power, nevertheless do not abandon him but venerate him all the more. And the cunning of the priests may have intervened here, concealing from the people what had happened; but nevertheless it is probable that the matter was made public and known to all. This is easily gathered from what follows, when, having convened the people in council, they say that the God of the Israelites is harder against them and their god Dagon. And so it is beyond doubt that this was made public — that the idol of Dagon had fallen to the ground. But since this had happened while the temple was closed, they certainly had to confess that it was not done by human hand, and be convicted by their own conscience that the idol of Dagon was nothing — and that it had been prostrated on the ground by God, who was pushing away and casting off the idol from himself, and revealing to the Philistines their error and superstitions, which they should learn to detest.

But if anyone should ask why this deed was not done in broad daylight — since it would seem to have been a greater miracle if the idol fell in the sight of all the Philistines rather than by night — I reply that the Philistines would not have been moved any more by that. Rather, they would have confirmed themselves in their error by one invention or another, making whatever pretexts they pleased. And even though compelled to confess that the idol had been prostrated by the divine hand, they would nevertheless have sought by some invention to restore honor and dignity to their idol. For this reason God willed this to happen by night.

Moreover, consider here God's wonderful counsel, who wished to exert his power in such a way that unbelievers would see yet not see. For so speaks Isaiah the prophet: O Lord, when your hand is lifted up, they do not see. For although the wicked see the glory of God, the hand and power of God, they do not discern it, lacking judgment and turned to stupor, so that they do not even notice what is present before their eyes — because Satan holds them blinded and captive, bewitching all his own so that they lack judgment, common sense, and reason. And so God wished by this means to remove every excuse from them and to shut their mouths. For in order that the Philistines might be rendered inexcusable, it was enough that they should recognize their own idol prostrated on the ground. But by whom was it prostrated? Was it by some human help? Indeed, they held the keys of their own temple, so that no one could enter the temple without their knowledge or permission. Moreover, they carefully tended and guarded their idols. Therefore they see that the hand of God had penetrated into their temple — something they could not determine by any human reasoning — why that idol had been prostrated on the ground, since no one planning such things could have entered the temple. But God himself acted powerfully in this way, so as to cut off from them every excuse of ignorance.

And yet it becomes clear that God wished them to remain in their stubbornness, since he performed his work by night, so that they might remain in the darkness and shadows of their ignorance. And so, struck with stupor at such a miracle, they are not moved. By this example we learn how deplorable is the condition of men, and how wretched is their state — such is the efficacy of error upon them when God leaves them to their own nature and takes away their understanding. We see them more stupid than the brute beasts themselves, as the sacred Scriptures also often testify. Ought not these men to have been struck with awe by so new and wonderful a thing, when they beheld their god treated with such disgrace and infamy, and him whom they thought captive ruling in their midst, and exerting his strength and power? But they are not moved by these things; they do not put on a better mind. They restore the god Dagon to his place and continue to honor him as before.

Who indeed, even if still a child, would not judge that these wretched people lacked common sense — indeed, that they were utterly mad and out of their minds? We easily judge others, but let us learn, as I said before, that when God permits men to walk according to the sense of their own reason, to indulge their passions, and to follow foolish devotions, they must finally be plunged into the deepest abyss of darkness. From this we should gain wisdom, lest we ever be deprived of his word. Let us humbly pray to God that he never abandon us to ourselves, and that he never cast upon us so blind a mind — one that grows dim in the very light of divine testimonies — but rather that by his power he teach us the benefit of those testimonies, so that we may apply them to use.

Moreover, another doctrine must also be drawn from this, by which we may be armed against those temptations by which the weak are often offended, when they observe wicked and ungodly men, resisting God, boldly persisting in their undertakings and pursuing their deeds more eagerly than ever. Let us not, I say, be moved by these things: for there have been men of this sort in every age, who in their own time will receive the most fitting punishments for their deeds. But when God shows some sign of his wrath, let us bow our heads; and rather than wait until he stretches out his mighty hand against us, let us rather tremble at even the slightest of his threats and cast ourselves down before him, ready for his service.

And enough of these matters. But as for the fact that they raise up the prostrated Dagon and restore him to his place, the wretches do not realize that their god is a dead thing, to which they are in a manner trying to restore life; but they persist in the error and superstition they had received from their ancestors. Therefore when we today see the papists fighting for their idols, let us know that they are following in the footsteps of their ancestors, namely the Philistines, and always wandering on the same string. Yet God does not leave them unpunished, for on the next day he makes his power more illustrious, by which the Philistines are gradually subdued and tamed. And so, since the first fall of Dagon had accomplished little, God displays his power to be seen in a second, more severe one. For Dagon not only falls prostrated to the ground a second time, but with his arms broken and his head torn off — which lay on the threshold of the doors, as if by these as bolts the threshold would be sealed shut. And so if the Philistines had until now doubted about their idol, whether it was a mere statue or not, now they have learned by experience that it was a useless and ridiculous phantom. And this surely even they are compelled to recognize, however unwillingly. For I ask, would so lofty an idol fixed to the walls have fallen of its own accord? It would certainly be ridiculous to think so. Who then prostrated its arms, its head, its trunk before the ark of God? Who placed its arms upon the threshold of the temple? Surely it was plain that this was not done by chance, nor was so bold a deed attempted by any human force; and therefore it necessarily followed that the God of Israel wished to brand this idol with this disgrace — an idol that had previously mocked the wretched with vain hope. Thus God wished to confirm what was in itself clear enough: namely, that nothing happened here except by divine providence, so that his majesty might be made conspicuous.

But here you may see the Philistines hardened more and more. For so far are they from having returned to a better mind after recognizing what had happened before, that they introduced a new superstition: namely, that the priests entering the temple should not tread with their feet upon the lower threshold of the temple — lest the place where that Dagon had lain should be trampled by their feet, or lest it should thereafter come into contempt; but since the idol had suffered so much, its honor should be restored. How great, I ask, is this blindness! How great is this stupor of idolaters rushing from bad to worse and heaping error upon error, so that these wretches, as if with maddened minds, seem to be willing to wage war against God himself! I confess that they appear to have wished to honor God, since the ark of the covenant had been brought into the temple of Dagon. But when they perceive that this honor is displeasing to him — when they learn by experience that he cannot be satisfied by any worship unless their idol is removed and their temple is purged and purified of impure worship and those enticements by which the God of Israel can in no way be worshipped — why then do they so madly attempt to restore their idol and give it back its former dignity, when the God of Israel has shown by unmistakable signs that he cannot bear the idol? For when they behold their idol overthrown a second time, are they so devoid of all sense that they do not recognize that God is sending forth some rays of his power, by which they might be summoned to conversion to him? But so far are they from hearing God as he warns and urges them, that on the contrary they persist more obstinately and stubbornly, and harden themselves, and trust in their idol, and display new honors to it as if devoid of all sense and reason.

For, as I said, they not only restore the idol that has been cast down from its place and worship it with the usual honor, but they also introduce a new superstition: not treading with their feet on the threshold on which the arms and head of Dagon had lain. But what we read here about the Philistines we see has also happened in our own age in the papacy, through the fraud and impostures of the priests: so that if some statue of a saint has fallen and broken an arm or a leg, another one of gold or silver is placed in the stead of the wooden or stone one by some superstitious king, and indeed with a new title of dignity. For example, if an idol of the Virgin Mary falls and is restored, then it will be called Our Lady of the Passion. But what does this name 'of the Passion' mean? God sufficiently warns these blind wretches by this very name, and opens the mouths of the miserable so that they may be converted. But it is singing to the deaf in vain. For they have but one mind and one zeal: that the superstition should not only remain but also increase, and that they should be carried into the worship of the idol with more vehement zeal.

Thus you may see those wretched priests of our age carried with such zeal toward their bread-idol that if by chance some gust of wind has snatched it away, they seek it with decreed supplications in the place where it has fallen, with crosses, burning candles, and many other ceremonies of this kind; and having found it, they even scrape the stone and carry it away. And for two days that place must be reverenced, and the stone must be burned with fire, and the collected ashes must be put into a well-sealed vessel and deposited in a sacred place. Why so? Because, they say, it has touched the sacred body of God. What blindness! What stupor!

Not only, then, are the Philistines blind — not only stupid and senseless and demented by the enchantment of false religion and false worship through the cunning of Satan, who rules the wretched tyrannically, and by just judgment of God keeps the oppressed under his dominion and rule. But truly, whatever these Philistines contrive, they are compelled to recognize and confess that the God of Israel is stronger than their Dagon — indeed, that his hand is hard against them and against their god Dagon. From which one may observe how powerful is God, who extorts such a confession from the mouths of his enemies, and turns their plans and deeds, contrary to their expectation, to another end — namely, to the propagation of God's glory. For God knows how to bring light out of darkness. This is very clearly apparent here. For if that rite had not been introduced, and if the Philistines had buried the memory of what had happened in silence and had restored the broken limbs of Dagon without superstition, perhaps the memory of this event would have faded of its own accord. For although it was a new and extraordinary deed, even miraculous, it would nevertheless gradually have been obliterated by eternal forgetfulness. But God uses the Philistines as scribes and heralds to propagate the memory of this deed to all ages and the whole world — that Dagon, that famous idol, was conquered and prostrated by the God of the Israelites. The Philistines, therefore, must be heralds of this deed, and must publicly profess that the majesty of God is far more powerful than their idol. So the papists, when they most wish to feed the people with superstitions of this kind and to conceal their own disgrace, all the more betray themselves and, even with infants as witnesses, expose themselves to the ridicule and hatred of all. For what else do you hear from them except: This saint heals fevers, that one helps pregnant women; this one excels in this virtue, that one in another; this one is better and more excellent, that one inferior. In short, they have only the virtues of their saints on their lips and proclaim their miracles. From this arose relics and the worship of them. And if perhaps an idol has become old, a new one is proposed to be erected, and the ashes of the old one that was burned are collected as relics and displayed for all to venerate. What kind of gods are these, I ask you? Are they not too ridiculous? Do not even children recognize that their frauds and filth stink? Nor is any great force of intellect required to recognize these deceits of Satan, by which he strives to raise such images up as gods and to establish for them the worship due to God. What shall I say about the bread-idol, which is proposed for adoration and veneration, as if the body of Christ were enclosed in it?

Behold how God constrains the enemies of truth and in a manner compels them by torments to propagate the glory of God by their own testimony, and to reveal and uncover with their own mouths the vanity and emptiness of their idols, images, rites, and ceremonies. But so great is the stupor of men — indeed so great is their malice — that until God himself opens their hearts, no miracles will move unbelievers, no exhortations will lead to the way of salvation those whom a deep lethargy of idol-madness has seized. And yet the papists promise that if they see miracles, they will immediately be converted to the faith. But on the contrary, it is certain that even if they had before their eyes all the miracles that have been performed since the beginning of the world, they would still stubbornly resist the truth. Why so? Because Satan has so blinded their eyes that seeing they do not see.

We confess that the power of the divine word ought to be so great that it breaks the very hardest rocks and penetrates, when preached to men, into the hardest and most horrible hearts, and softens them. But yet, by the just judgment of God, it not only does not soften the heart of unbelievers, but rather hardens it all the more. Therefore let us know that this is the one way of returning to the Lord: if we are brought to him by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, so that, having softened our minds, he may reconcile us to himself. For otherwise it is certain that we will be harder than anvils themselves. For if someone strikes an anvil with great blows of hammers, it is certain that the hammers will always rebound, because they strike against a harder anvil. And this is the condition of all men when they are struck by the testimonies and miracles of God, which are undoubtedly all in vain and of no weight with them, until God himself so breaks and softens them that he teaches them, humbled under the mighty hand of God.

And enough of these matters. Next, God is said to have attacked the men themselves, after he saw that the testimonies of his vengeance were fruitless and of no effect among them. And pressing closer, he sent dire diseases into their private parts — what they call tumors or hemorrhoids. I acknowledge indeed that these are natural diseases. But when the contagion spreads and invades each and every inhabitant of a region or city, it is indeed a new and extraordinary calamity — as if one were to say that the heads of all the inhabitants of a city had been cut off. And so the Philistines were sufficiently convicted that this was not a natural disease, since this plague invaded each one of them, but that it was the divine hand demanding punishment from them.

Therefore, even unwillingly, they must acknowledge and confess, compelled by the force of the disease, that the God of Israel had stretched out his hand, harder against them and their god Dagon. But, I ask, do they therefore put on a better mind and seriously consider venerating and worshipping him? Not at all. Rather, on the contrary, they hope to escape the avenging hand they fear by sending it far away from themselves and banishing it. From this it becomes more and more evident to us how great is the stubbornness of unbelievers in their error. If the testimonies of divine judgments press them more closely, so that no room for excuse is left, and they cannot disguise their fear of divine judgments and power, they nevertheless do not acknowledge their inborn rebellion, nor lay aside their stubbornness and hardness of heart, but only seek hiding places and escapes by which, if they could, they would exempt themselves from the power of God. Not unlike thieves or robbers or any such criminals who, fearing the hand of the judge, strive to seek safety in flight, nowhere safe, never at rest from fear of impending punishment. Or like criminals guilty of some offense who, when they sense the officers pursuing them, or fear they will fall into their hands, throw themselves headlong into any dangers, and often in desperation inflict death upon themselves.

So these Philistines seek hiding places against the presence of God. When such examples are set before us, let us know that the same thing happens to all the enemies of God when they are cast into a reprobate mind. For although they are seized by the lethargy of their crimes, yet when God presses closer and their own conscience weighs upon them, they seek hiding places against the majesty of God, and strive to seek safety in flight. And the Philistines are an example of this to us: who at last feel themselves pressed by the hand of God, and although no prophet warns them or points out their stupor, they are taught by natural sense to rise up all the way to God. Indeed, the supreme power of God is to be observed here, working so that they recognized and, even unwillingly, judged and confessed that the God of Israel was more powerful than their god, and that they suffered nothing except by his vengeance. But truly, though recognizing God's power, acknowledging God's power, do they therefore become suppliants and beg for pardon, and seek to win his benevolence by changing their superstition into sincere worship? Not at all. For if they had examined themselves, since they felt such clear and evident testimonies of divine power against them after the capture of the ark, this thought would have come to their mind: that this ark was a certain figure or image of the true God, and therefore they would have inquired what they needed to do. And so they would have recognized their idol-madness by which they had been demented for so many centuries, the impotence of the one they worshipped as a god being sufficiently revealed. Then they would have diligently inquired what worship was to be given to the true God, what religion he had prescribed for his people. And this would have been the one true remedy against the diseases sent by God. But although they felt how great his power was, they did not therefore inquire what his purpose was. They are little moved whether things go well or badly for them. They think of sending him far away from themselves, and what they see even unwillingly, they do not wish to see. Indeed, by their foolish and vain religion they heap evil upon evil; so far are they from being corrected by punishments and humbled by the plagues sent by God, casting themselves down under his mighty hand, which they were experiencing as hard because of their iniquities and contempt for true religion.

On the contrary, because they feel his hand harder against them and against their god, they think of sending him away. Here then is what unbelievers obtain from their perception and apprehension of infinite power: not a better mind, not a zeal for knowing his word and the worship with which men ought to venerate and worship him, not a humbling of the soul by which they might submit to God's majesty, but rather they conceive a certain fear and horror of his presence, which they strive to flee with all their might, and would send God far from themselves if they could. Nor indeed, I confess, do all reject God from themselves in the same way; yet whoever are not seriously affected by the taste of divine goodness, nor governed by the Spirit of God, by whose guidance they would submit themselves — these imitate the Philistines in this respect. For they seek hiding places and every kind of escape with all their might, lest they come into God's sight and stand before his judgment; they wish a long distance to be placed between God and themselves.

This is a place worthy of observation, from which we should learn to feel God's power in such a way that it does not terrify us into fleeing from his presence and withdrawing far from him. Rather, recognizing his omnipotence, let us pray to him that, having mercy on us, we may be in grace with him, so that we may be lifted up by his power — by which the wicked are cast down when they stubbornly and arrogantly exalt themselves and seem to wish to butt with their horns against his majesty. But indeed every such attempt is vain: for even unwillingly they will experience the most severe hand of God, which no created thing, no force however great, has resisted — not even the infernal devils themselves — since on the contrary whatever is exalted against it must necessarily be brought low and crushed.

Therefore it is certain that all who have felt God's power and are nevertheless contumacious will experience God's hard hand against them. But on the contrary, those who so acknowledge God's power that they also seek it, voluntarily submit to him, and compose themselves for his obedience, so that God may reckon them among the number of his children — these will feel not a hard hand of God pressing them down, but rather one ready and prompt to lift them up and sustain them. And how great the usefulness of this example is appears from what has been said above.

Therefore, when we observe the thick error of the Philistines, let us learn from it: when we feel God's hand stretched out against us and armed to exact punishment, let us acknowledge that it is powerful enough to destroy and utterly ruin us if we continue to indulge in our iniquities. And therefore let us not neglect the opportunity offered us for repentance, but rather let us be obedient to God, lest we be crushed by his rightful vengeance. Rather, let us be reconciled to him and experience him as Father instead of Judge — him against whom we had provoked wrath — and may he in turn regard us as children and embrace us with fatherly benevolence, to which we in turn submit ourselves and are ready at his beck.

But why do the Philistines not inquire into the cause of the plagues with which they were afflicted? Why do they not recall those ancient deeds of God by which he testified himself to be the defender and protector of his people, as long as he was sincerely worshipped by them? Why do they not conclude that they ought to become God's people, so that they might experience his power as friendly and saving to them, which they were experiencing as hard and destructive? But such great stupor had invaded them that they feel the plagues indeed, and bear the avenging hand of God, but yet do not inquire from where those plagues come.

But do you, O God, avert such stupor from us; and rather bring it about yourself that, if any signs of your fury and divine vengeance appear, we may recognize how terrible it is to fall into the hands of the living God; and that God is our adversary and enemy for no other reason than that we ourselves willingly take up war against him. Therefore, even though struck, let us return to him, whose hand against us we will experience not only as not hard, but on the contrary as easy and kind, and even as helpful and vindicating, at the opportune time. And indeed we shall find to be true what Moses once sang in his song: that God bore them up as if on eagles' wings, and protected them with his favor, and will protect them to the end.

Therefore, from what has been said above, it appears that this is our duty: whenever God stretches out his hand against us and shows the unmistakable judgments of his wrath, to flee to him and become his suppliants — a doctrine that is certainly necessary for the instruction of us all. Furthermore, the Philistines confess nothing less than that God is against them; but having collected the scattered parts of their idol Dagon, they try to restore the scattered parts of their idol; by this very act professing that their god, or idol, is nothing. But why do they nonetheless worship it? Why do they expect salvation from it? Because, as I said before, seeing they do not see. This is indeed the fitting wages for unbelievers, whom God compels to confess their sins and crimes, so that convicted out of their own mouths he may hold them as guilty and all the more convict them. For although they do not voluntarily submit to God to glorify him and render him the honor due to him, they nevertheless say that the living God weighs heavily upon them; and yet they indulge more and more in their superstitions and false worship, which they nevertheless professed by their own confession that God detests.

It remains for us to pray before God, etc.

1. Now the Philistines took the ark of God and carried it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2. The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon, setting it beside Dagon. 3. When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and they took Dagon and set him back in his place. 4. When they arose early the following morning, they found Dagon fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off, lying on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left in its place. 5. Therefore, to this day the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon do not step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod. 6. But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the Ashdodites; He devastated them and struck Ashdod and its surrounding region with tumors in their private parts.

We have already heard what a stumbling block the capture of the ark of the covenant was for the Israelites — carried off in triumph by enemies who would now insult and mock the divine majesty with abuse. True religion seemed at that moment to have utterly perished. The mouths of all the godless seemed to have been opened to tear apart with every kind of insult the law and worship of the living God. It is indeed likely that the Philistines, had no greater force restrained their spirits, would have seized the ark to insult God, and would have triumphed over Him as though the Israelites had boasted in vain of a God who had failed to protect them. Let us therefore see what happened next concerning that ark. The Philistines are said to have taken the captured ark, brought it into the temple of their god Dagon, and placed it in an honorable position beside Dagon. As I said, a hidden fear no doubt restrained them — otherwise they would certainly have insolently insulted the ark of the Lord. For who does not know that unbelievers seize every slight opportunity to boast and exalt themselves even against God? Here the most ample opportunity seemed to have been given to the Philistines for despising and mocking the God of the Israelites, and for insulting Him as though He had been defeated, whose power in defending His chosen people had apparently collapsed. Since they did not despise the ark but showed it honor, it is clear this came from God — who by His hidden power restrained the Philistines from becoming so puffed up with pride that they would insult the ark and treat with mockery the place where God's law was enclosed.

From this the great ignorance of certain Jews becomes apparent — whenever something occurs in Scripture that seems not to commend the ark and God's law, they invent stories and do not hesitate to alter entire passages if they can avoid criticism and defend the law of God. They therefore make up the tale that the ark had been stripped of the law of God and Aaron's rod, which were contained in the ark, leaving only an empty ark. On the contrary, it is clear from this passage that God exercised His power and restrained His enemies from laying hands on the ark, as we will see more fully hereafter. It is certainly beyond doubt that the Philistines, following their own nature and restrained by no higher power, would have held the ark of the covenant in mockery and insulted the living God, mocking His majesty and tearing apart with blasphemous words the doctrine He had given to His people. But they were not permitted to go further, being tamed and restrained by a greater power.

Nor does God accept that honor on the Philistines' terms — for if the ark had remained longer in Dagon's temple, the worship of God would have been corrupted and defiled. But the supreme Administrator of all things arranges everything so that the wicked, though restrained by fear — even while inwardly harboring proud thoughts, swelling with arrogance — cannot carry out what they intend. For God holds their hands as if captive, not permitting His glory to be obscured. He distinguishes good from evil and does not allow His truth to be mixed with falsehood. At first sight these things might seem contradictory: that God wished to be honored by the Philistines, yet also detested them and struck them with severe punishments. If He demanded honor from the Philistines, and His divinity was acknowledged when they saw their god Dagon face-down on the ground — why then did He afterward afflict them with the most grievous diseases in their private parts, namely tumors? But there is no contradiction in God here. Left to their own nature, the Philistines would certainly have come to despise God in the most insolent and unrestrained way, tearing His name and worship with mockery, insults, and blasphemous words — had they not been held in check by a greater force. Therefore God moved even the unwary to show honor to the ark. Yet He did not thereby allow His worship to be defiled. He cannot bear an idol as a companion. He did not wish His glory to be diminished or for His majesty to be placed in the same category as an idol — as if He were a lesser occupant in a rented temple, sharing space with the Philistines' god, even though He had been received with outward honor. From God's perspective, I say, these things are not at all contradictory — they fit together perfectly.

From these things it is also evident that, although the ark was in captivity, the Philistines took nothing from God's power and might. In the view of people, God had allowed His power to be led into captivity — so that by this sign the people might recognize that God had withdrawn from them and taken away the instruction of His law. Yet He Himself remained whole and always the same, and will remain so, whatever people may attempt or conspire against Him. Mortals will never take anything from God without His right remaining intact. He always protects Himself and His glory, even against the will of His enemies and all their fury — and though they may scheme, He exerts His power. For otherwise the door would be opened to unbelievers and blasphemers for mockery: Where now is that power? Where are the wonderful works that the God of Israel once accomplished? Where are the miracles He performed until now? Where was His presence when His chosen people were in danger? He would have been met with laughter and every kind of insult, and treated as no different from idols, which when knocked over, cast to the ground, and broken, neither move nor resist. This makes it quite clear that idols can neither help nor protect their worshippers in times of trouble, since they cannot even protect themselves. But God wished to protect His honor — and without any human help, He brought down the idol of the Philistines named Dagon.

Concerning the word Dagon, we said in the book of Judges that it can be taken either as 'grain' — as if he were called the god of grain, thought to send abundance of crops — or as 'fish,' since the Hebrew word can mean both. Among the Jews the prevailing opinion was that this idol had the form of a fish. But since they were rather bold in inventing fables, great confidence should not be placed in them. There are, however, more probable conjectures in these uncertain matters, which it is not especially necessary to lay out at greater length here. God has given us far clearer instruction in His Word. Even from the pagans themselves one can gather that in Syria and Palestine fish were regarded as gods and worshipped. Some mocking the superstitions of others speak of the Syrians as those who abstain from eating fish — and this is said about them for a reason. From this one may conjecture that the idol Dagon had the form of a fish from the waist down — to which the name also referred — and that they believed some divine power was enclosed within it.

What happened to this idol is what we must next consider. First, the Ashdodites are said to have risen early in the morning and found Dagon fallen, lying on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord. By these words we see that God — although the ark had been captured and He was considered a captive by the enemies — was nevertheless not captive, but exerted His power and exercised supreme authority and dominion. Ashdod was an ancient and well-known city that had previously been destroyed, then restored and rebuilt by its inhabitants; it was one of the five Philistine city-states and once very illustrious. It had been rebuilt because of the fertility of the surrounding land. The Philistines chose Ashdod as the famous city to which they would lead the ark of the covenant in triumph, so that news of it would spread everywhere. But while they were planning their triumph, God exerted His power. In this we can clearly see — as in a mirror — what is said both in the Psalms and explicitly in Isaiah: when God reveals Himself, idols fall and are exposed to the mockery and ridicule of all. Prophesying specifically against Egypt, Isaiah says: Behold, the Lord, riding on a swift light cloud, shall come into Egypt, so that the idols of Egypt shall tremble at His presence, etc.

This is said in the context of the conversion of the nations, concerning the preaching of the gospel throughout the whole world. Isaiah indicates that God will ultimately bring it about that His doctrine will be proclaimed in every region, and he says: Behold, the Lord shall come into Egypt — that is, shall take possession of Egypt — and the idols shall fall. Here the papists, following the method of the Jews, have invented a fable: that the idols literally fell in Egypt upon the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ. From this we see how bold people become when they allow themselves to bring forth their own inventions, by which the true meaning of all Scripture is corrupted. For the prophet's words have a universal meaning: the idols will fall when God makes His majesty known through the preaching of the gospel.

The same is said in the Psalms: at the coming of the King, all idols shall be broken. For the world is always agitated by thick darkness and many storms, until God disperses them with His light. Satan drives people mad with his tricks and deceits, until God reveals Himself to us and we recognize that all judgment belongs to Him alone. A natural unease always stirs and pricks people: this world was not created by itself, but by some power and superior deity by which it is governed and guided. But people fashion gods from their own imagination and worship whatever divinity their own will has invented — an uncertain god producing uncertain worship — and so the true God is forgotten, as people follow their own inventions. As long as we cling to our own opinions, we will never recognize the true God; instead we will sink deeper and deeper into the mire of our own corruption. But when the Word of God is proclaimed with power and the true God is set before our eyes as if pointed out by a finger, then we must cling to Him alone. I grant that unbelievers will gain nothing — they are blind, utterly blinded, their eyes having been gouged out by Satan through unbelief, so they can neither see nor benefit. But if God's holy Word and the gospel have taken deep root in our souls and have their full effect, we will not only honor the true and supreme God but also bid all superstitions and false worship be gone. Those who still waver between opinions and doubt the truth have made little or no progress under the preaching of the gospel. You may see many who confess that the doctrine is good and holy, yet retain their old trifles and foolish devotions. But God cannot endure corruptions of this kind. Therefore, whenever God in His goodness reveals Himself to us, all vain superstitions must be renounced — yet not all profit equally from the fear He produces. For although unbelievers and despisers of God have a clear testimony of divine power and proclaim it loudly, they do not for that reason abandon their idol-worship. Take as an example these Philistines: when their god had been cast to the ground by divine power, they did not abandon him but honored him all the more. The cunning of the priests may have played a role in concealing from the people what had happened — but it is probable the matter became public and known to all. This is easily gathered from what follows, when they gathered the people in council and said that the God of the Israelites was proving more powerful than their god Dagon. It is beyond doubt, then, that it became publicly known that the idol of Dagon had fallen to the ground. And since this happened while the temple was closed, they had to confess that it was not done by human hand, and their own conscience convicted them that Dagon was nothing — that he had been thrown down by God, who was pushing away and casting off the idol from Himself, and revealing to the Philistines their error and superstition, which they should have learned to detest.

But if someone asks why this was not done in broad daylight — since it might seem a greater miracle if the idol fell before all the Philistines rather than at night — I reply that the Philistines would not have been moved any more by that. Rather, they would have found some invention or pretext to confirm themselves in their error and make whatever excuses they pleased. Even if compelled to confess that the idol had been thrown down by God's hand, they would still have sought by some means to restore honor and dignity to their idol. For this reason God willed this to happen by night.

Consider here God's remarkable wisdom — He wished to exert His power in such a way that unbelievers would see yet not see. As Isaiah the prophet says: O Lord, when Your hand is lifted up, they do not see. The wicked see God's glory, see the hand and power of God, but do not perceive it — they lack discernment, struck with a kind of stupor, so that they do not even notice what is right before their eyes — because Satan holds them blinded and captive, bewitching all his own so that they lack judgment, common sense, and reason. God therefore wished by this means to remove every excuse from them and shut their mouths. It was enough, to render the Philistines without excuse, that they should find their own idol prostrated on the ground. But by whom was it thrown down? By some human hand? They held the keys to their own temple — no one could enter without their knowledge or permission. Moreover, they carefully tended and guarded their idols. They could see that God's hand had reached into their temple — something no human reasoning could explain, since no one who could have done such a thing could have entered the temple. But God Himself acted powerfully in this way, cutting off from them every excuse of ignorance.

And yet it becomes clear that God intended them to remain in their stubbornness, since He performed His work by night, so that they might stay in the darkness and shadows of their ignorance. Struck with shock at such a miracle, they were not moved. By this example we learn how wretched and deplorable the condition of people is — such is the power of error over them when God leaves them to their own nature and takes away their understanding. We see them more dull than the brute beasts themselves, as the Scriptures also often testify. Should they not have been struck with awe at such a new and remarkable thing — seeing their god treated with such disgrace and dishonor, while the One they thought was captive was ruling in their midst and exerting His power? But they were not moved; they did not take on a better mind. They put Dagon back in his place and continued to honor him as before.

Who, even a child, would not judge that these wretched people lacked all common sense — indeed, that they were utterly mad and out of their minds? We judge others easily; but as I said before, let us learn that when God permits people to walk according to their own reasoning, indulge their passions, and follow foolish devotions, they will ultimately be plunged into the deepest abyss of darkness. Let this make us wise, so that we never be deprived of His Word. Let us humbly pray to God that He never abandon us to ourselves, never cast upon us a mind so blinded that it grows dim even in the light of divine testimonies — but rather that by His power He teach us the value of those testimonies, so that we may put them to use.

Another lesson must also be drawn from this — one that arms us against the temptations that often trouble the weak, when they observe wicked and godless people resisting God, boldly pressing forward with their schemes and pursuing their deeds more eagerly than ever. Let us not be shaken by these things — for there have always been such people in every age, and they will receive in their own time the punishments most fitting for their deeds. But when God shows some sign of His wrath, let us bow our heads; and rather than wait until He stretches out His mighty hand against us, let us tremble even at His slightest warnings, and cast ourselves down before Him, ready for His service.

Enough of those matters. As for the Philistines raising up the fallen Dagon and putting him back in his place — the wretches do not realize that their god is a dead thing, and that they are in a sense trying to restore life to it. They simply persist in the error and superstition they had inherited from their ancestors. Therefore when we today see papists fighting for their idols, let us know they are following in the footsteps of their ancestors the Philistines — always wandering along the same path. Yet God does not leave them unpunished; the next day He makes His power even more conspicuous, by which the Philistines are gradually subdued and brought low. Since the first fall of Dagon had accomplished little, God demonstrates His power in a second, more severe one. For Dagon falls to the ground again — but this time with his arms broken and his head torn off, which lay on the threshold of the doors, as if those severed pieces were bolts sealing the entrance shut. If the Philistines had until now doubted whether their idol was anything more than a lifeless statue, they have now learned by experience that it was a useless and ridiculous phantom. Even they were compelled to recognize this, however unwillingly. Would so lofty an idol, fixed to the walls, have fallen of its own accord? That would be absurd. Who then threw down its arms, its head, and its trunk before the ark of God? Who placed its arms on the temple threshold? It was plain that this had not happened by chance, nor had any human force dared such a bold act — and therefore it necessarily followed that the God of Israel had chosen to brand this idol with this disgrace, the very idol that had previously deceived the wretched with empty hope. Thus God wished to confirm what was already clear enough: that nothing happened here except by divine providence, so that His majesty might be made unmistakably visible.

But here you may see the Philistines hardening themselves more and more. So far were they from returning to a better mind after recognizing what had happened, that they introduced a new superstition: the priests entering the temple were now not to step on the lower threshold, lest the place where Dagon had lain be trampled underfoot and come into contempt. Since the idol had suffered so much, its honor had to be restored. How great is this blindness! How great is this stupor of idolaters, rushing from bad to worse and heaping error upon error — these wretches, as if out of their minds, seeming almost willing to wage war against God Himself! I grant that they appeared to have wanted to honor God, since the ark of the covenant had been brought into Dagon's temple. But when they could see that this honor displeased Him — when they learned by experience that He could not be satisfied by any worship as long as their idol remained and their temple was not purged of its corrupt worship — why then did they so madly try to restore their idol and return it to its former dignity, when the God of Israel had given unmistakable signs that He could not bear the idol? When they saw their idol overthrown a second time, were they so utterly devoid of sense that they could not see God sending forth rays of His power to call them to turn to Him? But so far were they from hearing God's warnings that on the contrary they persisted more obstinately and stubbornly, hardened themselves, trusted in their idol, and paid it new honors — as if completely stripped of all sense and reason.

As I said, the Philistines not only restored the cast-down idol to its place and worshipped it with the usual honor — they also introduced a new superstition: not stepping on the threshold where Dagon's arms and head had lain. And what we read here about the Philistines we see repeated in our own age in the papacy, through the fraud and deception of the priests. If some statue of a saint has fallen and broken an arm or a leg, a new one of gold or silver is placed in the spot of the wooden or stone original by some superstitious ruler — and given a new title of dignity. For example, if an idol of the Virgin Mary falls and is repaired, it is then called Our Lady of the Passion. But what does the name 'of the Passion' mean? God sufficiently warns these blind wretches by that very name and opens an occasion for the miserable to be converted. But it is singing to the deaf. They have one mind and one aim: that the superstition not only remain but increase, and that they be carried more and more zealously into the worship of the idol.

You may see the wretched priests of our age driven with such zeal for their bread-idol that if by some gust of wind it has been blown away, they search for it in the place where it has fallen — with processions, burning candles, and many other ceremonies of this kind. Having found it, they even scrape the stone and carry away the scrapings. For two days that place must be reverenced, and the stone must be burned, and the collected ashes put into a sealed vessel and deposited in a sacred location. Why? Because, they say, it has touched the sacred body of God. What blindness! What stupor!

The Philistines, then, are not alone in being blind, stupid, senseless, and driven mad by the enchantment of false religion — all through the cunning of Satan, who rules the wretched like a tyrant and by God's just judgment keeps the oppressed under his dominion. Yet whatever the Philistines contrive, they are nonetheless compelled to recognize and confess that the God of Israel is stronger than their Dagon — indeed, that His hand is hard against them and against their god. From this we may observe how powerful God is — He can wring such a confession from the mouths of His enemies, and turn their plans and actions, against all expectation, toward the spread of His own glory. For God knows how to bring light out of darkness. This is very clearly visible here. If that new rite had not been introduced, and if the Philistines had buried the memory of what happened in silence and repaired Dagon's broken limbs without ceremony, the event would perhaps have faded on its own. Though new and extraordinary — indeed miraculous — it would have eventually been swallowed by eternal forgetfulness. But God uses the Philistines as scribes and heralds to preserve the memory of this deed for all ages and the whole world: that Dagon, that famous idol, was defeated and brought down by the God of the Israelites. The Philistines must therefore be the heralds of this deed and publicly proclaim that the majesty of God is far more powerful than their idol. So too the papists, when they most want to feed the people with superstitions and conceal their own embarrassment, only expose themselves all the more — even before children as witnesses — to the ridicule and contempt of all. For what do you hear from them but: This saint heals fevers, that one helps pregnant women; this one excels in this power, that one in another; this one is better, that one inferior. In short, they have the virtues and miracles of their saints on their lips constantly. From this arose the practice of collecting and worshipping relics. And if an idol has grown old, a new one is proposed and erected, and the ashes of the burned old one are collected as relics and displayed for all to venerate. What kind of gods are these? Are they not too ridiculous? Do even children not see through their frauds and filth? No great intelligence is required to recognize these deceptions of Satan, by which he strives to elevate such images as gods and establish for them the worship that belongs to God alone. What shall I say about the bread-idol that is proposed for adoration and veneration, as if the body of Christ were enclosed in it?

See how God constrains the enemies of truth and in a sense compels them — by their own suffering — to propagate His glory through their own testimony, and to reveal and uncover with their own mouths the vanity and emptiness of their idols, images, rites, and ceremonies. Yet so great is the stupor of people — so great their malice — that until God Himself opens their hearts, no miracles will move unbelievers, and no exhortations will lead to salvation those whom a deep blindness of idol-worship has seized. Yet the papists promise that if they see miracles, they will immediately be converted to the faith. On the contrary, it is certain that even if all the miracles performed since the beginning of the world were before their eyes, they would still stubbornly resist the truth. Why? Because Satan has so blinded their eyes that seeing, they do not see.

We confess that the power of God's Word ought to be so great that it breaks the hardest rocks and penetrates, when preached to people, into the hardest and most callous hearts, softening them. But by God's just judgment, it not only fails to soften the hearts of unbelievers — it actually hardens them further. Let us therefore know that there is only one path back to the Lord: to be brought to Him by the power of the Holy Spirit working within us — so that, having softened our hearts, He may reconcile us to Himself. Without this, we will be harder than anvils. For if someone strikes an anvil with heavy hammer blows, the hammers always rebound, because they strike against something harder than themselves. Such is the condition of all people when struck by God's testimonies and miracles — all of it is in vain and carries no weight with them, until God Himself breaks and softens them and teaches them, humbled under His mighty hand.

Enough of those matters. Next, God is said to have struck the people themselves after He saw that the signs of His judgment were fruitless and of no effect among them. Pressing closer, He sent terrible diseases into their private parts — what they call tumors or hemorrhoids. I grant that these are natural diseases. But when a contagion spreads and strikes every single inhabitant of a region or city, it becomes an extraordinary and unusual calamity — as if one were to say that the heads of all the inhabitants of a city had been cut off. The Philistines were therefore sufficiently convicted that this was no natural disease, since it struck every last person among them — it was the divine hand demanding punishment.

Even against their will, they were compelled to acknowledge that the God of Israel had stretched out His hand, dealing more harshly with them than with their god Dagon. But did they therefore take on a better mind and sincerely consider honoring and worshipping Him? Not at all. Rather, they hoped to escape the avenging hand they feared by sending it far from themselves — by banishing it. From this it becomes ever more apparent to us how great the stubbornness of unbelievers is in their error. When the testimonies of God's judgment press so closely that no room for excuse remains and they can no longer conceal their fear of His power, they nonetheless do not acknowledge their own rebellion or lay aside their stubbornness and hardness of heart. They only look for hiding places and escape routes, by which — if they could — they would exempt themselves from God's power. They are not unlike thieves or robbers, or any such criminals who fear the judge's hand and desperately seek safety in flight — never safe, never free from the fear of impending punishment. Or like those guilty of some crime who, sensing the officers closing in or fearing they are about to be caught, throw themselves headlong into any danger, and in desperation sometimes even take their own lives.

So these Philistines sought hiding places from the presence of God. When such examples are set before us, let us know that the same thing happens to all the enemies of God when they are given over to a reprobate mind. Although they are numbed by the lethargy of their sins, when God presses closer and their own conscience weighs upon them, they seek hiding places from His majesty and strive to flee to safety. The Philistines are an example of this: at last they felt God's hand pressing on them, and though no prophet warned them or pointed out their blindness, natural instinct itself drove them to look all the way up to God. Here we should observe the supreme power of God, working in such a way that they recognized — and even against their will, admitted — that the God of Israel was more powerful than their god, and that they were suffering nothing except by His vengeance. But did recognizing and acknowledging God's power lead them to come as suppliants begging for pardon, seeking to win His favor by exchanging their superstition for sincere worship? Not at all. If they had honestly examined themselves — feeling such clear and unmistakable evidence of divine power pressed against them after the ark's capture — the thought should have come to them that this ark was a sign or image of the true God, and they should have inquired what they needed to do. They would have recognized the idol-worship that had driven them mad for so many centuries, since the impotence of the one they had worshipped as a god was sufficiently revealed. Then they would have inquired diligently what worship was to be offered to the true God, and what religion He had prescribed for His people. That would have been the one true remedy against the diseases God had sent. But although they felt how great His power was, they did not inquire what His purpose was. They were little moved whether things went well or badly for them. They thought only of sending Him far from themselves, and what they saw even against their will, they refused to see. Instead, with their foolish and vain religion they heaped evil upon evil — so far were they from being corrected by punishment and humbled by the plagues God sent, and from casting themselves down under His mighty hand, which they were experiencing as harsh because of their iniquities and contempt for true religion.

On the contrary, because they felt His hand pressing harder against them and against their god, they thought of sending Him away. This is what unbelievers gain from their awareness of God's infinite power: not a better mind, not a desire to know His Word and the worship with which people ought to honor Him, not a humbling of soul by which they might submit to His majesty. Instead they conceive a certain fear and horror of His presence, which they strive with all their might to flee — they would send God far from themselves if they could. I grant that not all reject God in exactly the same way; yet whoever has not been genuinely moved by a taste of God's goodness, or governed by the Spirit of God — without whose guidance they would not submit — these imitate the Philistines in this regard. They seek hiding places and every kind of escape with all their might, so as not to come before God and stand in His judgment; they want a great distance placed between God and themselves.

This is a point worthy of careful attention: we should learn to feel God's power in such a way that it does not terrify us into fleeing from His presence and withdrawing far from Him. Rather, recognizing His omnipotence, let us pray to Him that, having mercy on us, we may stand in His grace — so that we may be lifted up by the very power that casts down the wicked when they stubbornly and arrogantly exalt themselves and seem to want to butt their horns against His majesty. But every such attempt is utterly vain — they will experience the most severe hand of God whether they want to or not, and no created thing, no force however great, has ever resisted it — not even the infernal devils themselves. On the contrary, whatever is exalted against that hand must necessarily be brought low and crushed.

It is therefore certain that all who have felt God's power and remain defiant will experience His hard hand against them. But those who acknowledge God's power in such a way that they also seek it — willingly submitting to Him, composing themselves for obedience, so that God may number them among His children — these will feel not a hard hand pressing them down, but one ready and swift to lift them up and sustain them. How great the value of this example is has been made clear from what was said above.

Therefore, observing the deep blindness of the Philistines, let us learn this: when we feel God's hand stretched out against us and armed to exact punishment, let us acknowledge that it is powerful enough to destroy and utterly ruin us if we continue to indulge our iniquities. Let us therefore not neglect the opportunity offered us for repentance, but be obedient to God, lest we be crushed by His rightful vengeance. Rather, let us be reconciled to Him and experience Him as Father instead of Judge — Him against whom we had provoked wrath — and may He in turn regard us as His children and embrace us with fatherly kindness, to which we in turn submit ourselves and stand ready at His call.

But why did the Philistines not inquire into the cause of the plagues that were striking them? Why did they not recall those ancient deeds of God by which He showed Himself to be the defender and protector of His people, as long as they sincerely worshipped Him? Why did they not conclude that they ought to become God's people, so that they might experience His power as friendly and saving rather than harsh and destructive? But such great blindness had overtaken them that they felt the plagues and bore the avenging hand of God, yet never asked where those plagues were coming from.

But avert such blindness from us, O God; and bring it about Yourself that, if any signs of Your fury and divine judgment appear, we may recognize how terrible it is to fall into the hands of the living God — and that God is our adversary for no other reason than that we ourselves have willingly made war against Him. Therefore, even when struck, let us return to Him, and we will find His hand against us not hard but gentle and kind — and even helpful and vindicating, in His right time. And we will find true what Moses once sang in his song: that God bore His people as if on eagles' wings, protecting them with His favor — and will protect them to the end.

From all that has been said, it is clear that this is our duty: whenever God stretches out His hand against us and shows unmistakable signs of His wrath, to flee to Him and become His suppliants — a teaching certainly necessary for the instruction of us all. Furthermore, the Philistines could not deny that God was against them; but having collected the scattered pieces of their idol Dagon, they tried to restore it — by that very act confessing that their god, or idol, was nothing. But why did they still worship it? Why did they expect salvation from it? Because, as I said before, seeing they did not see. This is indeed the fitting consequence for unbelievers — God compels them to confess their sins and crimes with their own mouths, so that they are convicted out of their own words and left all the more without excuse. For although they do not willingly submit to God to glorify Him and render Him the honor He deserves, they nevertheless admit that the living God presses hard upon them — and yet they indulge more and more in their superstitions and false worship, which by their own confession they acknowledged that God detests.

It remains for us to pray before God, etc.