The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 157
SECT. CLVII.
FOR twenty years together after the Ark was removed to Kirjath-jearim, the Iſralites were grievouſly oppreſſed by the Philiſtines, but at length by the exhortation of Samuel, and the troubles they had felt, they were brought to repentance, and lamented after the Lord, that is humbling themſelves, cried and called unto him for help and deliverance. The Elders therefore of Iſrael reſorting to Samuel, he exhorted them to put away their ſtrange Gods and Goddeſſes, [ſee Judg. 2.13, 14.] and to prepare and compoſe their hearts to ſerve the Lord intirely in, a ſetled courſe of new obedience, and then he doubted not but he would deliver them out of the hands of the Philiſtines. Accordingly they did abandon and caſt away their Idols, and ſerved the Lord only as his Law required. Samuel hereupon ſummons the whole body of the people to Mizpeh *Situate in the confines of Judah and Benjamin, and therefore reckoned among the Cities of both Tribes, ſee Joſh. 15.38. & 18.26., that there they might together renew their Covenant with God, (which they had ſo ſhamefully broken) and joining together in ſerious and ſolemn humiliation, they might by faſting and prayer implore mercy and forgiveneſs from God, with a return of his former favour to them; and might alſo conſider and conſult together of the beſt means that were to be uſed to deliver themſelves from the Philiſtines Tyranny. And accordingly being met together at Mizpeh, they there kept a ſolemn faſt, and humbled themſelves exceedingly before the Lord, inſomuch that they are ſaid to have drawn water, that is, plenty of tears from their contrite hearts, and to have poured them out before the Lord†See Jer. 9.1. Job 16.20. Pſal. 6.6., uſing withal perhaps ſome external effuſion, or pouring forth of water to repreſent and ſignifie their inward repentance, and mourning for their ſins. And after they had reconciled themſelves to God, Samuel as a Judge compoſed and arbitrated the controverſies and private differences that were among the people. The Philiſtines hearing that the Iſraelites were met together at Mizpeh, they preſently ſuſpected that they were plotting ſome riſing, and contriving ſome means to deliver themſelves from under their yoke; and to prevent this, they preſently raiſed their forces, and marched to ſuppreſs them(c)Habrei cum paenitentiam egerunt, gravius a Philiſtinis oppugnantur. Sic qui ad meliorem frugem redire volunt acrius a Diabolo tentantur, & majores ab hominibus perſecutiones patiuntur. Samuel dum ſtudet populum liberare, videtur accerſiſſe ei graviſſimum periculum. Illum igitur imprudendentiae & temeritatis accuſare poſſent. Quare cum inimus conſilia quae Deus approbat ſi quid ſiniſtri contigerit, ne paeniteat nos facti, ne que a recta via deflectamus, ſed voluntati Dei acquieſcamus. Calv.. The children of Iſrael hearing of their coming, were very much afraid, knowing the ſtrength of their enemies, and their own preſent weakneſs and unpreparedneſs, being met together to pray, and not to fight. In this extremity they deſire Samuel to be inſtant in prayer to the Lord for them, for they had no hope but in his help and aſſiſtance, who is the Lord of Hoſts, and giver of victory. Samuel hereupon took a ſucking Lamb, and either cauſed it to be offered by a Prieſt, (not being of that order himſelf) or did it as a Prophet immediately inſpired by God, and warranted to do it by ſome ſpecial diſpenſation as Elijah alſo did, 1 King. 18.31, 32, &c. ſee alſo Judg. 6.26. Upon the ſame warrant likewiſe he offered his Burnt-offering here at Mizpeh on an Altar of his own erecting, and not on the Altar in the Tabernacle. And Samuel cried unto the Lord for Iſrael, and the Lord heard him as appears by what followed; for the Army of the Philiſtines drawing near, the Iſraelites (as it ſeems) put themſelves into the beſt poſture they could to reſiſt them, and the Lord thundred with a terrible thunder upon the Philiſtines, [ſee Ch. 2.10.] ſtriking them (as 'tis like) with dreadful Hailſtones *See Joſh. 10, 11.and Thunderbolts, ſo that they were diſcomfited that day before Iſrael; and the reſt of the Iſraelites that ſtayed at Mizpeh, upon the news of their defeat came out and joined in the purſuit and ſlaughter of them; and they purſued them till they came under Bethear, which it ſeems was a Rock where the Philiſtines having a garriſon, the Iſraelites were hindred from proſecuting their victory any further. The Army of the Philiſtines being thus diſcomfited, Samuel as a Monument of their victory, and in thankefulneſs to God for his gracious aſſiſtance (by which alone they had obtained it) took a great ſtone *Idem fecerunt Jacob. Gen. 28.18. & 35.14. & Joſh. 4.8, 9., and ſet it up between Mizpeh and Shen (which was a Rock over againſt it) calling it Eben-ezer, that is, the ſtone of help, ſaying, hitherto God has helped us. And 'tis remarkable that in the very ſame place where before the Iſraelites were vanquiſhed, and the Ark taken captive, [Ch. 4.1.] they ſhould now erect a Trophy of victory by them obtained. The Philiſtines were ſo ſubdued at this time, that they came no more into the land while Samuel governed alone †After Saul was choſen to be their King, 'tis plain they did often with their Armies enter the Land., for they ſaw the hand of the Lord was againſt them, and they reſtored to Iſrael the Cities they had formerly taken from them, reſerving only ſome places of ſtrength, [ſee 1 Sam. 10.5.] wherein they kept Garriſons for the better awing of the Iſraelites. And after this there was a ceſſation from open War between the Iſraelites and the Philiſtines, and poſſibly the reſt of the Canaanites, who being terrified with this victory (which God had from Heaven given the Iſraelites) ceaſed for the preſent from troubling of them.
1 Sam. Ch. 7. from v. 3, to 15.