(8) They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither. (9) And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts. (10) Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. (11) So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. (12) And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
Is it not strange that men's minds should be so far convinced by God's judgments, as to see God's hand in their afflictions: and yet should not be led further humbly to enquire the cause and seek relief. Alas, Reader! the history of this disease of the mind in the blindness and ignorance induced by the fall, is not confined to the Philistines. Elihu tells us in the book of Job, that by reason of the multitude of oppressions the oppressed are made to cry: but none saith, Where is God my Maker? Groans and cries even to Heaven, shall go forth and go up, but not to the God of Heaven. Blindness still reigns and ever must reign, until God who commands the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in the heart. The world by wisdom knew not God. See Job 35:9; 2Co 4:6; 1 Corinthians 1:21.