The temple A sermon preached at Pauls Cross the fifth of August. 1624. By…The temple A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the fifth of August. 1624. By…

The foolish Philistines thought that the same house could hold both the Ark & Dagon; ¹as if an insensible Statue were a fit companion for the living God. In the morning they come to thank Dagon for the victory, and to fall down before him, before whom they thought the God of Israel was fallen: and lo, now they find the keeper flat on his face before the prisoner. Had they formerly of their own accord, with awful reverence, laid him in this posture of an humble prostration; yet God would not have brooked the indignity of such an entertainment. But seeing they durst set up their Idol cheek by cheek with their Maker, let them go read their folly in the Temple floor, & confess that he which did cast their god so low, could cast them lower. Such a shame doth the Lord owe all them, which will be making matches betwixt him and Belial. Yet they consider not, how should this God raise us, ⟨p. 29⟩who is not able to stand, or rise himself? Strange they must confess it, that whereas Dagon was wont to stand, and themselves to fall down; now Dagon was fallen down, and themselves stood; & must help up with their own god. Yea, their god seems to worship them on his face, and to crave that succour from them, which he was never able to give them. Yet in his place they set him again; and now lift up those hands to him, which helped to lift him up; and prostrate those faces to him, before whom he lay prostrate. So can Idolatry turn men into the stocks and stones which they worship: They that make them, are like unto them. But will the Lord put it up thus? No, the next fall shall burst it to pieces; that they may sensibly perceive, how God scorns a Competitor, and that there is no agreement betwixt Him and Idols. Now what is the difference betwixt the Philistines and Papists? The Philistines would set God in the Temple of Idols, the Papists would set Idols in the Temple of God. Both agree in this, that they would make God and Idols agree together. But Manasseh found to his cost, ²that an Idol might not be endured in the house of God.

The foolish Philistims thought that the same house could hold both the Arke & Dagon; ¹as if an insensible Statue were a fit companion for the liuing God. In the morning they come to thanke Dagon for the victory, and to fall downe before him, before whom they thought the God of Israel was fallen: and loe, now they find the keeper flat on his face before the prisoner. Had they formerly of their own accord, with awfull reuerence, laid him in this posture of an humble prostration; yet God would not haue brooked the indignity of such an entertainment. But seeing they durst set vp their Idol cheeke by cheeke with their Maker, let them goe read their folly in the Temple floore, & confesse that hee which did cast their god so low, could cast them lower. Such a shame doth the Lord owe all them, which wil be making matches betwixt him and Belial. Yet they consider not, how should this God raise vs,