Ichabod's Birth. His Mother's Death.
HE fhrieking Matrons with dishevel'd
To th' empty Temple now in vain repair;
And, Phinehas! to thy widow'd Spouse relate
That mournful Day's Tranfactions, big with Fate.
Ah, how unfit fo vaft a Weight to bear,
Prefs'd with her tender Sexes greatest Care;
By her lov❜d Lord a pregnant Widow left,
Of Father, Brother, Husband, all bereft!
Yet more, the loss of more than all her Line,
The facred Symbol of the Pow'r Divine.
The Ark of God won by th' infulting Foe;
'Twas this that gave the laft, the greatest Blow.
Hence, immature, her Pangs the Matron feize,
And haften, firft to Labor, then to Eafe:
Preffing for Life her Burthen longs to share
A larger World, and taste the lightsom Air:
Nor struggled long, for foon her thickning throes
A lovely Babe to ready Birth disclose :
In vain the Women his fad Mother chear,
A Son is born, nor had the more to fear:
Fix'd are her Eyes, and all her Actions show
A fteddy Grief, a folemn filent W.:
Regardless of herself, and all beside,
These only Words she strain'd before she dy'd.
"Yes, my unhappy Offspring! yes, I'll live "One moment more, thy mournful Name to give: "Be Ichabod thy Name, and in it wear
"Thy Country's Fate which thou fo foon must 66 fhare :
"The Ark is gone--- our Glory is declin'd, "And who fo fond of Life to wish to stay behind?
She faid, then to those Regions wings away, Where weary Souls enjoy foft Reft, and endless Day.
I SAMUEL, Chap. IV. from Ver. 19. to the End.
She named the child Ichabod, fay ing, The glory is departed from Ifrael: (because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-inlaw, and her husband,)
22. And fhe faid, The glory is departed from Ifrael: for the ark of God is taken.
The Ark and Dagon. The Philistines plagu'd, the Ark return'd.
OW Palestina's conqu'ring Sons proclaim,
In feftal Hymns their mighty Fishes name:
Their barb'rous Joy fcarce louder Triumphs made,
When dreadful Samfon to their Lords betray'd,
Tho' fhort are thefe as thofe; for now they bear
To Dagon's Dome the Ark, and leave it there:
With Dagon now and God the Caufe is try'd,
And which will win, 'tis eafie to decide:
The Priefts their Idol leave, whom they before
Glutted with od❜rous Streams, and holy Gore:
Nor fooner gilds the Sun the Cretan shore,
When to their daily Task th' Impoftors rise,
And hafte to pay their morning Sacrifice:
But found their Monfter-God more monftrous
made,
Proftrate on Earth his helpless Trunk was laid,
As to the Ark he there his Homage paid.
His Hands and Head were fever'd from the reft,
His fishy Tail remain'd, and scaly Cheft:
Nor this alone, their Idol thus fubdu'd,
A fhameful Plague his Worshippers. purfu'd :.
Affrighted Afhdod fends the Ark away,
Which next to Gath's proud City they convey,
Till Gath's great City plagu'd as much as they.
To Ekron laft, but Ekron cries in vain,
Nor wou'd their fure Deftruction entertain:
I. SAMUEL, Chap. V. Ver. 3, 4
Ver. When they of Afhdod arofe early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth, before the ark of the Lord and they took Dagon, and fet him in his place again.
4. And when they arofe early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was 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 stump of Dagon was left to him.
They shut their Gates, and from the Walls they
The winged Plague did o're the Rampires fly,
TheStreets with Corpfes fill'd, and thousands die:
Thro' every Houfe the dire Contagion spread,
The tortur'd Living envy ev'n the Dead.
The Lords of their five Satrapies advise,
With those who were, or who were counted
wise,
How to appease the anger of the Skies:
Refolv'd, the Ark with Presents home they fent, To glad Beshemesh that, and they to Ekron went.
I SAMUEL, Chap. VII.
The Philiftines difcomfited. Ebenezer.
Ith Tears unfeign'd afflicted Ifrael mourn,
To God at length, and to themselves re-
Their former Sins and Follies now lament,
Obfequious to the Prophet's call, repent. » .. --í
For Samuel with refiftless Eloquence,
Soft piercing Words, and more than manly Senfe,
Moulds 'em to Good, recalls 'em when they ftray,
And guides direct in Virtues glorious way.
If they return to God with Hearts fincere,
If they to keep his Laws, their Mind prepare;
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