and the Lord which guideth all things and would now reward the religion of Ruth bringeth the other kinsman to the sight of Boaz who calleth him and he commeth at the request of Boaz and there tarieth and sitteth downe where we will leaue him and goe to the second part which is the witnes of this conference Then Boaz tooke ten men The witnesses of the actions which are to passe in this place we heare in these words to be ten men of the elders of the Citie there are onely ten in my iudgement because euery Citie of the Israelites had twelue gouernors according to the number of the tribes of Israell to whome appertained the ordering of all ciuill causes among them for they medled not with religion now it is very likely that Boaz and this other kinsman being men of so great kindred and wealth were two of the number of the elders who being the parties in suite had the residue of their fellowes to be witnesses of the actions that passed betweene them And this interpretation is confirmed by the diligent examination of the place for it is said that Boaz tooke them as if he were equall or greater in authoritye then they and the other being a man of great wealth as appeareth by this that he was willing to redeeme the inheritance of Naomi which could be no small charge considering the late troublesome dayes and after we shall heare in the 6. verse that he would not take Ruth for feare his owne name should be put out in Israell whereby appeareth his calling not to be meane beside his linage which was to the greatest house in Iudah by the which it must needes follow that he was an elder or ruler among them which being plaine both by this and other places of scripture that the ciuill gouernment of the people was exercised by elders and that the elders themselues could do nothing without the consent of their fellowes We see heere noted vnto vs this excellent doctrine namely that men in authority and gouernment must exercise nothing without the due execution of their owne law and decrees we see heere this Boaz a man of great authoritye and lead by the spirit of God hauing a cause for himselfe would not desire or goe about to accomplish it but in the iudgement seate and presence of the elders so that no fauour of persons may breake the course of iustice whereby a common wealth is ruled Some thinke it a base thing that great men shall stand to be iudged in the place of common persons and I thinke it as great a fault that common persons should haue any accesse to Magistrates to be iudged by them for as it debaseth their estate to be ioyned with these iudgement so it troubleth their quietnes to be iudges ouer thē But some and they of the greater sort which haue the law in their owne hands deale with it as Iudah did when it was told him that his daughter Thamar was with child then there was nothing but fire and fagot to punish her for her whoredome till she shewed him that he was the man by whome it came as Nathan did with Dauid but then the heate of the fire was well cooled when himselfe was found to be the greatest offendor euen so many deale against the weaker and poorer sort the lawes are executed to the vttermost but the rich and wealthy which offer all the iniurye gather all the friendship which is not onely a fault to others but in their owne consciences for how can they iudge another when the same offence condemneth themselues and therefore as there was one generall place of iudgement so there was but one common manner of triall like as God iudgeth the rich and poore so a good Magistrate should equally receiue both and be as willing to be iudged themselues as to giue sentence vpon other Secondly by this example of Boaz and the elders of Bethlehem we obserue that in our publike busines we must resort especially to the Magistrates euen in those things that require nothing but record and witnes-bearing This Boaz might haue gotten some of his priuate friends before whome he might haue effected the matter but we see him heere the sollicitour of his owne cause and craueth no friendship but the witnes of the elders by the which this doctrine is confirmed and therefore our Sauiour hauing clensed a leper biddeth him goe shew himselfe to the Priests for a witnes vnto them and for this cause it was commaunded in the law that the waighty matters should be brought before the Priests for Magistrates must heare as well the conclusions of peace as the contentions of disquietnes betweene man and man Wherein we are bound to render most humble and earnest thanks to almighty God who hath vouchsafed vs this blessing that the contracts of matrimony the conueyance of possessions the redeeming of morgaged lands the records of inheritances and the purchase of euery lawfull thing remaineth written in the seuerall courts and offices of credit that they might be euerlasting testimonies for the posterities succeeding Afterward Boaz said Boaz like a wise man concealeth his minde from the elders and kinsman till they were all quietly set together and then he beginneth with one part of his suite telling his kinsman of the land of Elimelech which was to be redeemed by his neerest kinsman the which Boaz propoundeth but very obscurely that thereby he might thoroughly try his minde and good will toward Naomi and making it knowne in the presence of the elders he might by no meanes recall his word And this teacheth vs not only innocent vprightnes but also godly pollicy that we be carefull for the speaking in iudgement so much as may further our iust and lawfull cause and not hinder it For thus dealeth Boaz he did not at the first shew the drift and secret of his minde which was the mariage of Ruth whereof as yet he speaketh nothing but beginning the matter with the redemption of the lands coloureth the mariage by the restoring of the inheritance for by this meanes he openeth the secrets of his kinsmans heart that he bore some good will to the cause of Naomi but of this matter inough Wherefore I determined In the former verse and in this Boaz propoundeth the matter to his kinseman testifying thereby that of duety and conscience he did it in the behalfe of the widdow and requireth him for his duetie and conscience to perfourme the part of a kinseman which is either to redeeme the right or to render it vp shewing that beside them two there is not one that was bound vnto it and also promising that if he refused then he himselfe would discharge that duetie Where we see first of all a holy example teaching vs to deale with our neighbours for our selues or for other euen as Boaz did in this place for he might haue charged his kinsman that he had no loue or care to Naomi that he had omitted his duetie
wee must follow the counsell of Paule not to slacke in doing of good for in due time we shall reape if we faint not and therefore while we haue time let vs doe good vnto all but especially to the houshold of faith for as a father doeth euery day sustaine and prouide for his owne houshold so should we which are the stewards of the Lords possessions giue of his owne to his poore seruants for we shame his maiestie if we suffer his family to want We reade that our Sauiour came often to one house yet was not accompted a chargeable ghest We reade that all the poore in the primitiue Church were dayly maintained at the cost of the wealthie Our Sauiour hath tolde vs that we shall alway haue the poore among vs to whome wee may do good not that wee should once or twise bestowe liberally and euer after close vp our beneuolence but that the same poore persons that dwell among vs should dayly receiue their dayly reliefe For how shall we desire of God to finish his worke of redemption begun in our soules when we cease to perfect our liberalitie bestowed on the poore And now beloued in the Lord if euer you did put on compassionate hearts towards your poore bretheren in this time of dearth and thinke not sufficient to distribute once but stretch out your hands againe and againe to help the necessities of the poore saincts which dayly cry vnto you giue giue that your loue may increase your compassion augment and your fellow-feeling of the same hunger may worke a fellow feeding on the same reliefe And she came home Now we are come to the second part of this scripture which concerneth Naomi and Ruth And first heere is set downe her comming home to her mother in lawe before day to whome she declareth how the man had vsed her what promise he made her and what gift he sent her where we see the diligence of Ruth who hasted to her mother in lawe to shew her the newes and to auoid the slaunder which we spoke of before And this teacheth vs a mutuall concord in the duties of our profession that the weaker should be warned by the elder as Ruth was by Boaz for we must not let any be lost through default of our negligence but the wisest must gouerne and the other must obey if any be weary let them lay their heads vpō our aduise for the credit of y e Gospell pertaineth to all therefore all must be carefull to maintaine the same Then said she Naomi hearing the report of this prosperous successe seeing the corne that Boaz had giuē her comforteth her daughter to tarry the issue looking for a ioyfull end of so happy a beginning for she knew Boaz would not faint in y e cause that so much cōcerned his credit as this did nor sleepe till he had ended his intended deuise Whereby we first of all note that here is a godly example for parēts to imitate to stay their childrē by exhortation to depend in all things vpō y e leisure of y e Lord for if they be sick the comfort of parēts is much worth if in trouble the counsell of parents may ease them if in labour the parents aduise will much encourage them if in danger the care of their parents may deliuer thē and if they be obstinate who but parents can reclaime thē for as Abraham answered Izaak his sonne when he asked him for a sacrifice the Lord said he will prouide a sacrifice euen so parents must shew their children the prouidene of God to maintaine them his loue to embrace them his care to defend them his word to instruct them and the merits of Christ to saue them Secondly by this we gather a worthy example of a godly Magistrate who by his wonted and accustomed diligence had wonne and deserued this commendation that heere Naomi giueth of him that he would not rest till he had finished the matter and followed the suite of the widdow to the end Which is a worthy example for men in authoritie to imitate that for conscience they should labour as faithfully in the cause of the poore as if they were hired by fee in the suite of the wealthie and would God this could enter into their mindes which like dull horses will trauaile no farther then the spurre of money pricketh them forward how farre are they from the vprightnes of Iob which was an eye to the blinde feete to the lame father to the poore and diligentlye fought out the strife which he knewe not they are no Rulers that in meekenes intreate them not in mercy forbeare them not and in iustice reward them not But of this we haue spoken before now let vs giue praise to God for that which hath beene spoken The eleuenth Lecture Chap. 4. Vers 1.2.3.4.5.6 1. And Boaz went vp to the gate and sate downe there when behold the kinsman came by of whome Boaz had spoken to whome he sayd hoe such a one come hither and sit downe heere who came and sate downe 2. Then Boaz tooke ten men of the elders of the City and said to them sit downe heere and they sate downe 3. Afterward he said to the kinsman Naomi that is come againe out of the countrey of Moab will sell a parcell of land which was our kinsman Elimelechs 4. And I thought to aduertise thee saying buy it before the assistants and the elders of my people if thou wilt redeeme it redeeme it but if thou wilt not redeeme it tell me for I know there is none beside thee to redeeme it and I am after thee Then he answered I will redeeme it 5. Then said Boaz what day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi thou must also buy it of Ruth the Moabitesse the wife of the dead to stirre vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritance 6. And the kinsman answered I cannot redeeme it least I destroy my owne inheritance redeeme my right to thee for I cannot redeeme it NOw by the permission of the almightie are we come to the last Chapter and last part of this history wherein the holy Ghost sheweth vnto vs how Boaz perfourmeth his promise made vnto Ruth in the former chapter and taketh her to be his wife◠the whole Chapter containeth two parts the first is the mariage of Boaz and the second is the description of his kindred as well his auncestors as his offspring The first part of his mariage is described in the first 15. verses of this chapter with all the circumstances thereof necessary to be knowne and we will deuide it into two parts first must be considered that which passed betweene the other kinsman and Bohaz in the first 10. verses secondly the maner and circumstances of the mariage vnto the end of the 15. verse The things that passed betweene Boaz and his other kinsman are first their conference about the matter in these first 6. verses secondly the
alienation of the right from the other kinsman to Boaz in the foure next verses the conference is described by the place that it was at the gate of the City verse 1. secondly by the witnesses that it was before the elders of the City verse 2. The matter being thus prepared Bohaz propoundeth the cause of their meeting in two parts first for the redeeming of the land at the hand of Naomi which was the inheritance of their kinsman Elimelech whereunto he answereth that he will redeeme it verse 4. secondly he propoundeth to him the mariage of Ruth that the case so standeth if he redeeme the inheritance he must also marry with the widdow for otherwise she would not agree and this is in the fift verse Vnto which latter condition the kinsman answereth that he cannot doe it first shewing the reason of it least he destroy his owne inheritance secondly yeelding him power to redeeme his right in his behalfe verse 6. Of these parts let vs briefly speake as the spirit of God shall giue vtterance and the time permit And Boaz went vp to the gate We haue heard in the former Chapter how Boaz after he had dispatched Ruth backe againe to her mother in law himselfe went into the City to finish vp the matter now in this verse we see the place mentioned where Boaz bestowed himselfe after he was come thither which is the gate of the City where he wayted till he could see his kinsman come in or out and seeing him called who came vnto him and sate downe beside him Now the gates of the Cities in those auncient dayes were the publike places of iudgement as appeareth in many places of scripture among other when Hemor and Sichem would perswade their people to be circumcised it is sayd they sate in the gate of the City the like is that of Moses that the obstinate sonne should be brought by his own parēts to the elders of his City and to the gate of the place likewise if any man should accuse his wife not to be a virgin at the day of her mariage then her parents should bring the signes of her virginitie to the elders of the City and the gate thereof But we must also know that the publike iudgements and trials were done so openly for diuers causes first that no truth might be concealed and so wrong iudgemēt pronounced for thither euery one might freely come and speake their minds Secondly that strangers might haue lawe and iustice as well as their naturall and natiue inhabitants and therfore it was at the very entrance of their Cities so we see Abraham a stranger in the iudgemēt place was heard before Hebron Heth whē he bought his burying place Lastly because y e munition strength furniture power and defence of the City lay in the gates as God blesseth Abraham and so also Laban and his mother blesse their sister Ribkah that their seede should possesse the gates of their enemies that is their strongest defenses And our Sauiour Christ shewing his Apostles that he would build his Church vpon the faith which they had confessed saith that the gates of hell should not preuaile against it meaning the whole power of the deuill should neuer ouerturne it And this teacheth vs many things first that in matters of triall equitie and iustice it is an iniury if publike faults be priuately adiudged for Abraham dealing but for a piece of land w t Hebron which was but a priuate matter could not obtaine it till it came to the gate of the City the publike place of iudgemēt and if a matter so honest and lawfull could not be ended without such an open publike assembly much more open offences which are in themselues wicked and dishonest for the Apostle saith that those which sin opēly must be openly rebuked Surely there is none of vs that are ignorant of the great euill which commeth by the priuate handling of offences for thereby guilty persons escape vnpunished vniust matters are by deceipt confirmed publike peace is much abused as if colours were discerned by blind men or gold without the touchstone in the light Yet heerein are we much bound to magnify y e Lord who hath vouchsafed vs open Courts for deciding of controuersies punishing of fellons and maintenance of peace some for waightier and some for lighter contentions for as the waxe melteth before the sunne so the subtiltie of offendours at the examination of the magistrate Secondly by this we note that we must in iudgement haue regard both to the stranger and to the free borne to the poore and to the rich to the widdow and to the maried and finally both alike to women men for thus the Lord commaundeth Peruert not the right of the stranger and infant neither take the garment of a widdow to pledge For we must remember that Abraham Izaac and Iacob the fathers of the faithfull were all their liues strangers in other lands and therefore we which either would or should be their children by doing iniury to harbourles straungers do reuile and oppresse our spirituall fathers when we loue not their persons maintaine not their right receiue not their suites and heare not their supplications though they were against our owne selues if we iustly deserue them but of this matter we haue spoken in the first and second chapters Thirdly by this we learne that publike Iudges Iustices and iudgements should be defended by publike authoritye for as these Iudges fate in the gate where the munitions were that if any should refuse them they had power and strength to compell them euen so if men of wisedome haue not authority who seeth not y t euery disordered person doth contemne them But if they haue authority and do not shew it in punishing offendors without feare or fauor of men they are like to Saul whē God had commanded him to kill the Amalekits spare neither man womā child or beast aliue yet contrary to this cōmandement he saued king Agag but the Lord refused him and cast him out of fauour and Agag was hewen in peeces by the prophet Samuell euen so it is to be feared that there are a great many Saules in euery place whose affections stand for law sparing their friends for fauour and great men for feare who are likewise reprobated of the Lord and rebuked by his ministers And heere we haue good occasion to be thankefull to the Lord which hath giuen our Magistrates this power that all things are done in the name of the Prince and assisted by the countrey for the punishment of offendours and I pray God increase more obedience to their authoritie in others and more courage in themselues to strike asunder with the sword of iustice the indissoluble knots of iniurious and contentious persons and to giue the offendours their deserued reward Then heere we haue Boaz sitting in the iudgement place as one that was not ashamed of his lawfull cause
their insteritâ—â—ice to multiplie their Fathers family for wordly honour the Rewarde of the Religion THE REVVARD OF RELIGION Ruth Cap. 1. ver 1 2 3 4 5 6. 1. In the time that the Iudges ruled there was a famine in the land and a certain man of Bethleem Iudah went for to soiourne in the countrie of Moab hee and his wife and his two sonnes 2. And the name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wyfe Naomi and the names of his two sonnes Mahlon and Chilion Ephrathites of the lande of Iudah and when they were come into the land of Moab they continued there 3. Then Elimelech the husbande of Naomi died there and shee remained with hir two sonnes 4. Which tooke them wiues of the Moabites the name of the one was Horpah the name of the other Ruth they dwelled there about ten yeres 5. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both twaine so the woman was lefte destitute of her two sonnes and of her husband 6. Then she arose with her daughters in lawe and returned from the countrie of Moab for she had heard saie in the countrie of Moab that the Lord had visited his people giuen them bread ALthough the author of this booke of Ruth hath not expressed his name yet there is no doubt but it proceedeth from the spirit of God as well as the bookes of the Iudges Kings Chronicles which haue not the names of their authors described but if it may be lawfull to iudge or giue anie sentence thereof it was either Samuel or some other godly prophet vnder the raigne of Saul which is proued by the genealogies in the last chapter where Dauid is by name mentioned testifying vnto vs that it was then written when he was chosen from his bretheren and anointed king ouer Israell and yet before his raigne or els there had bene added vnto it the title of a King for the aduauncing of the name of Ruth who was his grande mother vppon whom this history following dependeth for the sumne and scope hereof is to shewe the pedigree or ancestry the naturall progenitours of Christe from Iudah the fourth sonne of Iacob vntill the time that he beganne to challenge the princelye seate the royall scepter the right of gouernment ouer the people of Israell which was at that time when Dauid was chosen from his fathers house anoynted king by Samuel Againe in this history there is deliuered vnto vs the hope which the fathers had concerning the calling of the Gentiles for this mariage of Ruth into the kindred of Christ who was a Gentile by nature none of the people of God did plainely foretell that the Gentiles shoulde be called in Christ for as hee tooke parte of his humane nature of them so he shewed vs that hee would giue the same for them that there might be no difference in his bodye between Iewes gentiles but that the power of his death the graces of the spirite and the knowledge of redemption might redounde to all Now the occasion of this history is deliuered vnto vs in this first Chapter which is the soiourning of a certaine Iew in the land of Moab by reason there was a famine in the land of Iudah with his familye and the returne of them that liued which were onely Naomi his wyfe and one other Ruth the Moabitesse the widdowe of his eldest sonne This wandering or soiourning is described with all the circumstuances thereof in these first sixe verses lately read and generally containe in them these two parts the first is theyr trauaile to the land of Moab the second those things that happened vnto them after they came thither The first parte is expressed in these two first verses first by the occasion which is declared by the time and by the thing that moued them thereunto in these wordes In the time that the Iudges ruled there was a famine c. Secondly by the persons that trauayled who are described by the place froÌ„ whence they were namely of Bethlehem Iudah these were the parents and the children which are named in the 2. ver The second part of these woordes is in the foure other verses following and it concerneth eyther the parents or the children the parents that one of them euen Elimelech the father of the familye dyed there shorâ—y after their arriuall the children first that they married ver 4 secondly that they likewise dyed ver 5 Then remained onely Naomi with hir two daughters in lawe and the time of her a bode in Moab is set downe to be ten yeares ver 4 secondly the occasion of hir departure because shee heard say that God had visited his people giuen them bread ver 6 of these partes let vs speake in order as the spirite shall giue vttrance and the time permit In the dayes that the Iudges ruled In these wordes the holy Ghoste after his accustomed manner for the more certaintye of the historye beginneth at the time as Moses beginneth his booke of Genesis from the first creation of the world so the prophets in the beginning of their bookes set downe vnder what king or kings they prophesied so also in the newe Testament we may see how three of the Euangelists beginne their Gospels from the preaching of Iohn Baptist and the raigne of king Herod The which order they vndoubtedly learned of the olde writers the same spirite guiding them to one and the same trueth vseth but one and the same manner of speaking For the almighty desiring to meete with the wrangling obiections of humane inuentions so tempereth the texte of euerie scripture as if question were made who did such a thing He nameth the persons where it was done He quoteth the place and when it was done Hee mentioneth the time The cause heereof is that hee might staie the waues of our sickle mindes vpon the piller of truth his euerlasting word But in this place he chiefly mentioneth the time of the Iudges to shew vnto vs that wheÌ„ religion was corrupted the worship of God decaied and idolatrye aduannced when the Lord was forgotten of his owne people when his lawes were no more obserued but euery man did that which seemed good in his owne eyes yea when there were almost as many Gods among them as they were men then euen then did the Lord send this plague of famine among them For Salomon sayth the blewnes of the wounde serueth to purge the euell and the stripes within the bottome of the belly as if he had sayd as the rypenes of a wounde calleth for a corasiue so the fulnes of sinne cryeth for vengeance by this therfore we note that the corruption of religion neglect of the worship of God is the cause of all his iudgments that are exercised in the world For the idolatry of Ieroboam and his sinnes whereby hee induced Israell to sinne did the Lord threaten by Achia the prophet to
scatter the people so we may reade of Bahascha king of Israell and so Salomon prayed at the dedication of the temple when heauen shall be shut and thou giue no rayne bicause they haue sinned against thee c. where hee comprehendeth the chiefe capitall worldly punishementes of sinne as dearth and famine sword pestilence blindnes ignorance which are also the rewards of sin the vnseparable companions of all vnrighteousnes And what saith the Lord by the Prophet Cast froÌ„ you all your sins wherewithall you haue transgressed make you a new hart for why shuld you die oh you house of Israel as if hee had sayde either repent or else be damned for it is a fearefull thing to fall into the handes of the liuing God And may not wee thinke that all these thunderings out of God his iudgements among vs wil stirre vp some rain of punishments vpon vs. Are we not alreadie put into the wine presse to be brused vnder the hand of fearefull destruction How many plagues haue come vppon vs within these fewe yeeres Where is become the remembrance of the late enemies pretended inuasion The rumor whereof amazed the harts of our couragious champions which spend all their daies in pleasure Oh then they cryed if they might be deliuered they would a lot some time of their dayes to the seruice of the Lord Where is the remembrance of the late plague which was scattered almost in euerie place of the lande Oh then wee cryed vnto the Lord in our distresse and he deliuered vs out of all our miseries Oh that men woulde therefore confesse the Lord and declare the wonders hee doth for the children of men But what are we now amended Is the vngodly person turned from his vngodlynesse and not rather strengthned in his iniquitie They which were ignorant are ignorant still and many like Demas who seemed religious haue imbraced this present world As for the prophane both of poore and rich they haue made a league with death a couenant with the graue though a swoord come thorough the land yet saie they it shall not come at them And therefore who can without waterye eyes and bleeding heart tell this present plague of dearth and famine which we now most iustly endure and yet who knoweth how long it shall continue Now as the prophet sayth wee are gathered together and howle vppon our beds for corne and for newe wine that is for the bellye and for the throate but there is a greater leannes in the soule Now wee bite the stone which the Lord hath cast at vs but we looke not at the hand which did sende it and who thinketh it to bee a punishment of sinne that now raigneth among vs The papists say it is for one heresies the popishe atheists say that the world was best when the old religion was for then all things were cheape like the idolatrous Iewes which sayd vnto Ieremy that it was wel with them when they burntincense and made cakes to the host of heauen The russians say to the preachers as Achab said to Eliah Are not you the troublers of Israel when it is themselues and there fathers houses while they haue lefte the commaundement of God and followed their pleasures yea almost the whole Countrey is so vainely addicted that among those multitudes of preachers that are abroad there is not one that saythfully followeth his vocation but they are molested by the basest and contemned by the best So that wee may saye as our sauiour sayth we haue piped vnto you you haue not daunced we haue mourned and you haue not sorrowed yet wisedome is iustified of her children who are not ashamed to plead her cause in the gates of the cities before the face of her enimies the Lord increase the number of them Wee haue long retained the name of Christians that is the annoynted of the Lord and yet our lampes are empty and we deferre our dayes in slumber thinking our selues as good Christians as the best till we be vtterly excluded from the bridechamber we haue promised the Lorde oftentimes to worke in his vineyarde but yet who hath entered we are the vineyarde of the Lord and he hath dressed vs what fruite haue we brone vnto him we are the sheepe of Christ and yet we knowe not his voice as Rahel couered hir fathers idolls with sitting on them and with a lye so we that are the greatest sinners couer our iniquities with hipocrisy and dissembling Such pollution of sabbaothes as neuer was yea euen in this time of dearth and famine drinking and drunkennes dauncing and riot feasting and suâ—fetting chambering and wantonnes swearing foreswearing accompting gaine to bee godlines and godlines to be the burthen of the world with a thousand greater and more greueous calamities as if the bird could sing in the snare or as the fatted oxe that runneth wilfully to the slaughter Then beloued let vs looke about vs euenâ— now is the axe of God his iudgments laid to the root of euery mans heart and he is accursed that feareth it not euen now the Lord is knocking at the doore of our hearts and if euer let vs open vnto him that the king of glory may come in Euen these are the daies wherin iniquity hath gotten the vpper hand and the loue of many is waxen colde Therefore as the Angell warned the godly so must wee still come out from among them my people bee not partakers of their sinnes least you beare a parte of their plagues This is the haruest of the Lord oh let vs that be the Lords seruants gather out the wheat least it bee burned with the tares There is a holye conuocation to the Lord the Lords ministers found out the truÌ„pet if we appeare not the earth will open hir mouth and reuenge our rebellion swallow vs vp aliue Let vs at the length say with the Iewes Come let vs turne vnto the Lord for he hath spoyled vs and he shall heale vs he hath smitten vs and he shall binde vs vp after two dayes he shall giue vs life and the third day he shall raise vs vp and we shall liue before him if with knowledge wee follow him to know the Lord his rising is like the morning and he shal come vppon vs like raine in a drought both the first and the latter raine vpon the earth Let not our righteousnes bee as the deaw before the sunne rising but put on the Lord Iesus Christ and let none call vppon him but such as departe from iniquity Secondly by this we gather that the Lord is as true in his iudgments as in his mercyes for hee threatened by Moses saying if you forsake me fal to worship strange Gods as nowe they did then your heauen shall bee as brasse and your earth as iron and your raine like dust til they were consumed from the face