disdaine their poore kindred for pouertie is no disgrace where there is not want of honesty Christ was poore and very poore liuing of the almes of others God chooseth his people of such Iam. 2. None but haue poore kindred and the best haue in some of their forefathers beene meane enough II. That euen kindred either is or should be of force to moue kinsfolke to respect one another This is gathered hence for that the scope of these words is to shew how Boaz came to respect Ruth which was for Kindred sake yet chiefly for her vertues as after shall be shewed and for loue of kindred see it in Rahab Iosh 2. 13. and in the Sichemites Iudg. 9. 3. though in other respects in their choosing of Abimelech they were not to be commended See this also in Samsons friends Iudg. 16. in Cornelius to his friends Act. 10. 24. For kindred are bone of bone as the Israelites spake of Dauid 2. Sam. 5. 1. and are as the branches from one roote and as members of one body and therefore must loue one another which reproueth this age vvhich careth not for their kindred except they bee rich vvhich is the sinne of vnnaturalnesse 2. Tim. 3. A mighty man of wealth Yet also a godly man as appeareth by his godly behauior his speeches his vvorkes of mercy his praising vertue in others and his obedience vnto Gods Lavv in taking Ruth to vvise We see then that a wealthy man may be a godly man sometime Such a vvealthy man vvas Abraham so Isaac Iacob Iob and Ioseph of Arimathea for goods and graces are not in themselues opposite being both the gifts of God the one may helpe the other grace to guide and dispose vvell of goods and goods vvell vsed to declare and set forth the graces of the heart in almes-deeds in maintenance of Gods Word and in doing other Christian duties grace humbleth vvhere riches vvould puffe vp yet riches vvell vsed bring grace in estimation before men for they inable men to shew forth godlinesse to passe on Eccles. 5. 20. their time with the more comfort and to countenance and defend their poore Christian brethren in well-doing Therefore if grace and goods goe together thou hast great cause to blesse God for it is a most happy estate to bee rich towards the world and to God too to bee rich body and soule But although this is a very rare estate yet wee see that they may meete together and therefore we may not thinke that he which is rich cannot be religious True it is that it is hard for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of heauen Luk. 18 24. 25. but it is not impossible If any aske mee why so few are rich which be godly I answer Because the Lord chooseth most of such as be poore for his people these make conscience of getting goods and will not follow the way of euill men and worldlings to enrich themselues neither will the Lord make many of them rich lest they should waxe in their wealth proud and forgetfull of God as men in their abundance do Why will some say are most rich men hardly religious Because 1. Cor. 1. 26. God chooseth few of them they be taken vp with the cares of this life which choaketh the Mat. 13. seede of the Word in them they set their hearts vpon their riches as they see them encrease and are wholy taken vp therewith so as they cannot set their mindes on better things Lastly they Mark 10. 17. make riches their God so as they cannot serue God because they serue Mammon And of the family of Elimelech So as Boaz and hee were both of one house and stocke and very nobly borne both of them Chap. 4. 20 21. yet Elimelech poore and his wife in a very meane estate so as wee hence may see That parents may prouide for posterity but which of their children shall be rich which poore is of Gods disposing and not of mans forecast as wee may see in these two whose Ancestor Nahshon was the Prince of Iudah the Num. 1. 7 16. 2. 3 27. Eccles 5. 14. Royall Tribe and ruled ouer 74000. men of war or was fit for it Thus parents may haue a goodly portion when some of theirs may haue nothing left them For riches are Gods gift he can bestow them and he can take them away againe which Iob acknowledged If parents cannot make their children rich then let them not with too much care vexe themselues for them let them not think that by their scraping together they can make them wealthy after them that is Gods blessing that is his mercy for if he blesse it not Oh how soone is that consumed by children which parents got with great labour and care and perhaps with an ill conscience too which procured the curse besides much infamy and hatred of men in their life time Is it not madnesse in parents to damne themselues in hope to make their children great seeing they cannot effect what they striue for except God bee so pleased to haue it And then heere let children looke vp to God and learne to feare him and rest not in their parents gettings but rather let them set themselues to honest callings and learne how to bee able honestly and frugally to manage that which shall be giuen to them that when they shall haue such goods and lands in their hands which their parents shall leaue them they may the better be able to employ them and so preserue vvisely that which is befallen vnto them For let parents get what they can if they leaue their children without callings idlely brought vp to goe brauely and to follow the loose wayes of most rich mens children in these dayes as not knowing any thing but how to play the Gentlemen as they call it a consumption will soone sease vpon all and turne them out of all and they become beggers as dayly experience sheweth And his name was Boaz. This is added for more certaine knowledge of the party her kinsman circumstances make Histories more credible and therefore are they expressed This name signifieth strength or fortitude whose sonne he was and of what house he came is noted afterwards in the end of the fourth chapter Verse 2. And Ruth the Moabitesse said vnto Naomi Let me now goe to the field and gleane eares of corne after him in whose sight I shall find grace And shee said vnto her Goe my daughter THis verse is a request made and sheweth first of whom it is made then to whom and for what with the graunt thereunto as is apparent by the words The scope is to shew how great things come to passe by poore and vnlikely beginnings as we may see in this of Ruth of Ioseph cōming to be a Prince in Egypt the like may be seen in Moses yea in the glorious aduancement of Christs Gospel By all which Gods power and wisedome is shewed mans wisedome cast
in sinne brought vp therein and none so free euer but in his highest pitch of well-doing he may be tainted of sinne 1. Ioh. 1. II. That the Lord in afflicting his children sweeteneth the same with some comforts he wholly leaueth not them without some taste of his mercy and goodnesse as we may see in his dealing with Naomi he tooke away her husband and left two sonnes and after tooke them away but gaue her an excellent daughter in Law Elisha had an 2. King 6. 10. earthly power comming against him but he then saw a great help from heauen It was a bitter affliction for Ioseph to be sold of his brethren but it was sweetened with Potiphars fauour This at length imprisoned him vniusty but the Lord gaue him fauour in the eyes of the Keeper of the Prison to sugar this bitter pill with And this the Lord doth in mercy that his children might not be ouerwhelmed with griefe and swallowed vp of sorrow therefore by one meanes he casts them downe but by another sustaineth them Let not therefore men which feare God bee ouer-sad when afflictions come God will lay no more then they can beare he layeth on them a burthen but he putteth vnder his hand If wee looke vpon the affliction let vs also consider what cause of comfort wee haue marke when for what how long or short what it is allayed with that we bee not wholy cast downe Vers 4. And they tooke them wiues of the women of Moab the name of the one was Orpha and the name of the other Ruth and they dwelled there about tenne yeeres THis sheweth what course the sonnes tooke after their fathers death they returned not home this crosse brought them not to thinke of leauing that idolatrous Countrey but they setled themselues to marry there so as this verse telleth vs of two things the first is of a marriage and herein who they were the men Elimelechs sonnes the women who are set out by their Countrey then by their names the second is of their abode in Moab and time how long Note before I come to the words that euery crosse bringeth not men home againe their fathers death made them not resolue to goe backe vnto Gods people againe Lot was taken prisoner yet would he still abide in Sodom after his deliuerance Iehosaphats danger with Achab made him not wholy to forsake that house but he must haue more afflictions and the Prophet openly to rebuke him And this commeth for want of waighing the true cause of afflictions when they happen or desire to please other or the loue of this world or some such corruption of our heart To bewaile this our peruerse nature not easily reformed a great affliction must worke on Manasses great distresse must presse the prodigall sonne before they will come to themselues and turne to the Lord yea some are worse for afflictions as may be seene in Achaz 2. Chron. 28. 22. in Amon Chap. 33. 23. in the Antichristians Reue. 16. 11. and in the Iewes Ier. 5. 3. And they tooke them This may seeme an act of their owne as that of Lamech Genesis 4. 19. and that of the sonnes of God 6. 2. and not their mothers deed as is said of Hagar Gene. 21. 21. If they did this with her consent it was as godly children should doe to marry with consent of parents For parents haue authoritie in this case 1. Cor. 7. children owe this honour to them Examples of the godly as in Isaac and Iacob and Samson moue to it and the contrary is found fault with Gen. 6. 2. and in Esau our lawes require it godly men and learned Diuines so teach out of the Word Let children therefore herein take aduice of their parents they shall thriue the better if they doe well their parents will reioyce if otherwise then children may more boldly seeke to parents for comfort and expect helpe at their hands Wiues So women be called when they be marryed vnto men or betrothed It is as if it had beene said They tooke yong women for wiues to liue in Gods ordinance and not for wantons to liue in vncleannesse Though they were not in Israel yet they let not loose the vnbrideled lust of nature but vsed marriage the ordinance of God So men are to take women as wiues to liue together in Gods holy ordinance as the godly haue euer made conscience to doe and not to liue as bruite beasts to defile themselues as Hamor did Dinah and Zimri did Cozbi in the sinne of fornication From this must we flie as the Apostle exhorteth and from other degrees of vncleannesse as adulterie which God seuerly punished 2. Sam. 22. 10. Iob 31. 9 11. so incest Gen. 19. 36. 1 Cor. 5. 1. 2. Sam. 13. 14. and other vnnaturall pollutions not to be named Rom. 1. which God giueth reprobate mindes ouer vnto Of the women of Moab With these they were not to marry Deut. 7. 3. and 23. 3. Esdras 9. 1 2. Neh. 13. 23 25 26. Young persons in their choyce soone erre if they suffer lust to rule and follow not the Law of God Gen. 6. 2. Herein wise Salomon was ouertaken Neh. 13. 26. 1. King 11. 1. Therefore men are to bridle appetite and lust and let the Lord rule them Religion and reason guide them herein The children of God are not to marry with the daughters of men it is condemned Gen. 6. 2. the contrary commanded Deut. 7. 3 4. See there the reason and equity therof euer such marriages are not made in the Lord as they ought 1. Cor. 7. 36 and God hath punished such matches see in Salomon 1. King 11. and in Iehosaphat in marrying his sonne to Athaliah 2. Chro. 21. 6. If Rahab bee a beleeuer Salomon may take her to wife so Boaz may marry Ruth and if there were none other to match with in the world Abraham may take one out of another countrey for Isaac and Iacob may marry Labans daughter but there is no such want but that the sonnes of Abraham may match with the daughters of Abraham now The name of the one was Orpha and the name of the other Ruth This was the wife of Mahlon Cha. 4. 10. the elder brother and Orpha the wife of Chilion the younger whether sisters or no or of what parents these came is not mentioned These Heathen people refused not in those daies to match with strangers Iethro giueth his daughter to Moses which must be for his vertue and not for his wealth for hee had none hee was brought vp like a Prince but he humbled himselfe to keepe Sheepe and so obtained his wife Mens manhood vertues and painefulnesse in those dayes got them wiues Caleb will marry his daughter for the mans vertue sake and valorous spirit Saul will pretend as much towards Dauid but that was pretended in policy not in truth Laban the worldling will marry his daughters for the world and sell them for gaine but a godly man preferreth
labour our bodies wearinesse is the best physicke to cast any one asleepe the idle cannot sleepe they be troubled with dreames and foolish fantasies Wee must also get a quiet spirit so shall we sleepe without feare and this is to bee gotten first by seeking reconciliation with God in Christ so may we lye downe in peace with Dauid Psal 4. 8. 3. 5 Iob 11. 14 19. Acts 12. and not bee afraid this made Peter sleepe soundly in great bodily danger and the Martyrs some of them the night before they went to execution Secondly by shaking off the cares of the world which maketh the worldling that hee cannot Eccles 5. 12. rest Thirdly by suffering no euill to reigne in our hearts as enuie malice lust couetousnesse for these things will not suffer vs to take rest Prou. 4. 16. Fourthly to keepe euer a good conscience towards God and man this is a continuall feast and giueth vs rest That the man was afraid The best are subiect to feare vpon conceit of perill and that suddenly So was Gideon afraid and the Apostles on a sudden and likewise Boaz here and that vpon these reasons First his naturall frailtie and weakenesse of faith which also is in euery one Secondly his ignorance not knowing what it was because she came in vnknowne to him when he was asleepe and in such cases we be more apt to conceit euill towards vs men good because our hearts tell vs that wee bee wicked by nature and deserue euill Thirdly the darke and dead time of the night which is to man fearefull the Psalmist speaketh Psal 91. 5. of the terror of the night We all by experience know how easily mans heart is made fearefull in the darke except in the sonnes of Belial and the children of the kingdome of darkenesse hardned in euill and which make the night the time of their lewde practices yet euen these also will soone bee strucken into sudden feare Fourthly this feare may more suddenly possesse one in the night as here it did Boaz being alone for that Spirits haue taken at such times bodily shapes vpon them and shewed themselues for the night is their time chiefly as may be seene in their comming then most commonly to Witches knowne by their owne confession Let vs therefore hence take notice of this weakenesse which so sheweth it selfe from the loue we beare to our bodies safetie and naturall life Now if wee feare so much for this cause bodily dangers Oh how much more should we feare to commit sinne and the wrath of God for sinne which bring destruction to body and soule without timely repentance And turned himselfe Hee gathered himselfe together shrinking as the manner is of such as in bed being in sleepe fall into a sudden feare and turne to and fro such a forcible operation hath this feare vpon the whole body for to decline from and auoid the danger conceiued nature seeking to saue it selfe in apprehension of perill and that of a sudden This naturall feare is more quicke and sudden to seaze vpon the heart then the spirituall feare to auoide sinne or the displeasure of God and so the danger of the ruine of our soules for this danger is not so soone apprehended here is required the grace of illumination and of faith before this can bee wrought in vs. And behold a woman lay at his feet The feare possessed him without cause And thus it falleth out often Man often feareth without iust cause the Matth. 8. 26. godly through the weakenesse of their faith reprooued by Christ the wicked by their accusing Prou. 28. 1. conscience which maketh them to flie when none pursue them they thinke that euill doth Iob 15. 21. haunt them and perill soundeth in their eares Therefore let the godly labour for strength of faith and the wicked repent and seeke for the peace of a good conscience that they need not to feare Verse 9. And he said Who art thou And shee answered I am Ruth thine handmaid spread therefore thy skirt ouer thine handmaid for thou art a neere kinsman THis is Boaz his questioning with Ruth her answer with a request to him and the reason thereof And he said Who art thou Boaz comming to himselfe moderateth his feare and containeth himself from vnchaste touching and demandeth what she was Wee may note first that though feare possesse wise and godly men vpon a sudden yet they moderate it and are not wholly ouer come therewith for Boaz heere cryeth not out to seruants for helpe neither speaketh to her as one amazed neither falleth he into a rage with her that shee should be occasion of such feare for howsoeuer the feare suddenly seazed vpon him being fast in sleepe before yet was it not childish nor womanish he soone shooke it off as a man of courage hauing confidence in God He mastered his naturall feare and so should wee and not bee ouerswayed therewith as women and children be Secondly That raging lust should not seaze suddenly vpon honest hearts and such as feare God Boaz was with her alone yet doth he not in a filthy affection seeke to dishonest her as Iudah did Thamar being inflamed with lust at the sight of her he did it on the day time he asked not what shee was as Boaz doth here lust would not affoord him that leasure This continencie is praise worthy Gen. 19. in old Boaz as it was before in young Ioseph a vertue as in these commended so commanded by God and much praised in some Heathen who may rise vp in iudgement against our wanton Youth and some lecherous old men whom God doth hate And she answered I am Ruth thine handmaid Thus Ruth calleth her selfe shewing her humility as before in chap. 2. 13. and here by professing what a one shee would be vnto him humble and seruiceable as an handmaiden if shee might obtaine her sute So said Abigail when Dauid sent 2. Sam. 25. 41. to her to take her to wife and so humble and seruiceable was Sarah for shee called Abraham Gen. 18. 6. Lord and in what he commanded she readily obeyed And so should good and vertuous wiues doe still when husbands command but what is honest and iust not that wiues should be counted in condition as seruants for as that is more then they will grant so is it more then husbands of right ought to expect from them that be their yoke-fellowes but what maid-seruants and handmaidens doe of feare and seruile dutie wiues should do of loue with chearefulnes such offices as they ought to performe vnto their husbands who haue authoritie to command Therefore let wiues learne to obey as God commandeth them Ephes 5. 22 33 to doe in all things and that with reuerence as vnto the Lord and as it is sit in the Lord as the Col. 3. 18. Apostle teacheth And doubtlesse there would be more such then we find in these dayes if they might haue Abrahams to their
brests more of her substance than they which doe not Children loue their Nurses we see by experience and better then their mothers that bare them so long as they be without iudgemēt to discerne onely follow nature for the nourishmēt of life It is not so naturall say also these Heathen to be nursed of another as of the mother in whom it is conceiued for differing bodies haue differing temperature and therefore the taking away of the Infant so soone from the accustomed nourishment in the mother must needs breed an alteration A learned man thinkes this to be the cause Kick. in his Oecono of the degenerating so much of Great mens sonnes and of their so little loue to their mothers It is a token of no great loue to children when their mothers put them ouer to strangers it is iust with God if mothers after find their children ouer-strange to them being but rather Note this you vnnaturall mothers halfe than whole mothers mothers of necessitie not of good will for perforce they bring forth but it is true loue which maketh a mother to giue sucke safety to themselues disereth the former or else to dye with it in the Wombe but loue onely to the Infant procureth this latter at their hands Besides all these reasons the examples of all the godly women in Scripture teach mothers now this duety That right honourable Sarah Gen. 21. 7. the wife of a most honorable man and mightie in substance and power nursed her sonne Isaac Princely Iob was nourished by the brests of her Iob 3. 12. Cant. 8. 1. whose wombe did beare him Queene Bathshebah nursed Salomon What shall I speake of holy Hannah the mother also of Moses of Samsons 1. Sam. 2. 23. Exod. 1. Iudg. 13. 42. mother and others The mother of Iesus our Lord and Sauiour whom all doe honour shee did giue her blessed Babe sucke all women call her blessed because shee bare Christ And was shee not as blessed in giuing him her brests to Luk. 11. 27. sucke Yes verily Some good Ladies at this day disdaine not this duety And what should hinder them Such persons may giue sucke and then may deliuer the child ouer to a dry Nurse to attend it in all other things which helpe the poore cannot haue Lastly as there is a blessing Gen. 49. 25. of the Wombe to bring forth so of the brests to Hosea 9. 14. giue sucke and the dry brests and barren wombe haue beene taken for a curse Let mothers therefore take knowledge of these things to presse them to this duety of nursing their owne bowels that in giuing still of their owne substance they might the more worke loue in their children towards them Their excuses are idle are of no force against these reasons for true motherly loue is seene in nursing for lust brings to conceiue necessity forceth to bring forth but onely true and naturall loue causeth a mother to nurse her child Verse 17. And the women her Neighbours gaue it a name saying There is a sonne borne to Naomi and they called his name Obed he is the Father of lesse the Father of Dauid HEre is the naming of the child which was borne of Ruth where note who named it the reason the name thereof and what he came to be shewed in his honorable and royall posterity in his Sonne and Grand-child And the women her Neighbours The women here are those before in verse 14. very godly and religious as appeareth by many things before spoken off These godly women were Naomi and Ruths Neighbours such as dwelt together with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them as the word signifieth Here may be noted who be fittest to be called to such businesses the honest Neighbours and Kinsfolke as was at the birth and Circumcision of Iohn Baptist for kinsfolke they expect it and haue therein an interest and cause of reioycing in the increase of their linage and therefore may not be carelesly neglected and Neighbours are to be called as those which be nigh at hand and helpfull at need who being neere are better as Salomon saith then a brother farre off But here obserue farther what manner of Neighbours they were which these godly women had euen such as themselues for godly women delight to haue about them such as themselues for the wicked and they cannot accord they haue differing heads and hearts ouer the one God ruleth ouer the other Satan the one is regenerate in heart the other vnregenerate and therefore cannot but iarre in word and deed the one being an abomination to the other as Salomon speaketh But the godly hauing Prou. 29. Act. 4. one head Iesus Christ and one heart they will reape benefit one of another by instructing admonishing comforting and praying one for another Therefore to shew your selues godly bee yee delighted to haue them about you And gaue it a name It is said the women gaue it we finde that sometime the Fathers gaue the name as Abraham to his sonne whom hee called Isaac Mothers often as we may see in Leah and Gen. 29. 30. Rachel so kinsfolke now and then as wee may note out of Luke chapter 1. 58 59. And here in Ruth the Neighbours gaue it yea sometime a stranger named the child vpon iust occasion as Pharaoes daughter did giue the name of Moses to him which the Parents did not alter so as it seemeth this was not strictly stood vpon though most commonly the Parents gaue the name If any here aske concerning the time when children were named I finde that it was sometime at the birth of the Infant so Rachel and the wife Gen. 35. 18. 1. Sam. 4. 21. of Phineas gaue their children names vpon their departure but being in such cases it seemeth not to be ordinary it may be thought to be vsually at the time when the child was circumcised as we may perceiue at the naming of Isaac Gen. 21. 4. Luke 1. 59. and Iohn the Baptist And thus doe wee giue names at the baptizing of Infants that as they did so we may put children in minde of the Couenant made in Baptisme of their badge of Christianity and of their ingrafting into Christ and how they were admitted as Gods children into the household of faith and as heires of the Kingdome of Heauen There is a Sonne borne to Naomi That is for the good and comfort of Naomi as is before shewed out of the fifteenth verse and as may bee gathered by the like phrase elsewhere So as in Esai 9. 6. Luk. 2. 11. these words is a reason of the name which they gaue vnto the child Whence note that the godly in ancient time gaue names not by hap-hazard but as good reason did leade them thereunto for they gaue names in obedience to Gods commandement Gen. 17. 19. 21. 3. Luk. 1. 13. who appoynted sometimes names vnto children to knowe also whence they were and whence taken