to be in namely a place of rest and a place of torments the third place which is called purgatory is inuented of man If any man wil do good to the dead let him bestow it on the widdow and his Children and friendes also let him declare the noble deeds done by the dead man neither let him do this as at the request of the man when he was aliue c. The other thing is that NAOMI doth pray for her daughters in law that they may each of them find rest in their husbandes house that is she doth wish for their happy estates and peaceable marryages she prayeth for good husbandes and tractable with whom they may lead their liues prosperously without pouerty which is a common burthen of marriage and without stroakes and blowes Afterwards in the 3. Cap NAOMI said to RVTH I do seeke thee rest that thou mayest bee well that is I doe seeke that thou mayest haue a good husband She did not think that marriage did lack all troubles For marriage hath her troubles as diuers diseases troublesome childbyrthes faults burialles and other heauie lottes of children and many more of this kinde but God as NAOMI knew will be present at godly matches mitigate their troubles But it is manyfest that such husbandes as NAOMIE wisheth for her daughters in law are giuen of God Let not young men nor virgins enquire by superstitious oracles what wiues or husbandes they shall haue but let them rather praye to God that hee would prosper them in that matter and let them depend vpon his prouidence We gather of this wish or praier of NAOMIE that she beleeued that God had a care of mortall thinges and that hee doth reward good deeds with rewardes and punisheth euill deeds with punishmentes Next we do learne what things to desire and praye for for others and especially for them which haue done vs good namely all those thinges which pertaine to the leading of our life in godlynes The Apostles also do beginne their Epistles with prayers for grace and peace from God The Satiricall Poet doth somewhere reproue the foolish desires of those parents which do wish riches and beautie for their childreÌ„ and other such like things not those things which are of great importaunce Truly externall goodes without the goodes of the minde do profite vs little Furthermore they do make bad prouision both for them selues their children which do cursse them as we do see them commonly doe If thou doest blesse them yet they are almost without any good what then will become of them whome thou doest cursse Furthermore see what wee are to looke for of them which do deale well and rightly with others loue fayth and other vertues are rewarded of God If thou doest nourish thy parents when they are old and do to them all the dueties of a sonne thou shalt find the like to be done for thee of thy sons but if thou doest trouble them thou shalt looke for the same of thy sonnes towardes thee and whether thou wilt or no thou wilt say or at least think I am wel dealt with for that I haue dealt wickedly with my parents the same will bee sayd of others towards whom we haue not bene mercyfull Also the office of married people is heere to be obserued NAOMIE doth praise her daughters in law because they shewed al the duties of humanity to her sonnes let other women performe the same towardes their husbandes if they gouerne themselues wel they may haue good husbandes and tractable for the most part but if otherwise they procure to themselues others great troubles she doth wishe them rest that is peaceable marriage For maried people ought not to braule and fight amongst themselues but liue peaceably for peace and concord is especially praysed in matrymony Many things are read of the offices of maryed folkes in the epistles of S. PAVLE and PETER which is not needfull to be repeated in this place NAOMIE kissed her daughters in law they shed teares plentifully which shalbe spoken afterward in place conuenyent NAOMIE afterwardes in this book did call her daughters in law daughters who did loue her better then their couÌ„trye their parents and kinsemen Good Lorde how seldome at this day do mothers in law and daughters in law agree for braules do oft arise amongest them for light causes many do wish their mothers in law to be at the furthest side of Garamantes c. The 5. Sermon 10 And they sayd vnto her surely we will return with thee vnto the people 11 But Naomie said turne againe my daughters for what cause will ye go with me are there any mo sonnes in my wombe that they may be your husbandes 12 Turne agayne my daughters go your way for I am too old to haue an husbaÌ„d If I should say I haue hope if I had an husband this night yea if I had borne sonnes 13 Would ye tarie for them till they were of age would ye be deferred for them from taking of husbandes nay my daughters for it greeueth me much for your sakes that the hande of the Lord is gone out against me WHen NAOMI wenton her iorney towards her country both her daughters in law accompanied her a little waye not only for curtesie but they purposed to accompanye her into the land of Iudah But she disswaded them from their purpose and bid them returne again to their houses shewing these causes for shee saith shee is now farther striken in age then to determine to marry againe and to haue sonnes who according to the law of Mosis may marry them and rayse vp seede to their brothers NAOMI had not offended if she had bin married to another though she wer old For Matrimonie is not onely instituted for the auoyding of filthy lustes and procreation of Children but also for the helpe and coâ—â—ort of ech other For God sayd it is 〈◊〉 good for man to be alone let vs 〈◊〉 therefore a help c. Manie widowes dâ—e marry other husbandes that they may 〈◊〉 their liuing more easily But if she being striken in age should marrie anie young man she might haue bene accused of wantonnes and lightnes An olde widowe ought rather to thinke of another life than of the delightes of this life and newe marriages and prepare themselues for heauen and they may do that better if they remaine sole then if they were married Old folkes may learne by this exaÌ„ple to be mindefull of theyr olde age and forsake theyr nuttes as it is in the Prouerbes Next she saith if shee should be fit for marriage and determine to marry and haue by and by a sonne by him yet it were not good for them to tarry vntil they should come to age and in the meane season neglect the occasions of marrying with others who would marry theÌ„ Sometimes maydens doe wayt vntill those whome they will marrie do come to age which is not without danger as also that boyes and wenches are
she arose with her daughters in lawe and returned from the countrey of Moab For she had heard say in the countrey of Moab that the Lorde had visited his people and geuen them bread 7 Wherfore she departed out of the place where she was and her two daughters in law with her and they went on their way to return vnto the land of Iudah 8 Then Naomie sayd vnto her two daughters in law goe returne eche of you vnto her own mothers house the Lord shew fauour vnto you as ye haue done with the dead and with me 9 The Lord graunt you that you may finds rest either of you in the house of her husband And when she kissed them they lift up theyr voyce and wept NOW hee entreateth of the return of NAOMIE into her couÌ„try In the first place is shewed how as soon as she heard that the Lorde hadde giuen plentie to the Israelites she presently betooke her selfe to her iourny that she might return into her countrey Both her daughters in lawe kept her companie and followed her a little way as it seemed of no other purpose then to leaue their owne countrie and to goe with her into the land of Moab We doe learne out of this place from whence aboundance of thinges doe come For the scripture saith God visited which worde is taken both in the good part and euill his people and gaue them bread that is fruit corne and other thinges necessary for the sustenance of life All which amongest the Hebrues is called bread as also in that petition Giue vs this day our dayly bread GOD therefore doth giue vs all things necessarie But as God in his mercy doth giue vs aboundance so of his iustice doth he giue vs scarcetie He worketh by second causes yet hee is not bound to them Therefore let vs pray that hee deale not with vs according to our desertes but according to his great mercie But here is a notable example to be followed of NAOMIE For she by and by assoone as the famine ceased went out of the idolatrous nation to the people of God as if it were to a haueÌ„ so let vs also as often as occasioÌ„ is offred flie to that place where we may serue God with a pure conscience let vs embrace him with both handes especially if the word of God be preached publikely in our owne countrey DAVID in bannishment did first complaine of this that hee could not be present in the holy assemblies and as the Hart doth earnestly desire the riuers of waters after that he is chased of the hunters so his soule thirsted after the Lord. 2. SAMVEL 2 chap. DAVID hearing that Saule was dead by and by he consulted with the Lorde if he should goe vnto ZICLAG into some Citie of the tribe of IVDAH esteeming nothing more then to returne home with speede hee being commanded of God without delay went with his wife and fellow souldiers to Hebron If wee liue in those places where religion is freely exercised wee can scarse containe our selues in our callinges what then will become of vs there where no mention is made of the word of God and so many wicked examples are dayly set before our eyes Wherefore if thou fallest by some necessity amongst wicked men assoone as thou canst commodiously chaung thy place For there is a greater care to be had of our eternal safetye theÌ„ of all other thinges Those Israelites are euill spoken of and also deseruedly which did not accept the allowance of CIRVS and would not return into their countrie but rather die in Babilon than leaue their nestes It is said in the 18. APOCA allegoricallie that wee must leaue Babilon and Moab that is idolatrie and wickednes NAOMIE doth exhort her daughters in law that ech of them should go home to their mothers house she doth call it their mothers house not because theyr fathers were dead for afterwardes in the 3. chap. BOAZ doth prayse RVTH because she did leaue her father and mother and came into the land of Israell but because children and especiallie daughters are most conuersant with the mothers and moste familiar with them GENESIS 24. REBECCA doth call it the house of her mother and not of her father Of what purpose she did perswade them not to come into the land of Iudah we will speake in place conuenient She doth pray for their prosperitie first that God would blesse them next that God would be mercifull vnto theÌ„ as they were to the dead and her The worde chaesâ—d signifieth godlines mercifulnes benignitie and bountifulnes not after a certaine maner but whiche doth proceede from an ardent affection that speech is oftentimes found in the scriptures this word EMETH is added that is truth or fayth GEN. 24. ABRAHAMES seruaunt saith if ye now consult to deale mercifully with my maister shew it that is if ye will doe him a good turne and deserue well of him giue your daughter to wife for his sonne 1. SAM 15. It is sayd of the Cenites that they did shew mercy to all the children of Israell when they came out of Aegipt that is that they gaue them benefites therefore they were preserued when the Amalekites were destroyed 2. SAM 3. chap. ABNER saith to ISHBOSHETH I haue dealt mercifully with thy house that is I haue bestowed benefites vpon it chap. 10. DAVID said I wil deale mercifully with HANON the sonne of NOHAS as his father dealt mercifully with me sending Embassadours who shoulde comfort him after his fathers death And because he had receaued benefites of them his will was to giue them thankes c. What did these widowes they did loue theyr husbandes when they were aliue and they did serue them withall kinde of honest dueties so farre as it became honest wiues they did speake honourably of the dead and they did so lead theyr liues that the dead shoulde not be euill spoken of for theyr causes Furthermore for their husbandes fakes they did helpe theyr mother in-law being left alone so they did shew mercy to the dead But no man ought to thinke that of any preposterous zeale they did offer I know not what sacrifices or muÌ„ble vpp some prayers for them whiche were departed For without doubt RVTH knew that those soules which are departed in the faith of the Messias are in rest c. The Masse Priestes doe exhort men that they shew mercy to the dead that is hier Masses to be said for the forgiuenesse of sinnes and that they should prouide to celebrate the seuenth daies the moneths daies and yeare daies c. that their soules might be freed out of purgatory But sith that God hath appointed so many kindes of sacrifices yet as PETER MARTER obserueth it is not read that hee did appoynt any at all for them that are tormented in purgatorie which he would haue done if our soules shuld suffer any torments in purgatory It is euident by the holy scriptures that there are onely two places for soules
hunger Howe oft doe children with theyr crying breake their parents sleep How oft are the parents made afraid through sundry and sodayne falles of their children Say not therefore that they are froward and complaining thinke rather what thou hast bene and what thou shalt be through the weakenesse of age if the Lorde graunt thee to liue many yeeres The Ethnickes haue many notable examples of the pietie of children toward parentes What an example is it of that daughter which with her owne milke norished her mother in prison of whom Valerius Maximus maketh mention Pausanias lib. 10. writing of them which wer called the godly Cataneans sayth when the fire burnt hotly out of Aetna into Catana a Citie of Scicilea which was at the foote of this mountayne they made no accompt of golde siluer but flying away this man tooke his mother on his shoulders that other bare his father But because they went not away with speede the flame hasting the fire ouertooke them but they cast not away theyr parentes so Therefore they say that the flames parted in two and passed ouer both the young men also the parentes not hurting them at all He sayth that these men in his tyme wer greatly honored of the Cataneans The Storkes also doe shewe kindnesse vnto theyr dammes when they are old here of Antipelargein is taken for to make a recompence Amongest Christians thou shalt finde children which hauing aboundance of wealth doe yet reiecte theyr parentes and yeeld them not wherewith to slake theyr hunger Often times the daughters woulde willingly doe theyr dueâ—e but the sonnes in-law will not suffer it in like maner the sons would doe but the daughters in-lawe shew themselues very straight of whom that cannot be sayde which these women doe speake of RVTH that she is to her mother in-law better then many sonnes The sonnes doe oft excuse theÌ„selues by theyr pouertie but yet they doe follow the cups and do most sumpâ—uously against all order apparell themselues and are at manie vaine expences If the parents haue many children they are sent vp and down from one to another especially if they haue milked their mony from them before therfore they doe wisely which keepe their goods to themselues and giue them not to theyr children SIRAC 33. chap. Of this that it is sayd that RVTH is better vnto her then seuen children we do gather this comfort that we wanting the helpe of children God can easily rayse vppe other men who may doe vs more good then our owne who ought especially to prouide for vs. Daughters in-lawe doe also learne agayne by this example how they ought to behaue themselues towardes theyr mother in-law Lastly women doe learne what and how they ought to speake if they doe carry children to baptisme â—and doe visite women lying in childebed namely they shoulde geue God thankes for hys benefites which hee bestoweth vppon them and pray vnto him that the children may be religiously brought vp and serue God and not talk of matters that are light or scurrilous The. 27. Sermon 16 And Naomie tooke the childe and layd it â— her lap and became a nursse vnto it 17. And the women her neyghboures gaue it a name saying There is a childe borne vnto Naomie and called the name thereof Obed the same was the father of Ishai the father of Dauid THERE are three thinges contayned in these wordes first NAOMIE was the boyes nursse next the women called the boy OBED thirdly that he was graundfather to DAVID the king It is written that NAOMIE tooke the infant and layd it in her lap and imbraced him with great ioy for so we see it commeth to passe that graundfathers and grandmothers doo oftentimes loue their nephues and neeses better then their own children Shee became the boies nursse not that she gaue him suck but she gaue him meate drinke and washed him c. As concerning the worde meiaenkâ—th a nursse that is deriued of iâ—nak to sucke in Hishil to geue milke as shee which geueth the infante milke GEN. 22. Wee read of REBECKAES nursse GEN. 35. of DEâ—ORA a nursse 2. REG. 11. Omaeneth for a nursse 2. SAM 3. His nursse tooke him is deriued aman to nursse to bring vp meialaedeth a midwife of â—alad to bring forth because she helpeth her that is in trauell And though that she had now an aged body and therefore not fitte for labours yet shee would not leade an idle lyfe but did what shee could Let olde woemen follow this example let them take care of children teaching them godlinesse and withdrawing them from vices 1. Tim. 5. If anie wido we haue children or nephewes let them learn or rather as Caluin translateth it let them teach for Manthanâ—in signifieth both to teach and to learn their children or nephewes to shew godlines towards their owne house and to make a mutuall recompence to their elders for this is acceptable before God Out of this that God gaue RVTH so great ioy partly by matching her with so notable a husband partly by giuing her a man-childe wee are taught that God doth sometime euen in this lyfe blesse those children which doe honour theyr parentes RVTH was faithful towardes her mother in-lawe therefore God hath graunted her a blessed and a quiet marriage much riches and great renowne Therfore O ye children deale well with your parentes geeue them those thinges whiche are necessary for them and prouoke them not to wrath Next wee doe gather that God can easily restore to perfect estate men be they neuer so much afflicted Hee doth not onely for a time vse to ouerwhelme his children with the crosse but afterwardes hee doth suffer them againe to come out of it These widowes were a long time in a poore estate but nowe God doth exalt them both hee geueth to NAOMIE a sonne in-law and of him a nephew to nourish her As after great tempestes there commeth a calme after a sharpe winter in a pleasaunt course there followeth a delectable spring so ioy followeth sorrow But God tempereth it with some trobles least we shuld wander out of the way of saluation The sacred history is full of publicke and priuate examples therefore in aduersities let vs not be vnpatient but lâ—t vs comfort our selues with the consideration of such like examples The neighbours sayd that there was a sonne born to NAOMIE but NAOMIE was not his mother but RVTH her daughter in law but they speake in this maner because the graundmothers are as mothers to the nephewes Those sonnes are also accompted their children which haue adopted theÌ„ Or it is such a phrase of speeche as that in ISA. 9. a childe is giuen to vs. And also in LVKE 2. This day a sauiour is born to you in the Citie of DAVID which is Christ the Lorde and this is for your good They called his name OBED OBED signifieth a husband-man a seruaunt a tiller There is noe cause expressed why they called him by this name It
Ruth abode still with her 15 And Maomi said behold thy sister in law is gone back vnto her people and vnto her Gods returne thou after thy sister in law NOwe afterwardes here is declared what NAOMIE preuailed by her speeche with her daughters in lawe or rather what befell after she commanded them to returne home ORPAH returned to her mothers house but RVTH taryed with her mother in law Let vs heare what maye bee gathered out of these wordes for our edification After NAOMIE had exhorted them both with many reasons to returne home they wept agayne very much which was a signe of great sorrow which they tooke of thys that they were to part asunder For sorrow bringeth forth tears as bloud springeth out of the body if it be wounded so if the soule be wounded teares break forth Wherefore some do call teares the bloud of the soule As they offended not in weeping so neyther do they at this day which shed teares when they are drawn from their good friends The Stoyckes say that it becommeth not a man of courage to weepe for that it is a signe of a weak effeminate mind But the holy scriptures teach otherwise for in them there are many examples not onely of women but of most valiaunt men who by teares haue testified theyr sorrow and are not yet accounted to haue offended therein IOSEPH wept foure tymes when his brethren came to him into Aegypt to buye corne DAVID who ouercame and slew a Lyon a Bear Gyants when ZIGLAG was destroyed he wept so much that his strength failed him his souldiours also did the like 1. SAM 30. 2. SAM 15. DAVID descending the mount of Oliues wept PETER also wept aboundantly PAVLE and all they whome he had called to Milleâ—um wept ACT. 20. Our sauiour Christ himselfe wept often therefore that Stoicall sencelesnesse is not approued of God Yet as in other thinges so also in weepeing their must be kept a meane neyther must we weepe for euery cause For all kinde of weeping cannot bee excused SENECA although he was a Stoick himselfe yet hee sayth wee may weepe but not howle out But this makes greatlye to our comfort that in this little booke it is written down twise that these pore women wept aboundantly for heereby we do gather that God regardeth the teares euen of them that be very poore DAVID in the PSAL. 56. 8. declareth that God putteth their teares and so the teares of the godly into his bottle and and noteth them in hys regester Good Lorde how fewe daughters in lawe are there at this day who if theyr mothers in law should departe from them into other countries or els out of this lyfe would shed teares for them or if they do shedd any they may bee called Crocadiles teares ORPAH kissed her mother in law kissing was commonly vsed in Palestyne and all Syria and as at this day other nations also do so they entertained their friendes and gesse at their comming and bad them farewell with a kisse in like maner they saluted them whome they met with a kisse Christ in LVKE 7. reprooueth SIMON the Pharasie because he intertained him not with a kisse ORPAH bidding her mother in-law farewel kissed her A kisse is a token of friendship and kindnes and also of reuerence faith and obedience PLVTARCH in the life of CATO VTICENSIS writeth that when he departed out of his prouince the souldiers reuerently kissed his hand the which kinde of honour was at that time onely giuen to Captaines or Emperours and that to very fewe of them POMPEIVS LETVS in his compendium of the Romaine histories writeth thus The Emperours first reached out theyr handes for theyr nobles to kisse after with their own hands they lift them vp to kisse their mouthes DIOCLETIANVS by a decree appointed that all meÌ„ without difference of degree shoulde fall downe and kisse his feete the which he set foorth magnifically adorning his shooes with gold pearles and stones the whiche they doe record was done before by C. CALIGVLA c. this sayth he Afterwardes the Romaine bishops also like vnto those tyrauntes whiche sought to haue done vnto themselues the honours due to God offered to others their feete to be kissed the which SIBILLA CVMANA foretold in the 8. Sermon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is there shall be a king with a hoare head or a helmet hauing a name neere vnto the sea or bridge regarding the world bestowing his giftes with an euil foot for they must thinke that he doth them great honour whome he alloweth to kisse his feete S. PAVLE 1. COR. 16. sayth salute you one another with an holy kisse excluding the sinnes of vnchastitie and hipocrisie and he doth not in these wordes prescribe a lawe that all nations shoulde receaue this custome of kissing one another 2. SAM 20. IOAB kissing AMASA slewe him IVDAS with a kisse betrayed the sonne of God This is too too common at this day that men whome they kisse that is whome they flatter before their face they do secretly backbite It is to be supposed that this ORPAH kissed her mother in law of a sincere mind not as that sonne of whom it is in the fable who faining that hee would kisse his mother when he was led to execution with his mouth bit off her eare It is said that shee returned to her owne If that shee had as it is very probable some taste of true religion shee is a figure of them whome the Lorde in the Gospell calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche for a time professe the true faith but do afterwardes fall backe againe eyther for hope of prosperity or being discouraged for feare of troubles It is not sufficient to lay some foundations of true religion but it must be builded vp vntill that spirituall building be perfected It is not inough to runne except we obtayne to the goale Who so perseuereth to the end saith the Lord he shalbe saued and not he that began well and goeth but a little forward LOTS wife is to vs an example who when she looked backe againe was turned into a piller of Salt If this ORPAH had come into Iudea it doth not seem that she would haue perseuered But whether she perished in her errors or was afterwardes conuerted or repented without the losse of the trueth we know not neither should there concerning this or of others such like be anie questions mooued which tend not to edification RVTH tarried with her mother in law and could not be drawn from her by any perswations there is a like example IOH. 6. of Christes apostles when many fell away from him he asked them whether they would also go away Therfore SIMON PETER aunswered to whome shall we go Lord Thou hast the word of eternal life and we beleeue and know that thou art the Christ the sonne of the lyuing God We must pray to God that he wil suffer vs neither by flattering perswations nor threatnings and terrors to
agarne out of the countrie of Moab will sell a parcell of land which was our brother Elimelechs 4 And I thought to aduertise thee saying buy it before the assistauntes and elders of my people If thou wilt redeeme it redeeme it but if thou wilt not redeeme it tell me for I knowe there is none besides thee to redeeme it and I am after thee Then he aunswered I will redeeme it WE haue hitherto heard of diuers troubles and afflictions wherewith NAOMIE and RVTH were afflicted nowe next we shall heare how their conditioÌ„ was changed into better For after that BOAZ a wealthie man married RVTH both of them abounded in thinges necessarie for the sustenance of life But the holy Ghost doth keepe this order in this chap. First BOAZ doth trie before the Iudges the god will of the kinsman whether hee would buye the little field of NAOMIE whether he would mary RVTH according to the law Next he refusing it BOAZ married RVTH therefore all the people and the elders reioiced at theÌ„ Thridly when he had begotten his first borne son the womeÌ„ blessed NAOMIE his graund-mother Fourthly the genealogie of BOAZ is described This chapter is replenished with much doctrine as we shall heare God willing in their places And first we see that godly men may be raysed by the grace of God out of great pouertie and lifted vp vnto great honors BOAZ sayd vnto RVTH asking marriage that hee would marrie her if the nearer kinsman would not marry her The next daye hee sate in the gate as a chiefe Iudge according to the opinion of the Hebrues who sayd that he was IBSAN the Iudge and when the kinsman came by of whoÌ„ he had spoken to RVTH by chaunce or rather by the prouidence of God hee commaunded him to come to him and sit downe and by and by hee called ten elders and he commaunded them to sit downe and he sayd open his cause As concerning the phrase He sayde no such one come hither and sit here The Hebrue wordes Almoni Peloni signifie nothing but are onelye put in stead of some proper name whiche wee leaue out eyther because it is known or do not remember it or because we wil not name it the Gretians doe call o deiâ—as Some men doe thinke that his name was not conceald without the prouidence of God for that he was not worthie to be remembred of good men for that he despised to rayse vppe the name and seede to hys brother The olde Hebrues did â—it in iudgmeÌ„t in the gates or about the gates of the Citie all men beholding and hearing those thinges whiche were done as this daye also in manie places publike iudgementes especiallye of lyse and death are exercised openly They doe alleadge this reason wherefore the Senate is holden in the gate that euery man might quickly finde the place that the country men needed not to go into the Citie and spend muche there and that euery one might goe to theyr houses theyr busines being ended Furhtermore that many witnesses may be easily gathered of them that goe out and in Or the gate is simplie takeÌ„ for the court The Chaldeans do translate at the gate that is to say the house of publike iudgment at the court peraduâ— ture because those houses had great gates The Romaines gathered their counsels for the most part in the temples Hee called together the Elders The Hebrues do call Zacan Iudges of their age as the latines doe also call them Senators and fathers amongest the Gretians also the senate is called Gerousiâ— from a worde that signifieth age They choose for the most part the Senate by whose councell the common wealth is gouerned of the elders which seeme most fit for this matter For they know many thinges and haue learned manie thinges by their owne hurt Next they are not so carryed by theyr affections as youthes but they doe administer thinges with mature counsell Furthermore when they are near to death they thinke or at least ought to thinke that they should do nothing agaynst publick iustice and religion for shortly God will take an account of their deedes and sayings WheÌ„ PISISTRATVS the tiraÌ„t asked SOLON what encoragement he had that he did withstand him so sharply he answered old age Valerius maximus writeth of Cesselius that when he did not obey the Triumuerie did speak many thinges freely against CAIVS CAESAR his friends warned him that hee should take heed to himselfe he sayd there are two thinges which doo make mee verio bold namely olde age and want of children It is said that those elders sate down By sitting down is signified that Iudges ought to be of a mind quiet peaceable and calme not to be troubled with affections and that attentiuely they shuld heare them which plead in the court not with a wauering mind SERVIVâ— noteth lib. 9. Anei In antient time men vsed this phrase to sit for to aduise to care for and to consider of After propounding the cause he said NAOMIE doth appoint to sell the field of ELIMELECH our brother the Hebrues doe call cousins brethren therefore I would bring it to thy care that is shew it to thee that if thou wilt redeem it according to the law of kindred in the presence of the dwellers hereabout and of the elders of my people thou mayst redeem it because there is none neerer and if it doth not please thee to redeeme 〈◊〉 I would thou shouldest tell me he by and by aunswered I wil redeeme BOAZ addeth presently that he must also marry RVTH if he will haue the land The Iewes had their peculiar lawes of Inheritances and successions NVM 27. and 36. chap. the land of Israell was deuided into 12. Tribes of which euerie one of them had their possessions which God would not haue mingled and the inheritances of one to be transported to another The fathers being dead the children succeeded in the inheritaunce The sonnes ought not to marry wiues out of their owne Tribes the daughters also ought not to marry others out of their own tribes If any man dyed without Children the brothers did succeed but if they had no brothers the kinsmaÌ„ LEVI 25. chap. no man ought to sell the inheritance of his possession but if anie man be poore and be constrained to sell his grounds he ought to offer it to hys kinsman if they will not then to some of that tribe but in the meane season the seller hath gotten mony he may alwayes redeeme it from the buyer â—length the possessions returne to their old maisters in the yeare of Iubily Lyâ—â—noâ—eth vpon this place that women dâ—â— not inherite but if a wife remayne after her husband be dead without children she was to haue part of the inheritaunce to maintayne her selfe And shee might sell as much as was hers and so it is sayd that NAOMIE would sell after the same manner that part of the ground of the field which was left her by her