them Whereby the vngodly entreating of strangers that manye wishe for among vs is too wicked enuying that any shoulde bee permitted to come and soiourne among vs like free borne children Yet heerein wee are to prayse God that these persons cannot bite although they barke at poore harbourles strangers and also that hee hath blessed our magistrates with more pitifull mindes And let these personnes knowe and consider that it is as easie to go out as to come into England this is they may as sone be driuen to other places out of their owne countrey to bee strangers there as these are repayred for succour hither The vncertaintie of worldly estate that hath brought great princes to extreme pouerty should bridle their churlishe and vngodly affections from offering one thought of iniurie to these poore harbourlesse strangers Wee knowe the parable of Christ of a man that trauailed from Iericho to Ierusalem and fell among theeues the kindnes of that stranger Samaritan should mooue vs to do good to strangers while the world standeth seeing wee are more helped by their presence then by our owne neyghbours but these kinde persons that thus rayle vppon poore strangers are such as are grieued against God and men who in their hearts would haue no man liuing in the lande besides themselues and theyr cursed posteritye But some will saye you make too much account of strangers the Lorde doeth not make such reckoning of them because forbidding vsury to the Iewes yet hee permitted them to take vsurye of the strangers I answere those strangers were the cursed Cananites and none other whome God had vowed to destruction to the intent the Iewes might haue them in all slauerie Of them he permitted to take vsury for this is the blessing of God vppon that people that they should bee able to lend to other but stand in no need to borrowe of other Therefore that beeing but a permission for the Iewes onely hath ceased in that common wealth but in Christ there is no difference of Iewe or gentile male or female bond or free for all are his and hee the Lordes so that nowe the name of a straunger is quite ceased but all are neighbors and brethren for euermore And Boaz answered In this verse is contained the replye of Boaz vnto the speeche of Ruth wherein is set downe the true cause of his liberalitye vnto her first in regarde of her mother in lawe and his kinswoman with whome shee had dealt so well in her owne countrey secondly in regard of her selfe she had forsaken father and mother with countreye and kindred to come among strange people Where we first obserue a singular encouragement to obey our godly parents for wee see that our good actions needed not to bee preached abroade by other for our farther coÌ„mendation but at the time appointed they will shewe themselues as the life of trees by sending foorth leaues in the spring time of the yeere Ruth as wee haue heard dealt most louingly with her mother in lawe in Moab yet you see that her kindnes hath followed her to Bethlehem in Iudah manye myles distant the one from the other If it had beene knowen there to a few onely it had bin sufficient but being spread a broade the chiefe man in a citie doth commende her for it among a multitude in a haruest field the place could not hide it were it neuer so far of the time not conceale it bee it neuer so secret the commendation of it be couered because shee was a stranger nor the credit of it bee loste in another countrey Such is the nature of good thinges which wee do to other that no obliuion can euer bury it What needeth this boasting of our almes deedes like the blowing of a trumpet this bragging of our worthynes some of their manhood some of their friendship other of their riches and many of their labour as if they slept not foundly til al the world did ring of their commendation This one thing loseth all our reward for it is better that the workes then the wordes should witnes it We may also by this assure our selues that we haue done nothing so secretly to the flocke of Christ but it is knowne and the name of God praysed for it for as euill deedes remaine to the graue so good workes reâ—ound to perpetuall memory Secondlye by this wee obserue the excellencye of religion for whose sake it is commendable to forget nature and praise worthye to forsake our parents and people Which if we should doo for any other cause whatsoeuer we were accursed When the Lorde woulde establishe his couenant with Abraham â— hee called him from Father and countrey to shewe that for religion sake it is a glory and not onely to do thus but also for to bee scourged yea and to suffer death Why then is it so contumeliously vpbraided so scornefully refused of many and but of fewe â—ectiued till this day Among all the world onely Abrahams posterity had the couenant and promises and now though men bee as the sande on the sea shoare and the starres of heauen which cannot bee numbered yet shall but a remnant bee saued none come vnto it but by the especiall grace of God whereby hee draweth them as it were against theyr mindes fewe persons woulde resorte to Noahs arke because they scorned his preaching euen so fewe are religious because they account it a base worke to heare the worde of God plainely opened and sincerely expounded Where is then become this auncient zeale that made men and women as well noble as base to bee obedient to the calling of the Lord for which cause they forsook both wealth parentage cuntry kindred but in these dayes men will forsake Christe and his Gospell religion and preaching for the least of these Once the Apostle saide hee accounted all thinges as dung in regarde of Christe but nowe Christ is regarded as dung in comparison of the worlde Once Christ sayd whosoeuer loueth father or mother wife or children house or landes more then mee is not worthy of mee but nowe whosoeuer loueth Christe more then these is not worthy to liue Once it was saide firste seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof and all other thing shall be cast vppon you but nowe first seeke the worldes riches and wealth and religion will follow too soone Oh what miserable daies are we fallen into where ignoraunce aduanceth it selfe like the moone and is not ashamed the Gospell reuiled by euerie atheist the ministers molested for euery papiste the sacramentes prophaned the professours tearmed by slanderous titles which for Christes sake haue loste their kindred and aduentured their liues Surely surelye some great plague is approaching for the quenching of this burning heate of sinne when they shall say here is a God that rewardeth the righteous verily there is a God that iudgeth the worlde Thirdly we obserue out of this verse that wee must not without
cōfession of folly for al their light of lerning they groped in a Cimmerian darknes being shadowed with ignorance like the Countrie Odessae in Greece which by reason of mightie hils therto adioyning neuer felt the beames of the Sun The fourth head or fountaine of vngodlinesse is called Samaritanisme of the Samarians which mingled themselues with the profession of the Iewes and receiued some parte of the Bible yet like the Anabaptistes of our daies without any difference or conscience kept companie with Iewes and Gentiles Of these came many accursed sects from whom sprang many detestable opinions and thus the world laboured with damnable deuises while the Deuill laughed at their dayly destruction whereby this is euident that Philosophie or Paganisme is the corruption of our Religion But some peraduenture will obiect vnto me that they had very excellent and worthie men who Crowned their Countrie and kindred with endlesse memorie Mutius left his right hand on the Altar Empedocles willingly cast himselfe into the burning flames of the mountaine Aetna one of the builders of Carthage to auoide a second marriage cast her selfe into the burning graue Regulus being freed from the Carthaginians chused rather to suffer death himselfe in most cruel torments then to discharge their prisoners at Rome Menocaeus seeing his Cittie of the Thebes besieged by the Grecians which they threatned to destroie except one of them would giue himselfe for all did ascend to the wall of the Citie and there pearcing his body with a sword fell downe dead among his enemies wherewith they contented departed Alcestis the wife of Perilaus seeing as she supposed the fiendes come for her husband who lay sicke slew her selfe bidding them to take her shaddow and spare her husbands life To speake nothing of Lucretia Dyrachia Aria Cyane and many others only let this suffice Eleates being asked of Dionisius the tyraunt what was better then Philosophie answered death whereupon hee was commaunded to be scourged to death which for the defence of his speach and contempt of death he most patiently endured Yet Tertullian a Christian father speaking of such like actions hath these wordes O lawfull commendation because humaine to whome neither wilfull presumption nor desperate perswasion is imputed to whome it is permitted to die in contempt of death and all manner of crueltie to whome is giuen more libertie to suffer for his countrie kingdome or friends then for God Who is hee that cannot with one eye espie the meaning of this father Improuing this kinde of death as presumption or desperation which may neuer haue any harbour in the hearts of the faithfull what shall wee then say of all these worthie persons Surely whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and without faith it is impossible to please God We must not regard what man doth but what God commaundeth as the Emperour Constantine once said it is not death but the cause of death that deserueth commendation as Agesilaus the best Grecian Prince that euer was was wont to say The purest Adamant is not worne with yron nor wasted with fire yet a little Goates bloud will consume it euen so if one man could suffer al the tryals in the world and abide many thousand deathes by fire and torture yet it shall no whit profit him except the bloud of Iesus Christ loose the fetters of sin and breake the chaines of the Deuill now the mercies of God in Christ are not communicated to any but to such as know them and who can know them without the word of God This is the fountaine of water of life and all other are but poysoned puddles stinking more filthyly in the presence of God then the Lake of Camarina in the nostrels of men They reporte that in Sycilia there are two springs whereof one will make a fruitfull woman barren the other a barren woman fruitfull if this were so I thinke all the world would haue recourse vnto it Yet in this word of God there is a greater commoditie declared vnto vs for here wee learne the true cause of barrennesse which being knowne the disease is the more easily remoued here wee learne the meanes whereby it is cured as in Rebecca Annah Elizabeth and others which might as easily bee practised as true Religion vnfainedly professed Moreouer they tell vs that in Epirus at the foote of the hill Tomarus there is a holy Well which of it selfe will kindle a Torch being put vnto it quench it being brought burning therto graunt this to be true it will represent vnto vs the nature of this holy Wel the word of God which with the water of our Baptisme doth fire our hearts by the holy Ghost but comming vnto it burning in the heate of our owne lust quencheth the flame of our owne concupiscence Also wee finde in Varro that there are two streames in Boeotia whereof if sheepe drinke the one burneth their coulour in Russet and the other maketh them while againe if this be possible as al things are possible to the creatour of the world what maruaile though we are regenerated not new couloured by the immortall seede of his heauenly word Which are his sheepe and the corruptions of our nature so washed in the same that our garments of righteousnesse are as white as snow in his presence Solinus telleth that at the Cittie Debris among the Garamantes there is a spring which at the rysing of the sunne congealeth to Yce but at the setting thereof resolueth to water againe which is contrarie to all the world beside freezing with heate and thawing with colde yet we may make this vse thereof that it is no wonder to see our heauenly Well to worke these contraries to be the sauour of life vnto life or else the sauour of death vnto death that vnto some it is a two edged sword to giue them mortall wounds vnto other a broad Target to defend them from danger that it wrought so effectually in the daies of persecution when it was oppressed in darkenesse but now freezeth and hardneth in these daies of peace when the sunne of prosperitie shineth to all Surely as the Albeste stone once set on fire can neuer be quenched so if we could but once burn in loue vnfainedly with the Gospel our profession should not be so luke warme nor our deuotiō so smal in the cause of religiō And thus I haue bene bold with your Ho. to proue my first assertion wherein if I haue beene too long let me craue pardon and I will promise greater breuitie in my seconde proposition which is this that Poperie is a confusion of Heathenisme Heresie and Christianitie And that I may methodically proceede I will begin at their highest degree and so in order lightly touch so many things as may certifie your Ho. of the truth of their Religion Numa appointed one to bee a high Priest at whose iudgement all temporall and spirituall thinges were administred the same is retained in the Church of Rome for the Pope
vs from heresie but also a salue or remedie if wee haue been poysoned by falshoode The sting of the Scorpion is cured by applying the Achates stone the grasse Alimos preserueth the famished person from death The Baare hauing eaten Mandragora saueth his life by the little Emmet and the poyson of the Chamelaeon is expelled by a Baye leafe euen so the word of God cureth the heresies of Poperie which are compared to the stinging of the Scorpions in the Scriptures it is the fruite of the tree of life and whosoeuer eateth and disgesteth in shall neuer die it is a preseruatiue against all poyson and the leaues thereof shall cure the nations By this alone the Lord hath wrought the calling of his children the confusion of his enemies the comfort of his Saintes and the replenishing of his kingdome All the Kings of the earth haue beene in armes against it yet the ministers thereof who neuer bore armes against them by their onely preaching haue wonne a glorious fielde All Egypt coulde not resist Moses and Aaron because they came on the Lordes message no more shall all the world ouercome the preachers of peace so long as they faithfully performe their heauenly Ambassage Wordes haue wrought more then weapons the spirite hath pearced more then the Speare the wals of Paper and the ordinaunce of Fathers haue battered downe the stately kingdome of the whoore of Babilon learning hath done better seruice then Launces Gownes haue conquered moe then Gunnes Bookes haue done more good then Bullets and the prayers of the faithfull haue preuailed more then the Pikes of horsemen the stone which the builders refused is become the head of the corner this is the Lordes doing it is maruailous in our eyes the bloude of the dead Martyrs hath giuē greater wounds in this quarrell then the swords of the liuing souldiours But thus I haue too long troubled your Hon. with that which you knewe before and haue presumed on your fauour for the acceptation of these my slender labours vpon one parte of Scripture the booke of Ruth which as the holy Ghost hath vouchsafed to call by the name of a woman to the praise of the whole sexe and euerlasting commendation of her Religion so am I emboldned to Dedicate it to so Honourable a Lady as your selfe whome I know to be a Ruth by Religion though a Noble woman by birth For many witnesses can testifie this also if I should be silent and the ordinarie exercises at Seuenoke will sound your name because your presence and diligence at them hath stirred vp manye meaner persons comforted some godly people thereabout and much euery way countenanced and encouraged the preachers of the same There are many causes which might compell me though vnwilling to commit my labours to the Presse yet willingly to present them to the world vnder the name of your Honour For I am assured of the acceptation of any small thing that shall bee offered in the name of Religion much more of this which comprehendeth the recompence and rewarde of our profession Your Honour knoweth that better is it to see the smoke of ones owne Countrie then the fire of another so I trust my slender studies which are but as smoke being compared with the burning coales of others knowledge such as dayly you heare shall be the better accepted because there I had my being where your Honour hath your dwelling Also I am hereunto moued that I might haue any occasion to testifie my bounden dutie which I owe vnto that Noble and worthie Gentleman Sir Henrie Leonard your Sonne of whome I haue receiued especiall encouragementes in the course of my studies and to whom I must remaine a debtour to the ende of my dayes being no wayes able to recompence his wonted kindnesse but onely by this daylye to praye for the life and prosperitie that hee may be as the heyre of your Honour so an ornament of the Noble house of the Dacres And the God of all peace blesse your owne person with such blessings as you daylye desire that you may still liue to the comfort of the godlye in this present life to the enlarging of your owne Honour to the reioysing of your whole family and to the endlesse saluation of your owne soule with Iesus Christ the Sauiour of all them which haue vnfainedly embraced true religion London this first of October 1596. Your Honours to command in the Lord. Edward Topsell To all them that haue vnfainedly embraced true Religion DEarely beloued in Christe when I consider that comfortable Oracle of the Apostle when he saith that godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of the life to come it commeth into my mind that religion is none of the meanest professions that is laboured for in the worlde for the greatest rewardes are promised to the chiefest exploytes and the worthiest enterprises are Crowned with glorious benefits Ioseph for his wisedome was made the gouernour of Egypt Othniel for his seruice receiued Aisah the daughter of Caleb for his wife Iiphtah for his victorie was made iudge of Israel and Dauid for his Musicke was made one of the Courtiers of Saul In so much as it seemeth an ordinarie practise that euerie knowledge is rewarded with some curtesie whereby wee are certified that it is no maruaile to heare hope for so excellent blessings as are promised to the Religious For they are the house of the Lorde and as hee dwelleth with all maiestie in heauen so he raigneth with all Authoritie in the righteous they are a chosen generation borne of God a Royall and holy priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people the free men of Christ the inheritours of the earth the iudges of the worlde the coheires of Christes kingdome and the Cittizens of heauen If wee looke for their Nobilitie they are the Sonnes of God if for their instruction they are taught of God if for their tuition the heauenly Angels are their seruants if for their degrees they are kings and priestes for the eternal God if for their calling they are Saintes if for their life it is heauenly if for their wealth it is the whole worlde and finally their death is the birth day of all felicitie For this cause Dauid desired rather to bee a doore-keeper in the house of God then a dweller in the stately tents of the wicked as if the meanest condition among the professors of Religion were more excellent then the chiefest estates among the worldlings their Crosses excell the others Crownes their barrenesse the others fruitfulnesse their humilitie the others honour their ignorance the others knowledge their simplicitie the others wisedome their weakenesse the others strength and a little thing that the righteous hath is better then the great possessions of the vngodly When there is famine they are satisfied when ther is warre they are deliuered when there is plague they are without daunger if fire fall from heauen it shall not burne them if the waters arise aboue
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
dead Let not the lots of your inheritance deceiue you though their soile bee as fruitfull as this of Iudah and your possessions neuer so great he that in one night destroyed all the fruites of Egypt can also in one houre blast your corne with deawes consume your possession with drought for a fruitful land maketh he barren for the wickednes of them that dwell therein Secondly we note out of these wordes when he tooke his wife and children with him an example of a religious father and a louing husband he might if hee had consulted with flesh and bloud done like our husbands in these dayes which had rather in their wandering shifte about for themselues and leaue wife and children in a sea of troubles to sinke or swimme to some doubtfull releefe But the godly in old time knew that their wiues and children were as themselues and as they were carefull to cherish their owne bodyes so they were mindfull to nourish their owne families This the Lorde at the first mariage that euer was comaunded that for a mans wife he should forsake father and mother and they two shall be one flesh as if hee had sayd parents must not hinder fellowship of wedlocke much lesse pouertye or temporall wants as the barke is ioyned to the tree the fleshe to the bone if one be without the other they both perish so must husband and wife liue and loue togither vnlesse they will be the slaughter slaues of their owne destruction We read of this practise in the scripture when Abraham by reason of a famine went downe into Egypt hee tooke Sara his wife with him when I shak by reason of a famine wēt to Abimelech the king of Gerar he took Rebecea his wife with him How do we read of Iacob how twise he sent into Egipt for al his family the third time hee went down with all his household his sonne Ioseph fed him fiue yeares of famine yea the Apostle sayth that he is worse then an infidel that prouideth not for his own family and Christ going from his disciples asked them if they had wanted any thing and they answered nothing Against this pointe of doctrine there are manye that offend some that are married by their couetous parents who respect nothing but wealth are so matched as if a vine were planted in the flowing of the sea which prospereth best whē the water is lowest euen so these are in sweetest fellowship when one is a thousand miles frō the other Others there are which in theyr marryages please nothing but their eies which as old persons cannot see without spectacles so they cannot find wiues without the spectacle of bewty and these loue as long as bewty eudureth which is till they be sicke for sicknes is the cutthrote of beauty Some take wiues and husbands as fooles find pearles for as they cannot discerne them pebles so these are ignorant of all kind of dutie towards one another From hence proceedeth all the adulteries which are dayly committed here ariseth the fountaine of strife contention debate ielousie also the vnhappy blows which many giue to their wiues hence it cōmeth that so many gentlemen and others are seldome at home but eyther beyond the sea in warres or in trauaile which in their vnmaried estate wanted nothing but vviues but novv being maried vvant all things but vviues Hence it commeth that they termed them by the odious titles of crosses plagues troubles and also as I haue heard some say the causes of their vndoing vvheras they may as vvell accuse the eye of his blindnes as their vviues of their own wilfull miserie and to conclude there is not one breach of loue or kindnes betweene them but it springeth from these corruptions which then were sowed when they intended their mariage But oh beloued let not the godly be drawen away with the crooked conuersation of these contentious persons but let thē be armed vvith the forenamed examples of godly vnitie that as their troubled daies were eased in the ioy of their ovvne loue so let our miseries be releeued which you suffer in wedlock with your comfortable agreement in christian societie for so saith Salomon Let thy fountain be blessed and reioyce with the wise of thy youth and thus much of this second doctrine Thirdly by this we may note that the godly are oppressed vvhen the vvicked haue abundance heere vve see the Israelites vvhich vvere the Church of God had a famine but the Moabits to vvhom this man descended being a cursed generation incestuous gentiles had plentie abundance for els Elimelech vvould not haue gone thither to be relieued This may seeme a strāge thing that the godly shuld be oppressed with famine when worldlings heathens shall wallow in their wealth Of these Dauid speaketh I haue seene the wicked strong spreading himselfe like a bay tree And in another place They are inclosed in their owne fat And againe he saith They haue their portion in this life whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasure their children haue inough leaue the rest of their substance to their children And in another place there are on bands in their death but they are lusty strōg they are not in trouble like other men and a litle after these are the wicked yet prosper they always increase in riches The very like you may heare in Iob in the prophet Ieremy But of the rightous he saith often crieth out of their afflictions their sorrowes nakednes their hūger misery all the day long are they appointed as sheepe to the slaughter yea our sauiour Christ pronounceth himself in his members poore hungry naked harborles thristy and imprisoned the foxes haue holes and the birds of the aire haue nests but the sonne of man hath not where to rest his head And the authour of the epistle to the Hebrues sayth of the godly Some are stoned some cut asunder some slaine with the sworde some wandering abroad in goats skinnes and sheepe skinnes destitute oppressed euill entreated of whom the world was not worthy wandering in deserts in the mountaines in dennes and caues of the earth Iudge now I beseech you betweene the outward estate of the godly and the wicked are they not contrarie That which of the world is condemned is of the Lorde commended yet I beseech you my brethren be not terrified from godlynes but rather strengthened in your profession Then will you say tel vs the cause of all this inequality Our sauiour answereth it very wel You are not sayth he of the world if you were of the world the world would loue his owne and Dauid saith that their portion is onely in this life but Christ sayth our reward shall bee great in heauen and againe you shall weepe and lament but the worlde shall reioyse but your sorrowe shalbe turned to ioy like a woman that reioyseth
come safe to Moab and there to liue till they got fauour and dwelling and also maintenance was a singular fauour of the Lord towards both that howsoeuer they were afflicted yet they were not lefte destitute And this teacheth vs that in al our afflictions we receiue especiall blessings at the hands of God for this end that we should not bee swallowed vp of sorrowe There is no sicknesse but it is eyther short and sharpe or els tedious and light if it bee sodaine and verie extreame the continuance of it is but short if it belong and tedious it hath some time of ease some time of more quietnes so that in all our miseries we may say with the godly If the Lord had not bene on our side we had bene swallowed quick he tempereth the sodainest showres with least continuande and the longest winter hath many faire dayes Be strong therfor my brethren and sisters for sure the Lord will stablishe your hearts feare not all the daungers of the world though as many troubles compasse vs as there were Sirians about Eliseah yet lifte vp your eyes there are many thousands more with vs then are against vs. He that suffereth none to bee tempted aboue their power will not lay more vppon vs then we are able to beare but as he wrestled with Iacob with one hand he held him vp with the other so though hee afflict with one arme he shall sustaine with the other Which tooke them wiues Now we are come to the childrē the holy ghost expresseth the frendship which they receaued of the Moabits after the death of the father which is their mariage with their daughters Where first of all it may be demanded in this place seeing the Lord forbideth all strange mariages whither these sons of Elimelech did not offend against this law we know that the vnmaried are at liberty to mary whom they will onely in the Lord now the Moabits were heathen people and strangers from God his couenant and therefore these persons maried not in the Lord. To which I answere briefly that the Lord forbiddeth mariages with infidells for two causes first when wee may lawfully and without daunger ioyne our selues to them that are godly and wil presumptuously for worldly respects run to the daughters of men secondly that wee should refraine from all such mariages where wee are like to bee drawne away from our profession as wee see in Salomon But these sonnes of Elimelech offended in none of these For first they were now straungers and had no other choise and secondlie it appeareth by that which followeth that they were both well perswaded in religion For as Moses marryed a Madianitish woman and was blamelesse and Salman the sonne of Nahasson the prince of the Iewes maried with Rahab which both were the parents of Boaz mentioned hereafter and was faultles nay it was done by the permission of Iosuah therefore lawfull euen so these straunge Iewes moued with the same reasons chused the like mariages But some wil say the Iewes which had maried strange wiues in the captiuity of Babilon might haue alledged this against Nehemiah that they were in captiuitie had no women to take but strangers To the which I answere if they had so obiected they had spoken vntrueth and so would Nehemiah haue replyed for there were Iewishe women captiues as well as men and further I say that this their marying of strange women was the cause of the destruction of many Iewish women who being forsaken of their owne people must of necessity bee maried to infidells which could neuer returne to Ierusalem Again these sons of Elimelech by their mariage gayned greater fauour of the Moabits but especially the hande of God was in it that when they both should be dead Ruth might be maried to Boaz and be made a mother of Christ First therfore we note out of this that as these Moabits were kind to the father in giuing him residence so they were louing to the sons in giuing them wiues a notable example of humane curtesy giuen vnto vs by these heathens that we with the like fauour should entertaine strangers But manie couetous parents in these dayes which would be accompted Christians are so farre from doing this vnto strangers that they will hardly doe the like to their natural Countriemen rather imitating that vngodly Laban who made marchaundise of his daughters then godly Caleb in beestowing them on Othniell be he neuer so poore if they haue deserued well of Church or cōmon wealth rather desiring to aduance their postiritie in the glory of the world thē to discharge their duetyes in the presence of God They will say they ayme at this the feare of the Lord when as if they had matched their children with Turkes or infidells they would not or could not be more profane then those sauing onely these are outwardly obedient to a Christian prince that they might with more libertie followe theyr licentious Atheisme when as peraduenture the other woulde not so dissemble so that goods and not goodnesse the worlde and not the woorde earthly vanitie and not heauenly felicitie our parents ayme at But what shall wee saie to them that force theyr children not onely to match agaynst theyr mindes but to marrie with publike papists and knowen recusants onely for thinges of this lyfe Truely I aunswere that it is agaynst these that the Lorde speaketh when hee sayth You shall not take theyr daughters to your sonnes nor giue your daughters to theyr sonnes but as they haue marryed wythout the counsell of the Lorde in murdering the fruites of theyr owne bodyes euen so they shall prosper wythout the blessing of God in confounding the soules of theyr owne posteritie and as the children of the Iewes which were borne of strange women were separated from the newe founded temple euen so these shall bee excluded from the euerlasting Ierusalem And they tarryed there This time of theyr abode in Moab signifieth the great continuance of this miserie First for the Iewes at home who indured famine and secondly for these abroade which liued among Infidels tenne yeeres together It is a fearefull thing wyth vs that wee haue but one yeeres famine oh then wee thinke that the Lorde hath forgotten to bee mercifull But we haue heard alredie of famines of great continuance that in Iosephs time was seauen yeeres together that in Dauids time was three yeeres and a halfe and this miserie lasted tenne yeeres together Wherein many godly persons dyd patiently indure it Howe is it then that for this lyttle dearth among vs there are so great exclamations for corne and plentie such horrible blasphemies agaynst the Lorde himselfe saying Shall this indure alwaie Was there euer anie poore people thus afflicted Is this the fruit of the Gospell Are these the fauours of God and his righteousnesse in keeping his promise with such lyke too horrible to bee suffered as if the
light let vs shine forth in holy conuersation seeing the world is our enemie which dayly lyeth in wait to discredit our profession let vs adorne the Gospell wee professe eyther make the tree good and the fruite good or the tree euill and the fruit euill cast awaie this counterfeit holynesse which is double iniquitie let vs confesse with the mouth vnto saluation beleeue in the heart to iustification and practise in lyfe vnto sanctification and let euerie one that calleth on the name of the Lorde departe from iniquitie Thus much for the Daughters aunswere Nowe to the mothers replie in the nexte verse But Naomi In this verse and in the two next following Naomi confirmeth her counsell by forcible reasons taken from their second marryages and studying more for theyr good than her owne The first reason is that shee hath no mo sonnes eyther borne or vnborne to bee their husbandes for by the lawe one brother being dead without issue the next was to marrie his wife and to raise vp seede to his brother They knewe shee had no mo children alreadie borne and shee proueth that shee is out of hope to haue anie mo by her ovvne age she is too old to marry therfore to beare children so that the force of this reason is to perswade them to go back againe that they might marry at home for she knew not how to bestowe them in her owne Countrey In the which words thus taking a reason frō their marriage she noteth the duetye of younger widdowes and women which is to marry and to beare mo children and in her selfe persuading them vnto it shee noteth the duetie of godly parents which is to deale priuatly with them for their publique commodity For the apostle Paul willeth the selfe same thing that the younger widdowes marry and bring foorth mo children as the most acceptable condition for their fruitfull dayes and a necessary duety for replenishing the Church But these persons must not so marry for wantonnes as if they minded nothing but procreation of children but they must ioyne with it all Christian obedience to the aduise of their husbands secondly they must be carefull to bring vp their children in the feare and nurture of the Lord thirdly this must bee the end of their mariage and childbirth that they may the more deuoutly giue themselues to the worship of God and by their children to increase the number of the faythfull For it is better to be barren then to bring forth children to the deuill which they do that mind nothing lesse then their carefull education and Christian instruction yea it is more excellent to bee a religous widdow then a prophane maried wife But some will say that second mariages are not lawful at all because Paul willeth that such widowes should not bee chosen into the number of church seruants and the holy ghost giueth such commendation of Anna because shee neuer married though shee were left a widdow very young moreouer the counsell of Paul is that if they bee losed from husbands or wiues they should not seeke to beioyned vnto them Vnto all which I answere with the same Paul That a woman so soone as shee is loosed from her husband or so soone as her husband is dead shee is at liberty to marry with whom she will onely in the Lorde Anna is commended more for her religion them her chastity And Paul his counsell is to them that could forbeare in those dayes of persecution But to come to Naomi shee saith shee is to old to marry therefore it seemeth though second mariages bee good for young women yet they are not lawfull for the old To this I answere her meaning is not that it is simplie vnlawfull for her to marry but that it should not profit her in regard of child bearing men desire young and fruitfull women not old and barren her purpose is to persuade her daughters that she neither had nor coulde haue anye more children for them therefore in the next verse she addeth If I hoped or If I were this night with an husband But in my iudgment I see no reasonable cause why old women especially shuld marry how soeuer others may be contrarye minded my reasons are these First I reade it not practised by any body in the scripture I meane such old women as in their owne consciences are persuaded they are past child bearing Secondly they breake the greatest consideration in marriage they vndertake it for lust and not for children for marriage was not ordained for the lust of the mind but the necessity of the body to withdraw it from sinne Now their withered bodies cannot accomplishe the desire of theyr carnall mindes Thirdly it bringeth great inconuenience with it if they marry with a young man there is no equalitie as anone shall bee proued if with old men like themselues what comfort can they minister vnto them Lastly such mariages are more for wealth then woman or necessitie Yet this is but my poore iudgment if anie doubt of it let them examine my reasons if they bee waighty let them receiue them if light amend them If any say they marry for comfort as they can say nothing els I demaund why poore women haue not this comfort as well as the rich I see seldome any poore widowes maried but the wealthy so soone as eyther honesty or modesty will suffer them Againe comfort is no sufficient cause for marriage because it may bee had without marriage but children cannot It is the duety of married folks with their mutuall loue to comfort one another but not a cause that ought to constraine to mariage The Eunuch wanteth comfort yet who thinketh such a person fit for marriage a continent person which as Christ sayth hath made himself chast for the kingdome of God vvanteth comfort yet he should sinne greiuously if he married for comfort let lawfull things be ioyned with expedient and I thinke olde women will neuer marrie Yea if I had This is the second reason wherewith she persuadeth her daughters to turne backe againe namely graunt she had sonnes new borne yet it were too long for them to tarry till they were growen vp and fit for marriage yea then they would bee past children also they should lose the season of their youth and so should reape no haruest of their daies there would be no agreement in yeares betweene them when they should be as a withered stubbe and the young men as greene oliues Where we note that by the iudgment of this godly Naomi there must bee an agreement in yeeres betweene the parties that shal be married for she saith would ve be deferred for them from taking any husbandes nay my daughters by the which wordes shee signifieth that it would be no fit marriage that one should be so old and the other so young The Lord created Adam and Heuah in one day not only that marriage should not bee deferred too long
charity and compassion try and examine their brethren When our sauiour Christ had dealt with the Cananitishe woman about the like cause seeing that silence would not answere her nor deniall satisfie her nor the opprobrious word of dogge dismay hir then he yelded to her desire cured her daughter and proclaimed her faith to bee wonderfull By which wee gather that it is an vngodly thing to try any in religiō or in any good motion beyond their strength for it is no doubt but Naomi if shee would could haue multiplied mo obiectiōs against this enterprise of Ruth but hir mind was to try her not to trouble her to confirme her not to confound her and to shew vnto her what must bee her resolution if she go vnto the Lords people she can hope for no earthly felicitye she must neuer repent and turne backe againe she must bury both countrey and kindred in the graue of forgetfulnes that the thoughts or desire of their fruition must neuer hinder the course of her religion Whereby all the godly are by Naomi admonished to be carefull whō they receiue into their company and how gentlye they must entreate them when they finde their fidelity the rauens will not feede their owne birds or young ones so long as they bee naked till their feathers come out and they knowe them to be their owne which iealousy of soules must teach vs that if wee see not the euident tokens of godlynes we must not receiue yea our owne kinsmen into the secrete of our hearts to communicate vnto them the sweet felowship we haue with Christ for many daily creepe into the church to espie our liberty but as Iohn saith if any come vnto you bring not this doctrine receiue them not to house nor bid them good speede But in this it is strange to see howe farre manie godly persons are deceiued which beleeue euerylight word of hipocriticall persons esteeming them good christians giuing thē the right hand of fellowship opening the treasures of the Lord to these mockers of spiritual things casting the childrens crummes to dogs and their pretious pearles before these filthy swine which tread both Christ and his gospell vnder the feete of their hearts and rent reuile persecute and seeke the destruction of the truely religious would God we were all Naomies in this point to trie their spirites whether they be of God seeing so many false spirits are gone out into the world for we must not commit our selues to euery one that will outwardly say as wee beleeue but first see the fruits and afterwards iudge of the tree We know how many in the Gospel our sauiour Christ refused which offered themselues vnto him for none can come to him but those whom his father draweth And against this especially do all the flattring Michaes and please-man preachers of England offend which as the prophet saith sowe pillowes vnder the elbowes of the people that is they giue them rest in their singular sins if they can say Lord Lord they tell them they are good christians if they come once a weeke to the church their deuotion is sufficient if they spend all their dayes in ignorance vanity yet a few words at the later end will recouer them Oh how fearefull and lamentable is the condition of such pastours and people where they are thus flattred in their sins stroked in their iniquityes they heare the gospell feed on the sacraments dwel safely in the house of God and eate of the fatte of the lands that their iudgement might be without excuse their damnation the greater themselues the prepared oxen for the Lords slaughter house they cry peace peace mercy mercy speake of plenty not penury of feasting not famines of pleasures not suffrings of mirth not mourning of newe wine not God his word nay they bid the most couetous cormorants in croching vsurers prodigall russians beastly drunkards filthy adulterers cursed blasphemers common swearers dumbe ministers and prophane and carnall atheists to hope for saluation whereas the Apostle sayth not one of these shall inherite the kingdome of God Is not this to cast childrens bread to doggs and to make the most holie Gospel a cloake nay rather a patent or charter to worke all manner of licenciousnes surelie if Naomi would not promise any thing to her deere daughter Ruth but rather discourage her from following the Lorde in the triall of her fayth you are as farre wide from any hope of sauing health as heauen from the earth or light from darknes therfore to conclude as the gold is not knowen but by the touchstone so is not any Christian till he be throughly tried in religion as the goldsmith will not accept it though it seeme neuer so fayre till he haue tried it so must not wee loose the bands of sins till they be repented or bind the breaches of iniquity till they be satisfied nor account any a christian till wee haue throroughly tried him Other there are which will neuer bee satisfied in their brethren euery day troubling thē with vaine vnprofitable questions neuer giuing thē ouer til they haue wearied them with their wranglings seking to deface in thē that little knowledge which they haue discourage them from the profession of christiā religion But most abhominable is y e dealing of many with their neighbours both christian men women who forsaking the cursed pastime of carnall cōpanions espiing the insufficiencie of dumbe vnpreaching ministers burning in loue for the pure preaching of God his word and seeking that where it is to be found absent themselues from their assemblies now then they present thē to the courts as wicked recusants where I warrant you they find as much fauor as Paul did before Felix thus we are many times vniustly vexed for good cōsciēces turmoiled aboū for hearing of sermons almost as much as any papist for abhoring our religion this it is that feareth many causeth other to fall back before troubles come dismaieth many weake soules when they see their poore brethren in this peaceable time vnder the gouernment of so godly gratious a prince so tormented as is incredible the experience of this is too too cōmon in euery corner of our countrey where ther is any diligent preacher or profitable hearer Let vs therfore my brethren with Naomi cease to vexe the godly minded Ruths both mē womē our dānation shalbe the greater if we draw driue men from God the laws require it not the magistrates like it not our profession forbiddeth it accursed are those godles iudges which pronoūce any sentence against these innocent persons Therefore saye with the prophet Come let vs ascend to the mountaine of the Lord euen to the hill of the God of Iacob for hee shall teach vs his waies and wee will walke in his pathes So they went foorth Now are these two good women both going and also come to Bethelem and vndoubtedly
ample manner confesse the benefites they haue receiued of other but by all meanes extenuate them which maketh men vnwilling to doo any good because they can haue no thankes for their labour And this it is that caused couetousnes and bribery extortion and vsury to enter vppon their bodies and wealth that woulde not gratifye with kinde and deserued reportes So that nowe men will please themselues with money and rewards that would haue beene satisfied with thankefull wordes which is a iust iudgment vpon the world that woulde not bee contented to recompence kindenes for kindnes are now plagued with couetousnes for kindnes Wherefore Naomi This is the last parte of this conference or dialogue wherein Naomi counselleth Ruth to follow and take the proffer of Boaz and abide with his maidens to auoyde all dangers if the reapers denye her in another field Where wee first of all note that if wee acquainte our parents and friendes with our actions and enterprises it might goe farre better with vs in the things of this life for their aged counsell which they haue bought with much experience may stay our vnsteddie mindes with their approued aduise Ruth in this place declaring the curtesie of Boaz hath it confirrmed with the counsell of Naomi and grounded vppon a reason which shee knewe not nor feared not For shee thought that in euerye place shee shoulde haue found the like entertainemente and the reapers that then were shoulde so continue to the ende of haruest but Naomi knewe they were often changed and so in the ende it might fall out otherwise then Boaz appointed or Ruth expected And this me thinketh doth shewe vnto vs what manner persons parentes ought to bee for if children wante counsell they shoulde bee aduised by their parents if comfort it should bee ministred by parents if necessaries they should be prouided by parents if instruction they should be guided by parents and finally if correction they should be orderred by parentes which is not onely to bee wished but is required by the Lorde that they bring them vp in the feare and nurture of the Lord. And if this were duelye weyghed and reuerently considered as Eliahas cloake parted the waters of Iordan so this woulde parte asunder and breake of many thousand mariages in our dayes where parents are not able to counsell nor willing to bee counselled which if they woulde they had not beene married This I speake not to the discredite of marriage but onely I exhorte as from the Lord that those which eyther are or intend to be married would looke and trauaile first for wisedome and then for wiues first for vertue and then for husbands wherein if they followe my aduise I assure them their marriages will be much merrier and their posterity much happier Secondly by this wee gather that it is a daungerous or indecent thing for women to trauaile or worke alone without any company for the weakest are soonest oppressed and women are quickely conquered We knowe Dinah trauailing alone was taken rauished by Sichem and Abigail when she went to pacific the wrath of Dauid tooke seruantes with hit as in this place Naomi counselleth Ruth to abide in the companye of the seruants of Boaz accounting it an indecent and vnseemelye thing for women and maidens to bee seene alone And truely if seruantes in our dayes had many times more companye there woulde bee lesse dishonestye among them for wee knowe and see to our griefe that the daylye and vsuall familiaritye of a fewe hath bredde some disease in our church and distemper in our common wealth This I speake that euen in these dayes of peace men woulde bee more carefull ouer daughters and seruauntes and not to employe them so commonlye as they doo in iourneyes and trauaile and solitarye busines but for more assurance keepe them with company which may bee their defense against all dangers if any happen and the auoyding of dishonesty if any be so lightly disposed Thirdly by this we note what companie were beste for both kinde of youthes either young men or maidens when Naomi saith it is good for thee to go foorth with his maidens that is thou art a woman and abide among his women and maidens for all companions are neither fit nor lawefull maidens among men and men among maidens is for many causes disalowed First because there is no such equality in the sexe that they might keepe together for if they labour it is not alike and if they sporte their pleasures are contrary and if they dallye it is flat iniquitye In consideration whereof in olde time the wiues had one tent to dwell in and the husbandes another as wee maye see in Abraham in Sara in Iacob and his wiues and like this it is that Miriam and the women of Israell praysed God by themselues after their deliuerance out of Egipt and Moses and Aaron her bretheren with all the men of Israel by themselues And also wee knowe howe the virgins of Israel went vp euery yeere in to the wildernes to lament and talke with the daughter of Iephthah Whereby we are taught that not onely for feare of daunger but also for modestye and conscience sake wee must auoyde this mingled companyes of men and women excepte in necessarie occasions as prayer priuatelye and publiquelye communication of godlye pretended marriages and such like businesse Whereby also wee see at once condemned the feasting dancing meeting playing and running of men and maidens together without all respect of honesty or modesty And that which is worst parents and maisters will beholde their pastime and delight in the vanitye of their wanton children trayning them vp in a dissolute life and commending their indecent and vnseemely behauiour Amend this neglygence in the shell of infancye and your children will growe vp to your greater comfort and prosper to their more happye welfare and the occasion of many sinnes will be cut of if we follow the counsell of the spirite of God And so she abode This is the conclusion of this chapter second part of this history shewing vnto vs that Ruth followed y e counsel of her mother abiding with y e maidens of Boaz to the end of barly and wheat haruest aferward dwelleth w t her mother again Where wee obserue another example of obedience in Ruth that hearkened to the voice of her mother and went forth with the maidens of Boaz. And surely it is commonly seene that such as the mother is such is the daughter for more Naomies would make mo Ruthes and mo good mothers would make more good daughters And in these dayes all the faults of children may iustly bee imputed to the folly of parents as the olde crabbe goeth so goeth the young and as the old cocke croweth so croweth the young a serpent hatcheth a serpent not an eele so euill parents bring foorth euill and vngodly chilren but good fathers by diligent instruction and tender admonition by praying with and for their
of ointment and he excused her and commended her for it And it was an vse in old time to annoint the bodies of them that were dead as wee may see how those three women Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of Iames and also Salome came to annoint the body of Christ lying in the graue If this was lawfull to bee done to the deade carkases much more is it to the liuing bodyes of God his Saintes And here by the way wee may profitably describe what is to bee thought of starching because the godly are much troubled therewith for some thinke it vtterly vnlawfull some suppose it to bee indifferent but other imagine it to bee necessarie and euery one of these doe mutually condemne one another Therefore let vs heare the reasons that are brought against it if they bee waightie receaue them if light and of little force wee will leaue it to the discretion of the faithfull First they say against it that it consumeth the graine of wheate whereof it is made so that the same which was ordayned for foode is transferred to another vse which is vnlawfull To which I answere so was oyle ordayned for nourishment as well as wheate yet the godly might take that most comfortable creature and apply it to the adorning and setting forth of their bodies which was lawfull for them and therefore the other for vs if it bee sparingly vsed But they will say oile was applyed to the body but this is onely in the apparell therefore the reason of them is not alike To which I aunswere that which is done to the apparell is done to the bodie because it is done for the bodies sake as we read of Izaack which smelled the sauour of Esaus garmentes that Iacob wore when hee got the blessing and vpon that pronounced his blessing But they reply againe and say it maintayneth pride and therefore is vnlawfull but I aunswere it is harde to condemne except wee knewe the hearte for that is the feate of pride and not the apparell Agayne if any doe so abuse it they more offende in that by a thousande partes then if the thing in it selfe were vtterly vnlawfull therefore the faulte lyeth in the persons not in the manner of addressing themselues But they obiect agayne That it is a greate losse of time for it asketh much more labour then simple washing but I aunswere so did this annointing and if the reason be good against the one it auayleth also against the other so that of the three former iudgmentes I thinke it in the meane to bee indifferent And thus in a worde and briefly I haue touched it as a thing not worth any farther handling and haue vttered my poore iudgement in the same in the behalfe of them that indifferently vse it because some haue slaunderously giuen out that none but proude and singular persons vse it others haue scornefully aunswered that none but precise fooles mislike it But let vs in the spirite of meekenesse and gentlenesse neither condemne them that vse it nor contemne those that doe forbid it Neyther doe I speake this to perswade any to imbrace it whose consciences haue alwaies beene against it but I charitablie desire them to beare with their breethren and in these vnnecessary trifles to suffer all the faithfull to inioy their christian libertie But especially let vs learne to praise the Lord which hath thus carefully and plentifully prouided for vs euery waye outwardly in our bodies making his creatures to comfort vs and inwardly in our soules giuing his owne spirite to bee the earnest of our saluation that wee might want nothing to drawe vs away from his maiestie but in all thankes-giuing to walke before him in the profession of the Gospell being compassed about with the helpes of this life as Elisha was with the mountaines of Angels that the comfortles sorrowes of worldly miseries may neuer driue vs to desperation And put thy garmentes This is the seconde thing which Naomi willeth Ruth in her preparation to goe downe to Bohaz for first shee commaunded her to dresse her bodie so nowe shee willeth her to put on her best apparell as the goodliest ornaments of her bodie for wee must not imagine that Ruth went naked in the house although shee bid her put on her apparell but her meaning is that she should put on her best apparel that euery way she might bee furnished to deale with so noble a personage so waightie a cause Out of the which we note First another duetie of humanitie that if God giue any blessing vnto vs we should also bee carefull in these bodies of sinne to prouide for our selues change of apparell For wee knowe after Adam had sinned the first thing hee thought on was somewhat to couer his nakednesse By the which wee may learne that the first entraunce or occasion of clothing was giuen by sinne that wee might couer the shame of our bodies for if Adam had continued in his estate of innocencie there had beene no shame of nakednesse no cause of garmentes no feare of colde or terrour of heate and therefore before all thinges he sowed some fig leaues together for the hiding of his offence but God made them garmentes of skins So then we must bee verie carefull for the conscience of sinne that wee couer our bodies with outwarde apparrel which indeede is but a type of shew howe our soules must be clothed with Iesus Christ For this cause it was vsuall in auncient time that they not onely prouided simplie a garmente for the present necessitie but many changes for their bodies commodities And as the worlde grewe so sinne increased and as sinne increased the miseries of our bodies multiplyed like a ruinous house that euery day falleth to decay more and more Therefore more helpes were inuented in the dayes of Abraham then in the life of Adam and more in the time of Moyses then in Abrahams and more in Salomons then in all the residue or former for as the soare spread it selfe so the salue must be lengthened now the ayre is intemperate the earth vnfruitfull the bodies of mankind molested by a thousand diseases and euery herbe which was the first mans nourishment is our surfet in so much as the auoyding of all these must bee carefully prouided by lawful deuises which the Fathers ordayned and appointed by longe experience to bee not a little holpe by the chaunge of apparrell And here wee see these poore people haue this benefite for their bodies as wel as the rich Now because in some the excesse hereof is so great that they passe all humanitie and in other the want is so indecent that it shameth mankinde to see their breethren go so basely Some being able yet like asses laden with much wealth they haue no power to bestowe it on themselues or other againe many poore soules which haue nothing to prouide or to couer them are neglected by them that are able Therefore in this place wee
founde to be nothing but rotten woode good for nothing But to come to Ruth shee perfourmeth her promise to God as Dauide sayth though it bee to her owne hinderance shee knoweth it with the appostles better to obeye God then men to followe Christe and not the flesh for the world it selfe shall bee shortelye consumed and then the louers thereof shall bee vtterlye condemned Oh let vs then practise the deniall of our selues before the time of tryall come let vs as the martirs did trye the burning of our fingers before wee venter our whole bodyes let vs giue some of our wealth to the poore nowe rather then keepe all to be spoyled by the wicked apostataes then but howe will men doo this at that fierye tryall when nowe in peace they will forsake and forsweare the Lorde some for their merchandise other for rentes reuenewes some to bringe the poore Nabaothes into destruction many for worldly profite and temporall gaine but this quene of worldly desire shall one daye bee meate for the dogges when it shall bee sayd that happye are all you that in wealth and pouertye haue followed the sonne of righteousnes in sinceritye 〈◊〉 Feare not my daughter His prayer and the reason thereof being ended nowe followeth the consolation hee giueth to Ruth in these wordes bidding her to caste awaye feare for what soeuer lyeth in his power he would doe for the whole citty would testifie the estate of her person and vprightnes in her liuing and therefore hee should bee much to blame if hee denyed so lawfull a request Out of the which we note First here is set down the duetie of all magistrates which is with meekenes and gentlenes to heare the petitions of their sutors for Boaz was a publike person or els Naomi had complayned to the magistrate but himselfe being a godly elder the suite is first priuately handled with him Therfore they must follow y e example of Bohaz here declared which is with the kindest wordes to intreate them and iust iudgementes to proceede for them alway yeelding to equitie where the cause is required For our sauiour accompteth a magistrate that is contrary minded neyther to feare God or to respect man that is such a one is hated of God and man For if magistrates loue God or regarde their subiectes they must bee easily entreated by the voyces of their suitors Therefore is that euerlasting commendation of Moyses y t hee sate in the door of his tent in iudgment frō euening vntil morning where al the people might freely haue accesse to his presence and godly conference with his person the which all the iudges in christendome might imitate without impeachment to their honours Olde Samuel when he had annointed and appointed Saule to raigne in his steade ouer all Israel appealed to the people what iniury he had done to any and the people iustified him in all thinges now hee was easily come vnto at all times when Saule and his fathers seruant seeking for asses woulde go to the man of God meaning Samuel Oh that all that are in authoritie would hearken to these examples that with all gentlenesse they might intreate the people of God committed to their gouernment that they might freely come to them and frendly speake with them that at the daye of their deathes they might haue the poore saintes of God praying for their deliueraunce their consciences vnburthened their duties discharged their subiectes satisfied iustice offered and their soules euerlastingly saued Secondly by this wee gather that iudges and iustices must especially looke to the godly for Boaz saith that all the cittie knew Ruth to be a godly woman So that hee bindeth himselfe by her religion to be as carefull for her being a stranger as if she were his naturall daughter For as all the cittie knewe her religious so they would all reioyce to see her aduanced And this is the cause wherefore the Lorde hath so much commended vnto vs the estate of widdowes and fatherlesse children because for the most parte they are oppressed and not oppressors vexed and not vexours receyuers and not doers of iniurie And surely such are simple godly men they will beare many burthens before they complain for euery trifle they wil not trouble a magistrate Therefore euery magistrate must saye with Dauid My eyes shalbe on them that speake truth on the earth and they that walke vprighly shall be my seruantes so haue you respect of persons though not in iudgement yet in common opinion for the professors of religion are your dearest friends who without ceasing powre forth their prayers for you that in equitie you might drawe your sword for them Oh howe lamentable is it to heare how poore godly men are dayly blasphemed and reproched for their religion when wicked Atheistes carnall persons common swearers godles wretches haue their harts desire at the hands of the magistrate Surely such persons who desire your aide against other deserue your swordes of iustice against themselues for they neuer come into your presence but to the dishonour of God Execute iudgement therefore for them and vpon them Thirdely by this wee gather what it is that most commendeth women for Boaz saith vertue and if all y t world crie the contrary yet Bathsheba the mother of king Salomon will confirme it for thus she saith Fauour is deceitful beautie is vaine but a woman that feareth God shee shall get praise for her selfe for vertue and the feare of the Lorde are both one thing So that this is the thing they are most commended for if religion will take any roote in their hartes for beauty is worne by age proportion of body lost by sicknes loue of men at the wagging of a hand and braue apparell when wealth decayeth onely the feare of the Lord endureth for euer We reade that Vasti the queene of Asuerus was exceeding beautifull but she disobeyed her husbande and was put from her princely roome when godly Ester was taken in her steade If the feare of God had beene in the former to obey her husbande Esther had not so soone come into her place But the Lorde that hee might punish the pride of the one and reward the religion of the other lifted vp vertuous Esther and cast downe that stately Vasti to shewe vnto vs that much better is the feare of the Lorde then all the beautie and glorie of the world We finde many commended in the worde of God for their faith but fewe for their fairenesse that all shoulde learne more earnestly to labour that the hid man of the hearte may bee founde in incorruption of a gentle and a quiet spirite which is very precious in the sight of the Lord. Lastly let vs all learne by this aswell rich as poore gouernours as subiectes men as women that aboue all thinges we followe the example of Ruth to please God more then our selues to labour for vertue and religion as for a treasure
hid in the ground to search for it as for golde and siluer that wee may boldly come before the iudges of the Lorde and pleade as subiectes seeing the knowledge of the lawe resteth in our hartes And let vs diligently labour for good reportes that the magistrates may speake for vs as Bohaz doth for Ruth to her singular comfort that we may with boldnes stande to be iudged not to suffer as euill doers For a good name is better then a precious ointment the godly and guiltlesse are most honorable when they are causeles accused euen as Ioseph the neerest way for him to come to the kings fauour was first of all to be wrongfully imprisoned So if we studie to lead holy conuersations let theÌ„ draw vs to the iudgment seates as offendors yet our religion shal speake for vs not guilty and though all the world should vniustly condemne vs yet the sonne of God shall sue out our pardon And true it is I am thy Wee shewed you in the beginning that his consolation had two partes The first his confession in this verse and the other his counsell in the nexte Nowe then conâ—meth his confession to be handled wherein hee graunteth himselfe a kinsman and therefore bonde vnto that dutie shee required of him but yet withall hee soberly telleth her there is one neerer then I meaning to shewe her that the whole care of the matter doeth not cheesely depende vppon him Whereby wee gather the singular conscience and humilitie of Bohaz for if the feare of God had not hindered him hee might like scorneful persons haue denied that he had any kindred so base and therefore hee might haue tolde her that shee was come to a wronge man that shee had mistaken her marke that she must not looke so hic as the choise man in Bethlehem some baser husband wil beseem a Moabitesse But hee doth not so for hee confesseth against himselfe that her suite was equall and he bounde to deale in it Where againe wee haue another worthy example for all magistrates to imitate euen to pronounce iudgemente agaynst their owne causes and giue euidence against their owne commoditie For what a simple thing was it for Boaz to marry with so poore a woman as Ruth by whome he could hope for no great portion but onely religion Oh that this vprightnes woulde enter into the hartes of men in our dayes when they handle their mutual affaires to speake the trueth indifferently as well against as for themselues yea and forsake their dearest frendes in vnlawfull suites But rather it reioyceth them at the hearte to see bad matters bolstered vp and wronge iudgementes through ignorance vniustly pronounced whereas the plaintifes and defendantes themselues do eyther of them in their owne conscience knowe their cause to be nought yet against both conscience iustice and equitie will spende their money and heartes also to be throughly reuenged on their christian neighbours to ouerthrow their cause be it neuer so equall yet this is their drift to make the righteous law the onely defendour of all their vnrighteous and vngodly dealinges Howe if there were no lawe nor magistrate woulde these malicious persons behaue themselues that dare to wreste the helme of iustice by corruption in these peaceable daies and are more sitte to bee the inhabitantes of Sodome and Gomorhe then the fellowe dwellers with the godly and faithfull Woulde God that euery offendour were bounde to restore for euery defaulte foure times so much then woulde our quietnes bee greater our suites vprighter the truth vttered before danger causes ended without chargeable costes wise men shoulde bee the lawyers the trueth should be the euidence yea equitie should giue iudgement against our selues Tarry this night This is the counsell that Boaz giueth vnto Ruth that seeing it was night she should tarry till the morning and then he will deale with her kinsman in the behalfe of his right which if hee will doe vnto her Bohaz cannot withstande him but if he refuse then will Bohaz performe the duetie Which promise hee confirmeth by an oath as the Lord liueth bidding her to sleepe vntill the morning Where we see first of all the kindnesse of the man that would not presently thrust a poore woman from the place of her lodging but quietly suffered her to harbour beside him yea and biddeth her to tarry at her rest to sleep vntill the morning Secondly hee woulde doe nothing which might preiudice the cause of her other kinsman before hee had gotten his consent to the deliuery of his right teaching vs thereby that it is not lawfull to enter into the least parte of our neighbours titles though wee may seeme to haue as great right in it as Bohaz had in Ruth without the free willing agreemeÌ„t of him that hath any propertie or interest therein Lastly Bohaz confirmeth his promise with an othe which is the last speech vnto the woman for her assurance to depend on his credite and the last thing that must bee vsed in all our communications But of these matters we haue already spoken and therefore thus much for this time Nowe let vs giue prayse to God The ende of the ninth Lecture The tenth Lecture Chap. 3. ver 14.15.16.17.18 14. And so she lay at his feet vntill the morning and then she arosâ— when one knew not another For Boaz said Let no man know that a woman came into the floore 15. And then hee saide Giue me the sheete wherewithall thou art couered and holde it vp then he measured sixe measures of barley and laid it vpon her afterward he went into the Cittie 16. But she came to her mother in lawe which said who art thou my daughter and she declared whatsoeuer the man had done vnto her 17. And she said also he gaue mee these sixe measures of barley for he said thou shalt not returne emptie to thy mother in law 18. Then saide she Be of good comforte vntill thou knowe how the matter will fall out for the man will not rest vnles he end it this day THese wordes are the last parte of this Chapter wherein is shewed vnto vs howe Boaz dismisseth Ruth after they had slepte till the morning and Ruth returneth ioyfully to her mother againe The wordes contayne two partes generally in them The first parte is betweene Bohaz and Ruth verse 14.15 The second is betweene Ruth and Naomi in the three next verses following The first parte betweene Boaz and Ruth is of those thinges which they did together in the barne First that Ruth laye at his feete vntill the morning Secondlye that shee arose earely before daye because Bohaz would haue none to knowe that a woman came into the floore After they were both risen Boaz giueth to her sixe measures of barley layeth them vppon her and sendeth her away Secondly hee himselfe goeth into the cittie verse 15. to performe that which hee had promised vnto her The other parte betweene Ruth and Naomi
in not redeeming the inheritance before this day that his couetousnes was so great that he had forgot the very lawe of God and finally he might haue called vpon the Magistrates for some punishment to be inflicted on him for his disobedience to the lawe of God and neglect of his duetie towarde Naomi But he doeth none of these but soberly in the presence of the elders hee turneth his gentle speech to the partye and hauing propounded the matter requireth a present answere Whereby wee are admonished that with the like charitie wee handle our neighbours if wee haue them at any aduantage for this is that meekenes that causeth to inherit the earth for thereby we follow Christ with whome we shall find rest for our soules for loue dealeth not churlishly it seeketh not his owne it is not bitter it thinketh no euill Therefore as Paule intreated the Ephesians so must I intreate you that we so walke as is worthy our vocation vnto the which we are called in all modestie meekenes and gentlenes of minde bearing with one another through charitie Oh how vngodly are these clamorous accusations among vs for which many lye in wayte that they might haue any cause to draw their bretheren as it were starke naked into the presence of the magistrates that is with most impudent and shamelesse vntruthes to charge and examine them vpon their owne suspitions neuer thinking on the iniuries they offer vnto them or looking for the same measure againe at the hands of other Some there arâ— also which for euery trifling farthing will call their neighbors before the Magistrate delighting in their owne iniuries the troubles of their friends the disquietnes of the Magistrates and the abuse of the lawe whose impatient constitution calleth for vengeance at the hands of the Lord and the curse of the land is gone out against them nothing is wanting but that the braunches of their vnquiet spirits should be pruned by the sword of iustice by them to whome they make their complaints Secondly by this example of Boaz we gather that the onely cause of bringing suites before the elders and magistrates was the peace and quietnes of the people not for the kindling but the quenching of contention before it arose that the dayly brawling rayling chiding and quarrelling might be preuented by the wisedome of the Magistrates for as the Philistines tooke away all the armour from the Israelites to keepe them from rebellion so Magistrates hearing of causes with seueritie and iustice should take away the instruments of oppressions and the weapons of contentious persons from the common wealth Thirdly by this also we gather the diuersitie of proceeding in iudiciall causes in these dayes and the times past Then men in their owne persons did pleade in iudgement their owne causes but now others make gaine of it then suites were not so tedious as now they are then men sought not out such sliding shifts to couer their falsehood but they did as Boaz and his kinseman doeth the one simply propounded his griefe and the other gently answered his question for so should euery one vtter the truth indifferently both to their benefit and damage then the world was not troubled with writs fees or counsellors but euery man brought his cause and his witnes so the iniury was quickly confessed easily tried and speedily remedied finally we retaine almost nothing of the auncient manners in this point but only the bare and outward names By the which we are admonished of humane misery for as the world groweth the troubles thereof are increased in the first age they had no warres in the second age they had no certaine dwellings in the third age they had no chargeable suits in the fourth age they had no quietnes and euer since warres haue multiplied bloud one countrey caried to another mens lawfull inheritances are taken by violence the Church is spoyled of her libertie the world of her peace our bodies of their health our goods of their continuance our names of their credit our corne of increase our lands of their fruits and all our liues of their naturall benefites Our Sauiour shewed vs that before the end the loue of many should waxe cold but surely it is not onely cold but frozen in our lamentable age the Apostle hath shewed vs that men should be louers of themselues and louers of pleasures more then God when shall these dayes be if they be not now may we not see that euery man raketh for his profite as the Eagle raueneth for her pray if they may get house or land leases or farmes goodes or carrels money or meate apparell or ease they care not though all other lye harborles in the fields naked in the streetes and pining in their weary and dayly labours Doeth not now the Gentleman make more accompt of his worship then the worship of God the Merchant of his profit then of Iesus Christ the husbandman of his fruits then of the feare of the Lord the labourer of his wages then the wealth of his soule the begger of his almes then of vnfained deuotion euery craftesman of his trade more then of true religion when shall the day of vengeance come for the Church of God trauaileth with child of these miseries and euery day is a thousand till she be deliuered surely the day cannot be long before the small remedy appeare But Boaz. said After he had entred with the land and the other had graunted to redeeme it he proceedeth also to the second part of his speech telling him if he redeeme it he must redeeme it at the hand of Ruth the Moabitesse the wife of the dead with whome he must marry to rayse vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritance This law for a man to marry with the widdow of his deceased brother as it is commaunded by the Lord so it had a speciall regard to many things first for the continuance of the first borne in euery family who were the Lords by the law signifying thereby that Christ the first borne of the almightie should remayne with all his Church like the first borne of this world and be the heyres of grace for euer and euer And as he would not suffer any family to want a first borne because it was the Lords so not one of the faithfull can be lost because they are the Lords Secondly because it was an image of the resurrection for as a man being dead without issue his brother taketh his wife begetteth a sonne which shall be called the sonne of the deceased and he which is dead shall liue in him in as much as his name is reuiued euen so the body layd dead in the graue shall be reuiued at the last day by the powerfull working of the almighty for as the first is wonderfull so the second is admirable Thirdly by this lawe of subrogation is signified the great care which the Lord had for the temporall augmenting of euery family among the Israelites
and in that the loue of God in Christ to his Church that though we dye without fruit in barrennes yet the Lord will giue vs a name whereby after a few dayes we shall liue with him for euer But in these words we first of all note when he saith that he must buy it at the hand of Ruth the Moabitesse the wife of the deceased that one cause both of the redemption of lands and marriage of the brother or next heyre to the widdow was for the womans or widdowes sake namely that she should not be left destitute for we reade in the Gospell of Luke that barrennes was a great reproch among women in those dayes now we know that this law was onely for barren widdowes and not for them that were fruitfull and who would marry with such a woman whome in his owne heart he feared would be fruitlesse therefore the Lord to succour these poore desolate widdowes gaue this for a lawe that the brother or neerest kinseman to their husbands deceased should take them to be their wiues where he againe commendeth vnto vs the carefull estate of destitute widdowes if they be oppressed we must ease them if reiected we must receiue them if forsaken we must comfort them if reproched we must acquire them and finally if they will marry they may yea their owne friends or the Church must prouide them husbands And seeing the Lord would thus decree by a lawe the safegard of those that were despised much more would he defend by iudgement the cause of poore fruitfull widdowes the mothers of many children Now although we are not bound to this lawe of mariage yet wee are tyed to doe good to the widdowes for the nature of the lawe being long since abrogated yet the vse thereof remayneth for euer and euer For maintenance by the word of God must be allowed them wherewithall they may liue theyr husbands beeing dead Therefore Boaz telleth hys kinseman that hee must redeeme the inheritance at the handes of Ruth the Moabitesse because by her marriage it is made the widdowes the husband dying without issue like as in this place wee obserue that all the inheritance descendeth to the widdow and therefore she bestowed her selfe vpon the next of the kindred who indeede with vs is the heyre to all Therefore by this we must all learne but especially the married or those that intend it hereafter that it is one especiall duty of a carefull husband to prouide before hand for the maintenance of their wiues that if death neuer so suddaine take them away yet they may not leaue them as many haue done harbourles without house comfortles without friends and wealthles without conuenient maintenance By this we see the cōmendable assurance of ioyntures dowers in lands or money which many parents do wisely take for their daughters to be a thing alowable by the word of God yet many offend in the excesse that they will neuer match where they can haue none though there be neuer so great hope in time to come so that wealth and nothing els is the end of most mariages Then by this we see cōdemned first all those which hauing sufficiēt will hardly leaue to their wiues anything beside that which they cannot keep from them and hence it is that many leaue to their children hundreds and thousands but scant twentyes or fortyes to their helples widowes Other hauing many children leaue the greatest part of their wealth to their widdowes through whose youthfull mariages many times their whole posteritie is brought to pouertie But a third sort there are which mind nothing saue only mariage and to borrow a little for their festiuall day but afterward let the world sinke or swimme children without bread wiues without comfort themselues as bare as the grashopper in winter and their whole families most pitifully tormented they repent though all too late the children wish they had neuer bin borne the parents curse the day of their first acquaintance the family complayne of pouerty the countrey of charges the people of necessity but they poore seely soules the innocent infants are left to the merciles world to liue in beggery Oh that this godly forecast would enter into the minds of many headlong parents that their liues might be more blessed their children more happy their families more contented the countrey better furnished and the poore better succoured that there might bee no complayning in our streetes no leading into captiuity and not one feeble person among vs that our sonnes may bee as the fruitefull garners and our daughters like the polished corners of the temple Oh blessed are the people that bee in such a case yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lorde Then should the name of God bee honoured by our liues and praised in our deathes when our widdowes are prouided for our children maynetayned our families nourished and our soules shalbe blessed Then the kinsman said This seconde question of marriage being propounded the kinseman in these wordes answereth that hee cannot redeeme the inheritance vpon that condition and giueth a reason thereof because then to saue anothers hee shoulde destroy his owne meaning if hee had but one childe by Ruth that shoulde bee for Machlon her deceased husbande and so his owne name shoulde bee forgotten in his inheritaunce Whereby wee see that he opposeth the feare of the losse of his owne name against the seuere commandement of God and doubteth that if hee followe the lawe of God and custome of the faithfull his land may lacke an heyre his house a mayster and himselfe a sonne The like vnto this was that of Onan the seconde sonne of Iudah when he shoulde haue taken the wife of his deceased brother would not performe his duety towarde her but abusing in filthines his owne body because he woulde not benefite his brother was therefore iustly slaine by the Lorde And I feare that a great many are sicke of this disease that loue the world aboue the worde their lande aboue the lawe of God their children more then charitie requireth who thinke they are borne for no bodie but onely for themselues but especially in mariage they had rather haue the lande then the man the portion then the woman like this man which was willing to take the inheritance but vnwilling to marrie the widdow for this cause they oppresse both children and widdowes they preferre their priuate gaine before publike godlines who for their posteritie some are occupyed in briberie some in vsury some in extortion and many in vnlawfull bargaining whose only and chiefe care is for nothing but that they may die rich but better is poore Lazarus at his death then all the rich gluttons in the worlde for wealth maketh not to die well but rather choketh the soule with infatiable care onely religion is the surest badge of a godly man whose riches is pouertie whose pleasure paine and whose rewarde is saluation But this man is well contented to
giue ouer his right to Bohaz wherein surely he doth him a pleasure but if there had beene any profite in it hee woulde first haue serued himselfe wherein wee haue a worthy example of a worldly minde which graunteth all things til it touch his discoÌ„moditie for thus the world wil heare vs preach till we rebuke their couetousnesse or craue their beneuolence for euery one will goe as farre dry foote as they can but none will be wet for the law of the Lord that is so long as we tell them of their faithes exhorte them to repentaunce perswade them from pleasure and drunkennesse but once touch their purses as Iohn Baptiste did Herodes whoredome then farewell preaching faith and repentance But thus much shal suffice for this time Now let vs giue praise to God The end of the eleuenth Lecture The twelfth Lecture Chap. 4. ver 7.8.9.10 7 Now this was the manner before time in Israel concerning the redeeming and chaunging for to stablish all thinges a man did plucke off his shooe and gaue it his neyghbour and this was a â—ure witnesse in Israel 8 Therefore the kinseman said to Boaz buy it for thee he drewe off his shooe 9 And Bohaz said vnto the elders and vnto all the people ye are witnesses this day that I haue bought all that was Elimeleches and all that was Chilions and Mahlons of the hande of Naomi 10 And moreouer Ruth the Moabitesse the wife of Mahlon haue I bought to bee my wife to stirre vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritance and that the name of the deade bee not put out from among his brethren and from the gate of his place ye are witnesses this day THese wordes contayne the finishing vp the matter betweene Bohaz his kinseman how the one resigneth his right to the other and the knitting vp of the marriage They consist of two partes first a description of the auncient maner of alienation or chaunging of titles rightes and properties in the seuenth verse in these wordes Nowe this was the manner afore time c to the ende of the verse The seconde is the manner how this man doth giue ouer and resigne his right to Boaz in the eyght ninth and tenth verses and contayneth two partes the first respecteth the kinsman in the ninth verse where first hee biddeth Boaz to buye or redeeme it Secondly hee draweth off his shooe The second parte respecteth Boaz and sheweth how he receyueth it in the 2. next verses wherin first he calleth witnes of the elders and people vers 10. Secondly he accepteth the proffer or purchase which is double first the lande or inheritaunce vers 10. Secondly the widdowe or wife of Machlon vers 11 of these let vs briefly speake in order as they lie with the assistaunce of God his spirite and the permission of the time Now this was First of all here is described the manner of God his people how in ancient time they were wont to alienate or put of their right from one to another which the holy Ghost setteth downe for the better vnderstanding of that which followeth And this manner of chaunging or selling was commaunded by the Lord himselfe as we reade in these wordes Then the Elders of his cittie shall call him and commune with him if he stand and say I will not take her Then shal his kinswoman come vnto him in the presence of the Elders and loose his shooe from his foote and spit in his face and aunswere and say so shall it be done to him that will not builde vp his brothers house And his name shall bee called in Israell the house of him whose shooe is put of In the which wordes wee note these thinges First that it was the dutie of the woman to complain of such a man before the magistrates as wee may see in the 7. ver Secondly that the magistrates were bounde to call and examine such personnes of the causes of their deny all Thirdely that the woman shoulde pul off the shooe and also spit in his face which the Lorde did doubtles commande for the poore comfortles womans sake that no excuse shoulde bee admitted of delay but that they might eyther be presently receyued or presently refused for shee which was not fit to day woulde not be to morrowe where wee gather the great care of the Lorde for widowes which hath warned their frendes to prouide for them marriages armed the magistrates to defende their weakenes truely as they which are least accompted in the worlde are most esteemed of the Lord euen so they which are most regarded of the worlde are least respected of the Lord for in this lawe the almighty had an especial eye to the poore for hee knewe the wealthy could want no husbandes Whereby wee are taught first to magnifie the goodnes of the Lorde which as Marie sayth looketh vpon the poore degree of his seruantes and beholdeth the rich a farre off his delight is in aduauncing of them that are cast downe and all his lawes defend the causes of the oppressed Secondly that wee make no light accompt or reckoning of those whom the Lord in his worde doth so highly commende vnto vs for it is an especiall token of them that shall bee saued that they make much of them that feare the Lorde what though they bee as poore as Lazarus and neuer so contemptible in the eyes of the worlde yet it is a thousand times more commendable to be frendly to such then to al the rich gluttons of y e world but of this point we haue spoken before and it is sufficient to touch it nowe Secondly by this wee also note that if there bee any iniury done to the children by their parentes or to widdowes by their friendes in their marriages it is lawfull for them to appeale to the magistrates As for example if the parentes woulde force their children eyther not to marrie at all or els to marry against theyr mindes rather then they yeelde to eyther of both they may and ought to sue to the magistrate The which as it was lawfull for the Iewes by this lawe here mentioned euen so it is left to vs to immitate although the ceremoniall vse of it bee ceased which consisted onely in the brothers marriage and as long as magistrates are so long the true vse of it remayneth as it doth in many others Yet although the Gospell speake not of it because it is a thing so farre against nature yet it commaundeth that they which doe euill shoulde feare the sworde of the magistrate because hee beareth it not in vaine and moreouer it is flatly against the Gospell that any shoulde doe vnto other which they woulde not haue done to themselues much more this forcible dealing with frendes or children And if it bee lawfull for the wife or husband to flie to the magistrate in priuate iniuries much more for the children which are weaker and therefore neede more helpe
Salomon sayth scorneth his maker then he which taketh from the poore shall rob the Lord and sure his iudgement shall be very seuere and his damnation very swift Thirdly it is lawfull to sell inheritances and to bestowe or employ the money vpon the Church so we reade of the primitiue Church how they which had land sold it and brought the money and layd it down at the Apostles feete and therefore is that excellent and fearefull history of Ananias and Saphira his wife who keeping backe but a part of the money that was their owne and confirming it with a lye were sodainely stroke dead I would to God the niggards of our age would consider this which will depriue the poore of that which they owe them and plucke from Church and ministery that which is giuen them But of this latter disease few are sicke in our dayes that they will sell their land to giue to the Church rather spend it in gluttony for their belly then liberality for their soule in good fellowship among ruffians then christian charity among the faithfull clothing themselues aboue their calling that for a season they may liue like Gentlemen and euer after in wofull slauery these singing fooles of all other are most miserable for their friends will not comfort them their fellowes will forsake them their wealth will decay but their woe shall be euerlasting Lastly by this verse we note that women or widdowes had the rule of their husbands inheritances if they died without heyres for heere it is sayd that Boaz buyeth it at the hand of Naomi because she was her husbands heyre and being past childbearing had giuē ouer her right to Ruth this we haue already shewed you was the singuler care which the Lord hath ouer poore desolate widdowes that they should not be despised although they were barren and therefore for their better preferment willed the inheritance to discend vnto them whereby we may see it is no new thing that women should be inheritours for the daughters of Iob had inheritances among their bretheren the daughters of Zelopehad had their fathers lot and Caleb gaue his daughter Acsah with an inheritance vnto his kinsman Othoniell which may suffice for proofe of this matter for the perpetuities of inheritances are condemned by God and man but I would to God that the wealth of many women were not their vndoing and their riches the cause of their casting away especially where friends haue aspiring mindes there the misery of maidens and widdowes falleth in nothing sooner for setting them aloft with wealthie portions and forgetting what they are in nature their riches fall to vnthrists and themselues to lamentable want And moreouer After the lands he descendeth to his mariage which is described in this verse wherein he protesteth that he taketh the lands that he might also marry with the woman and he marrieth the woman for no other cause but to stirre vp the name of the dead according to the commaundement of God for what els should mooue an old man to do that in his withered age which he refused in his lusty youth By the which we first of all note how wisely Naomi dealt with her husbands inheritance she might haue kept it to get her selfe a good marriage yet she giueth it to Ruth she might haue sold it to fill her purse but she bestoweth it to preferre her daughter Wherein she teacheth vs with what loue we must do for our children namely that for them we must depart with our owne maintenance and vnto their good not only to the vttermost but also beyond our power And this is worthy to be noted of widdowes which are wealthily left by their husbands who are wont but little to care for their children but to bestowe their goods vpon youthfull companions see heere this Naomi hauing but a daughter in law she giueth her the whole inheritance as if she had beene borne for it and truely the onely cause in regard of our selues of all our wealth is that we might bestow it vpon our children how grieuous is it in many places to see both lands and liuings consumed by them which neuer swet for them and many poore children to whome of right they do pertaine to be destitute both of friends and maintenance and all through the wanton mariages of their youthfull mothers but of this matter we haue spoken already and shall be sufficient to remember at this time Secondly by this we may gather that a mariage is a meere ciuill action because in the finishing thereof there is not vsed eyther Priest or Leuite as we may see in this place but is onely pronounced by the man in the presence of the elders euen in the place of iudgement Hence it commeth that in auncient time we reade of mariages but neuer celebrated in Churches but in priuate assemblyes except Princes which were wont to make great and generall feasts For this institution that mariages should be kept in Churches came vp of late many hundred yeares since the dayes of the Apostles but yet must not be disanulled but obserued as a holy and commendable order first for the auoyding of confusion that those which are fit might be ioyned together before the faithfull secondly for the more honour of the estate of matrimonie that they might know it was with all reuerēce to be vndertaken seeing they came as it were euen before the face of the almighty there to be vnited Thirdly that it might be begun with most earnest and seruent prayer and therevpon came y e Ministers to haue a hand in it Fourthly that it might be publikely knowne among all the congregation Fiftly that those mariages which were priuatly kept and concluded might be accompted suspitious and vnlawfull Wherefore we must not in any wise breake this godly order of the Church of God for as it was lawfull for the godly in old time to keepe them in houses much more may the company of the faithfull now celebrate them in Churches alwayes remembring that we make it no article of our faith but hold it necessary onely for order and vnity Thirdly by this we also obserue the end of all mariages which is first for the commaundement of God and secondly for the increase of the Church Both these are heere set downe by Boaz in these words to stirre vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritance and that the name of the dead be not put out from among his bretheren This was the speciall commaundement of God that he should marry his kinsemans wife and rayse vp seede to his kinseman which was as we lately shewed you for the multiplying of the Church By the which we may examine all the intentions of mariage whatsoeuer First if we do not take it in hand for the commaundement of God what hope can they euer haue of the blessing of the Lord vpon them like as a labourer which setteth himselfe to another mans worke without his consent hath
his mother that bare him so we by instruction should first teach our childrē the feare of God that gaue them it is farre better for many children that they had neuer bene borne except their parents had more knowledge to till their mindes with the immortall seede of God his holy word then to looke vpō the sunne as the condemned person which commeth out of prison and so goeth to execution in like maner childrē without the knowledge of y e feare of God do come from the womb of their mothers which is their prison to the fire of hell which is y e place of execution Oh my beloued looke vpō your tender childrē and so often as you see them you behold the blessings of God vpon you make much of their soules by praying for their saluation you haue brought thē into the world leaue thē not to the deuill Thirdly seing children are y e gift of God those which haue children haue greater accompt to make then those which haue none for of him to whom much is giuē shal much be required and they to whome y e Lord hath giuen childrē and seruants lands and cattels shal answer for euery one of these to y e Lord therfore parēts must finish their reckning which they must giue to the Lord and let not one farthing of their debt be omitted for he will plague thē as well for not doing their duties to their own children as gracelesse children for contemning of God And this one cōsideration should mitigate y e desire of posterity because if they abuse thē their own damnation shall be the greater if they be vnruly they bring nothing but sorrow to their parents if they be godly the world will hate them and if they be wicked the deuill will haue them Were it not a pitifull sight to see the father burned for murthering his sonne how much more grieuous is it to see both father and sonne mother and daughter husband and wife maister and seruaunt mistresse and maides pastors and people to goe all to damnation together because the former did not guide the later oh would God that the desire to escape this iudgement would sinke into the hearts of all that we might euery one addict our liues to holines our minds to knowledge our bodies to obedience our hearts to vnderstanding our children to instruction our seruants to religion and all our soules to saluation Thirdly by this we gather that it is a greater blessing to be the mother of a sonne then the parent of a daughter if it so please God to send them for in this place the holy Ghost sayth that the Lord gaue her and she conceiued and brought foorth a sonne as if he had said the Lord gaue her her owne desire and the best issue which was a manchild for this cause our Sauiour saith that a woman forgetteth her paines in trauaile so soone as a man child is borne into the world Therefore is it that the Lord promised Abraham a sonne that he gaue Zachary and Elizabeth a sonne and finally therefore the Lord calleth vs all his sonnes as a father reioyseth more for a sonne so the Lord reioyseth in the saluation of all the faithfull By this we are taught to magnify the name of the almighty for euery one his benefits in their degree and if we want any by prayer to craue it at the hands of God alwayes remembring that we leaue the end of our desires to be agreeable to his will And here we see the prayer of the people in the former verse to be in part fulfilled when the Lord did so soone blesse this good old man by giuing him a sonne for it is no doubt but the holy Ghost doth so presently after their prayer adde her conception and his birth that he might stirre vs vp with greater zeale to desire the prayers of the faithfull which are alwayes auaileable in the presence of y e Lord. Come therefore my bretheren and let vs fulfill the desire of the Lord and accompt more of the petitions of the godly then all the possessions of the wealthy by prayer the earth is made fruitefull and the heauens drop downe abundance by prayer famine is remoued warres appeased the wrath of God pacified and the health of the bodye recouered by prayer wisedome is increased faith confirmed remission of sinnes obtained the barren woman made a fruitfull mother of many children the dayes of life lengthened peace of countreys and consciences prolonged and the kingdome of heauen eternally inherited Therefore those which cannot pray abhorre the presence of God are weary of our assemblyes forsake sermons and congregations depart from the fellowship of the faithfull and haue their sinnes sealed vp their liues accursed and their soules euerlastingly condemned And the women Now we must proceede to the second part of this scripture wherein is declared what issue and effect this wrought in other for so soone as the child was borne it did not only bring comfort to the parents but also ioy and gladnes to the godly citizens of Bethlehem among whome these women are reported by the holy Ghost which no doubt were present at the deliuery of Ruth to magnify the name of God for this so great a benefit bestowed vpon the old woman although her childrē were dead yet her name might be recouered by her louing daughter in lawe By this we first of all obserue the duety of all the faithfull which is to reioyse with them that reioyse and to weepe with them that weepe for as there godly Iewish women reioyse with Naomi for the fruitfulnes of Ruth so must we euery one be like affected for the blessings that are powred vpon our bretheren The like vnto this may we reade of the neighbours and kindred of Elizabeth hearing of the wonderfull mercy of God vnto her they reioysed with her This teacheth vs the same duety that the ioy of our brethren should be our reioysing and their sorrow our lamentation for there is no fellowship but there must be a feeling of the same ioyes or miseries not onely in publike affayres which respect their whole common wealth but also in priuate busines the benefit of euery particular person The head is sore when the stomacke is sicke the hand is grieued when the foote is maymed and euery part of the body being in prosperity reioyseth together For this cause Paule biddeth vs to endure all things with the same minde meaning that euery mans minde should be like his brothers eyther in sorrow or reioysing But is this the fellowship that raigneth among vs in these dayes or rather are we not merryest when our neighbours are tormented and doeth it not grieue vs to see other to prosper beside vs yes surely for there is no more hartie and vnfayned friendship among men in our dayes then is betweene the hauke and the bird when either of them is taken the other reioyseth This is the cause that men are no more
might cry and not be heard And this shall In this verse is the second part of their ioy in so much as now Ruth hath brought forth a son it is better to Naomi then seuen sonnes for seuen is taken for many not for any definite number as when Dauid saith that he prayseth God seuen times a day y t is many times euery day Also they protest in this verse that it reioyceth them to see Naomi so comforted with the birth of this childe as that now her life is restored whereas before it was dying like an old stubble which had no greene twigges vpon it but nowe this one being shoote forth shee reuiueth and gathereth comfort in her olde yeares By this wee see the duetie of parentes which is to reioyce when their children encrease and they see their childrens children these Iewish women no doubt but spake by the experience of their owne dayes that as a woman lying at the point of death being recouered is ioyful thankeful for the same euen so old persons haue newe liues in their childrens children for which cause they ought to be thankeful to the Lorde for the comfort of their children who may likewise reioyce whē they see their parentes delight in their ofspring Thus no doubt but Abraham did when he saw Esau and Iacob his sonne Isaackes children being borne about fifteene yeares before his death this did Iacob when hee sawe Manasseh and Ephraim his sonne Iosephes children kissing and imbracing them and saying I had not thought to see thy face any more but the Lord hath let me see thy seed and posterity as if he had said I thanke God for seeing thee but I reioyce that I see thy children also And truely this I am sure wil godly aged parentes do who haue these for their examples of faith conuersation that they might with more thankfulnes prayse the Lorde who letteth them see their childrens children with greater comfort reioyce in them that were born of their owne bodyes but with greatest ioy and most willing mindes commend their withered age and all worne yeares to the hands of the Lord who hath multiplyed their seede in this life and will glorifie themselues in the life to come Nowe let vs giue prayse to God The end of the fifteenth Lecture The sixteenth Lecture Chap. 4. ver 16.17 16 And Naomi tooke the childe and laid it in her lappe became nurse vnto it 17 And the women her neighbours gaue it a name saying there is a childe borne to Naomi and called the name thereof Obed the same was the father of Ishai the father of Dauid IN the former wordes wee hearde the last Sabboath the prayer and thankes giuing of the people or the women of Bethlehem for the birth of this son of Bohaz and the comfort of Naomi but now in these words the holy ghost proceedeth to the education and circumcision of the childe in these two verses wherein the holy Ghost deliuereth vnto vs these thinges first that Naomi tooke the care of the education of this childe verse 16. Secondly the naming of the child by the neighbours the women of Bethlehem which they gaue vnto it by occasion of their owne wordes when they saide in the 15. verse that he should cherish her namely Naomi and therefore they call him Hobed which signifieth seruing thereby signifying that he shoulde serue for the comfort of Naomi of these parts let vs briefly speak in order as the spirite of God shall giue vtterance and the time permit And Naomi tooke the child After the mercy of God in the blessing of Ruth with a sonne who was the onely heyre vnto the house of Elimelech the husbande of Naomi which brought no small ioy to the old woman to see her name and the name of her family reuiued in the birth of this sonne when it was vtterly decayed in the sight of the worlde for she was olde a straunger in Moab and had no hope of any moe children neither was it likely that her daughters in lawe their husbandes being deade woulde returne from their countrey and kindred vnto a straunge people with whom they had smal acquaintance euen none at all Naomi their mother in lawe excepted so that the hope of her posteritie being buried in Moab the life of her family must needs decay in Bethlehem Therefore her returne to her owne countrey was a fauour of God vnto her and raysing vp the minde of Ruth to bee partaker of her iourney and companion in her trauaile was an especiall comfort to her wearied age but prouiding so honourable a marriage for her and making her so fruitfull a wife in short time was the life of Naomies death the renewing of her family the restoring of her hope and the resurrection of her dead sonnes for the continuance of their names in the gate of their places and therefore she like a ioyfull and thankfull grandmother for discharge of her conscience loue of the infant ease of her daughter becommeth a fellow nurse for the better educatiō of the child out of the which we note First that as we haue heard how the miseries of Naomi were cast vpon her together so now the mercies of God are multiplyed in the same in greater measure For then her wo was begunne by the death of her husbande continued through her long dwelling with the wicked Moabites and ripened through the death of her two sonnes so now it falleth againe as the darkenesse departeth at the dawning of the day and giueth place to the light of the Sunne so her miseries are repealed first with the louing and constant felowshippe of her daughter in law Ruth who was as a carefull husbande to her in labouring for her liuing and a blessed childe to increase her posterity Againe she now was in quyet dwelling among the people of God enioying the company of the faithfull and the fellowshippe of her frendes moreouer her posterity is restored in the fruitfulnesse of Ruth and she euen she herselfe liueth to see the day when al this falleth vpon her to the endles comfort of her withered age and present prayse of the name of God Thus we see it a righteous thing with God first to wound and then to heale first to strike and then to stroke first to cast downe and then to lift vp for this is certainely the cuppe of all the faithfull that they must taste of many bitter afflictions before they come to the possession of eternall blessednesse yea of worldly misery they must sustayne some crosse before they can be thankefull enough for that which they quietly inioy So wee reade of Iob howe in one day hee had his corne burnte his cattell stolne and his children slaine this was bitter vnto him for many dayes yet in the ende he was restored two for one and sawe more sonnes and more beautifull daughters yea his childrens children to his vnspeakable comfort The like may be said of innocent
woman are bounde to see their childrens first instruction that is if it bee possible to haue them in their keeping at their first entraunce into knowledge and when they are first of all capable of any goodnesse So wee reade Isaacke remayned with his father Abraham in the time of infancy when God commaunded Ismaell to bee cast out so Iacob kept little Beniamin with him neyther would he depart from him vnto any til Simeon was bound in Egipt so we read of the king Ioash whom his aunt Iehoshebah hid from y e rage of Athaliah who was brought vp in the house of her husbande Iehoiadah where hee was most worthely instructed in the feare of the Lorde so wee reade our sauiour Christ kept till he was twelue yeares olde with his mother and supposed father and after he had beene at Ierusalem hee was obedient to them till the yeare of his preaching which was when hee came to the age of thirtie yeares Therefore the conclusion af all this is that neyther the nursing nor instruction of our children must be deferred to other at the least so as wee seeme not but to bee many wayes as carefull for them as if they were in our presence to be euermore mindfull for the wealth of their bodyes and health of their soules Fourthly and lastly by these wordes wee may gather how great and excellent is this worke the bringing vp of children for which the Lorde hath expressed in his worde that it is required that many shoulde bee applyed for in this place we see Naomi and Ruth bestow their labours for the education of this new borne babe and we haue heard that Rebecca had a nurse that came with her from her fathers house to the lande where Abraham dwelt which signifieth vnto vs that neyther their infancy can bee vnfedde nor their youth vnruled for this is not so base a worke as many thinke it that one is enough if not too much to take the care of their children for wee knowe they are easily drawne to many inconueniences neyther can the parentes bee present to foresee all but if any bee helpers in this buisines their care is much eased the children lesse endangered theyr welfare better prouided and the parentes dutie better discharged Euery flocke hath a keeper beside the owner euery garden hath a dresser beside the mayster and if it be possible let euery childe haue an ouerseer beside the parentes for alas the silly infante is soone cast into the fire falleth into the water ouerturned with the wind and euery beast is ready to work his destruction all which may bee wisely preuented though not with the presence yet with the counsel and care of the parents by prouiding such carefull persons to be their guides as may also defend them when they are absent And the women her neighbours In this verse is the seconde parte which concerneth the naming of the child where the holy Ghost doeth declare vnto vs the persons that named the childe to be the women of Bethlehem the neyghbours of Naomi which no doubt was then giuen to the childe at the eyght day which was the circumcision according as wee see in the history of Iohn Baptist after the law of the Lorde calling him by the name of Obed which signifieth seruing or a seruant shewing howe hee should serue for the comfort of Naomi Boaz and his mother By this wee first of all note and obserue that it is the duty of the faithfull to be helpers one to another in the seruice of God and admonition of their dutyes for here the childe being circumcised was accompanyed with many godly women whose deuise they vsed and followed in the naming of the childe Indeed we may often read that the parents gaue names to their children sometimes the fathers sometime the mothers sometimes the Lorde himselfe as in many persons wee may perceyue but wee neuer reade that the people were so kinde to helpe in this matter and to further the duty of any godly minded onely this place excepted so that these women are a most godly example for all the faithfull to beholde how they must further and helpe one another in the cause of religion For the naming of children in olde time was very excellent when they were carefull by their earthly and outwarde tytles to admonish them of their inwarde and heauenly duties And that which these did in this one must wee doe also in all other duties to draw more and more to the loue of religion as wee reade the Apostles did one another when they came to the first knowledge of the Messiah for as a little leuen seasoneth a whole lumpe euen so a fewe godly personnes may drawe a great many to religion Therefore this one dutie of all other belongeth to the flocke of Christ that they helpe one another in the workes of Christianity When the ruler of the Temple his daughter was sicke for the little childe hee went to our sauiour by which meanes he recouered her life this was the duetie of a godly father when the sicke man of the palsie coulde not come to Christ foure of his neighbours brought him to his presence and the Lord forgaue him this was charity and the duety of neighbours When Dorcas was deade the women sent for Peter who being come she was restored to life And thus parents must helpe forwarde their children neighbours their fellowes and euery man one another if they want knowledge let vs teach them knowledge out of the pure worde of God if they cannot pray let vs pray with them and for them to the almighty God if they trauayle to heare the word let vs trauaile with them to encourage their carefulnes But of this matter wee haue often spoken Now let vs giue prayse to God The end of the sixteenth Lecture The seuenteenth Lecture Chap. 4. ver 18.19.20.21 22 18 These are the generations of Pharez Pharez begat Chetzron 19 Chetzron begate Ram Ram begate Hamminnadab 20 Hamminadab begate Naschon Naschon begate Salmā 21 Salman begate Bohaz Bohaz begate Hobed 22 Hobed begate Ishai Ishai begate Dauid NOwe by the mercifull kindnes of the Lorde we are come to the last part of this history the conclusion of this Chapter where the holy Ghost describeth vnto vs the kindred of Boaz euen all the generations frō Pharez to king Dauid shewing vnto vs the increase of these Iewes from their dwelling in the land of Canaan before they went into Egipt vntill the time that Dauid was annointed and appointed king in Israell we may for the easier handling of these wordes deuide them into these two partes The first is those persons that were the progenitours auncestors or fathers of Bohaz in the ver 18. 19 20. which are set downe to be Pharez the first Chetzron the second Ram y e third Hamminadab the fourth Naschon the fift and Salman the sixte who was the immediate and naturall father of Bohaz The second parte is the progeny
of such impious infidelity What stayeth the Lord from comming to iudgement but the faithfull and elect company what keepeth you in your possessions reuennews and lands but the poore Saincts of God who are hardly admitted to the tables of your seruants who prayeth for the increase of your wealth the prosperitie of your liues the feeding of your bodies and the continuance of your honour but these despised persons who haue entered a couenaunt for your dayly welfare with the king of heauen and earth They are the flocke for whose sake you haue your wooll to clothe you and your milke to feede you they are the bees for whose sake you enioy the hony for your delight and the hony combe for the pleasure of your meate they are the birds which haue builded vp your pallaces and houses of rest for the defense of your weakenesse they are the oxen that bring your corne to your barnes and your store into your garners they are the beasts that beare you out of the daungers in safetye and deliuer your liues from trouble Finally there is not a vsurer but he hath his money for theyr sake there is not a Gentleman but hee hath his landes for theyr sake there is not a Prince but hee hath his Crowne for theyr sake there is not a rich man but hee hath his wealth for theyr sake there is not a Minister but hee preacheth for theyr sake and there shoulde be no peace prosperitye or plentye if it were not for them for the Angels are theyr seruaunts the earth is theyr mayntenaunce and heauen is theyr inheritaunce Be assured therefore beloued if righteous Lot goe out of Sodome or godly Noah into his Arke then fire will fall from heauen and the depthes will open theyr fountaynes of water to burne and destroy the world euen so if the Lord take away the righteous from among vs then euen then presently shall follow the destruction of our countrey the consuming of our kingdome the confusion of the world and the condemning of the reprobate and therefore let vs make much of them in whome we see any hope of religion for they are the right heyres of the world and you that haue their lands are but ouerseers of their fathers testaments and therefore shall giue an accompt of your possessions to them when they come to age and be answerable for euery farthing which you spent not vpon them Secondly another cause of the genealogies or recitall of generations in the Scriptures is for the Chronologies or noting of seuerall times wherein euery worthie thing was done and how the world grewe in yeares and the mercy of God in sparing the wicked liues of so many godlesse men and choosing but one family among all the world with whome hee would establish his couenaunt for this cause in the genealogie of Adam we reade how long he and euerie one of his children liued to shew how long the Lord suffered the wicked before he brought the floud and in what age of the world the same ouerflowed which by the genealogies there set downe appeareth to be in the yeare of the world one thousand sixe hundred fiftie and sixe when Noah was sixe hundred yeares old Againe we reade in the genealogie of Sem by the supputation of the yeares therein mentioned how long after the floud Abraham was called from his countrey and receyued the couenaunt of promise concerning the incarnation of Iesus Christ and the saluation of the world The same may be sayd of the often repetition of the age of Abraham as at his calling at the time of his circumcision at the birth of Izaak and at his death which giueth a great light to euery part of the scripture for thereby the occasions of many excellent histories are taken the darkest places are opened the faithfull are confirmed and the Church of God instructed of her age of her continuance of her members and of her condition which is subiect to many often changes Sometimes her glory is greater as in the first age sometime lesser as in Abrahams time sometime afflicted as the estate of Iacob in Egipt and all his children testifieth sometimes without any knowne and publique ministery or offices as till Aarons dayes sometime without any ciuill or politique gouernement as in the time of all the Patriarks sometime without peace in persecution as in the time of the Iudges wherein these persons heere named liued and sometime in most flourishing estate as vnder Dauid Salomon Asa Iosiah and such like By the which we gather that it neuer standeth in one stay but either increaseth or decreaseth ebbeth or floweth riseth or falleth waxeth or waineth therefore heerein lyeth the great comfort of the godly euen in these troublesome dayes but yet the best that euer are to be looked for in this earth wherein they see the auncient to depart and new men in theyr roome one generation commeth and another goeth iniquitie aduaunced coldnes in religion embraced dissimulation and hipocrisie maintained warres and persecution threatned to the Gospell schismes defended errors inuented the world blinded the truth declined godlines defaced and the Church of God disquieted with a thousand greater calamities this all the fathers suffered before vs and this we their children must also abide onely heerein let vs reioyse that we shall be accompted worthy to suffer for Christ and that our names are written in the kingdome of heauen Thirdly and lastly the especiall cause of this genealogie and of all the fathers and children of Abraham in one kindred was for to shew the naturall discent of Christ from Adam and so foorth vnto the virgin Mary for seeing he was to be incarnated it behoued that his parentage should be described from the beginning of the world for this cause Luke the Euangelist gathered togither the seuerall descriptions of all the genealogies pertaining to Christ throughout all the whole scripture as a necessary ground of the Gospell to declare the kindred of our Sauiour from the beginning of the world whereof these persons mentioned in this place are a part from whence he tooke them into his number Now least any man should thinke that the birth of Christ should be obscure and the taking vpon him the flesh of mankinde should be incertaine as well to conuince all errours that arose about his humanitie as to testifie the nobilitie of his birth and worthines of his parentage the persons of whome he descended are in many bookes of the scripture seuerally named and not without great commendation For this family of Christ had many and speciall blessings which were the armes of the same by which it was distinguished from all other In Adam it had this promise that the seede of the woman should breake the serpents head meaning that Christ which should be borne of a woman should ouercome the force of the deuill In Noah it had this promise that the couenaunt of God should be established with him and his seede meaning