Lorde were not able to releeue vs or else were vniust in punishing our sinnes howe can that bee seeing hee calleth for repentaunce and amendement and then promiseth plentye and abundaunce These saintes endured some three some seuen and other tenne yeeres famine and yet wee saye was there euer such a people thus afflicted like to vs with one yeres dearth They were driuen to wander abroade in their enemies Countrie for manie yeeres together shall wee then thinke it such a miserye to goe two or three miles for our corne They aduentured the losse of their liues and wee are afraide of the lessening or diminishing of our goods And shall wee yet saye there was neuer anye people tormented like vnto vs Yea I adde this that euen at this daye there are people in the worlde which sâ—ant in all their liues doe eate anye bread but onely the barke of trees with some other vnseasonable fish others liue on the rootes of the earth some on the fruites of trees And what shall I saye more our wickednesse is greater then our want our sore is smaller then our sinne our transgressions haue deserued to bee punished with the scourge and yet wee are scarce corrected with the rodde our complaintes are greater then our huâ—te and our murmuring exceedeth our misery therefore wee haue greater cause to tremble at that which hangeth ouer our heades then to feare or crye for this which wee already suffer for it is hardly the beginning of sorrow So Mahlon and Chilson Now when they were compassed about vvith the friendes of their vviues vvhich did promise securitie then after a fevve yeeres spent in safetie the Lorde called them avvay after their father Where vvee see our former doctrine iustified that the end of one sorrovve vvas the beginning of another When they were most like to continue then they gaue ouer as it were in the armes of theyr wiues and the sight of their aged mother to whome no doubte this was the greatest griefe of all other that now beeing lefte destitute both of husbande and children she should without comfort liue with the Moabites and without ioye returne agayne vnto her owne Countrey as a bird robbed of her young ones Yet seeing this is our worldly lot still to endure misery let vs set both our shoulders vnder the burthen if it be too heauy let vs flee to the finisher of our faith with zealous and earnest prayers desiring him eyther to ease or to remooue his hande But seeing wee haue spoken of this before this shall suffise at this time to serue for a remembrance Then shee arose When her friends were departed and her selfe lefte comfortles yet the Lord remembred her for euen then came the rumor vnto her that the famine was ceased in Iewry that the Lord had visited the sicknes of his people and restored the plenty of the earth againe and therefore it is time for her to bee hasting home againe for here the holy Ghost setting downe her returne and the cause of the same sheweth that it was euen then when her children were dead for what should a godly woman liue there where were non that could strengthen hir in the wayes of the Lord but rather prouoke her to imbrace infidelity And againe euen at that time when shee was most comfortlesse for the losse of her children came this rumor vnto her of the restoring of her Countrey so that now Naomi thou art here in Moab a sorrowfull pilgrime go home to thy Countrey and bee a ioyfull inhabitant indeede thy children are dead but thou shall haue greater comfort of thy ancient acquaintaince What knowest thou but now the Lord hath called thee to consolation whereas of late thou mightest thinke hee had wrought thy confusion By this wee note that the Lord deferreth to helpe till greatest necessity euen as hee stayed the stroke of Abraham when hee was at the verie instant to cut of little Isaks necke So wee read that when the king of Assiria had inuaded the kingdome of Ezechia wonne his cities subdued his Country conquered his people and had not lefte him two thousand horsmen being destitute of all helpe then the Lord raised vp the king of Ethiop who called the Assyrians from the siege of Ierusalem What shall I saie of Lazarus raised from death Of the deliuerance of Peter out of the handes of Herod the daie before he should haue bene martyred Of the shipwracke wherein Paul was and yet not one of them were lost And excellent is that of Christ sleeping in the shippe on a pillowe suffered his disciples to bee so long tossed with the violence of the sea till they cryed out Lord saue we perish and then hee awaked rebuked the rage of the windes and stilled the stormes of the sea and a peaceable calme followed This is that preseruatiue agaynst desperation which must staie our mindes on the leasure of the Lorde wee must not at the first look for our desires but as Abraham and Zacharia were old before they had any children and yet in the end the Lord promised and also perfourmed euen so when wee haue least hope for obtaining of our desires wee most often receiue them For the Lord desireth our requests for the triall of our fayth and pacience that like as the wheate corne groweth not till it bee dead euen so his works doe not answere our expectation till they seeme to vs impossible that as the most precious pearles are farthest brought and longest in comming when wee haue them we keepe them more carefully euen so his excellent mercies being with difficulty obtained should be esteemed more thankfully Therefore be of good comfort you that now sorrow for you shall bee comforted you that now hunger for you shal be satisfied you that nowe weepe for you shall laugh the Lord will shortly come beare but a litle and he will wipe away all teares from your eies then oh how happy shal they be which haue trusted in him That the Lorde had visited This is the last parte of this scripture being the reason that moued her to returne into her Countrey O it is as if the holy ghost had sayd The Lord looked vpon the afflicted estate of his people supplied their want of food To visit in the scriptures is taken two wayes first to punishe as when God sayth in the second commaundement that he will visite the sinne of the fathers vppon the children vnto the third fourth generation secondly it signifieth some times to pardon or to show mercy as that of Zachary The Lord hath visited and redeemed his people that is hee hath shewed mercy in redeming his people In this later sense it must be taken in this place Now the word properly signifieth to goe to see and is referred to them that are sicke which by a metaphor is applied to sinne for sinne is the sicknes of the soule and is very fitly applied to punishments sent
honestie one of the fruicts of religion for she telleth her mother she would go gather where shee could get leaue as if the holy ghost had said the gleanings are for the poore yet poore men must not take them without the consent and fauour of the owners The Lord euery where exhorteth to giue to the poore but he neuer bid the poore take where they found vnknowing to the possessor but they must as Ruth heere doeth not take their right the very gifte of the Lord without the fauour of man This condemneth the rashnes of many which thinke if they bee poore that men are bound to giue to them and small matters they may take freely without the consent of him that possesseth it yet we see not onely religion but also plaine reason to gaine-say it for the least thing a man hath in his owne as well as the greatest one law condemneth the taking of a handfull and a bushell of corn though the offence be not so great But some say it was permitted by the Lord that a man might take the eares of corne and rub them in his hande and eate them as the disciples did without the consent and trespasse of the possessor he might also take a bunch of grapes and eate them and likewise the fruit of the orchard by the same law and therfore we may take without the consent of him that possesseth it I answere if the question bee made of an apple or an eare of corne or a bunch of grapes as then it was permitted so I think there is none that wil now stand in it but then you must remember by the same law that no man might put a sickle into the corne to reape downe a handfull neither yet fill any litle measure with grapes or apples without the consent of the owner But now men will take great measures and quantities and yet thinke not themselues satisfied and being winked at for once yet will they proceed till they be forbidden and then will they vncharitably and vngodly report of such men as will not suffer their goods to be spoiled by them Lastly when her mother had graunted forth shee goeth and commeth to the possession of Boaz her kinsman where we may behold the hand of the Lorde fauouring her diligence leading her to the appointed place where among all other she might be as shee was most gently intreated for shee a silly straunger knowing none beside her mother not acquainted with people or countrie was ignorant whether to go but God which directeth the goings of all ordered her footsteps to his possession where first she should find fauour and feeding that by this meanes the waie for her marry age might be prepared Where we see an excellent example of the prouidence of God looking vpon the poorest as well as the richest and working all things in the world from the highest to the lowest Hee which directeth the descending of the sparowes vpon the ground doth hee not also consider the goinges of the poore It is no dishonour to him as some would haue it that they might more freely giue themselues to iniquitie to note euerie vile and loathsome thing in the world or to looke vpon the base as well as the best surely if anie thing be vncomely it is to the sinfull but to him which is alwaies righteous are all things pure What parents doo not loue the basest partes of theyr childrens bodyes which were borne of themselues yet greater is the loue of God vnto vs than the loue of a mother to her owne sonne neither doth he or can hee but loue the meanest worke of his creation as well as chiefest and the silly flie as well as the stately king Oh how doth this comfort vs more than all the world beside when we knowe the king of glorie beholdeth our nakednes and pouertie and giueth his angels charge ouer vs that not the poorest Lazarus may bee lost but our bodies either eased with reliefe or parted from life our soules may ascend to the bosome of Abraham Euen hee which directed the seruant of Abraham to the citie of Nachor and brought Rebecca out to draw water and moued her aunswere to his prayer her curtesie to satisfie his expectation dyd also leade Ruth to the fields of Boaz and guideth all the faithfull to the end of theyr desires knowing the counsels of the heart disposing the wordes of the mouth feeding the hungry with good things and sending the riche away emptie conducting vs all for his mercies sake to walke in his pathes of righteousnes But behold After these things set downe by the holy Ghost concerning Ruth he returned to Boaz againe and this verse is the beginning of the second parte of that which respecteth him in the which is declared his comming from Bethlehem his salutation to the reapers and their answere to him againe By the which wee gather the dutie of all maisters of familyes and great persons in the worlde which is not onely to be carefull their busines be performed by other but also that themselues as the eye witnesses of their seruants fidelity should look ouer their labours This wee may see in Boaz hee commeth from the cittie to the haruest field hee had committed the care of the reapers to a trustie seruant yet not contented therwith in his own person he commeth to the worke And surely this diligence of Lords and maisters causeth faithfull labourers and seruantes as the idlenes and negligence of the one causeth the vnfaithfulnesse and slacknes of the other for whiles the maisters followe their worldly pleasures the seruants omit their carefull busines Therefore we may reade in the building of the first second temple there were ouerseers of the worke beside the ordinarie labourers and often times would king Salomon and Nechemiah come in their owne persons to viewe the works The like may wee reade of Elisâ—hahs host which was abroade in the field with his reapers when his litle sonne fell sicke insomuch as this seemeth a point of necessitie that euery one whom the Lord hath made a maister of possessions although hee labour not yet must hee certifie himselfe of his labourers diligence with his owne eye sight which condemneth many inferiour maisters of negligent slothfullnesse and idle negligence in not regarding their worldly talents giuen them of God but referring the disposition to their stewards and seruants refuse in their own persons to deale with God his benefits as too base thinges for their occupations which is the cause that so many maisters fall to be seruants and so many seruants ascend to be maisters their wealth is quickely consumed these which would not be their own seruants to keepe themselues in labour wealth come to be other mens slaues in drudgery or beggery eyther in themselues or their posterity as the iust iudgment of God for he that would not vse his talent had it taken from him therfore seeing this ancient nobilitie
scripture and seeing we haue brought these strangers to their Inne â—t Moab let vs heare their intertainment those things that happened vnto them after they came thither for the parts wee haue in the beginning set downe which I trust you remember and therefore we will to the words And they continued there This is as much to say as they found entertainment answerable to their expectation they had liberty of residence granted and obtained a place for their dwelling in safety Where wee first note the gentlenes or humanity of these heathen Moabits who had learned by nature this pointe of curtesie which is friendlye to succour poore harbourlesse straungers and no doubte but hee that watcheth the descending of sparrowes on the ground directed this iourney to Moab for the accomplishing of his owne counsell and prepared the heartes of these people with fauour to relieue them For as before he guided the iourney of Abrahams seruant to the citie of Machor where Rebecca was framed hir answere according to his praier eueÌ„ so he coÌ„ducted these to Moab where Ruth was and tempered the hearts of the wicked to giue these pilgrims a dwelling place among them By the which we are taught what friendship or loue we owe to strangers which are come among vs yea though we know not the purpose of their harts yet we must doo good vnto them for the proportioÌ„ of their bodies that is because they are men This is not a law written only in the booke of God but imprinted in the verie nature of euery one Wee see these Moabits do it by nature yet they had no religion in them we know how the king of Fgipt gaue commandement for Abraham that none should hurt him or any of his possessions Read but the Acts of the Apostles you shal see how barbarous nations receiued the church with curtesy and some vppon their reporte beleeued the doctrine of Christ What shall we then say to this beastlike behauiour of many among vs who will hardly permit poore Christian straungers to harbour among vs if it were not for that they are men the children of Adam like our selues yet because they call vppon the name of Christ being of the household of sayth let vs doe good vnto them But some will say what shall wee doe vnto them if they will not ioyne with vs in our religion I answere none must bee of Abrahams familye but those which wil be circumcised that is none must dwell with thee but such as wil be of thy profession Yet thou maiest for humanity or curtesy receiue a Turke or a pagan a Iew or an infidell papist or heretike to talke or table for a night or a small time so thou kepe they selfe from his pollutions So did Iacob feast his idolotrous father in law and kinsmen when they pursued him to the mount of Gilead with purpose to hurt him and our sauiour Christ biddeth vs to feede our enimies and to giue them drinke if they thirste So did Elischah to the host of Sirians who being sent to take him yet when he had taken them and lead them to the city he suffered the king to do them no hurt but refreshed them with meat and drinke and sent them away in safety For our outward curteous receuing of infidels is like coales of fire to draw them in loue with our inward religion we know how the Lord commaunded the Iewes to be good vnto strangers because they were strangers in Egipt We know how the Lord commendeth the stranger Samaritan beyond the priest and the leuite beccause he succoured the poore wounded Iewe which had fallen among theeues And truely wee our selues may bee strangers in other Countreies therefore let vs doe good vnto them now that we may receiue the like of them againe for this is the law and the prophets Then Elimelech when they had escaped one daunger they fell into another sorrow when by the mercifull kindnes of the Lord they were ioyntly come togither into Moab and there quietlye seated scaped the arrowes of famine by the hand of God the father of the family the nerest and derest vnto them dieth in plenty Where we note the verie lot of all the godly namely that the end of one sorrow is the beginning of another like the drops of raine distilling from the top of a house when one is gone another followeth like a ship vppon the sea being on the top of one waue presently is cast downe to the foote of another like the seede which being spread by the sower is hanted by the foules beeing greene and past their reache is endaungered by forste and snow being passed the winter â—s hurt by beasts in sommer being rype is cut with the sickle threshed with flaile purged in the floore ground in the mill baked in the ouen chewed in the teeth and consumed in the stomacke This made Dauid say Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth out of all But be not discomforted oh my brethren for thorough many afflictions must we enter into the kingdome of heauen and by affliction we are made like to the sonne of God But to the matter We see here their sweet fellowship is preuented by death which in deed is the end of al worldly friendship This is a good lesson for all worldlings to remember how the Lord disappointeth all their purposes and ouerthroweth their counsells more vainer then vanity The merchant hauing obtained his banke promiseth rest and security to himselfe the husbandman hauing gathered his fruits neuer doubteth but hee shall spend them prouideth for more the Gentleman comming to his landes thinketh his reuenewes and pleasant life will indure alway like the apostles when Christ was transfigured in the mount presently they would builde tabernacles of residence but as the cloude came betwixt them and heauen and bereaued them of their purpose euen so sodainly will death come and depriue you of your profits call the marchant from his banke the husbandman from his farme the Gentleman from his lands the noble man from his honour the prince from his kingdome the Lady from her pleasures as this Elimelech was sodainly from wife and children Secondly by these words we note the goodnes of God toward both the dead man and also wife and children for no doubte but they all desired to bee seiled in some place or other and here the Lord suffereth the husband with wife and family to bee quietly feared before their separation He might haue called him away in his iourney as he was comming then oh how would it haue grieued hoth him and them him to leaue a poore comfortles widdow and children behind without dwelling or maintenance for home again they could not returne by reason of the famine and to goe forth on the iourney without a guide was like as if a ship were set on the sea without a mariner Therefore in suffering them all to
their tedious iourney was eased by their mutuall conference but what things happened to them by the way the scripture mentioneth not onely their intertainment is heere set downe how their comming being noysed about the citie they came vnto them and saluted their old acquaintaunce Naomi by name For this question is not this Naomi after the manner of the Hebrues is a vsuall manner of affirmation as we may see in these places of scripture Where first of all we see the wonderfull mercy of God toward Naomi which in so many yeares absent suffered not her memory vtterly to perish but at her first arriuing did publish her name and comfort her sorrowes Thus God hath many blessings in store for the relieuing of his poore afflicted saintes and surely hee is carefull that the candle of the righteous be not put out for euer But as in one day after many yeares sorrow for Ioseph famine for bread Iacob receiued tidings of the welfarre of his sonne and prouision for his familie euen so the Lord compasseth about the faithfull with songs of deliueraunce that though heauines endure for a night yet ioy commeth in the morning Let vs therfore with the losse and laying downe of our owne liues confesse the goodnes of the Lord for as he draue the king of Babilon for seuen yeares from the throne of maiestie to the wildernes of wild beasts so he called him aganie and restored to him his scepter and seate established his kingdome all the dayes of his life Therefore feare not feare not my beloued haue wee now famine we shall plenty againe Do we cary foorth our seed weeping We shal come againe with plentyfull sheaues Haue we sowed in teares wee shall reap in ioy Haue we bin strangers in other lands we are come home with Naomi to the citie of God his people finally those that feare the Lorde shall bee as mount Sion which can neuer be moued for as there is a time to mourne so there is a time to reioyse and as the wicked shall haue measure for measure so the godly shall receiue reward for reward Secondly by these wordes wee obserue the fruiâ—te of charitie or duetie of neighbours and acquaintance for as these cityzens of Bethlehem came to see and to comfort Naomi so must euery one beare some part of his brothers or sisters sorrow in relieuing their troubled minds by their presence and speeches We reade that Mary went to her cosin Elizabeth being with child that they might commune comfort theÌ„selues in the promises of the Lord. We read how the Iewes accompanyed Mary and Martha weepping for Lazarus and the same also we reade was done at the death of Dorcas What shal I say of the four men which brought the sicke of the palsie vnto Christ and most excellent is the felowship of the saintes in the primitiue church which are said to continue abide together with one accord in praier breaking of bread so that their spirituall comfort of praying and temporall refreshing of corporall foode were priuate to any but also for their comfort as a young child is wrapped in his swadling clothes so was the infancie of Christs church maintained by the company of their faythfull fellowship Oh that wee could loue and liue thus together in the bond of vnitye and christian concord that as we are members of one body so we shuld not be so strange one to another as if the eye had neuer seen the foote or the head neuer knowne the legges such is the scornefulnes of our age wherein men are ashamed of Christ in his members if they be a litle falen into decay how hardly will they comfort them as these Ephrathits do Naomi a poore widow now though once a noble woman They will rather curse theÌ„ with Shemei than blesse theÌ„ with Tziba but let the faithfull like feeling members of their brethrens affliction looke vppon the Naomies in our dayes some are poore and frendles other sicke and harborles some sorrowfull some hungry many destitute let vs gather to vs these members of Christ our company will more refresh them then our contribution our talke more then our almes our feelling and fellow prayers more then the distribution of our money let vs lay hold on that and yet forget not this for as God hath giuen both to vs so he looketh wee should giue both to other Thirdly by this we obserue how the world is wont to comfort one another for these Bethlemits say vnto her Is not this Naomi that is they comfort her with the consideration of her name which in hebrewe signifieth bewtifull or pleasant as if they had sayd vnto her Although thou art old yet thou art beautifull for thou remainest Naomi still thy name is a prophet vnto thee to forewarn thee of thy welfare and if thou be now like the stubble after the crop yet thou shalt shortly be as the green hearb or plesant plaÌ„t comfort thy self Iacob always preuailed with God because his name was alwayes Israel the doue shall bee chast because it is a doue the eie shalbe bright because it is the eie Naomi shalbe blessed because she is Naomi Thus worldly persons wish worldly things the best they desire most is outward prosperitie Neither is this simplie vnlawfull for such as is the sore such must bee the salue and where the wound is the medicine must be ministred if in the world they be oppressed in the same they may not onely wish but praie for release yet alwayes remember that friendes and parties must so desire and request it as may bee most for the glory of God Therfore this is our dutie that in praying for earthly benefites we aime at God his will but in desiring spirituaÌ„ blessings we must regard our saluations And more also wee must not so rauish the mindes of the worldly afflicted as if they had no other hope but this temporal welfare but so promise the blessings of God as they may haue a spirituall signification for worldly miserie is abated but with euerlasting felicity And Naomi said In these words Naomi answereth to the comforts of her frends telleth theÌ„ she rather deserueth to be called Mara then Naomi that is bitter then beautifull whereby shee teacheth vs howe vaine are outward and worldly titles for which cause Iames wisheth vs not to bee called many maisters knowing we shal receiue the greater damnation as if he had said worldly honor bringeth death but desire or loue of carnall comforts cause damnation When the arke of God was taken by the Philistines and the sons of Heli both slain the wife of Phinehas the son of Heli died after her trauaile and named her son Ichabod which is by interpretation wher is the glory although there a man child was borne yet the woman forgate not her sorrowe because the arke of God was taken by the heathen for if shee were the daughter to the chiefest in
alienation of the right from the other kinsman to Boaz in the foure next verses the conference is described by the place that it was at the gate of the City verse 1. secondly by the witnesses that it was before the elders of the City verse 2. The matter being thus prepared Bohaz propoundeth the cause of their meeting in two parts first for the redeeming of the land at the hand of Naomi which was the inheritance of their kinsman Elimelech whereunto he answereth that he will redeeme it verse 4. secondly he propoundeth to him the mariage of Ruth that the case so standeth if he redeeme the inheritance he must also marry with the widdow for otherwise she would not agree and this is in the fift verse Vnto which latter condition the kinsman answereth that he cannot doe it first shewing the reason of it least he destroy his owne inheritance secondly yeelding him power to redeeme his right in his behalfe verse 6. Of these parts let vs briefly speake as the spirit of God shall giue vtterance and the time permit And Boaz went vp to the gate We haue heard in the former Chapter how Boaz after he had dispatched Ruth backe againe to her mother in law himselfe went into the City to finish vp the matter now in this verse we see the place mentioned where Boaz bestowed himselfe after he was come thither which is the gate of the City where he wayted till he could see his kinsman come in or out and seeing him called who came vnto him and sate downe beside him Now the gates of the Cities in those auncient dayes were the publike places of iudgement as appeareth in many places of scripture among other when Hemor and Sichem would perswade their people to be circumcised it is sayd they sate in the gate of the City the like is that of Moses that the obstinate sonne should be brought by his own parēts to the elders of his City and to the gate of the place likewise if any man should accuse his wife not to be a virgin at the day of her mariage then her parents should bring the signes of her virginitie to the elders of the City and the gate thereof But we must also know that the publike iudgements and trials were done so openly for diuers causes first that no truth might be concealed and so wrong iudgemēt pronounced for thither euery one might freely come and speake their minds Secondly that strangers might haue lawe and iustice as well as their naturall and natiue inhabitants and therfore it was at the very entrance of their Cities so we see Abraham a stranger in the iudgemēt place was heard before Hebron Heth whē he bought his burying place Lastly because y e munition strength furniture power and defence of the City lay in the gates as God blesseth Abraham and so also Laban and his mother blesse their sister Ribkah that their seede should possesse the gates of their enemies that is their strongest defenses And our Sauiour Christ shewing his Apostles that he would build his Church vpon the faith which they had confessed saith that the gates of hell should not preuaile against it meaning the whole power of the deuill should neuer ouerturne it And this teacheth vs many things first that in matters of triall equitie and iustice it is an iniury if publike faults be priuately adiudged for Abraham dealing but for a piece of land w t Hebron which was but a priuate matter could not obtaine it till it came to the gate of the City the publike place of iudgemēt and if a matter so honest and lawfull could not be ended without such an open publike assembly much more open offences which are in themselues wicked and dishonest for the Apostle saith that those which sin opēly must be openly rebuked Surely there is none of vs that are ignorant of the great euill which commeth by the priuate handling of offences for thereby guilty persons escape vnpunished vniust matters are by deceipt confirmed publike peace is much abused as if colours were discerned by blind men or gold without the touchstone in the light Yet heerein are we much bound to magnify y e Lord who hath vouchsafed vs open Courts for deciding of controuersies punishing of fellons and maintenance of peace some for waightier and some for lighter contentions for as the waxe melteth before the sunne so the subtiltie of offendours at the examination of the magistrate Secondly by this we note that we must in iudgement haue regard both to the stranger and to the free borne to the poore and to the rich to the widdow and to the maried and finally both alike to women men for thus the Lord commaundeth Peruert not the right of the stranger and infant neither take the garment of a widdow to pledge For we must remember that Abraham Izaac and Iacob the fathers of the faithfull were all their liues strangers in other lands and therefore we which either would or should be their children by doing iniury to harbourles straungers do reuile and oppresse our spirituall fathers when we loue not their persons maintaine not their right receiue not their suites and heare not their supplications though they were against our owne selues if we iustly deserue them but of this matter we haue spoken in the first and second chapters Thirdly by this we learne that publike Iudges Iustices and iudgements should be defended by publike authoritye for as these Iudges fate in the gate where the munitions were that if any should refuse them they had power and strength to compell them euen so if men of wisedome haue not authority who seeth not y t euery disordered person doth contemne them But if they haue authority and do not shew it in punishing offendors without feare or fauor of men they are like to Saul whē God had commanded him to kill the Amalekits spare neither man womā child or beast aliue yet contrary to this cōmandement he saued king Agag but the Lord refused him and cast him out of fauour and Agag was hewen in peeces by the prophet Samuell euen so it is to be feared that there are a great many Saules in euery place whose affections stand for law sparing their friends for fauour and great men for feare who are likewise reprobated of the Lord and rebuked by his ministers And heere we haue good occasion to be thankefull to the Lord which hath giuen our Magistrates this power that all things are done in the name of the Prince and assisted by the countrey for the punishment of offendours and I pray God increase more obedience to their authoritie in others and more courage in themselues to strike asunder with the sword of iustice the indissoluble knots of iniurious and contentious persons and to giue the offendours their deserued reward Then heere we haue Boaz sitting in the iudgement place as one that was not ashamed of his lawfull cause
the seruice of God parentes of their children wiues of their husbandes Churches of their preachers and no man dare open his mouth for them that if Christ himselfe were on the earth againe in his humane shape they neede no other argument but this we haue a lawe and by our lawe hee ought to die But woe bee vnto you saith the prophet that vrge the lawes of Omri that is which dare maintaine the decrees of princes against any of the Lordes seruantes Surely it is an argument that men feare the creature aboue the Creator which will not bee drawne from their lawes bee thâ—y neuer so childish but in our dayes it is most lamentable that any good lawes shoulde bee wrested against the course of the Gospell which were made for the enlarging thereof such as is the forcing of men to abide with dumbe ministers when the Gospell preached calleth for them at the nexte Church But I speake not one worde against lawfull authoritie or against the lawe but onely the partialitie of the executioners thereof is worthy of blame many times punnishing seuerly where is no or little offence and pardoning by sufferance notorious blasphemers But let no magistrates thinke when they may mitigate offences that they may altogether bury the force of the lawe when they shutte their eares a-against the crie of them that complayne or execute it not for fauour or frendshippe But on the contrarye they must not in matters of iudgement repell any information or euidence but if the partie grieued require extremitie by wisedome they may perswade him but by authoritie they cannot deny him Finally in all thinges consider with the Apostle not onely what is lawfull but also what is expedient that charitie being ioyned with authoritie loue may rather amende our faultes then lawe and seuerity put vnto iustice the greatest faultes may haue the sharpest punishmentes that not the wordes but the minde of the Law-maker may euer be considered And Bohaz said vnto the elders Nowe the ceremony being ended the resignation deliuered the holy Ghost proceedeth to expresse howe Bohaz receyued it where he first of all calleth witnes of the elders and of the people that nowe hee hath bought the inheritaunce of Elimeleches and whatsoeuer was Mahlons and whatsoeuer was Chilions he hath bought at the hand of Naomi So that here he testifieth with the witnesse before saide that it shall be as his owne in possession foreuer Where first of all here commeth in question whether then it were or nowe is lawfull to tell inheritances which by this place appeareth to be very lawfull seeing Bohaz buyeth that which was Elimeleckes if it bee so lawfull then was Naboath in great fault that he did not depart from his in Iezreell and so might haue saued his life But Naboath had the expresse lawe of God on his side which commaunded that the lande shoulde not bee solde to bee cut off from any family and giueth this reason of it because they were but straungers in the lande and soiourners but the fee simple as wee call it was onely the Lords Therefore Naboath was not wronge but had the lawe of God for his defence nor yet Bohaz did not amisse which bought Elimeleches possession or inheritaunce of Naomi Therefore wee must briefly set downe the conditions of sale as they may be gathered out of the law of God First therefore these are the wordes If thy brother bee impouerished and fell his possession then his redeemer shal come euen his neere kinseman and buy out that which his brother hath solde And if he haue no redeemer but his hande hath gotten to buy it out Then shall hee count the yeares of his sale and restore the ouerplus to whom hee solde it so shal he returne to his possession But if hee cannot get sufficient to restore to him then that which is solde shall remaine in his hande that bought it vntill the yeare of Iubilee and in the Iubilee it shall come out and hee shall returne to his possession Out of these wordes wee gather these proposititions for certayne truth First that for pouertie it was lawfull for men to fell away their inheritaunce Secondely that the nexte kinseman might redeeme it and no man else beside him that solde it and they might at any time redeeme it neyther coulde the possessour deny them Thirdly that no sale of any lande was good or effectual for any time after the yeare of Iubilee By these three conclusions we may trie the title Naomi was nowe impouerished and therefore she might fell her inheritaunce to whome shee pleased Bohaz was by substitution the next kinseman therefore hee might lawfully buy it For Naboath hee was neyther poore nor wanted neyther was Ahab any of his kinred and if it had once gotte into the kinges inheritaunce who coulde euer haue required it againe Therefore Naboath was without blame in denying to sell his vineyarde and Bohaz without faulte and blame for buying of Naomies And Boaz knew that hee had the consent of the seller and therefore hee was the bolder Then by this wee may gather in what cause it is lawfull to buy or to sell ones inheritaunce First it is lawful to buy with the consent and good will of him that selleth so wee reade howe Abraham bought a fielde of Ephron after he had first communed with his sonnes and had their liking of his suite and after at the gate of the cittie hee had his assurance and without this it is not lawfull at all to deale for except the will bee free and not compelled it is no bargayne before the Lorde but playne robbery and vniust dispossessing because in the last commandement the Lorde saith Thou shalt not couet thy neighbors fielde or his house or his oxe or his Asse or any thing that is his whereby is forbidden euery thought of couetousnesse much more forcible and vniust dealing to compell men to departe from their inheritaunce Therefore Ahab was blamed by Eliah though onely Iesabell wrought the murther because hee knewe it was forcible dealing and hee ought not to haue entred seeing the meanes of his death But how many constrayned purchases are there made the Lorde onely knoweth and the countrey euery where ringeth of them where many by one meanes or other are driuen to depart from their patrimonies are lest destitute of dwelling places wiues without maintenaunce children without inheritaunce familyes brought to pouerty by such dayly and vsuall purchasing Secondly it is lawfull to buy if it bee publiquely done not onely for the conueyaunce or assuraunce but also for the price Therefore Ephron made Abraham the pryce of foure hundred shekels in the gate of the Cittie and here Bohaz doth it before the elders This is a most worthy consideration because by the neglect of this pointe it commeth to passe that great lyuinges are done away for a songe as the prouerbe is young men priuately sell their patrimonies their fathers being aliue
not the riches for their daughters husbands or sonnes wiues keeping them in continuall burning for lacke of this wealthie licour And I knowe many parents which haue cast off their children for poore mariages but neuer any for the wealthy were they neuer so wicked therefore whosoeuer for this cause denieth right to his childe shall be more faultie for their vngodly disposition then the children for their vnaduised mariage Now in these dayes it is a wonder to see how the mindes of men and women can loue for wealth that euen as a harlot humbleth her selfe for money to him whome otherwise she would not looke vpon so men and women will marry themselues for wealth where if there were pouertye they would thinke them vnworthie to be theyr seruaunts I maruaile if the heathen lawe were now in force that no man shoulde giue any thing to theyr daughters marriage in what time of theyr dayes would these men marry truely I thinke they would neuer marry except it were to make drudges of their wiues But these are not of Boaz his minde for he marrieth a straunger who had but little wealth because the Lord so commaunded to take his kinsmans wife although he might haue refused yet he was contented for this cause to buy her as he sayth in this verse to teach vs that if God bid vs to marry that is if we finde in our owne consciences that we cannot liue otherwise then rather aduenture thy wealth then the displeasure of God But some will say is it not lawfull to desire and to sue for wealthie marriages Yes verily with this affection that thou like thy choise as well if there were little as now there is much And therefore thou must euermore remember these cautions both in the choosing and vsing of a wealthie marriage First that thou desire it to the intent thou mayest bee more able to doe good to thy bretheren that want for it is a more blessed thing to giue then to receyue Secondly that thou mayest the more freely giue thy selfe priuately and publikely to the seruice of God for wee knowe that pouertie taketh our greatest time to labour for wife and family but the wealthie neede lesse labour and may applie the more time to the seruice of God therefore was it that Paule sayd the maryed care for the things of this life to please theyr wiues shewing that it is one misery vpon the poore when they are maryed that they are troubled about worldly and necessarye prouision but if these things be supplyed by a good marriage thou mayest prayse God with the greater diligence But who are they which haue desired or obtayned a wealthie marriage for eyther of these causes if the poore should goe in collection for reliefe of them which for this occasion haue richly ioyned themselues what should they gather or how farre should they goe to how many persons might they come before they get a shilling Truely for this cause they desire them some that they might lauish out the more in riotous expenses with the rich man in the Gospell to seede in pleasure to be clothed in silke to mayntayne dogges houndes haukes horses and retinues of idle men but neuer the Church of God fareth the better for them Agayne by their wealth they haue idlenesse and time to wander abroade heere to feast and to make merry there to playe and disporte themselues in bodilie exercises and worldlie vanities but neuer one houre the more is spent in the seruice of God but much the lesse for the Deuils sweete and pleasant baits drawe away theyr mindes from the consideration of theyr owne miseries Agayne they are many times a thousand folde more clogged with the cares of their wealth then the poorest soule to prouide bread for his family by his bodily labour Lastly theyr desire is to leaue great possessions to theyr posteritie that the honour of theyr houses may be increased and the name of theyr memory might bee euerlastingly recorded so that neyther the glory of God the promoting of the Gospell the relieuing of the faithfull or the succouring of Iesus Christ hymselfe is any part of the thought of these couetous wretches but as they desire the inheritances of the Lord to be their portion in this present life so they haue them for the canker of their soules the rust to consume them the care to torment them the feare to forsake them the loue to enioy them the trauaile to increase them and the reckoning for abusing them to their endlesse confusion Therefore except the Lord doe build the house their labour is but in vaine that build it except the Lord make the marriage the riches of Salomon cannot continue them for better is a little that the righteous hath then the great possessions of the vngodly Lastly he that marrieth for obedience vnto God must haue this care to prouide before hand things honest and lawfull for the present maintenance of wife and family Therefore when Abrahams seruant came to the City of Nachor among others which he told vnto Laban and the mother of Ribkah he shewed them what cattell and flocks seruants and maidens his maister had which all should be Izaaks thereby signifying that all necessary prouision for their maintenance was alreadie procured and there wanted nothing but a wife for Izaak So Iaakob after his foureteene yeares seruice with Laban couenaunteth to haue the profit of the flocks which should be spotted and this was when he knew he was to depart from his father in law and therefore was bound to prouide for himselfe Now this prouision is not so meant as though euery one were bound to get all things before hand which are needefull to marriage but it is required that euery one should procure somewhat according to their degree and the maintenance of their calling This point is clearer then the sunne and it serueth to the reproouing of them which runne headlong to marry one day but fall into wofull beggery the next neither houses to dwell in labour to worke on meate to sustaine them money to procure them friends to relieue them or credit to helpe them onely wiues and husbands they must needes haue not caring what shall become of them afterwarde And truely if the hurt did onely redound to theyr owne hinderance the pity was the lesse but wofull it is to tell how theyr miserable posteritye are thereby euen thorough their parents rashnes brought to euerlasting pouertye and such as is most lamentable for theyr mindes are not instructed they haue no knowledge of the true God neyther can they pray to theyr comfort or hope for any saluation If it were but the labour and pouertye of the bodye it were much to be desired and nothing to be feared but being the endaungering of both body and soule how much is it to be disliked that any for their owne lusts should leaue their wretched posteritye to the power of the deuill Therefore beloued counsell