must set downe some rules out of the worde of God to take away all these extremities And the first thing that must bee knowne is the cause for which it is not onely needefull but also lawfull to prouide apparell which already we haue shewed you to bee the sinne of Adam which wrought in vs the shame of our naked bodies and brought vppon vs colde and heate sicknesse and soares surfets death so then the bodies couered by clothing are made comelye againe are armed against heate warmed against colde strengthned against sicknesse and the daies of health lengthened life prolonged and death auoided For as the prisoner looking vpon his irons thinketh vpon his theft so euery one when he seeth his garments must thinke on his sinnes And this one consideration striketh down al deuises of fashions or conceits of pride for alas what glorie hath the theese in his bandes or what profit by their making for now hee is clogged with them but anone hee is tucked vp with the halter so proude persons are nowe prancked vp while they looke on their feathers but anone are paide for their fashions w t eternall damnation For the Lord cryeth out by the prophet that hee will take vengeance of the princes the sons of the king for vsing strange apparell Secondly there may bee a difference of apparell one kinde for the riche another for the poore one for he prince another for the people one for the noble man and another for the gentleman for our sauiour speaking of the royaltie of Salomon in all his apparell doth not discommend it and wee haue hearde already of the apparell of Esau lying in his father Isaackes house And this may bee also in many sutes as Iacob had sent him by his sonne Ioseph and Ioseph gaue his brethren to euery one garmentes but to Beniamin hee gaue fiue chaunges But some will say our Sauiour biddeth vs not to haue two coates and therefore this chaunge is vnlawfull To which I aunswere that it is vnlawfull to possesse chaunge or varietie of garmentes when wee see and behold our brother hath none therefore our Sauiour Christ addeth that hee that hath two coates must giue to him that hath none So that our aboundance must neuer be to the want and necessity of our brethren But alas where is this difference in manner of garmentes I speake for the matter wherefore they are made wee may make the olde complaint of a christian father a thing worthy to bee seene yea rather to bee lamented The maide followeth the mistris in such brauery of apparell that it is harde to know whether maide or mistris goeth formost Such confusion of degrees consuming of wealth and goods condemning the humble and aduauncing of base persons by apparell into the place of worthy men is the ouerthrowe and destruction of a whole country the ruine of a common wealth and the defacing of the Church of Christ But all this while the naked may goe naked still for any clothing they can get of these that haue such plentie and aboundance so that men cloth themselues in the finest silkes feede themselues with the fattest calues and the case themselues in the softest beddes while Christ in his members is harbourlesse without houses hungry without breade and naked without any raiment to cast vpon him Oh woe be to you dainty persons that thus prouide for your own mayntenance and neglect the sustenaunce of the poore you are cloathed in softe and gorgeous apparell and fare deliciously euery daye you eate vp the needy like breade you are deafe at their cryes blinde at their nakednesse and like the cittizens of Sodome vnmercifull to their miseries consider that their eating and drinking brought brimstone from heauen with fire to burne vp their citties and soules Consider the end of that riche glutton in the Gospell which was so tormented in the paines of hell that hee desired but a drop of water could not obtaine it Your brauery shall bee turned into shame your pride into paines your ease into restles trouble your aboundance into euerlasting want your frendes into deuils your honour into hell your vnmerciful harts into vnsufferable plagues and your pleasures repayed with eternall destruction both of body and soule The like may be said of those couetous persons which goe as farre vnder their calling as other aboue and will hardely bestowe any garmentes on themselues worth the wearing and disgrace the proportion of mankind through their base apparell and vnreuerent addressing themselues without all respect of honestie regarde of religion conscience of their places and knowledge of the true vse of the benefites of God But many spende all that they â—â—n get vpon their bellies neuer caring how simplie they goe in the face of the worlde so they haue any thing to couer their nakednesse and wee knowe what kinde of beasts are the punishment of such slothfulnes Therefore let vs euery one helpe those that are not able to prouide yea and to buy them apparrell and let vs all learne hereby what care wee ought to haue of the chaunge of our bodies that if wee will bee ruled by the example of the godly wee must rather studie and trauaile for our couering then for our nourishing Therefore wee must pray for our clothing of him that clotheth the Lillies of the fielde in such measure as wee may bee comforted our nakednesse couered our shame abated our vncomelines adorned and the sauour of sinne expelled that wee might prayse his power for euermore Secondly by this we also may note what reuerence wee owe to magistrates and to men in authority that we must be carfull in their presence to giue no offence euen in our apparell for here wee see Ruthe going to Boaz an elder of Bethlehem she is commaunded by Naomi to put on her best apparrell as a duetie of all the faithfull that they make not their persence odious in the sight of their rulers and for this cause we read in storyes that when any were wont to come before the magistrates hauing any suite vnto them they were apparelled with white which signified the innocencye of the person and puritye of the cause and also they had one suit that in al decent manner they might deliuer their mindes in the presence of the magistrate for the basenes of apparell is loathsomenes to many But this shal suffise for y e touching of this matter Let not the man After shee had commaunded her to prepare her selfe shee desendeth to instruct her of her behauiour after shee commeth downe to the place which was this that she let not him knowe of her till he had supped and were gone to lie downe in his bed which she aduertiseth her diligently to marke and to come and bestowe her selfe at his feete Where it may seeme that Naomi counselleth her daughter an vnlawfull thing yea rather to play the whoore then to get her a husband by a lawfull meanes for shee
that his promise which he had made vnto Adam should be perfourmed in his posteritie which was for the comming of Christ This promise was renewed vnto Abraham vnto Izaak and vnto Iacob and most plainely vnto Iudah the third sonne of Iacob who was the father and graundfather of this Pharez that the Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor the lawgiuer from betweene his feete vntill Shiloh come and the people shall be gathered vnto him and againe vnto Dauid he swore that the fruite of his body should sit vpon his Throne both which promises or prophesies respect the comming and the raigne of Christ By this then we first of all gather the scope of the whole scripture namely that aboue all other it respecteth Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world the Prince of peace the mightye King and the great Counsellour For this cause he himselfe speaketh to the Iewes Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life and they are they that testifye of me Agayne Iohn speaketh in the end of his Gospell that the Scripture was written that we might beleeue in Christ And we reade that Apollo did mightely confound the Iewes proouing by the Scriptures that Iesus was Christ But most euident and playne is that of the Disciples going to Emaus and Iesus ouertaking them by the way it is sayd that hee began at Moses and all the Prophets shewing them that Christ ought so to suffer and that redemption and remission of sinnes might be preached in his name to all the world By the which it is most easye to be gathered and doeth necessarily follow that the summe drift and scope of the Scripture dependeth vpon Christ First because all the godlie that are named therein were eyther his Fathers according to the flesh or else the singuler types prefiguring his person such was Melchizedeck Ioseph Moses all the Iudges Samuell and the Prophets which although they were not of his naturall linage Melchizedeck excepted yet they did most liuely represent him Moses and the Iudges in this that as they deliuered the people from earthlye captiuitie so should hee redeeme them from euerlasting calamitye Samuell and the Prophets in this that as they instructed the Iewes in the lawe of the Lord which was giuen by Moses so Christ shoulde put his lawe in the inwarde partes of the Churche and teache them the Gospell of trueth theyr redemption wrought by himselfe the lawe of righteousnesse the words of eternall life Aaron and his fellowes in this that as they sacrificed for the sinnes of the people with bullocks and beasts and sprinckled the bloud with hysop for their outward cleansing so Christ sacrificeth his owne bodye and cleanseth from sinne thorough the sprinkling of his owne bloud Dauid and the Kings in this that as they ruled the people by theyr temporall lawes conquering theyr enemies and giuing them rest and worldly honour so Christ doeth raigne with the spirituall lawe of his word triumphing ouer hell death and sathan leading captiuitie captiue ascending vp on high receyuing gifts for men deliuering his Church from theyr aduersarye the Deuill bestowing vppon them spirituall peace and libertye giuing them the honours of hys Ministerie Word and Sacraments in this life present and Crownes of glory in the life to come Thus if wee looke vpon the Iudges they shewe vs our redemption If wee looke vppon the Kings they shewe vs our saluation If wee looke vppon the Prophets they shewe vs our instruction If wee looke vppon the Priests they shewe vs our reconciliation and if wee looke vppon the very names of the fathers of Christ which are described in the old Testament they teach vs that our names are also described in heauen and this is the profit we reape by the generation or genealogie of the faithfull to confirme vnto vs the true humanitie of our Sauiour So that heerein most liuely appeareth the dignitie of the Scriptures and the maiesty of Christ one mutually looking on another as the sunne doeth the starres and the starres the sunne for as the excellencie of the sunne appeareth by the glory of the starres to whome it giueth light so the maiesty of Christ is manifest by the scriptures to whome he giueth credit On the other side as the glory of the starres is magnified because it is the light of the sunne so the credit of the scriptures is exalted because they concerne the Sonne of God If the doings of earthly men be but paynted in some pamphlets tragedies or bookes of Chronicles we accompt them famous because their actions are commended in print what shall we then say of the Sonne of God whose workes excell the worthiest enterprises of all the world togither and are recorded by the holy Ghost the eternall God of trueth thoroughout all the sacred bookes of his eternall word farre aboue the credit of worldly commendations is not his maiesty incomparable Do we buy the bookes of earthly mens deuises to reade the fayned and doubtfull aduentures of Princes long since in their graues and shall we suffer this booke of the heauenly stratagemes of our Sauiour lye asleepe in the shops Compare their worthines togither you shall finde the difference as great as is betweene the light of the sunne and a little rotten wood glistering in the darke They ouercame some worldly Princes but he ouercame the Prince of the whole world they thorough a multitude of earthly souldiours but he thorough himselfe alone an infinite number of infernall powers they inuented politique lawes for their peaceable gouernment but he giueth spirituall precepts and ruleth by them the hearts of men himselfe they had the heads of many noble persons vncouered at their presence but he hath the tongues and knees of all them in heauen in earth and vnder the earth bowing vnto him yea the Angels do him reuerence for he is their head they prepared names of Ships to cut the seas but he could commaund the waters to beare him vp when he walked vpon them they had their glory in gold siluer pretious stones and soft apparell but he being on earth had his countenance like the brightnes of the sun his garments as white as the light they could digge in the earth to find treasures for their maintainance but he commanded the fishes of the sea to render him his want they were able vpon infinite charges to keepe great families but he without any charge fed fiue thousand men besides women children with a few barley loaues two fishes and caused much more to be taken vp then at the first was deuided among them finally they were able to destroie the bodies of men but he is able to destroy both body and soule they shewed themselues in outward glorie but he shall shew himselfe in flaming fire to render vengeance to all them that haue not obeyed his Gospell Therefore here must wee learne the maiestie of Christ euen in the Scriptures
wilde when it shall be manifested that the surest safest way in religion is to depend on God and not men Where thou dyest Hauing promised her life to bee spent in her mothers company shee proceedeth to her death shewing vnto her such perfect frendship as neither the trauailes of life or sorrows of death could euer abrogate and she addeth that euen in that place where Naomi should be buried would Ruth bee enterred for wee know the ancient custome was to bee buried with the fathers or predecessours whereof vndoubtedly the cause was the hope of the resurrecton that as they were buried so they shuld rise together to be made partakers of eternal woes or euerlasting ioyes And by this we obserue the loue which we owe vnto our fathers frends must be of such continuance y t it reach vnto the graue not only to be here the inheritors of their lands but also being dead to giue our bodies to their sepulchres and the measure of it must be so perfect that we must be the companions of life death And truely such as is the loue of children to their naturall parents such must bee the peoples to their spritual fathers in Christ The Galathians to pleasure Paul wold haue pulled out their own eies but men in these daies are so far frō this liberalitie towards the small number of preaching ministers that they wil hardly giue any penny towardes their maintenance they had rather haue their gold then the gospel of Christ their paltry pigs then preaching They cry out chargeable chargeable is the ministery when they thēselues which should pay the tenths yeld not the twentith of their increase such suing for their right such triing of customes such ouerbearing the weake finally they would be religious but y e ministers must be as beggers among thē Who seeth not in many places where they crie out for preachers and promise largely in their behalfe yet when the Lord hath sent them they almost stinke in their presence I speak plainly I confesse yet but the truth moreouer they are not onely poorely prouided for but euery base person pesant pot cōpanion are suffered to crow ouer thē cry out against thē Thus Chirst was before yet like vs contemned of the brauest reuiled of the basest the world I see is no changling although many hundred ages haue passed since yet the maners thereof remaine it agreeth in nothing saue onely to persecute Christ and seeing we are sent forth as a silly lambes among ten thousand wolūs and as men borne out of due time although our calling be despised our labor vnprofitable we made laughing stocks yet our pains will be rewarded our offences pardoned we crowned they euerlastingly confounded So let God Last of all that shee might be no more molested by her mother in law she confirmeth the resolution of her mind by an oth in these words So let God do vnto me and more also if ought but death do separate thee and mee which is an vsuall manner of swearing in the scripture as we reade of Dauid how he swore he woulde bee reuenged of the churlish Nabal for the vncourteous message he returned him by his seruants and is vsed by all the godly in the olde Testament and indeede it doth most notably describe the nature of an othe for it is thus much in effect I pray God confound mee if I speake not this with purpose of heart out of the which wee note many thinges most profitable First that in euery oath wee curse our owne soules if we publishe not the truth or performe not that which we promise as if euerie time we sweare wee shoulde saie The Lord confound mee bodie and soule with sathan and his angelles if this bee not so Oh that our othe-mongers common swearers in our daies wold remember or vnderstand this that wheras in their daies they haue sworne many milions of times so many curses damnations they haue wished to themselues the very consideration wherof would make them as gulitie in their own consciences as euer Cain was for killing a man or Iudas for betraying the Lord of glory they haue with their arrowes of blasphemy shotte thorough boared the Lord to the very neerest place of his life for euerie trifle And truly as the common Inne is knowen by his signe and the black Moore by his skin euen so is an atheist and carnal man by his othe We shal talke with honest worldly men who at euery worde or sentence will breake foorth into most horrible swearing vppon no occasion if they be rebuked they waxe much worse We read of an Egiptian Israelite that blasphemed and was by God his owne commaundement stoned to death How if this law were put in practise among vs where woulde the gallant companions which will sweare by all the colours of the moone become would not they crye out to the hills to couer them and to the rocks to fal vpon them was it not strange that among sixe hundred thousand men which were able to beare armes with olde men women and children almost innumerable there shuld be found but one man that had blasphemed or taken God his dreadfull name in vaine and he must be stoned But among vs if so many chosen men were taken my life for it there shall not be found among euery hundred ten persons which are not common blasphemers Oh Lord how doth thy mercy stay the heauens from powring downe stones vppon vs as they did vppon the Cananits There is not now a child in the streets if he be able to speake but he murmureth an oth onely excepted some few which haue godly parents there is not a woman eyther mayde or wife some few excepted which doth not dayly increase their curse by their continuall blasphemies may wee not now say Lord what is man that thou visitest him or the son of man that thou so regardest him Truly the most folow the counsell of Iobs wife they curse God and dye a godly martir required to curse christ and hee should liue answeared seuentie yeres haue I serued him yet hee neuer did mee any hurt why then should I curse him And I pray you what hurt hath the Lorde done vnto you that you thus blaspheme his honour curse your owne soules rebell against his lawes and sweare many hundred times oftener then you eate or drinke surelie the disease of leprosie was contagious and whosoeuer had it was excluded from the congregation how much more ought this poyson of swearing and swearers to be cut of from the society of God and men And surely now helpe O ye Gods of the earth I meane you magistrats and men of authority this knot will neuer be vnloosed except you draw out your swords and strike it a sunder though you would giue them all your posessions steale away their swearing as Rahel stole her fathers idols yet they will sweare
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
of the earth Of all these mistryes you may see in the booke of Iudges Samuel and Kings to which I referre you at your leasure as of Saul Dauid Ieroboam Achab Zidkia others as in this present place where they are oppressed ten yeares together so that heauen and earth may passe but the word of the Lord abideth for euer For this cause the prophets adde to their preaching of iudgmentes Thus sayth the Lorde as if they had said it shall neuer bee altered And if the lawes of heathen men such as the Medes and Persians might not alter much lesse the word of the Lord which is like siluer purified seuen times should haue any drosse or changeable substaunce in it Wee see the law of nature stand inuiolable for euer and shall not the law of him which made nature be also immutable when the fire ceaseth to bee hote and the water to be colde then shall be exception taken against God his iudgments and not before The vse of this doctrine is to cast downe the presumption of notorious sinners who to auoyd the terrors of God his iudgmentes deceiue their owne soules vvyth this that God is mercifull So that in theyr most singular sinnes they will flye to the mercyes of God as if they were the verie bonde of all iniquitie yea and these kinde of people perswade themselues to bee as good Christians as anie in the worlde because they can saie the Lord is mercifull But heare me a little in one word I praie you I am perswaded that I speake to many these people this daie What hurt hath the Lorde done vnto you that you rob him of his iustice Shall the Prophet be found a liar that sayth The Lord is iust in all waâ—es and holy in all his workes Or shall the Apostle speake vntruth that sayth It is a iust thing with God to render affliction to them that afflict you release to you that are afflicted Why shall we then spoile God of his iudgements vnlesse wee wyll depriue our selues of our owne saluation But you will saie this serueth for the wicked as Atheists Turkes Pagans Infidels and such lyke which shall haue no part with Christ I answere what greater wickednes can there be than to depriue God of his iustice Would a mortall man indure to be accounted without honestie and shall the euerlasting king abide to be spoiled of his righteousnesse Nay the iustice of God pertaineth to such as you would be holy persons as well as to anie For what saith the Prophet When the iust man turneth from his righteousnesse to doo iniquitie he shall die in it And Peter sayth that iudgement must begin at the house of God And a father once saide God of his most deere iustice hath decreed the summe of all discipline both in exacting and in defending as if he had sayd there is no correction of the Lord but it proceedeth from his iustice now the children of God are corrected for hee scourgeth euerie child whom he receiueth And therfore the iudgmentes of God must bee thundered out as well for the confirming of the faithfull as the confusion of Infidels But others there are that are so farre past feeling of either mercies or iudgements that as soone the deafe adder wil heare the voice of the charmer as they anie impression of terrour for sinne Hence commeth this custome of sinning which euerie sabboth commit their wonted iniquitie euerie houre vomit out their poison of blasphemies and euerie daie violate the lawes of charitie who through their dayly staring on the sonne of righteousnesse are nowe become starke blinde and with the continuall noise of God his waters are made so deafe that they can heare no goodnesse Vnto both these sortes of people hearken what the Lorde sayth in his Gospell But if that euill seruant shall saie in his heart the Lorde deferreth his comming and shall begin to finite his fellow seruants and to eate and drinke with the dronken The Lord of that seruant shall come in a daie that hee looketh not for and in an houre that hee knoweth not and shall separate him and giue him his parte with vnbeleeuers there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth This shall be the end of secure christians and contemptuous sinners carnall Atheists despisers of wholsome doctrine which haue no part but in this present life with endlesse and fearefull damnation in the world to come Thus much of the first parte the circumstance of time now let vs go to the thing which is the second parte of the occasion There was a famine in the land This was the chiefe cause which moued these persons to trauell the auoiding of the pinching penurie of fearefull death by lingering till the end of this pining famine Of all the punishments of sinne which happen in this life theâ—e is none more vehement than famine Therefore the Lord by the Prophet threatneth to send his arrowes of famine to breake the staffe of bread Where he alludeth to a maine battell signifying vnto vs first as the arrow is the fittest instrument to break the ranke so a famine is the sharpest weapon to dismaye the couragious stomackes of rebellious sinners For as the arrowe is alwaie in sight so a famine euer in sense the arrowe hurteth but not with a speedie death a famine spoileth yet with tedious miserie the arrowe entered doth procure more paine and greater wound at the pulling forth than the falling in euen so abundance of meate sooner dispatcheth a famished person than lingering hunger Therefore Dauid put to his choice of three plagues famine flying and pestilence chose the last as the most sodainest and therefore accompanied with lesse griefe for that disease by the rule of phisicke is most daungerous which is the longest in growing Now wee may reade of many famines in the Scripture one and the first we read of was in the dayes of Abraham another in the daies of Izhak his sonne Seuen yeeres famine was in Egypt where Ioseph by the hand of God succored the Church in his fathers familie And to omit that in Dauids time and that in Ahabs time with those in the dayes of Iehoram and Zidkia with many others VVee reade in the new Testament of a vniuersall famine in the dayes of Claudius Caesar prophesied by Agabus when the Church dyd most notably releeue one another Vnto the which wee may adde that at the destruction of Ierusalem about fortie yeeres after Christe All which are most worthie spectacles of humane miserie and worthy examples of God his iudgementes to terrifie all them which saie in theyr prosperitie they shall neuer be moued There wee may reade of the pittifull death of many thousands which starued in the streetes in the face of theyr dearest friendes and yet were not able to releeue them There wee may see howe men were driuen to eate dogges cats rats mice and horse
nor the thinges of the world for he that loueth the worlde the loue of the Father is not in him And Christ sayth Whosoeuer commeth to me and hateth not father and mother and wife and children is not worthie of mee Where are nowe our naturalles that woulde be professors but their friends will not let them they woulde be Christians but their wiues will not agree to them this yeere they will be worldlings and the next yeere when they haue ouercome their businesse if they haue any leasure they will heare the word preached Oh daungerous delayes of subtill Sathan studying by the worlde to drawe men from God they lye like sluggardes in winter it is too cold in sommer it is too hotte to worke so they in their youth will be religious when they are olde beeing in age when they bee riche being rich they waxe harder and harder and so continue till the day of their damnation Secondly by this we may gather howe farre an hypocrite or an infidell may goe in Religion Horpah forsaketh her owne people for the loue of God his people she weepeth and cryeth when it is but mentioned vnto her that shee woulde departe shee trauaileth on the way towardes the countrey of God his people and in this her iourney for a fewe worldly reasons she turneth backe againe though as it may seeme with a bitter heart Euen so hypocrites may forsake the worlde and their friendes ioyne themselues to God and his people trauaile and profite in Religion towardes the heauenly Ierusalem bee readie to weepe with them that weepe and lament with them that lament and in any good action set his foote as farre forth as the best yet some occasion giuen eyther for profite or pleasure feare or daunger sodainely turneth sayle and commeth to the worlde againe Euen so sayth our Sauiour of the seede that is sowen in the 2. and 3. grounde it taketh roote it springeth and groweth vp but sodainely the heate of persecution ariseth or offence taken at the doctrine which is taught them or the cares of this life deceitfulnesse of riches choake them By this we learne what to thinke of our softe hearted Christians many among vs that will diligently heare and wring out teares from their moistened braine at the hearing of God his iudgementes thundered and threatned by the Preacher yet being gone will make no conscience of oathes carding dicing tabling gaming for their neighbors mony going abroad on the sabboth day to feasts and beeing sharply reprooued for it then farewell Religion and profession also Thirdely by this we gather what exceeding kindnes an heathen an Atheist or an infidell may shew to them that feare God Horpah for the loue of godly Naomi goeth with her on the way weepeth and kisseth at their departure so great loue did she beare to her mother in lawe that had it not bene for one thing shee had gone thorough with her to her owne people So wee may see many among vs speake well of Religion yet they will not go so farre as Bethlehem for it that is they will wish they had a preacher yet they will hardly eyther on the Sabboth day or weeke daye stirre one foote from their owne places to heare a Sermon so colde is their deuotion but if they giue a poore man a meale of meate or lende him a little money at his neede or receiue a Preacher for a night then he is the onely man in the Countrey But oh Lorde open their eyes that they may see their curtesie is but light in regard of their duetie if for their brethren they would die it were but their duetie howe little is it then that they giue them meat But they woulde knowe of vs what is the way to be saued I aunswere so woulde the young man in the Gospell yet when Christ tolde him he woulde not doe it but went away sorrowing euen so these men may outwardly and inwardly in some measure professe kindenesse and humilitie to be instructed but alasse their profession is far from true feeling of Christian religion Lastly by this verse we note that as Horpah and her companions are carnally minded so Ruth and her fellowes are spiritually minded though one be ouerthrowen with worldly reasons yet the other remaineth inuincible in her first pretended purpose So that here is an image of a Congregation where all heare and yet there is a difference of hearing in one and the same Company one parte with profite another with disprofite one to their health another to their sickenesse to some the sauour of life vnto life to other the sauour of death vnto death Yet blessed be God that hath no earth so barren but it bringeth forth some fruite no people so rude but there are some sanctified persons among them which will not be drawne away till death no battell so cruell but some escape with life If the Pharises will not beleeue in Christ yet the poore people that knowe not the lawe will receiue him for the Messiah Among the mockers at Athens Paul receiued some fruite of his labours and the Gospell was neuer preached in any countrey but it gayned some This teacheth vs to follow the example of Ruth and we shall haue the rewarde of Ruth sticke to the Lorde and to the faithfull with purpose of heart let not the vaine glittering pleasure of pleasaunt pastime or profite drawe vs from the hope of our euerlasting blessednesse The time is but shorte wee haue to spende the labour easie if we willingly endure it the profite euerlasting if we continue to the ende This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our Faith for to him that beleeueth are all thinges possible Let vs therefore heare the worde with diligence that our fayth may be strengthened beleeue with assurance that our soules may be iustified and stand fast in the tryall of this world that bodie and soule may be crowned for blessed are they that endure to the ende And thus much of this conference or communication and the effecte thereof Novve let vs giue thankes to God for that vvhich hath bene spoken The thirde Lecture Ruth cap. 1. Vers 15.16.17 15. And Naomi saide beholde thy sister in lawe is gone backe to her people and to her gods returne thou after thy sister in lawe 16. And Ruth answered intreate me not to leaue thee nor to depart from thee for whither thou goest I will goe and where thou dwellest I will dwell thy people shall be my people and thy God my God 17. Where thou dyest will I dye and there will I be buried the Lord do so vnto me and more also if ought but death departe thee and me IN these wordes the holy Ghost declareth vnto vs the conference had betweene Naomi and Ruth after the departure of Horpah wherein Naomi ceaseth not throughly to trie and examine the minde of Ruth for what cause shee woulde goe with her the wordes containe in them 2. partes
Israel as she was and wife to the third yet what glory had she of her place when her husband and was iustly slaine and her people ouercome therfore shee called her son no glory for neither dignity of place highnes of birth fruitfulnes of children or the dominion ouer a whole countrey may minister any comfort to them whome the Lord hath hūbled Rahel that bid Iacob giue her children or els she should die at the birth of her second child died and yet had children she supposed if she were made fruitful had many children she could not chuse but liue in felicity but hauing the first she called him Ioseph because God would adde more yet at the second she called him Ben-oni which is the son of her sorrow because she died in trauaile so that she which accounted bearing of children her chefest ioy by that which shee loued came her greatest sorrow Thus Naomi which was once as beautiful and pleasant in prosperity as any yet now in aduersity who more bitter thē she yea the very remembrance of her name increaseth her griefe Were she the daughter of a prince yet nowe beeing a begger it is a greater discomfort vnto her then if she had bene borne poore for mans nature is like a pleasant plant which prospereth when it groweth higher higher but decaieth if it fal lower lower if Naomi had bene a Lady yet hauing lost her husbande childrē wealth the cogitation of her wonted welfare encreaseth her disquietnes euen as Phine has his wife and Rahel at the birth of their children Why then do men thus highly esteem of worldly vain glory Cannot one measure of honour afford one mite of cōfort to a distressed person Do not mē because they are proper was proud because they are learned proud ambitious what then is the fruicte of worldly titles is pride the reward of proportion loftynes of worship scornefulnes of riches and ambition of learning surely these things in the day of trouble can minister no medicine to make ease if godlynes bee not with them What was Achan the better for his gold when he was stoned to death Absalon for his beautie whan he was hanged Haman for his honour when he was mounted vppon his owne gallowes the sorcerers of Egipt for their knowledge when darknes was ouer the land or Herop for the peoples voice whed they cried a God and not man and the wormes fel vppon him consumed him Trust not therfore in princes much lesse in the titles of princes in the strength of an horse much lesse in the wealth of man say not I shall be the better because I am a gentleman a doctour or a noble man for when Salomon had considred all these things he said all is vanity and vexation of spirite For the almighty hath This is the reason wherfore she denieth her name or rather changeth it shewing that her first name had nothing in it which did expresse the relation betweene her selfe and it but her second name doth most significantly declare hir bitter affliction Where we first of all obserue the cause which moued the fathers to giue such names to theyr children which to signify or put them in mind of their duety or some other euent So God called the first man Adam which is as much as man or earthly because hee was made of the earth or the red earth so Adam called his wife Chauuath which we call Heuah by reason of the Hebrue letters because she should be the mother of all liuing the like may bee sayd of Noah Seth Abraham Izaac Israel Samuel Iohn Baptist and many others who being named eyther by the Lord himselfe or by other were so called to put them in minde of their duetyes or to note the thankefulnes of their parents The which is also lawfull for godly parents now to imitate in giuing such names to their children as may bee notes to al the world of their profession But some cannot brooke this liberty accompting it newnes and precisenesse in them that vse it as though it were a deadly sinne one iot to depart from the custome of the multitude But this curiositie is well confuted by the name of Iohn Baptist ancestors must not alwayes be followed those which are new creatures in Iesus Christ maye also haue new names But in this the worlde bewraie their palpable ignorance for they like the olde names which were verie plaine in their owne tongues wherein they were giuen but English names they cannot abide belike for verie feare least their names should bee witnesses of condemnation against theyr licentiousnesse Againe they account it a glory proper to a few persons to be called by the worldly surnames of some of theyr great ancestours but they will not beare these names of reioycing thankesgiuing repentance godlynes mercy constancie such lyke they will as easily admit them as a deafe adder the voice of the charmer But let the godly in this vse christian wisedome and ancient libertie for that which was lawfull in this point in the first age the Iews commonwealth the primitiue church with the practise of all ages since is also lawfull for them to giue holy and significant names to their children for I would haue all if it were possible to haue no other names but such as they vnderstand if they be called by the names of the ancient fathers kings or prophets which we reade of in the Scriptures it is also needful that they vnderstand the liues and the dispositions of those persons that as they haue them for the euidence of their names so they might looke vppon them as the examples of their faith and manners Secondly by this wee note what God his children thinke of their suffering which Naomi setteth out by this worde Bitternesse for bitternesse of all other tastes doth most dull the sense and corrupt the stomacke so that they account their afflictions as sharpe to them as to anie and may as lawfully complaine of them vnto the Lord. This I speake for instruction of them that are ignorant and the comfort of the afflicted First for instruction because some thinke they are not truely religious excepte they feele their miseries no more than a stone when they are afflicted and this maketh them so to wauer and doubt of themselues that in their greatest plagues they can hardly receiue any comfort being alwayes troubled with this that if they were faithfull they should delight more in their tribulations yet beloued marke a litle Naomi calleth it in this place bitternes as if shee had called the enimy to her health for when Peter would expresse the danger of Simon Magus because he offered money for the gift of the holy ghost he telleth him he is in the very gal of bitternes by that metaphor or allegory declaring the loathsomnes of sin to his soule as bitternes to the body Dauid saith that his affliction was his death as if he had
your pensioner hangbies and luke warme professors papisticall Atheistes which come to our Churches to sleepe and there dreame who being come vnto you make you beleeue that their dreames were the preachers sermons and you that are apt to beleeue lies beleeue liars But to come to the purpose you accuse vs for condemning good workes when we attribute no merites vnto them this we deny for the reason is like this None will become a papist but hee that hopeth to bee Pope so none will do good workes but hee that hopeth to bee saued or crowned by them If they graunt the latter then they must giue the former which I am assured many honest minded papistes would not bee though they might haue as much as the Popes father the Deuill offered Christ which was all the worlde Therefore as a papist is not a papist because hee woulde be a pope so good workes must not bee done that men might bee crowned by them Euery Catholike which beleeueth as the Church beleeueth must not presently steppe into Peters chayre no more euery one that doth a good worke must by that ascend vp into heauen Good workes haue another vse then to iustifie Because the eye cannot smell shall it therefore bee puld out noe it was created to see and not to smell because good works iustifie not shal no man do them God forbid they were giuen to the faithfull for outwarde testimonies of fayth and of God his spirite that by them they they might assure themselues and others to be sanctified and elected not that they should helpe in their saluation As the tree dyeth without the barke and fire is nothing without heate so workes without faith and faith without workes is cursed and vnprofitable Therefore wee say let euery one that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie eschewe euill and do good feede the hungrie cloath the naked visite the sicke and imprisoned harbour the harbourles prouide for children and widdowes yea and builde Churches and Colledges for the maintenance of God his worship and learning Yet we say we are iustified by faith we haue peace with God through our Lorde Iesus Christ by whome we were brought to this grace through which we stand glorie vnder the hope of y e glorie of God for all the works in the world cannot satisfie for one sin because there is none other name vnder heauen by which wee may bee saued but onely by the name of Christ Out of this first wee gather the goodnesse of God which of his owne promise and owne mercie accepteth that little obedience of faith which wee offer vnto him What can we doe to the fulfilling of the lawe if we keept all and yet fayled in one we had lost all our labour but if we kept one point onely and faulted in the rest it were like to a man that was bounde to pay ten thousand pound and should offer a shilling but we keepe none and yet hee accepteth vs in the death of his Sonne that our righteousnesse might abound to euerlasting life Nowe the vse of the mercy of God is that hereby wee shoulde bee made more fearefull and carefull not to offende him not as some imagine that hereby is giuen the greater libertie to sinne because the Lorde speaketh peace vnto vs in his beloued Christ for this is as the prophet speaketh being escaped out of a ditch to fall into a snare and as a man which is drawne out of a riuer should cast himselfe into the sea But the regenerate must bee more affraide to offend the mercy of God then the vnregenerate at his threatning iudgementes They will not sinne because they loue God the other will abstayne feare of punishmente the promises of the Gospell terrifie them more then all the terrors of the lawe for they find a sweeter comfort in the presence of the spirite then to rest in all the gardens of pleasure when they finde accesse to the throne of grace through the blood of Christ and by him all their infirmities couered their petitions graunted their sinnes remitted they at peace with God like ioyfull men discharged from euerlasting imprisonment they walke in holines and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life Oh that these mercies would sinked deeper into our hard harts that the force of the cogitation of the blood of Christ might both soften and mollifie purge and cleanse them from wauering and doubting wantonnes and presumption and prepare our fallow groundes fit to receiue the Lords owne feed his euerlasting word which is able to saue our soules Secondly by this when he saith vnder whose winges thou art come to trust the dignitie of the faithfull is commended vnto vs for they liue vnder the wings of the Lord Which is a Metaphor or borrowed speech comparing him to a hen which couereth her chickens with her winges shewing vnto vs that then wee are in safetie when wee are couered with the winges of the Lord. This our sauiour noted when hee saide that hee woulde haue gathered the Cittie of Ierusalem as a henne gathereth her chickens This dignitie of the faithfull is by many such speeches manifested in the scripture wherein the Lorde sheweth vs the care hee hath for our safety when he calleth vs the apple of his eye He sheweth his loue when he calleth vs his childrē his brethren and spouse to teach vs our dueties he calleth vs the braunches of a vine which are good for nothing but to bring forth grapes euen so are the godly pleased with nothing which they doe saue onely the worshippe of God This consisteth in the holy fellowship which the faithfull haue with God which Dauid faith bringeth life for euermore with whome is a well of life and the fulnes of all ioy And in another place the Lord saith Behold I stand at the dore and knocke if any man open I will come in and suppe with him and he with me and Iohn saith He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the father and the Son Here is the comfort of the spirit that dwelleth in vs the assurance of faith which ouercommeth all the worlde the euidence of our saluation euen the confession of the Gospel with the mouth and the beleeuing in the hart the hearing of it when it is preached and praying in the assemblies of the faithfull for wheresoeuer are two or three gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them saith the Lord for he dwelleth among his saints the Arke is with his ministers the couenaunt or tabernacle of presence with them that feare him for euermore Oh who will not be drawne to be the member of Christes owne bodie the heauenly Temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in the sincere professor of true religion that they may haue both the Father and the Sonne Who will not open to the Lords knocking that hee may receyue the king of glorie for his guest
is the comfort of it to them that are equally minded And as our labour in innocencie was nothing but pleasure which now is nothing but sorrow So mariage was then more sweeter though now for sinne it is become more bitter but the hardest labour hath some profite and the poorest mariage hath much comfort But most accursed are they which for to auoide the troubles they haue conceiued of mariage do giue their bodies to most filthy whoredomes and wretched adulteries Of whome Saint Paul saith That God shall iudge them that is vtterly condemne them for they shall neuer bee made the members of Christ which haue incorporated them to bee the members of harlots and heyres of eternall and euerlasting damnation And is not Boaz. As in the former verse wee haue hearde the diligent carefulnesse of Naomi for Ruth to prepare her some rest that is a mariage So nowe wee are to intreate or speake of the meanes whereby this might bee accomplished which Naomi expresseth in this verse to this effect By my dayly studie I haue founde out a meanes whereby thou mayest come to more continuall rest Boaz with whose maydens thou hast gleaned and did so curteously entreat thee hee is our kinsman and defendour by the lawe and euen now he is alone in the floore winnowing his barley to whom if thou wilt go follow my counsell he will shew thee the way that tendeth to thy wealth Out of the which we gather an example of ancient nobilitie how they followed not their dayly pleasure but continuall labour how they honoured the wealth that God hath giuen them with the diligent labour of their of their owne persons that euen this poorest worke of winnowing and threshing as wee reade of Gedeon was not onely committed to their seruantes but performed by themselues Whereby we are taught that it is no such vnseemely thing as many would make it for men of wealth to followe their basest labours This Boaz had a prince to his grandfather and he was the heyre vnto all his possessions yet here we finde him alone winnowing his owne corne We reade of Iudah the son of Iacob a progenitour of this Bohaz that hee went in his owne person to the shearing of his sheepe and so did the sonnes of king Dauid when Ammon was slayne by the seruantes of Absolon because hee defiled his sister Thamar Examples of this are more plentiful thē the time wil suffer me to rehearse which are all left to vs for patterns of thankefulnes in their diligent labours and witnesses of our vnworthinesse in all our possessions Adam could not dwel in paradise except in his owne person hee tilled it but many with vs I thinke would deride him and all their fathers if they sawe them in any thing but the gentlemans trade for being hindered neyther by the magistracy nor by the ministerie they had rather follow hawking or hunting gaming and playing then at any time to foyle their hands with their own labours but wasting their wealth in vnprofitable pleasure while they might increase their substance by godly trauaile Cast away therefore this worshipfull idlenes for men thinke nothing maketh them gentlemen but abstinence from bodily labour whereas that one thing is the greatest blot to our latest nobilitie that they haue cast of the care of their labors to others applying their time to greater libertie opening by idlenesse the passage to all manner of iniquitie Remember the fattest Oxe commeth first to the slaughter when the labouring beaste is merrie in the yoke euen so the idlest bodies are soonest seysed by sicknesse and consumed by death whereas labouring persons haue many daies in somuch as it seemeth a matter of murder by idlenesse to hasten the death of of our bodies Therefore some loathing labour take themselues to licentious riot and sweat out their sicknes in vnlawfull pastimes but bodily exercise profiteth little and will rather in the ende procure the paynes they most of all abhorre like the hayre of Absolon wherein hee most delighted with which was wrought his death But the conclusion of all this is that those which are the cheefest in spending shoulde bee the cheefest in working and the princes of the possessions must bee the principall in the labours Wash thee therefore These wordes contayne the preparation which she counselleth Ruth before shee descend to Bohaz in the floore that she washe her and annoynt her Two vsuall thinges in those countries and the meaning of Naomi is that Ruth prepare her selfe in most comely manner to go down vnto him whom she desired to be her husband For these actions of washing and annointing were are very common in those places washing to scoure of the filth of the bodies and annointing to make them looke cheerefully So wee reade of Dauid after hee had long fasted for his adulterous childe hearing it was dead he washed and annoynted himselfe and as Bathshebah was washing her selfe it happened that hee sawe her whereby his hearte was taken with her loue and drawen from God at one time In somuch as wee see it an vsuall and accustomed thing in those daies the washing of men and women and for annointing our Sauiour speaketh that when wee faste wee annoyte our selues that wee seeme not vnto men to faste Heere then wee see Naomi commaundeth Ruth no vnseemely addressing of her selfe but such as was vsuall and common amonge her owne people and lawfull also for her to put in practise Whereby wee first of all obserue that comely ornamentes and modest addressing of our selues eyther of men or women is a thing required of them that feare God for the outwarde cleansing and washing away of the filth of our bodies being the sauour of sinne raigning in vs insomuch as it is a brutish thing to goe in their bodies as many will without all respect of person or humanitie handes spotted face besmeared countenance disfigured And their naturall complexion defaced in them through their dayly vnciuill and vnnaturall behauiour and negligence who by their cruell labouring to get the worlde loose the comfort of their owne bodies while in swinish attire they wallow in the company of God and men Secondly by this wee gather that the Lorde hath giuen the fruites of the earth as wel for our ornament as for our nourishmente because it is as necessarie in some respects for the comelinesse of the bodie that it bee raysed vp to handsomnesse being nourished as that it shoulde bee nourished being weake Therefore saith Dauid With wine hee refresheth the hearte of man and hee hath giuen oyle to make him haue a cheerefull countenance and in the verse before hee saith He maketh the grasse to grow for the beast the greene hearbe for the vse of man not simply for the meate but for the seruice or vse of man And notable is the historie of a woman that came to annoint our sauiour before his death that powred on him a rich and coastly boxe
biddeth her to trimme and smooth her selfe vp shee warneth her not to come to the man till hee were layd to his rest and finally shee counselleth her to lye downe at his feete Truely in outwarde shewe it seemeth vnlawful yet in substance very honest if we consider euery circumstance First I demaund what is it that seemeth dishonest in this whole discourse some will say first the dressing of herselfe is scant the parte of an honest woman for it is very likely Naomi had this intention by this meanes to drawe the old man in loue with her for she tooke him as it were at aduantage alone in the floore and such sayth Salomon is the parte of whoores I aunswere that them other of Salomon sayth that it is also the point of a wise and a godly womā to watch in the night to be finely appareled to clothe her household and such like Therfore seeing an honest woman may do these thinges Ruth did no dishonestye in this Againe this kinde of dressing in Ruth was needefull because she had to deale with an honorable man and therefore the more carefully and comely shee must appeare in his presence But you will say that Naomi had some such meaning because shee bid her that shee shoulde not let her selfe be knowne till the man were gone to his rest I answere this shee did that they might more freely talke together of the matter of her mariage for if shee had come before hee wente to supper the daye woulde not haue suffised to commune of the cause of her comming niether would the old man haue gone to his loding if he had knowne a woman to bee present Then you will say why did shee not come to his owne house at home and that in the daye time I answere because it was a reproch to Ruth to bee knowne to deale publiquely in her owne marriage which must needes bee knowne if it had beene done in the city or in the daytime and therefore seeing time and place were nowe conuenient the man being alone they tooke opportunity by the fore-lock and prepare themselues for the aduenture of her marriage Why then will some say what moued Naomi to giue such counsell vnto Ruth seeing shee knewe it might bee defamed I aunswere Naomi knewe Boaz to bee an olde man not giuen to such lewde and filthy conditions but especiallye shee knewe him to feare God and Ruth her daughter in lawe to bee a vertuous woman trusting to his age and both their godlines shee is emboldened to giue this aduise And this may suffise any sober mindes from suspition of Naomies counsell Ruthes dishonesty or the religion of Boaz. But some will saye if the matter bee so cleare as you will make it then maye wee also followe the example and doo the like To which I answere if any doo so it is much amisse for wee must not imitate euerye example wee reade of in the scripture as that of Rebeckaes counsell to her sonne Iacob whereby hee got awaye the blessing from Esau There is no cause that can mooue vs as there was Naomi for Ruth must bee married in her kindered we neede not shee was bound to one or twaine but wee are free to manye thousandes shee might challenge in her owne behalfe for the law of God but wee cannot doo so excepte there bee a promise of marriage therefore neyther must wee followe this example nor yet suspecte the actions of either And Ruth Nowe the counsell propounded and the meanes for the execution thereof declared Ruthe approueth her mothers aduise by promise of obedience that first she woulde do it and in the verse 6 she doeth perfourme it Where wee haue a good example in the matter of marriage for all children to depende vppon their godlye and religious parentes If any aske mee whither they bee bounde vppon necessitye so to obeye their parentes that if they offer them husbandes or wiues they cannot refuse them but their parentes maye compell them to whome I answere first if it bee possible hearken to the voice of thy parentes but if thou canst not thy parentes cannot commaund thee against thy minde for they must propounde it conditionallye not absolutelye In thy body concerning thy labour thou must obey them in all thinges because they are the parentes of thy bodye but thy minde or soule which commeth from God is alwaye at libertye so that disobedience to parentes is the refusing of their temporall commaundement but marriage is euerlasting to the death of a man Secondlye children maye refuse because the Lord manye times reuealeth that to the childe which hee shewed not to the parentes as wee may see in the example of Sampson when hee woulde marrye with a philistine woman for his parentes gaine-sayeng it y e scripture sheweth the reason of it because they knew it not to come from the Lord but Sampson did they fore stood in it his parents harkned vnto him in the end got him y t womā for his wife By the which wee gather that no children maye lawfully celebrate their marriage without the parents consent secondly that they must be very circumspect to marry their children thirdly that they cannot in any good conscience deny their consents to their children to keepe them from honest marriage if there bee any equality betweene the partyes or hope of honesty in the time of louing But of this matter wee haue often spoke and therfore this shal suffise for this time Nowe let vs giue prayse to God The end of the eight Lecture The ninth Lecture Chap. 3. ver 7.8.9.10.11.12.13 7. And when Boaz had eaten and drunken and made his heart merry he went and lay down beside the heape of corne she came softly and vncouered the place of his feete and lay downe 8. And at midnight the man was afraid and turned him selfe hither and thither and he hold a woman lay at his feete 9. To whom he said who art thou and shee said I am Ruth thy handmaide spread the wing of thy garment ouer thy handmaide for thou art the kinsman 10. Which sayd blessed be thou of the Lord my daughter for thou hast performed more kindnes at the last then at the first because thou followedst not young men were they poore or rich 11. Now therefore my daughter feare not whatsoeuer thou sayest I will doe vnto thee for euery one within the gates of my people knoweth thee to be a vertuous woman 12. Now indeede it is true that I am thy kinsman yet there is one neerer than I. 13 Sleepe heere this night in the morning if he will do the parte of a kinsman let him but if hee will not do the kinsmans duty I will do the kinsmans dutie as the Lord liueth sleepe vntill the morning NOw it followeth in this scripture to speake of the effect of this counsell and of those thinges that happened after Ruth came downe into the floore and the happy successe she had with
Beliall touch not their meats handle not their pleasures taste not their companies for the world seeth thee wil slaunder the Lord seeth theee wil recompense We auoid the sight of serpents as Moyses fled from his rod why should not wee then flie from the sight of that olde serpent the father of lies which by all meanes possible seeketh to deface the name of Christ the nature of the faithfull we come not to the picture of y e deuill which is deuised by a painter but we loath the presence and abhorre the proportion of it why should wee not then as much the workes of himselfe whereby he is more slâ—ly communicated vnto vs then in all the pictures and images of the world We auoid the aire where the cockatrice layeth her egges because shee poisoneth the same but alas wee dayly delight in the pathes of vnrighteousnes where is greater daunger to our soules then all the poisons of the world can bring to the body thus wee escape out of the snare but we fall into the ditch we straine at gnats but wee swallow vp cammels we play with the Lion and are afraide of the lambe death is at the end of our iourney and yet we wil not see it Therefore againe and againe beware of offences that is take heed you bring not the glorious names of Christians to discredit your faith to ignominy your hope to shame your liberty to slauery and fill not the mouthes of the wicked with your vnwise and intemperate walking Secondly by this we note y t we must not onely abstain from the appearance of euil things but wee must also beware we make not good thinges euil for Bohaz knewe it was lawfull for him to talke priuately or publikely day or night alone or in company with any woman liuing but hee was afrayde lest any shoulde take his example as a rule or defence for their priuate wantonnes or iudge his company with Ruth to bee vtterly vnlawfull whereby the name of a magistrate the tytle of an Elder and the credite of two faythfull seruantes of God might be impayred Therefore to stop these occasions with timely arysing hee was carefull that the knowledge thereof shoulde come vnto none that a lawful thing misunderstood or conceiued should not bee made vnlawfull And truely this teacheth vs also in christian wisedome to weigh all our doinges by the rule of the Apostle when he saith all things are lawfull but all thinges are not expedientâ— all thinges are lawfull but I will not bee brought into bondage of anie where hee willeth vs not onely to see what we maye doe without daunger to our selues but also without danger to any other Secondly that in nothing we preiudice our christian libertie whereby we gather y t euery thing must be considered w t the circuÌ„stance of time place persons a lawfull thing in time may bee out of place being lawful for time and place yet it may be vnlawful for y e persons this we wil make plain by y t examples of alms fasting w c our sauiour Christ himself vsed It is lawful a holy thing to giue almes at all times yet if it bee done in a market place or with a publike signe as to blowe a trumpet or tolle a bell or such like it is hypocrisie by the sentence of our Sauiour and therefore vnlawfull euen so to pray continually is a good thing but if it bee done in the corners of the streetes or in the Churches while all the congregation be hearing the preacher it is vtterly vnlawfull the same may bee saide of preaching and reading eating and drinking laughing and weeping working playing buying and selling watching and sleeping with such like all which are good necessary and lawful yet as they exceede in time place and persons they may bee vnlawfull and therefore not to bee done By this let all the godly learne to vse the meane in all their indifferent actions and specially according to this present scripture of Bohaz and Ruth I woulde to God that this too common accompanying of men women together were altogether buryed and banished from vs I meane such as is in this wanton manner not onely in the maried who with their open publike dalliance giue great offence to sober mindes but also in the vnmaried in their vnseemely meetings daungerous conuenticles wanton feastes and immodest running and dancing together w c in many vnstayed persons stirreth vp the fire of concupiscence that ought rather to be quenched Euen as Phineas stroke y e Israelite and the Madianitish woman together vppon one speare so woulde God our Zimries and Cozbies had some punishment to stay other from committinge the like in euery age for it is much to bee feared that the heauy hande of God is gone out agaynst vs by reason of our open and publique whooredoms for euen now the children are infected with the example of their elders and what hope can there be of the ages to come when those that must be the parents of them are thus poysoned with sinne in the dayes of their youth surely as the rotten seede bringeth but a sorrowfull haruest so corrupted and wicked children will bring foorth a wofull and lamentable posteritie Put away therefore this euill of laying stumbling blocks before the blinde giuing offences to the weake bretheren breeding the selaunder of the whole Gospell greeuing the hearts of the sober minded drawing the curse from heauen vpon vs and vtterly drowning our selues and all our progenie in euerlasting destruction And when he had said giue me thy sheete This is the first thing which the holy Ghost reporteth of Boaz since he awaked from sleepe and arose from his lodging wherein he calleth for the sheete wherewithall Ruth was couered which no doubt but she brought from home with hir the which he filleth with sixe measures of barley the which measures as I take it were hins and contained an epha which we haue shewed you was seuen gallons and a halfe of our english measure for so much gathered Ruth the first day of hir gleaning Out of the which we note the duetie of euery godly man which is this neuer to be weary of distributing to the Church for Boaz had often bestowed much vpon Ruth and Naomi yet we see so often as he could conueniently he still continueth his liberalitie For this cause Paule willeth vs neuer to be wearie of well doing for he which needeth our liberalitie to day will also want our reliefe to morrow and so often as a faithfull brother commeth and complaineth so often are we bound if we haue to succour his necessitie I know many are willing to do good once or twise to one person but to giue so often as Boaz did to Naomi they cannot abide yet this is our weakenes and hardnes of heart for as we pray euery day for our dayly bread so euery day hauing inough we must distribute our bread therefore
accompted after wealth fayleth friendship withdraweth when they stand in most neede and least pitie is in the greatest extremitie Euery tree is greene in the Spring euery bird will sing in sommer and euery false hearted Christian will faune vppon theyr bretheren in prosperitie but bee ashamed of theyr want in aduersitie yea there neuer wanteth priuie repiners and grudgers at the wealth and welfare of euery one for some say it is too much if theyr neighbours corne increase others say it is too little when they are vexed and troubled by losse of their goodes and this maketh many medlers in other mens matters many backbiters for other mens welfare many enuye that any should haue theyr shares as good as themselues like him in the Gospell whose eye was euill because the Lords hand was good and as all the waues of the sea doe beate vpon the shore so all the braines of the world doe breathe against the prosperous Secondly the manner of theyr reioysing must be considered which the holy Ghost hath set downe in these words Blessed be the Lord wherein they testifye perfect ioy both to the Lord by praysing him and giuing thankes and also to Naomi vnto whome nothing could be more acceptable then to heare the name of God to be blessed for her sake To blesse in the scripture whensoeuer it is referred to God signifieth to prayse or to giue thankes as when Zachary sayth Blessed be the Lord God of Israell for he hath visited and redeemed his people that is Praysed be the Lord God of Israell Likewise the Apostle Paule sayth Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of mercyes and the God of all consolation that is praysed be God And in another place he sayth If thou blesse with the spirit how shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen to thy thanksgiuing that is if thou giue thanks with the spirit In this place it is of the first sence as if these women had sayd We prayse thee O God that thou hast looked on the misery of Naomi and hast reserued her a kinseman by whome the name of the dead might be raysed vpon the inheritance and his owne honor continued in Gods people By the which we are taught what manner of ioy the faithfull are to haue for their bretheren namely such as may redound to the prayse of God according to the saying of the Apostle that he which reioyseth must reioyse in the Lord for as bodily exercise profiteth little so carnall ioy profiteth lesse such as is the framing of vayne songs giuing ouer our labours and to reioyse in pastimes and such as is vsed in ringing of bells and the like sort being onely for man and not for God Therefore heere wee haue an excellent manner of reioysing when God is glorifyed by our mirth Thus we reade Moses and Aaron with theyr sister Miriam did after they came out of Aegypt Thus did Deborah and Barach after the victory against Sisera Thus did the women after the victory of Saule and Dauid when they came from the slaughter of the Philistins Thus did Zachary when his tongue was restored vnto him Thus did the children of Ierusalem cry when Christ came riding vpon the Asse Thus doe the faithfull reioyse after the destruction of Rome and Antichrist singing Praysed be God saluation and honour and glory and power to our Lord God And the Lord cryeth out of heauen vnto vs Prayse the Lord all ye his seruants and whosoeuer feare him both small and great Therfore beloued seing it becommeth the iust to be thankefull let vs prayse the Lord both euening and morning and let vs not see a sparrow to light on the ground without some prayse to God by whose prouidence all things are gouerned by whose will all things are ordered for whose glory are all things appointed that we should euermore giue thanks to him that sitteth on the highest heauens and ruleth the mightiest princes appointing the measure for the sea and calling the whole world to iudgement in whose presence is light and life for euermore Thirdly the matter of their thanksgiuing must be considered for they prayse God because he had kept a kinsman aliue for Naomi whose name should be continued in the people of God so that in plaine words they commend the kindnes of God because he had so prouided for this godly Naomi as she might be comforted by his meanes and his name continued by her daughter and all three eased by this one childe By the which we are taught these two profitable lessons first that we must magnify God for the life of our friends so doe these Iewes for the life of Bohaz by whome the Lord brought such great comfort to both these destitute and desolate widdowes for as we are sorry for their death when it is too late so must we be thankefull for their life when yet they are with vs the sonne for the life of his father and the father for the sonne the wife for her husband and the husband for his wife the seruant for his maister the subiects for their prince the people for their teachers and y e daughters for their mother There are few of these but they bring much benefit vnto vs and no small comfort doth arise by their presence which we shall better perceiue when we want them then now we enioy them and for these the Apostle also willeth vs to pray and one cause of these two miracles vpon Lazarus and Dorcas was that their life might bee prolonged with the church of God and more kindnes shewed to their godly frendes Secondly by this all those that are able to bestowe any kindnesse vpon other are taught their duties to their owne kindred that especially they bee carefull for the reliefe of their pouertie the maintaynance of their dignitie the preseruation of their honesty the nourishing of their own flesh for vnto that end hath y e Lord encreased their substance continued their name prolonged their daye and aduanced their seates that they may be more able to do for their poore brethren which are commended to them by the Lorde committed by the worlde compelled by nature which are bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh that they might bee maintayned as your owne selues When Dauid was made king he aduanced his sisters sons his kinsemen when Saule was king he aduanced Abner and other his frends and wee knowe that many of Christes Apostles were his kinsmen vnto the which end Paule exhorteth that poore widdowes be prouided for by their frendes that the Church be not charged with them This condemneth the forgetfulnesse of many in our age which being in wealth will scant acknowledge their poore kindred whereby they shew themselues like vnnaturall beasts as if the Lord were not able to bring thē down to y e footstool in the place of the other y t they
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
of spring and children of Bohaz which succeeded him first Hobed secondly Ishai and thirdely Dauid the king Of these parts and persons let vs briefly speake so much as serueth for the exposition of the Scripture and the satisfying of the tyme through the assistaunce and help of the spirite of God These are the generations Now that the holy Ghost had declared vnto vs this history of Ruth though briefly and in a fewe words yet in ample and large circumstances for the vnderstanding of his minde at the ende hereof hee annexeth the kindred of the personnes whome it chiefly concerneth that he might shew vnto vs that they were no meane or base persons for whom this history was compiled but such as descended of the noblest family in all y e world who were the appointed fathers of many kinges and that which is most of all the persons of whose seede our sauiour Iesus Christ tooke the beginning and substaunce of his humane nature And therefore in this place wee must declare the causes that moued the holy Ghost to be so careful in the rehearsing of the genealogies of the fathers for we must not imagine◠that hee mustereth not the names of those auncient persons to worke any wonder in our mindes at the recitall of them or that the scripture coulde haue beene perfecte without the seuerall generations therein described but wee must knowe that there were dyuers necessary and waighty causes by the iudgement of the auncientest and most approued wryters which moued the Spirite of God to intersert these genealogies First therefore according to the condition of all mankinde there is equally described the generations both of the godly and vngodly in the scriptures for this cause to shewe the multiplycation of mankinde of this sort are the generations of Adam Seth and Cain reported by Moses that hearing the number of mankinde so quickely multiplyed wee might the more earnestly giue prayse vnto God Agayne the genealogies of the sonnes of Noah are described vnto vs to shewe the replenishing of the earth the destruction of countryes and the restoring of the worlde But to come neerer vnto the matter wee must take this for a generall rule that the genealogies of the wicked are reported in the scripture for to shewe the blessing and loue of God vpon the godly and righteous men as for example the Lorde reckoneth vp the posterity of Ismaell the sonne of the bonde woman shewing vs howe great a people hee became and howe many Dukes or princes proceeded out of his loynes to shewe vnto vs the promise and couenant which hee made to his father Abraham that hee shoulde bee a great people was fulfilled and this serued to magnify and exalt the name of godly Abraham We read that the Lorde bestoweth a great genealogie vppon wicked Esau or Edom numbring or reckoning vp his sonnes and his sonnes sonnes his kingdome and the kinges of his seede that raigned after him for no other ende but to report and to manifest the blessing vppon godly Isaacke and Rebecca his parentes according to the oracle that hee gaue to his mother when shee demaunded and enquired the cause of the strugling or striuing in her wombe The like may bee saide of godlesse Cham for Noah his fathers sake of the sonnes of Iacob for Israels sake of Ephraim and Manasses for Iosephes sake By the which we gather and note this excellent doctrine that if the wicked haue any good it is for the sake of their godly and righteous parentes or frendes Wee see they should not haue so much as a name in the booke of God were it not for the cause of the righteous and godly we reade that when the Sodomites were ouercome in warre their people lead captiues and their goods spoyled by the company of Cedorlahomer then for Lots sake the Lord stirred vp Abraham and armed him with men and courage who wonne the victory recouered the spoyle brought backe the prisoners restored their goods and gaue them all libertie for godly Lots sake who was shortly after despised by them but they for their wickednes were burned in brimstone when righteous Lot was deliuered from them If Ioseph had not beene they had had no corne in Egipt If Moses had not beene the Lord had often destroyed the Israelites while they wandered and wauered in the wildernes For Iacobs sake the Lord increased the flocks of Laban For Iosephs sake he blessed the affaires of Potiphar for Paules sake he saued all them that suffered shipwracke at Myletum Euen so also he blessed the house of Obed-edomi because the arke was kept therein and at this day giueth greatest peace to those Countreys where his Gospell is promoted Let the atheists thinke if there were none that feared God they should quickly be condemned let the drunkards know if there were not some temperate persons their bodies should be quickly consumed let the couetous wretches assure themselues if there were not some liberall men their owne goods would turne to their death let the profaners of sabbaoths remember that if there were not some sanctifiers thereof their delightfull vanities would long agoe haue wrought their sorrowfull destinies let the contentious plaintifes be certified that if there were not some peaceable Christians among them their wealth had long agoe beene wasted for the prayers of the faithfull are like the walled Cities against the rage of enemies to keepe the vengeance of the Lord from falling vpon vs as the bloud of the Lamb spotted vpon the posts of the Israelites houses caused the angell to passe by them when all the first bornè in Egipt were slaine euen so the bloud of the lambe of God which is shead in the hearts of the godly maketh his messengers of death to depart from our countrey and kingdome If there were not a remnaunt among vs that are in league with the Lord that dayly are the hearers of his word the beseechers for his mercy and as the ambassadours of peace to disswade him from punishing our contempt of his word with condemnation our abuse of his creatures into pining famine our wantonnes in peace into lamentable warres our riotous liues into forraine captiuitye and our pampered bodyes to the slaughter of the sword You euen you that blaspheme the name of God if there were not a number that reprooue your abhominations the heauens would raigne downe stones to reuenge your accursed tongues you euen you that spend the Sabbaoths in dauncing and playing if there were not a company that refraine your pollutions you had beene cut off from your pleasure with some fearefull death before you had passed thus many dayes of securitie you euen you that thinke the preaching of the Gospell like the voyce of one that singeth whereunto you owe no more obedience then eare-seruice if there were not a remnant that heard the word of power which they beleeue is able to saue their soules you had beene many yeares since suffering the reward