light let vs shine forth in holy conuersation seeing the world is our enemie which dayly lyeth in wait to discredit our profession let vs adorne the Gospell wee professe eyther make the tree good and the fruite good or the tree euill and the fruit euill cast awaie this counterfeit holynesse which is double iniquitie let vs confesse with the mouth vnto saluation beleeue in the heart to iustification and practise in lyfe vnto sanctification and let euerie one that calleth on the name of the Lorde departe from iniquitie Thus much for the Daughters aunswere Nowe to the mothers replie in the nexte verse But Naomi In this verse and in the two next following Naomi confirmeth her counsell by forcible reasons taken from their second marryages and studying more for theyr good than her owne The first reason is that shee hath no mo sonnes eyther borne or vnborne to bee their husbandes for by the lawe one brother being dead without issue the next was to marrie his wife and to raise vp seede to his brother They knewe shee had no mo children alreadie borne and shee proueth that shee is out of hope to haue anie mo by her ovvne age she is too old to marry therfore to beare children so that the force of this reason is to perswade them to go back againe that they might marry at home for she knew not how to bestowe them in her owne Countrey In the which words thus taking a reason frō their marriage she noteth the duetye of younger widdowes and women which is to marry and to beare mo children and in her selfe persuading them vnto it shee noteth the duetie of godly parents which is to deale priuatly with them for their publique commodity For the apostle Paul willeth the selfe same thing that the younger widdowes marry and bring foorth mo children as the most acceptable condition for their fruitfull dayes and a necessary duety for replenishing the Church But these persons must not so marry for wantonnes as if they minded nothing but procreation of children but they must ioyne with it all Christian obedience to the aduise of their husbands secondly they must be carefull to bring vp their children in the feare and nurture of the Lord thirdly this must bee the end of their mariage and childbirth that they may the more deuoutly giue themselues to the worship of God and by their children to increase the number of the faythfull For it is better to be barren then to bring forth children to the deuill which they do that mind nothing lesse then their carefull education and Christian instruction yea it is more excellent to bee a religous widdow then a prophane maried wife But some will say that second mariages are not lawful at all because Paul willeth that such widowes should not bee chosen into the number of church seruants and the holy ghost giueth such commendation of Anna because shee neuer married though shee were left a widdow very young moreouer the counsell of Paul is that if they bee losed from husbands or wiues they should not seeke to beioyned vnto them Vnto all which I answere with the same Paul That a woman so soone as shee is loosed from her husband or so soone as her husband is dead shee is at liberty to marry with whom she will onely in the Lorde Anna is commended more for her religion them her chastity And Paul his counsell is to them that could forbeare in those dayes of persecution But to come to Naomi shee saith shee is to old to marry therefore it seemeth though second mariages bee good for young women yet they are not lawfull for the old To this I answere her meaning is not that it is simplie vnlawfull for her to marry but that it should not profit her in regard of child bearing men desire young and fruitfull women not old and barren her purpose is to persuade her daughters that she neither had nor coulde haue anye more children for them therefore in the next verse she addeth If I hoped or If I were this night with an husband But in my iudgment I see no reasonable cause why old women especially shuld marry how soeuer others may be contrarye minded my reasons are these First I reade it not practised by any body in the scripture I meane such old women as in their owne consciences are persuaded they are past child bearing Secondly they breake the greatest consideration in marriage they vndertake it for lust and not for children for marriage was not ordained for the lust of the mind but the necessity of the body to withdraw it from sinne Now their withered bodies cannot accomplishe the desire of theyr carnall mindes Thirdly it bringeth great inconuenience with it if they marry with a young man there is no equalitie as anone shall bee proued if with old men like themselues what comfort can they minister vnto them Lastly such mariages are more for wealth then woman or necessitie Yet this is but my poore iudgment if anie doubt of it let them examine my reasons if they bee waighty let them receiue them if light amend them If any say they marry for comfort as they can say nothing els I demaund why poore women haue not this comfort as well as the rich I see seldome any poore widowes maried but the wealthy so soone as eyther honesty or modesty will suffer them Againe comfort is no sufficient cause for marriage because it may bee had without marriage but children cannot It is the duety of married folks with their mutuall loue to comfort one another but not a cause that ought to constraine to mariage The Eunuch wanteth comfort yet who thinketh such a person fit for marriage a continent person which as Christ sayth hath made himself chast for the kingdome of God vvanteth comfort yet he should sinne greiuously if he married for comfort let lawfull things be ioyned with expedient and I thinke olde women will neuer marrie Yea if I had This is the second reason wherewith she persuadeth her daughters to turne backe againe namely graunt she had sonnes new borne yet it were too long for them to tarry till they were growen vp and fit for marriage yea then they would bee past children also they should lose the season of their youth and so should reape no haruest of their daies there would be no agreement in yeares betweene them when they should be as a withered stubbe and the young men as greene oliues Where we note that by the iudgment of this godly Naomi there must bee an agreement in yeeres betweene the parties that shal be married for she saith would ve be deferred for them from taking any husbandes nay my daughters by the which wordes shee signifieth that it would be no fit marriage that one should be so old and the other so young The Lord created Adam and Heuah in one day not only that marriage should not bee deferred too long
but also because their age should be alike but if any be the elder let it bee the man In the planting or gardens they get the youngest impes for the continuance and equality of the fruiete they will not digge vp an olde tree and plant him in a orchard of tender impes euen so must it be in marriage for the matrimony of olde men and young women is like Iosephes partie coloured coate which caused iealousie in his brethren for as that was a signe of loue in his father so this is a token of fondnes in a husband But most vnseemely is the marriage of young men and old women which a godly preacher in our daies cōpared to the grafting of a young head vpon an olde payre of shoulders I maye compare it to the mixture of oyle and water the which are quite against the nature of all medecines And euen the brute beastes and the birdes as wee reade of the turtles the harts the Elephants condemn herein the folly of mankinde which from their youth choose their mate and beeing dead refuse another fearing inequalitie of age and nature Both these kind of matches are neither begun in the Lord continued in nature or satisfie the desire of both parties but breake out into impatient iealousie or filthie adulterie thinking euerie daie a yeere till the eldest partie bee dead Oh vnseemely and vnfriendly behauiour towards those to whom they haue bound themselues to loue and liue together beeing the onely cause of the breach of fidelitie cursed discord mutuall enuie and euerlasting miserie Secondly by this we note that it is the dutie of parents in time to prouide for their children if they be willing to it some godly and fit marryage So did Abraham for Isaac his sonne so did Isaac and Rebecca for Iacob theyr sonne so did Iethro for his daughter Zipporah The neglect of this dutie in parents is the cause that so many children match contrarie to their mindes euen to theyr owne vndoing And then they crie out towne and countrie My sonne or my daughter hath marryed agaynst my minde when as themselues are in the onely faulte then they punish them by keeping awaie their portion so as before by their neglygence they sought their dishonestie nowe by their wilfulnesse they bring them to perpetuall beggerie I defend not the rash and headlong marryages agaynst parents consents especially where godly parents are and surely I feare there are but few in England that euer maried so but they procured the curse on themselues and haue often though too late repented their wilfull vngodly marryage But yet beloued bee warned if you desire the discharge of your owne consciences or the safegard of your children deale like parents with them they will performe like children to you the Lorde punisheth your negligence with their disobedience you sinned first and they followed your steps forgiue them their offence and receiue them to fauour againe and the Lorde wyll likewise pardon your transgression and blesse your posteritie with more dutifull obedience to you But this Now when she had perswaded her daughters to returne least they shoulde thinke shee careth not for them was willing to be rid of their companie as those that were troublesome and burdenous vnto her shee addeth this clause in the end of this verse Wherein she testifieth her care for them and her patience to the Lord. Her care for them when she sayth It grieueth me much more for your sake than for mine owne the death of my husband losse of my children grieue me but not so much as this that now either I must departe from you or else with your companie indanger your safetie I coulde not but sorrowe for the dead yet I am more grieued for you poore destitute widowes I haue lost their companie for a while til I meet them againe in God his kingdome but now we depart I to the Lords people you to Infidels and wee shall bee separated for euer Would God that I coulde so promise you prosperitie with mee that so you might receiue the peace of your soules Thus and such like she vttereth in these wordes for her owne excuse theyr comfort Where wee are first giuen to vnderstand how hardly true friendship is separated yea though some parties are indangered thereby Naomi would haue her daughters departe they weepe at it and shee is sorrow full insomuch as either partie striueth who shall receiue the worst The mother counselleth their good and the daughters promise hers shee would haue them returne and liue at rest in the armes of some louing husbands but they had rather trauell than she should go alone And this telleth vs that true friendshippe is not to receiue good of other but to doo good vnto other Choose thy friend that when hee is in heauinesse thou mayst comfort him when hee is hungrie thou mayest feed him when hee is cast downe thou mayest raise him vp and finally when hee wanteth make thou a supplie This is godly friendship like Ionathans and Dauids If anie choose friendes for other respects their friendship is carnall and not spirituall momentanie and not euerlasting like the standing pooles which drie vp in summer not like the running streames which indure continually Secondly by this we note that one misery commeth not alone for warres cause death dearth enuie and robberyes sicknes bringeth paine to the partyes and sorrow to their friends euen so death doth not onely bring sorrow for the dead but griefe for the liuing as Naomi sayth it greiueth mee much more for your sakes There is none that die but some shall want them many friends comfortles many chrldren harbourles many seruants maisterles and many creditouers moneylesse by the death of men I will say nothing that the godly may and ought to mourne for their friends that are dead as Abraham for Sara Iacob for Rahel the Iebusites for Saul Mary and Martha for Lazarus and the Apostle willeth vs to mourne but with this clause not as men without hope Therefore the vse of this doctrine is with pacient brotherly loue to beare with the weaknes of thē which seem in our conceipts to weepe more for their husbands and wiues children and friends than we thinke needfull It is their weakenes and what knowe we if the like burthen were on our backs that we should not be pressed downe vnder it like them Let vs therefore consider with our selues least wee also bee tempted and helpe them with brotherly kindnes not increse it with daily murmurings that which is to day their sinne to morrowe may bee our wickednes But the hand In those wordes she gathereth patience for the remedy of her own griefe sheweth howsoeuer she is afflicted yet she is not ignorant that as the showers come from the cloudes so her afflictions from the Lord his hand that wrought her felicity hath also brought her to misery her ease is her patience her weakenes is her
and leases are forestalled by other that they them selues cannot enioy them such buying selling cosoning and deceiuing borrowing and lending vppon vsury taking of fines raising of rents vndoing of the poore and thrusting the weakest to the wall as if charitie were forgotten and the precept of the Lord had neuer bene written and finally as though all were our owne which we can get in our handling manie giue counsell like lawyers for their fees but few like Naomi for their conscience They licke their owne fingers as the prouerb goeth but few will cast any salt on their neighbors meat if they can get aduantages of their neighbours vpon statuts they sue the extremity as if they were infidells They will not saye as Abraham to Lot If thou take the right hand I will take the lefe that is my brother my neighbor take thou the choise I wish not thy wrong aske coūsel let there be no occasion of strife betweene vs men will hardly giue either coate or cloake in these dayes by suffering iniurie they will rather take both although they thinke it better to giue almes then to take yet they had rather take bribes rewards them to giue Oh my beloued let vs at the length bee ruled by the counsell of the Lord esteeme better of others then of our selues help as many as we can but hinder none Cursed are they that lay stumbling blockes before the blind and giue euill counsell for their owne aduantage Secondly by these words we may gather to whom widowes belong their husbandes beeing dead namely to their owne mothers house that is to their parents if the parents of their husbands will not prouide for them Therfore is it that the Lord cōmaunded if the daughter of a priest were a widdowe and returned to her fathers house hauing no children shee might eate of the peace offrings of the childrē of Israel And Paul giueth charge to the godly in his time that if any of their kindred were a widow of their owne costs they should prouide for her and not charge the church This is a profitable doctrine both for parents and children for parents that they bee carefull to bestowe their children in godly marriages where they may be well prouided for neither must they then cast them of but if neede bee receiue them to their owne families againe for children seeing the Lord doth thus commend their welfare careth for their widdow head as wel as their virginity that they cast not thēselues away vpon euery one they can loue without the consent of their parents wherby they impouerish their frends vndoo themselues bring a woful curse vpon their innocēt posterity Thirdly lastly by this counsel of Naomi we gather that if the father be dead we ow the same duty to our mother which is aliue for she saith to her owne mothers house And Salomon sayth it is foolishnesse or wickednesse to despise ones mother The Lorde curseth him in the Lawe that despiseth or curseth his mother as wel as his father In the fift cōmandement hee commandeth to honor the mother equally or as well as the father Many thinke they may bee more bolde vvith their mothers because they are more tender ouer them than with their fathers but the godly must knovve that vpon paine of Gods heauie curse they must follovv the counsell of their mothers vvith Iacob as vvell as the aduice of their fathers vvith Esau And the Lord doth often cloath the vveaker vessell vvith more honor that thereby wee might learne to continue our obedience to our parents The Lord shew In these vvords the general blessing or praier is contained vvhich Naomi maketh for her tvvo daughters vvhere she praieth to God for his fauor vpō thē as they shewed fauor to her and to their dead husbands as if she should saie I wish no more acceptable blessing vpon you than you haue done to others VVhere we briefly note that our duties which we discharge to parents or husbands are as pledges before the Lord to doo good vnto vs. This maketh him delight to poure his blessings vpon vs when he seeth wee dutifully walke in his presence and it prouoketh those to whome wee offer this obedience to poure out their prayers for vs into the eares of the almightie Euen so the neglect of our duties the contempt of our parents and the disobedience to our superiours procureth both the curse of God and them not onely in this life but also in the life to come The Lord. These wordes are her speciall prayer for her daughters marryage and are thus in effect I can praie for no greater worldly blessing vpon you than this that eyther of you being young women may find quiet and louing husbandes and bee made ioyfull mothers of many children VVhere wee first of all note that as parents are bound by the law of nature to prouide marryages for their children so they are willed by the lawe of God to praie for their prosperous estate both before and also after they bee marryed And truelye this neuer sinketh into the heads of carnall parents who are able to doo more wyth their purses than with their prayers who wish extremities to their children minding onely a wealthie not a quyet lyfe Oh how are wee beholding to such ignorant parents which onely take care for vs that we might bee lifted higher when they prouide not for vs against the stormie tempests of vnquite liues and the dangerous downfals of worldly confusion Let them neuer thinke that theyr wishes are praiers when they saie I would God my son were marryed to such a mans daughter or my daughter to such a mans sonne This is all they aime at simple and bare wealthie marriages neuer minding or praying for God his blessing vpon them Secondly by this prayer of Naomi we note the dutie of all husbandes towardes their wiues which is that they should prepare rest for them theyr mindes beeing troubled they should pacifie them with counsell their bodyes diseased they should comfort them with their loue their estate indangered they should deliuer them with carefulnesse and finally they shoulde loue their wiues as theyr owne soules The Prophet Dauid compareth a wife to a vine which if it be not propped vp with a staie by the hande of the gardener what will it doo but wallow on the ground remaine fruitlesse Euen so the best wiues if they bee not carefully maintained by the kindnes of their husbandes their sorrowfull liues will increase their curse yea destroie the fruit of their owne bodies The Apostle wisheth husbands to loue their wiues as Christ loued his Church which is not only mindfull to deliuer it out of present dangers but also hath redeemed it from the curse of eternall damnation so the husbands duties are to prouide for the temporall welfare of their wiues bodies and specially for the euerlasting saluation of their soules that they twayne
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
Finally who would not forsake the shadow of all the trees in the worlde to bee couered vnder the the winges of the Lords presence Where is more comfort to be found but one day then a thousande yeares in all the thrones of maiesty Thirdly and lastly by these wordes as is noted the dignity of the faithful so on the contrary is vttereth the desperate and comfortles estate of the wicked namely they are like vncouered birds also but neuer are shielded with the winges of the Lord they lie open and scattered subiect to all the soules of the ayre euery minute in danger to be torne in peeces by the hellish infernal deuils Therefore Dauid saith howsoeuer they bee nobles and Princes of the earth and haue houses and possessions after their owne names yet they stande but in slipperie places so soone as they mooue they fall Our sauiour saith They are like a man hauing no wedding garment so soone as the king espieth him hee is cast into vtter darkenesse Paule saith they are straungers from the life of God so that being liuing yet they are but condemned persons which euery houre looke for the tormentor then to bee burned in euerlasting fire Oh fearefull estate of all Atheistes papistes idolaters Iewes Turkes and Pagans carnal men and hypocrites despisers of the ministerie Gospel of Christ who as in this world they are without God so in the world to come shalbe separated from his presence with the Deuill and his Angels Looke on your reckoninges you guiltie consciences which euery day adde thousandes to your former inniquities The greater your debte is the sharper shall bee your imprisonmente The oftner you are warned the more shall bee your stripes As none were saued but those that entred into the arke so not one of you shall euer see the face of God except at your condemnation vnlesse you become zealous professors and heare our sermons bee partakers of our prayers and as obedient to the voyce of the Gospell in the mouth of his ministers as if there were a law of present death to be executed on you for euery default I finde fauour This is the second part of the speech of Ruth wherein she thanketh Boaz and excuseth her selfe She thanketh in the first wordes when she sayth I finde fauour in thine eyes oh my Lord because thou hast comforted me and hast spoken those thinges which are to the hearte of thy handmaide For she confesseth his curtesie and thankefulnes by the verdite of the learned is the humble confession of a benefite She excuseth when she saith I shall not be as one of thy maydens As if she had saide I am vnworthy of this curtesie because I come to labour for my selfe not for thee as these thy maydens doe Out of the which wee obserue these things First holy example of commendable thankefulnes much accepted of God and men as vnthankefulnes is abhorred by heauen and earth we haue examples hereof in many wicked persons as Laban his discurtesie to Iacob Saule vnto Dauid and the wicked Ammonites to his ambassadors To speake nothing of Pharaohs butler vnto Ioseph of Nabal vnto Dauid and also the inhabitants of Keilah which being famous in the scripture for the enemies of God so are they branded with this note of vnthankefulnes as if it were an especiall fruit of vnrighteousnes And truely this is most worthy to be vrged in our sinful age for the children forget their duties to their naturall parentes the people tread their preachers vnder their feete for telling them the truth we alwaies remember what we haue giuen but forget what we haue receyued whereas it is a token of the best nature to forget what we haue done to other but to remember what we haue receyued Surely surely vnthankefulnes towardes God and towardes men neuer raigned or raged more Toward God for the continuance of his Gospell peace plenty welfare of our countrey toward men in gadging the benefites that are dayly bestowed by casting in the teeth as if they were deserued The heauens abhorred this wickednesse and the heauens will raigne downe destruction vpon these thankelesse persons as they did vpon Sodom and Gomorra for the like offence Secondly by this we gather that the prayers of the righteous are more acceptable to the godly then giuing or taking of almes For when Boaz promised Ruth this kindnesse she thanked him and no more but nowe when hee prayed for her to the Lorde she protested that hee comforted her and that hee had spoken those thinges which were to the heart of his handmayde that is which pleased her exceedingly well As if shee had saide I am bounde vnto thee my Lord for thy kindnesse but thou hast comforted mee more with thy prayer then with that So that here for herselfe for all the godly she protesteth that of two benefits she was most of all comforted by his prayer which noteth in her a more hungring and thirsting after righteousnes then after all the maintenaunce of this present life for whosouer drinketh of that water of worldely welfare shal thirst againe but whosoeuer drinketh of the water of faithfull prayer shal neuer thirst any more This one consideration made the blind men of Iericho crie so importunately after Christ saying Iesus thou son of Dauid haue mercy on vs. Some heauenly benefite they looked for earthly he had none And this teacheth vs that when we giue wee should also pray for a blessing vpon our beneuolence for Salomon compareth the giuing of almes to the casting of corne into a moist or fruitfull lande so as the husbandman prayeth for a blessing vpon his seede euen so he which giueth to the poore must pray for a benefite vpon his beneuolence But if any gather by this my speech that it is sufficient to pray and not to giue to the pore I answere The scripture condemneth this folly when it saith If a brother or sister be naked and want meate and thou say vnto him go warme thy selfe and feed thy selfe and yet giue them nothing this is a dead and damnable not a liuing and a sauing faith of these kind of people the world is full which say alas God help you God prouide for you God giue you patience but nothing commeth from them saue onely fayre wordes To whome we may say as a beggar once did to a popish Bishoppe desiring a peece of money of him were it neuer so little but the Bishop saide no hee woulde giue him a pardon to whom the beggar replyed I perceiue if your pardon were worth any thing I should not haue it euen so if the prayers of these people were any thing worth they woulde not giue them because they giue nothing Lastly by this verse when Ruth excuseth her selfe that she should not be as one of his maidens she setteth downe a true example of Christian simplicitie for it may be she thought that Boaz was
with our actions and deedes as wee do with our wordes then shall our dayes bee multiplied in the land or else our liues shall bee shortened with vntimely death and our posterity rooted out by the iust iudgment of God Secondly by this example of Ruth that shee brought her mother of that which shee had lefte wee learne this doctrine if our freindes giue vs liberally and wee haue plenty let vs not consume all vppon our selues but let vs reserue some for other When our sauiour had twise feasted many thousandes still there was some thing lefte which hee commanded to bee taken vp shewing vs thereby if God liberallye poure out his benefites vppon vs it is not that wee shoulde the more riotouslye lauishe them out vppon meate or pleasure for it is a common answere in these dayes if wee reprooue gamesters for their play drunkards for their costs and proud personnes for indecent apparell wherein euerye one spendeth more then woulde suffise two or three poore persons they will tell vs they spend nothing but their owne and what haue wee to doo with it But wee replie that they spend more than is theyr owne for the earth is the Lordes and all that therein is They are but stewards of their goods and not Lordes and masters and therefore they shall giue account for euerie pennie misspent when it shall not profite them to say wee wasted our wealth at dicing and gaming we consumed our landes by eating and drinking and spent thus much monie in gaâ—e apparell and other brauerie Secondly God gaue them those benefites not so much for themselues as for others for as the Sunne shineth not for it selfe but for vs the earth bringeth forth fruite not for it selfe but for vs so wealthie men are not wealthie for themselues onely but for al the poore members of Christ that they might liberallye bestowe vpon others The Heathen king Assuerus making a feast to al his Empire yet hee gaue this lawe that none should bee compelled to drinke or to eate more than they needed or pleased so abhominable is gluttonie euen in nature that it hurteth man spoyleth beasts and killeth the frutes of the earth for the rankest corne is none of the best Then heere is temperance by this example commaunded for the phisitions saye that it is most wholesome to come and rise from meate with a hungry stomacke and the worde of God sayth that wee must eate for strength and nature not for appetite and drunkennes But oh that our fat Basanites would admit this as a wholesome and a godly doctrine then woulde not their bellyes and pancheâ— growe so greate as they are not their heartes so hardned against the poore for their dogges shoulde go empty their aboundance woulde bee minished their gluttonyes and drunkennes banished their pleasures and delightes expelled and their pride and apparell be humbled and their godly and needy bretheren succored Thirdely by this wee note that the poorest must striue to bestowe somewhat vnto theyr brethren that want yea though they spare it from their owne necessityes but especially children to their parentes and one kinsman to another for thus we see Ruth doeth shee spared when she had inough and that shee gaue to her mother that wanted Which godly kindnes putteth vs in mind of the poore widdowe in the Gospell that came and gaue two mites in to the Lordes treasory and the Lord doeth greatly commend her for it aboue the riche offrings of the wealthy as if a little thing that a poor man doeth were more accepted then the multitudes of rich men Indeed to the world the largest gift maketh the greatest shewe but to the Lord the little portions of a willing minde if it bee but a cup of colde water is greater then the flesh pots of Egipt and all the daintye fare of the king of Babylons courte For our sauiour encourageth vs by this meanes that they which haue little to giue should not abstaine but certainely knowe that the Lorde looketh on the hearte not on the hand on the minde not on the gifte for that which in the presence of the worlde is despised in the sight of God is best accepted Therefore euery one must looke to deale some good by their liuing bee it neuer so small for as there is no hearbe but it yeldeth some frute so there must be no man but he must giue some what that so he might fulfill the lawe of the Gospell But her mother in law Heere in this verse Naomi seeing the plenty of the gleaned corne and reserued victual like a godly woman falleth to praier for a blessing vppon him that had giuen so liberally vnto Ruth â— is as a thankes-giuing for the benefite receiued â—â—terward she questioneth with Ruth where she had gleaned that day Ruth telleth her in the possession of Boaz. Where we first of all note the dutie of parents to their children and maisters to their seruants which is to call them to a reckoning where and how they bestowe their time therefore saith Naomi where haste thou gathered to daye and where hast thou wrought Condemning this softnes suffering in such kind of parents as are afraid to speake to their children seruants not for their work but for their mispending the sabaoth the idle iourneyes they make to tauernes and playes to feasting and dauncing should be examined by their gouernours as Naomi doeth Ruth Where hast thou wrought to day Whose businesse wast thou imployed in what place did call thee from the seruice of God and what motion did cause thee to dishonour the sabaoth No no they can suffer them to violate the Lords day in pleasure that they might drudge all the weeke after in their worldly trauailes Why doeth not some man giue recreation to his seruants of his owne sixe but they must rob the Lord of the seuenth also Howe vnequall is this to put him out that hath but one parte and to score him vp that hath so many I am persuaded that of all other tokens of irreligion among vs there is none greater then this to suffer our children and seruants to violate the Lordes owne day that they might the more willinglye labour and trauaile for them on the weeke dayes But yet let the authoritie of parents remaine that God hath giuen this power vnto them and let the dutye of children and seruants appeare that as Ruth giueth answere to Naomi from point to point how where she applied her time euen so they are bounde vppon paine of God his eternall curse to giue willing and gentle accounts to them when they are demanded in such like matters Secondly by this prayer of Naomi Blessed bee 〈◊〉 of the Lord that knew thee that is which approued thee and shewed thee fauor we note this to bee our duety to pray for our benefactours seeing we cannot reward them so doeth Naomi in this place and so doeth Paul for Onesiphorus that the Lord would shew mercy vnto
prayed for Boaz the dutie of them that are gathered together in any godly assembly which is to ioyne themselues in the same holy exercises if they heare the other must heare if they pray the other must pray if they sing the other must also sing for this is the felowshippe of the saintes or els nothing is When we read the church of God continued together in breaking breade it is also saide they continued in prayer as if the holy Ghost had saide as if euery one did eat bread so euery one did pray to the Lorde as it auaileth not a hungry man to see another eat he haue none but rather increaseth his desire so if you be euery day hour where praiers are made your selues tast not of them it doth but increase your damnation So wee read when the Apostles were forbidden to preach in the name of Christ they came to their fellowes and lift vp their voices with one accorde to the Lorde and when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled and they all were filled with the holy Ghost and spake the word of God boldly such is the effect of God his faythful when they pray vnto him with one accord like the assault of the four windes vpon Iobs childrens house which not onely shooke but also ouerturned the same many handes make a great labour to be lightly dispatched and many mens prayers doe pull downe the mercyes of God vpon vs. This I think is very needfull for our dayes wherein this dulnesse is growne so grosse that among a churchfull of hearers you shall haue very fewe which are not faultie in this doctrine for it is a world to see howe many haue their bodies at the sermons but their soules and affections are wandering in a thousande matters these pray not when we pray heare not when wee preach neyther sing when wee sing What profite haue these persons by our prayers or preaching surely they are idols they haue tonge but speake not eares but heare not eyes but they see not And this is most lamentable to see many vpon whom the Lorde hath bestowed this gift of reading or learning to come hande ouerhead to Churches without eyther booke or minde to profite themselues or other Thus they bury the graces of God in them they quench the fire of the holy spirite they loose the costes of their parentes which they bestowed to bring them to learning they disdayne to sing with the faithfull they abhorre the labours of their youth and mocke the Lord with their presence Looke vpon it my brethren for if the Lorde haue giuen any of you learning that you are able to reade his worde then hee hath planted you to beare fruite in his owne orcharde but if you vse not this gift then you are fruitlesse trees and the Lorde will cut you downe and cast you into vnquencheable fire if you say you haue no books I aunswere the fault lyeth in your selues for if you bee poore aske the godly and your want shall bee supplyed if you bee wealthy saue some of your idle expenses to spende vppon such a holy businesse If you say you forget your bookes behinde you I aunswere it is a signe you care but little for your iourneys ende for if you had that reuerence to come prepared to the exercises of the faithfull which you ought to haue you coulde not forget your bibles nay you shoulde rather forget your apparell then your bookes if you considered as it becommeth you But some say they vnderstande well enough though they say not amen to our prayers and though they sing not to the Lorde with vs but Paule sayth to such that they doe no good to their brethren because they edifie them not and that it is better in the Church to speake fiue wordes to instruct others then ten thousande for his owne benefite for in the Chuch wee are assembled for our brethren not for ourselues onely and whosoeuer prayeth not with his brethren in the Church or congregation doth breake the fellowshippe of the faithfull and standeth for a cipher among the sayntes Therefore if you haue any care of your duety to the Lord of the loue of y e faithful of obedience to your parents of increasing your talent of learning or the saluation of your owne soules both magistrate and subiect elders and people riche and poore olde and younge men and women fulfill the expectation of the godly praye when wee pray sing with vs when we sing heare vs when wee preach for with such sacrifice is the Lord pleased The Lorde make Now wee haue made an ende of the first parte let vs go to the second which is the prayer of these people and elders the first member whereof is contayned in these wordes wherein they pray for the fruitfulnesse of Ruth alleadging an example to testify the loue they beare to Bohaz that they desire his wife to bee as fruitfull as eyther Leah or Rahell who builded the house of Israel so that they would haue him the father of much people in so much as his name both of wealth and children might aduance the dignity of Bethlehem Ephrathah First therefore hence we note the duetie of all the godly which is to pray for the welfare one of another but especially in marriage for the prayers of the faithfull are as needfull for the married as skilfull mariners in the boate of passengers Therefore wee reade of fewe godly marriages in the scripture but they were celebrated with prayer when Rebecca was married to Isaake her mother brother and frends prayed that she might grow vp into thousand thousandes and her seed to possesse their enemies gate and in this place these frendes of Bohaz pray the like for Ruth for what make the peoples presence the multitude of lookers the number of acquaintaunce at the time of celebrating marriages excepte it bee to pray for the parties wee haue shewed you the last Saboath that for the ignorance of the people which coulde not pray came the ministers to haue a hande in it for supplying their wante and howe lamentable is it to see in many places and most persons that are marryed where their company are none but godlesse ruffians ignoraunt Atheistes prophane swearers and notable blasphemers to bee present at their vnhappy weddinges what prayers can these powre forth for their newe marryed frendes can the Cockatrice breath forth any thing but poyson or the spider spinne any sounder cloth then her webbe no more can these persons but curse them with their prayers not blesse them with their cursinges Is it not a worlde to see howe many agaynst their marriages compasse the countrey some to prouide delicate diuersities of meates to feede both the belly and the eye other to inuite their friendes which come ruffling into the Churches in silkes veluets sattins and softe apparel and some to decke vp themselues in braue clothing against their mariage day but neuer
his mother that bare him so we by instruction should first teach our childrē the feare of God that gaue them it is farre better for many children that they had neuer bene borne except their parents had more knowledge to till their mindes with the immortall seede of God his holy word then to looke vpō the sunne as the condemned person which commeth out of prison and so goeth to execution in like maner childrē without the knowledge of y e feare of God do come from the womb of their mothers which is their prison to the fire of hell which is y e place of execution Oh my beloued looke vpō your tender childrē and so often as you see them you behold the blessings of God vpon you make much of their soules by praying for their saluation you haue brought thē into the world leaue thē not to the deuill Thirdly seing children are y e gift of God those which haue children haue greater accompt to make then those which haue none for of him to whom much is giuē shal much be required and they to whome y e Lord hath giuen childrē and seruants lands and cattels shal answer for euery one of these to y e Lord therfore parēts must finish their reckning which they must giue to the Lord and let not one farthing of their debt be omitted for he will plague thē as well for not doing their duties to their own children as gracelesse children for contemning of God And this one cōsideration should mitigate y e desire of posterity because if they abuse thē their own damnation shall be the greater if they be vnruly they bring nothing but sorrow to their parents if they be godly the world will hate them and if they be wicked the deuill will haue them Were it not a pitifull sight to see the father burned for murthering his sonne how much more grieuous is it to see both father and sonne mother and daughter husband and wife maister and seruaunt mistresse and maides pastors and people to goe all to damnation together because the former did not guide the later oh would God that the desire to escape this iudgement would sinke into the hearts of all that we might euery one addict our liues to holines our minds to knowledge our bodies to obedience our hearts to vnderstanding our children to instruction our seruants to religion and all our soules to saluation Thirdly by this we gather that it is a greater blessing to be the mother of a sonne then the parent of a daughter if it so please God to send them for in this place the holy Ghost sayth that the Lord gaue her and she conceiued and brought foorth a sonne as if he had said the Lord gaue her her owne desire and the best issue which was a manchild for this cause our Sauiour saith that a woman forgetteth her paines in trauaile so soone as a man child is borne into the world Therefore is it that the Lord promised Abraham a sonne that he gaue Zachary and Elizabeth a sonne and finally therefore the Lord calleth vs all his sonnes as a father reioyseth more for a sonne so the Lord reioyseth in the saluation of all the faithfull By this we are taught to magnify the name of the almighty for euery one his benefits in their degree and if we want any by prayer to craue it at the hands of God alwayes remembring that we leaue the end of our desires to be agreeable to his will And here we see the prayer of the people in the former verse to be in part fulfilled when the Lord did so soone blesse this good old man by giuing him a sonne for it is no doubt but the holy Ghost doth so presently after their prayer adde her conception and his birth that he might stirre vs vp with greater zeale to desire the prayers of the faithfull which are alwayes auaileable in the presence of y e Lord. Come therefore my bretheren and let vs fulfill the desire of the Lord and accompt more of the petitions of the godly then all the possessions of the wealthy by prayer the earth is made fruitefull and the heauens drop downe abundance by prayer famine is remoued warres appeased the wrath of God pacified and the health of the bodye recouered by prayer wisedome is increased faith confirmed remission of sinnes obtained the barren woman made a fruitfull mother of many children the dayes of life lengthened peace of countreys and consciences prolonged and the kingdome of heauen eternally inherited Therefore those which cannot pray abhorre the presence of God are weary of our assemblyes forsake sermons and congregations depart from the fellowship of the faithfull and haue their sinnes sealed vp their liues accursed and their soules euerlastingly condemned And the women Now we must proceede to the second part of this scripture wherein is declared what issue and effect this wrought in other for so soone as the child was borne it did not only bring comfort to the parents but also ioy and gladnes to the godly citizens of Bethlehem among whome these women are reported by the holy Ghost which no doubt were present at the deliuery of Ruth to magnify the name of God for this so great a benefit bestowed vpon the old woman although her childrē were dead yet her name might be recouered by her louing daughter in lawe By this we first of all obserue the duety of all the faithfull which is to reioyse with them that reioyse and to weepe with them that weepe for as there godly Iewish women reioyse with Naomi for the fruitfulnes of Ruth so must we euery one be like affected for the blessings that are powred vpon our bretheren The like vnto this may we reade of the neighbours and kindred of Elizabeth hearing of the wonderfull mercy of God vnto her they reioysed with her This teacheth vs the same duety that the ioy of our brethren should be our reioysing and their sorrow our lamentation for there is no fellowship but there must be a feeling of the same ioyes or miseries not onely in publike affayres which respect their whole common wealth but also in priuate busines the benefit of euery particular person The head is sore when the stomacke is sicke the hand is grieued when the foote is maymed and euery part of the body being in prosperity reioyseth together For this cause Paule biddeth vs to endure all things with the same minde meaning that euery mans minde should be like his brothers eyther in sorrow or reioysing But is this the fellowship that raigneth among vs in these dayes or rather are we not merryest when our neighbours are tormented and doeth it not grieue vs to see other to prosper beside vs yes surely for there is no more hartie and vnfayned friendship among men in our dayes then is betweene the hauke and the bird when either of them is taken the other reioyseth This is the cause that men are no more
might cry and not be heard And this shall In this verse is the second part of their ioy in so much as now Ruth hath brought forth a son it is better to Naomi then seuen sonnes for seuen is taken for many not for any definite number as when Dauid saith that he prayseth God seuen times a day y t is many times euery day Also they protest in this verse that it reioyceth them to see Naomi so comforted with the birth of this childe as that now her life is restored whereas before it was dying like an old stubble which had no greene twigges vpon it but nowe this one being shoote forth shee reuiueth and gathereth comfort in her olde yeares By this wee see the duetie of parentes which is to reioyce when their children encrease and they see their childrens children these Iewish women no doubt but spake by the experience of their owne dayes that as a woman lying at the point of death being recouered is ioyful thankeful for the same euen so old persons haue newe liues in their childrens children for which cause they ought to be thankeful to the Lorde for the comfort of their children who may likewise reioyce whē they see their parentes delight in their ofspring Thus no doubt but Abraham did when he saw Esau and Iacob his sonne Isaackes children being borne about fifteene yeares before his death this did Iacob when hee sawe Manasseh and Ephraim his sonne Iosephes children kissing and imbracing them and saying I had not thought to see thy face any more but the Lord hath let me see thy seed and posterity as if he had said I thanke God for seeing thee but I reioyce that I see thy children also And truely this I am sure wil godly aged parentes do who haue these for their examples of faith conuersation that they might with more thankfulnes prayse the Lorde who letteth them see their childrens children with greater comfort reioyce in them that were born of their owne bodyes but with greatest ioy and most willing mindes commend their withered age and all worne yeares to the hands of the Lord who hath multiplyed their seede in this life and will glorifie themselues in the life to come Nowe let vs giue prayse to God The end of the fifteenth Lecture The sixteenth Lecture Chap. 4. ver 16.17 16 And Naomi tooke the childe and laid it in her lappe became nurse vnto it 17 And the women her neighbours gaue it a name saying there is a childe borne to Naomi and called the name thereof Obed the same was the father of Ishai the father of Dauid IN the former wordes wee hearde the last Sabboath the prayer and thankes giuing of the people or the women of Bethlehem for the birth of this son of Bohaz and the comfort of Naomi but now in these words the holy ghost proceedeth to the education and circumcision of the childe in these two verses wherein the holy Ghost deliuereth vnto vs these thinges first that Naomi tooke the care of the education of this childe verse 16. Secondly the naming of the child by the neighbours the women of Bethlehem which they gaue vnto it by occasion of their owne wordes when they saide in the 15. verse that he should cherish her namely Naomi and therefore they call him Hobed which signifieth seruing thereby signifying that he shoulde serue for the comfort of Naomi of these parts let vs briefly speak in order as the spirite of God shall giue vtterance and the time permit And Naomi tooke the child After the mercy of God in the blessing of Ruth with a sonne who was the onely heyre vnto the house of Elimelech the husbande of Naomi which brought no small ioy to the old woman to see her name and the name of her family reuiued in the birth of this sonne when it was vtterly decayed in the sight of the worlde for she was olde a straunger in Moab and had no hope of any moe children neither was it likely that her daughters in lawe their husbandes being deade woulde returne from their countrey and kindred vnto a straunge people with whom they had smal acquaintance euen none at all Naomi their mother in lawe excepted so that the hope of her posteritie being buried in Moab the life of her family must needs decay in Bethlehem Therefore her returne to her owne countrey was a fauour of God vnto her and raysing vp the minde of Ruth to bee partaker of her iourney and companion in her trauaile was an especiall comfort to her wearied age but prouiding so honourable a marriage for her and making her so fruitfull a wife in short time was the life of Naomies death the renewing of her family the restoring of her hope and the resurrection of her dead sonnes for the continuance of their names in the gate of their places and therefore she like a ioyfull and thankfull grandmother for discharge of her conscience loue of the infant ease of her daughter becommeth a fellow nurse for the better educatiō of the child out of the which we note First that as we haue heard how the miseries of Naomi were cast vpon her together so now the mercies of God are multiplyed in the same in greater measure For then her wo was begunne by the death of her husbande continued through her long dwelling with the wicked Moabites and ripened through the death of her two sonnes so now it falleth againe as the darkenesse departeth at the dawning of the day and giueth place to the light of the Sunne so her miseries are repealed first with the louing and constant felowshippe of her daughter in law Ruth who was as a carefull husbande to her in labouring for her liuing and a blessed childe to increase her posterity Againe she now was in quyet dwelling among the people of God enioying the company of the faithfull and the fellowshippe of her frendes moreouer her posterity is restored in the fruitfulnesse of Ruth and she euen she herselfe liueth to see the day when al this falleth vpon her to the endles comfort of her withered age and present prayse of the name of God Thus we see it a righteous thing with God first to wound and then to heale first to strike and then to stroke first to cast downe and then to lift vp for this is certainely the cuppe of all the faithfull that they must taste of many bitter afflictions before they come to the possession of eternall blessednesse yea of worldly misery they must sustayne some crosse before they can be thankefull enough for that which they quietly inioy So wee reade of Iob howe in one day hee had his corne burnte his cattell stolne and his children slaine this was bitter vnto him for many dayes yet in the ende he was restored two for one and sawe more sonnes and more beautifull daughters yea his childrens children to his vnspeakable comfort The like may be said of innocent
Ioseph he was rebuked by his father hated solde by his brethren imprisoned by his maister forgotten by Pharaohes butler all these were no small discouragements to so young a man yet in the ende hee was aduaunced to the highest steppe of honour as a recompense for all the tribulations he had endured I may also adde this of Dauid being persecuted by Saule betrayed by the inhabitantes of Keilah driuen to the Philistines his sworne enemies to craue a dwelling of them seeing many martired for his sake in the ende had the possession of the kingdome of Iudah and after of Israel which was the gift of the Lorde the rewarde of his afflictions and his religion By the which wee may see the hope of the godly not that which they seele but that which they may lawfully look for the ease of their paines y e remedy of their griefe the comfort of their troubles and the end of their miserie to be speedy redresse if with patience they looke and wait for the pleasure of the Lord Therefore the godly say with Dauid if ten thousande compasse them rounde about they will not be afraide for the Lorde is the eye witnesse of all their miseries the hot furnace of Babilon feareth them not the Lions den cannot driue them to dishonour God if flames of fire consume their bodies to ashes the dartes of Sathan pierce theyr soules to the quicke the reproches of the worlde destroy their names and the enemies of God spoyle their substance yet they are not left destitute for their faith ouercommeth the world their patience all their afflictions and their loue of God their desire of earthly prosperitie All which caused the Apostle to say that hope was the anchor of the soule meaning that as the anchor stayeth the shippe in the middest of all the waues though they be neuer so great and huge in like manner the hope of the godly keepeth them in the barke of Christes Church among the thousandes of worldly tribulations For Dauid saith great are the troubles of the righteous for the Lorde deliuereth out of all as if hee had saide the righteous and godly are afflicted to this ende that the Lorde might shewe his power in their deliueraunce And in another place hee complayning of his sufferinges the sorrowe of his soule yet concludeth with this figurative speeche Why art thou so sadde O my soule and why art thou cast downe within me trust still in the Lorde for by him I haue deliuerance against all my paines and griefe Euen so doe I say to all my poore brethren in the worlde why are you so sad if you want mayntenance the earth is the Lords If frendshippe the hartes of kinges are in his handes as the riuers of waters if libertie hee can breake asunder the iron gates and deliuer the prisoners from their tormentors if health in his presence there is ioy and life for euermore if children hee maketh the barren woman to bring forth many children if apparell hee clothed the Lillies aboue the royalty of Salomon if meate hee can multiply the leasse morselles into the greatest measures and finally if defence hee giueth his royall Aungelles charge ouer the poorest of the godly that the violence of princes and the force of the Deuill him selfe shall neuer go beyond the decree purpose of the Lorde Therefore if grypes of griefe and tormentes of sorrowe doe lodge with vs all the night yet ioy shall come in the morning when the poore shall be restored the sicke recouered the sorrowfull comforted the faithfull rewarded and the wicked eternally plagued Secondly by this verse wee also gather a worthy example of a godly grandmother which for the ease of her daughter the loue of the infant and the thankefulnes shee owed to God shee became a fellowe nurse vnto this younge sonne of Bohaz for although the wordes of the Scripture bee these that shee became nurse vnto the childe yet the meaning is not that shee tooke it from the mother but that her tender care ouer it was such that during the weakenes of Ruth and absence of his mother shee layde it in her lappe and was as carefull for it as any nurse that was hyred to that duety for Naomi coulde not bee a nurse in these olde dayes of hers without husband or milke which we know is the chiefest nourishment for younge children and therefore a nurse in this place is taken for one that had a great care to procure the welfare ease of the child By the which wee note another duety of aged parentes which liue to see theyr childrens children namely that they bee as nurses vnto them to be as carefull for them as theyr owne for therefore the Lord suffereth them to see the increase of their seede that they might couer and nourishe it in their owne presence For this cause wee may reade that the sonnes of Manasses and his sonnes sonnes were brought vp on the knees of Ioseph theyr great grand-father for this laying in the lappe or on the knee signifieth a most tender care ouer the infantes that they be alwaies not onely in the presence but also in the handes of their grande parentes as Rahell when shee gaue her maide Bilha vnto Iacob and saide that shee might bring foorth vpon her knees that is shee woulde bee as carefull in the nourishment of them as if they were her owne Then by this they are taught their dutyes vppon whome the Lorde hath vouchsafed to bestowe this blessinge that they see theyr childrens children namely that it is requyred at theyr handes that they prouide for theyr education good instruction and bringing vp for they may say as Laban said to his daughters children y t they are their owne and therefore the care of the bringing vp dependeth vpon them wee see the little twigges at the toppe to bee nourished as well by the roote as the bowes that growe out of the bodie of the tree euen so grand-parentes prouide as well for the mayntenaunce of their childrens issue as for their owne so that in all kindnesse they must bee intreated in all wisedome bee instructed with all carefulnes be corrected with all religion be gouerned for alas if the twigges fayle there can be no fruit and if your seed be corrupt there wil come but a hard haruest so if your childrens childrē be not ouerseene by you that are parentes and rulers of both your name will decay your family die your posteritie be vtterly forgotten Thirdely in this place we may profitably enquire about the nursing of children seeing Naomie is said to be the nurse of this childe of Ruth Whether it be lawfull at all to put out children to nurse from their owne mother or whether the care of parentes be not to bring vp their childrē in their infancy in their owne persons or presence or els commit the tuition of thē to other Vnto the first question I aunswere that euery woman
woman are bounde to see their childrens first instruction that is if it bee possible to haue them in their keeping at their first entraunce into knowledge and when they are first of all capable of any goodnesse So wee reade Isaacke remayned with his father Abraham in the time of infancy when God commaunded Ismaell to bee cast out so Iacob kept little Beniamin with him neyther would he depart from him vnto any til Simeon was bound in Egipt so we read of the king Ioash whom his aunt Iehoshebah hid from y e rage of Athaliah who was brought vp in the house of her husbande Iehoiadah where hee was most worthely instructed in the feare of the Lorde so wee reade our sauiour Christ kept till he was twelue yeares olde with his mother and supposed father and after he had beene at Ierusalem hee was obedient to them till the yeare of his preaching which was when hee came to the age of thirtie yeares Therefore the conclusion af all this is that neyther the nursing nor instruction of our children must be deferred to other at the least so as wee seeme not but to bee many wayes as carefull for them as if they were in our presence to be euermore mindfull for the wealth of their bodyes and health of their soules Fourthly and lastly by these wordes wee may gather how great and excellent is this worke the bringing vp of children for which the Lorde hath expressed in his worde that it is required that many shoulde bee applyed for in this place we see Naomi and Ruth bestow their labours for the education of this new borne babe and we haue heard that Rebecca had a nurse that came with her from her fathers house to the lande where Abraham dwelt which signifieth vnto vs that neyther their infancy can bee vnfedde nor their youth vnruled for this is not so base a worke as many thinke it that one is enough if not too much to take the care of their children for wee knowe they are easily drawne to many inconueniences neyther can the parentes bee present to foresee all but if any bee helpers in this buisines their care is much eased the children lesse endangered theyr welfare better prouided and the parentes dutie better discharged Euery flocke hath a keeper beside the owner euery garden hath a dresser beside the mayster and if it be possible let euery childe haue an ouerseer beside the parentes for alas the silly infante is soone cast into the fire falleth into the water ouerturned with the wind and euery beast is ready to work his destruction all which may bee wisely preuented though not with the presence yet with the counsel and care of the parents by prouiding such carefull persons to be their guides as may also defend them when they are absent And the women her neighbours In this verse is the seconde parte which concerneth the naming of the child where the holy Ghost doeth declare vnto vs the persons that named the childe to be the women of Bethlehem the neyghbours of Naomi which no doubt was then giuen to the childe at the eyght day which was the circumcision according as wee see in the history of Iohn Baptist after the law of the Lorde calling him by the name of Obed which signifieth seruing or a seruant shewing howe hee should serue for the comfort of Naomi Boaz and his mother By this wee first of all note and obserue that it is the duty of the faithfull to be helpers one to another in the seruice of God and admonition of their dutyes for here the childe being circumcised was accompanyed with many godly women whose deuise they vsed and followed in the naming of the childe Indeed we may often read that the parents gaue names to their children sometimes the fathers sometime the mothers sometimes the Lorde himselfe as in many persons wee may perceyue but wee neuer reade that the people were so kinde to helpe in this matter and to further the duty of any godly minded onely this place excepted so that these women are a most godly example for all the faithfull to beholde how they must further and helpe one another in the cause of religion For the naming of children in olde time was very excellent when they were carefull by their earthly and outwarde tytles to admonish them of their inwarde and heauenly duties And that which these did in this one must wee doe also in all other duties to draw more and more to the loue of religion as wee reade the Apostles did one another when they came to the first knowledge of the Messiah for as a little leuen seasoneth a whole lumpe euen so a fewe godly personnes may drawe a great many to religion Therefore this one dutie of all other belongeth to the flocke of Christ that they helpe one another in the workes of Christianity When the ruler of the Temple his daughter was sicke for the little childe hee went to our sauiour by which meanes he recouered her life this was the duetie of a godly father when the sicke man of the palsie coulde not come to Christ foure of his neighbours brought him to his presence and the Lord forgaue him this was charity and the duety of neighbours When Dorcas was deade the women sent for Peter who being come she was restored to life And thus parents must helpe forwarde their children neighbours their fellowes and euery man one another if they want knowledge let vs teach them knowledge out of the pure worde of God if they cannot pray let vs pray with them and for them to the almighty God if they trauayle to heare the word let vs trauaile with them to encourage their carefulnes But of this matter wee haue often spoken Now let vs giue prayse to God The end of the sixteenth Lecture The seuenteenth Lecture Chap. 4. ver 18.19.20.21 22 18 These are the generations of Pharez Pharez begat Chetzron 19 Chetzron begate Ram Ram begate Hamminnadab 20 Hamminadab begate Naschon Naschon begate Salmā 21 Salman begate Bohaz Bohaz begate Hobed 22 Hobed begate Ishai Ishai begate Dauid NOwe by the mercifull kindnes of the Lorde we are come to the last part of this history the conclusion of this Chapter where the holy Ghost describeth vnto vs the kindred of Boaz euen all the generations frō Pharez to king Dauid shewing vnto vs the increase of these Iewes from their dwelling in the land of Canaan before they went into Egipt vntill the time that Dauid was annointed and appointed king in Israell we may for the easier handling of these wordes deuide them into these two partes The first is those persons that were the progenitours auncestors or fathers of Bohaz in the ver 18. 19 20. which are set downe to be Pharez the first Chetzron the second Ram y e third Hamminadab the fourth Naschon the fift and Salman the sixte who was the immediate and naturall father of Bohaz The second parte is the progeny
were imploied in their own busines let not the new soddaine vp start wealthy men among vs disdaine at poore laboring persons or thinke it any disgrace to do as their fathers did faithfully to labour in the meanest vocation Secondly after Boaz came to the field he saluteth the reapers saith The Lord be with you they answered The Lord blesse thee where wee see the first thing he doth he prayeth for the labourers in this his godly salutation for he wisheth the presence of God to be with them which is his fauour for his presence signifieth his fauour and blessing as absence betokeneth his iudgments and cursings This we may see in the dedication of the temple by Salomon the glory of the Lord so filled it that y e priests were not able to sacrifise in it the angel saluteth Mary the mother of Christ w t the selfe same wordes The Lord be with thee wherin he signified the wonderfull fauour of God vnto her which should be the mother of the Messiah And on the contrary the absence of the Lord is the heauy wrath of his maiesty as appeareth by that complaint of Dauid Wil the Lord absent himselfe for euer or hath he forgotten to be mercifull and Paul saith that the wicked are separated with euerlasting destruction from the glory presence of God By the which we learn how reuerētly we must vse our salutations least when we wish the fauour of the Lord to be present with others his mercy through our vnaduised praier be absent frō our selues for how lamentable is it to heare in many places with one breath prayers to be powred out for other and bitter blasphemyes against the maiesty of God with wofull curses to the death of their soules May wee gather any comfort by these salutations when men in derision passing by other shall vse the salutation of Boaz other wishing they know not what do as well by their ignorant greetings pray for their owne destruction as their neighbours prosperitie such precious balmes let them not come vpon the heads of the righteous for this is as certaine as the world shall haue an end that all their supplications either at morning noone or euening are but mere customary speeches proceding of the vsage manner of men not of the spirit or religion of the faithful Yet let it not grieue vs to vse this language of Canaan the phrase of the scripture in our ciuill and godly comunication and though al the world cry out puritanisme puritanisme yet blessed is hee that is not offended at Christ Let the Samaritās worship in their mountaines but we will worship at Ierusalem in spirit in truth and let vs vse in despight of the world y e weighty wordes of God his spirit that they may be our owne mother speech we the children of the church the heires of saluation But in this it is noted to be the duety of all men to salute them whome they meete to pray for the successe of laborers and workmen For wel we must remember that except the Lord doe build the house the builders build but in vaine and except the Lord do giue the victorie what though millions of horses be prepared of y e battel surely it is in vain to rise early and to go late to bed eate the bread of carefulnes to labour hard cōpasse the world by a thousand deuises except their own prayers the prayers of the faithful appeare in the presence of the eternall for thē And this noteth the carnal constitutions of many mens harts among vs which rashly enterprise their workes without calling on the Lord vnprofitably end thē to their owne destruction Oh how it grieueth God his Saintes dayly to heare his name abused by swearing euen among them that husband the earth They crye out on theyr seruants morning and euening abroad abroad to worke to the field but who sayth come let vs first fall downe together and humble our selues in the presence of God and call for a blessing vppon our labours or saie thus much The Lord bee with vs no no that will hinder their dayes worke they hire theyr seruants to labour and not to praie Therefore the prophet sayth You sowe much but you bring but little in you eate but you are not filled you drinke and are not satisfied you cloath your selues but you are not warmed and he that receiueth wages putteth it into a broken bag therefore thus sayth the Lord Hearken vnto my wayes This is the plague vppon vs that minde our wealth and not the welfare of God his Church therefore we labour lyke slaues but other receiue the benefite by vs wee imagine the earth bringeth forth of it selfe children are borne by nature the cloudes must needes raine and our fruites must needs increase thus wee make many Gods while wee ascribe the power of God to his creatures But be not so rude as brute beasts the dogge will craue his meate at the hands of his master more accursed are they which pray not for a blessing at the hands of God the father Thirdly by this salutation of Boaz wee obserue the dutie of elder persons or superiors which is first to salute or speake to their inferiors as masters to seruants magistrates to subiectes and pastours to their people yet against this in outward behauiour we haue many and dayly offences for you shall haue Gentlemen and yeomen which will hardly speake to a poore man being asked a question by him much lesse when they meet him will they giue anie curteous or friendly greeting But heere we see Boaz though honorable yet humble saluteth his poore and hired reapers who condemneth ten thousand that are contrarie minded for proud and surly persons Olde Eli would speake to young Samuel a little boy though hee were the high priest yet hee scorned not so gentle a child what then shall become of these stately person which being saluted will not salute againe as if euery word were gold that commeth from them so sparing are they to speake to a poore or a simple man whereas with their betters their tongs are too bigge for their mouthes whome they wearye with their vnprofitable bablings This kind of euill spirite wil not be cast out till the heart be humbled pride abated sorrowe for sin increased and the whole man perfectly regenerated for by thy wordes thou shalt bee iustified and by thy wordes thou shalt be condemned for an humble heart will shew it with meeknes but a proud heart will looke strangely Fourthly as Boaz praied for the reapers so the reapers returned to him and sayd The Lord blesse thee Where wee see a mutuall salutation much commended for as hee saluted so was hee resaluted like to the Queene of Shebah which gaue princely gifts to king Salomon and Salomon gaue royall rewardes to her againe so that inferiours are bound by the same lawe with as kind affection to pray for
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
you that you may finde mercye in the daye of the dissolution of all thinges and the Lorde hath promised to the mercifull mercye at that daye when hee lyeth sicke vppon his death bed Make you treasures therefore of this worldely wealth and sende them by the handes of the poore into God his kingdome before you spare not the sheaues in the barne the eares in the fielde nor the heapes in your garners for hee that spendeth for the members of Christe shall receiue the greater aduantage Remember you are the partakers of the same faith which they had that sold their possessions to giue to the saintes and to gaine heauen but you neede not to sell any landes onelye deliuer your corne plentifully to the poore which if you doo not they shall rise in iudgemente against you at the latter day because they spared neither landes nor liues and you will not giue a little corne for the name of Christ And so shee gathered This is the last parte of that which Ruth did in the field shewing her diligence shee vsed in her labours by working out the whole daye vntill the euening and gathering an epha of barley for by this appeareth that shee laboured as faythfully for her selfe and her mother as if shee had beene an hired seruant or her mother looking vppon her By the which is noted vnto vs the diligence of children and seruants in the labours and busines of their maisters and parentes for they must not seeke or couet to please them with eye seruice but their duetyes are required as well in the time of their absence as in their presence Bee Ruthes my beloued in this pointe whosoeuer are bond or free for they w c are faithfull in a little shal be made great rulers and they which haue not beene faithfull in the earthly treasures shall neuer be trusted with the heauenly By this also they may learne which thinke they may lawfully take their ease in their owne busines but we see by this example of Ruth that religion bindeth vs to be as diligent in our owne as in another mans trauaile committed vnto vs vppon trust for as to him we are faithfull because wee receiue wages so in our owne we must bee painefull least the Lord arise against vs for the mispending of our time and wee owe more duety to our heauenly father then to all the earthly maisters of the world Againe the quantity of her gathering is here described to be an epha of barley for the vnderstanding whereof we must note that there were three kindes of measures among the Hebrewes which are mentioned in the scripture the first was an homer which was the measure of Manna that the Lorde allowed to euery houshold when they were wandring in the wildernes and contained of our English measure sixe pintes somewhat more the second measure was a bin which after our measure contained ten pints and somewhat more the third was an epha which is this that measured the barley of Ruth and it contained ten homers which commeth to sixtie pintes which being deuided by eyght amounteth to the quantity of seuen gallons and one pottell which is a bushell lacking one pottel after our English measure By the which wee may obserue howe largely the Lord prouided for Ruth by the liberality of Boaz for shee gathered more in one daye then otherwise shee coulde in two or three where the Lord himselfe sheweth vs how she tooke the curtesie of Boaz and the seruants scattred for her according to their maisters coÌ„maundement that her hand might bee quickly filled her trauaile the more eased her labour better rewarded finally mother daughter be both more comfortably refreshed w t their kinsmans kindnes And when she tooke vp The day being ended and Ruth wearied with her vnwonted and yet diligent trauaile vp the taketh her bundel of corne and the scraps of meate she had reserued trudgeth to her mother that shee might vnderstand of her good hap and they both together reioyce for the corne Ruth had gatherred and the good will which Boaz had offered Out of the which we may first of all obserue a heauenly and godly example of obedience and loue toward her mother in lawe for we see in this place that shee doth not onely labour for her liuing but refresheth her with that which was giuen her to satisfie her owne hunger while she was in the field in her diligent labour Was it not sufficient for Ruth that she left her people and countrey to come with her mother in lawe but shee must also go for her she sitting at home in a poore and contemptible manner to gleane in the field or if she did that willingly yet must she saue the meat from her owne mouth and put it into Naomies Here we see she failed in nothing that might eyther commend her loue declare her obedeince signifie her care toward poore and old Naomi her deere and godly mother And this teacheth vs that we must be Ruthes to our aged parents we must labor abroad they must tary at home we must set our nimble bones to the heauy busines and their wearied bodyes must rest in the houses It is vngodlynes to saye that the old man or woman shall labour and care for our wretched riot and careles expenses but rather let the young gallant take his owne parents vppon his backe cary them from their house of trouble to the harbour of peace Let Esau and Iacob hunt venison for Izaack for hee is old and must tary at home Let Iacob and little Ioseph tary in their tents and the lusty youthes his sons and brethern lie in the fieldes and keepe their fathers sheepe and rather then old Iacob should go let yong Ioseph tâ—udge to his bretheren though he bee sold for his labour Let Ruth go gleane for Naomi and not Naomi for Ruth for this is the first commaundemente with promise But oh the gracelesse generations of our vngodly age where men are become so tender ouer their disobedient broode that in their labours they will spare their wanton children and weare their crazed carkases they had rather put both feete into the graue by their ouer labours then bring their vntamed steeres and vnrulye heyfers their sons and daughters to the yoke of diligent trauaile And these gracelesse impes will looke and laugh vppon theyr parents and say it doeth their olde bodyes good And doeth it so why is it better for a tyred horse to runne a race then for a reslye palfreye You are ready inough to catche that which is good from your parentes why take yee not their labours if they bee so good for them No no you are the heauines of your parents you shoulde bee oliues to make them looke cherefully but you are onions that make them weepe bitterly But yet let not Ruth and the godlye exhorte vs in vaine for if wee doo the labour wee shall haue the hire if wee honour our parentes
children as Iob did shal liue to see their generations as blessed as his was Secondly by this wee learne an excellent example of godly liberalitie in that Boaz suffered Ruth to gather wheate as well as barley the beste as well as the meaner In like manner must wee as willingly departe with for Christes sake our wine as our water our drinke as our draffe and as wee commonly speake our white bread as our browne and truely in this many good men offend not because they giue it not but because they thinke it too much to giue as if our beste giftes were not beste accepted in the presence of God Hee which fed the Israelites with Angels food would also that we should feede him in the godlye poore with our worshipfull and daintiest fare This I speake not that those which aske shoulde bee discontented with the meanest and fittest for them for the prouerbe is beggars must not bee choosers as it is couetousnesse not to vouchsafe the best wee haue if need require to the poore so it is scornefulnes for the poore like the Israelites which loathed Manna and desired flesh to be discontented with their necessarie and present foode and to lust for that which is aboue their vocation But the vse of this pointe is to perswade to bee like minded vnto Boaz in this to the godly poore that wee euery one without partialitie or grudging when necessitie requireth giue our gold as well as our siluer and distribute our deerest almes to our poorest breethren Thirdely haruest being doone Ruth abideth with her mother in lawe for none of the godly will make a dayly and continuall trade of asking almes or forsake their owne parentes or poore habitations for worldly respects as appeareth by this example of Ruth For it is no doubt she fared well euery day with the seruantes of Boaz and much better then her poore mother could prouide for her at home but shee is not drawen away therwith but it as contented to eat the hungry morsels with her mother at home as the plentifull abroad And it is great pittie that any shoulde be succoured which are not contented to liue hardely at home and then to aske when there is no other honest meanes left to liue And this condemneth the common walking mates which neyther haue houses nor honestie and it is greatest pittie that they eyther should be succoured or suffered so to doe for they are drones which neuer come in hiues but to the hurt of other they waste all but get nothing neither haue they any other care but to charge the godly and charitable people Vnto such giue not as wee haue often said for they which will not liue of the sweate of their browes let them not eate of the bread of our labours Now let vs give prayse to God The end of the seuenth Lecture The eyght Lecture Chap. 3. ver 1.2.3.4.5.6 1. Afterward Naomi her mother in law said vnto her shall I not seeke rest for thee my daughter that thou maiest prosper 2. And now is not Boaz our kinsman with whose maide thou was beholde hee winnoweth barley in the floore this night 3. Wash thee therefore and annoint thee and put on thy clothes and goe downe into the floore and let not the man knowe thee vntill hee haue made an ende to eate and drinke 4. But when hee lieth downe marke the place where he lyeth then come thou and vncouer the place of his feete and lie downe and he shall tell thee what thou shalt do 5. And she said vnto her whatsoeuer thou hast commanded me that will I doe 6. And so she went downe into the floore and did altogether as her mother in lawe had commanded her THis thirde Chapter is the seconde occasion of this mariage wherein Naomi especially dealeth with Ruth howe shee shoulde make knowne her sute to Boaz. The whole Chapter hath these two partes first the counsell of Naomi to Ruth secondly the effect of that counsell The counsell is contained in these sixe verses now read consisting also of two partes first her care for Ruth verse 1. that her desire is to procure her prosperity secondly the meanes whereby Ruth might performe that which she aduiseth first because Boaz was then alone in the floore winnowing of barley secondly she must prepare herselfe to go to him first in her body by washing and annointing it secondly in her ornament that shee put on her best clothes and so goe downe to the floore after she was come thether she instructeth her howe to behaue her selfe first by keeping out of his sight and knowledge till he had supped secondly by marking the place of his bed and lying downe at his feet and declaring her sute vnto him and he would tell her what she should doe After all this Ruth promiseth obedience vers 5.6 and accomplisheth her mothers desire Of these partes let vs briefly speake as the spirite of God shall assist vs and the time permit Afterwarde Naomi In these wordes is declared vnto vs the great care that Naomi had of her daughter in law Ruth for they are thus much in effect Nowe both of vs are in quiet and peaceable rest at home yet I see that our welfare cannot alway endure for I am olde and the graue gapeth after mee thou art young and a good mariage tarieth for thee it is my dutie to looke for thy welfare and to prouide for thy continual rest if I be taken away and being carefull of it I haue now inuented the meanes c. Out of the which wee note these two profitable doctrines First that it is the duetie of parents to prouide for their children when themselues shall be taken away yea though they haue no certaine assurance whether they shall neede it or not This wee may see here practised by Naomi for she was neuer in better case since her arriuall at Bethlehem then she was at this present Haruest was ended prouision obtayned houshold furnished these two poor widows liuing louingly together yet then we see in her best estate she is most carefull for the mariage of Ruth And truely this is required of all them that haue any children to prouide for them that they should not care onely for their present maintenaunce but also for their future commoditie And this maketh many godly persons to maruaile why men doe trouble their houses with their children when they are able honestly to prouide for them abroade Why doe many permitte and suffer their their sonnes and daughters to spend the best of their youth in single estate when it is rather required that while they are young they shoulde bee bestowed Truely this maketh many so mariages against y e parents mindes when they are negligent to looke to their children then the children prouide for themselues Men looke for offers as the mariner looketh for wind and when the wind serueth the tide falleth so many would prouide for their children when it is too late This iniury
is all heaped on the children they match without wealth or blessing they are detayned in the best tyme of their dayes and finally are discredited by their owne parents Would God you that are naturall parentes would learne of Naomi which was but a stepmother She differred not the time she knewe it a sinne against nature that youth should bee wasted and not in marriage she had a conscience of her duetie and a care to her daughter in lawe that her welfare might encrease her solitarie life be comforted her name aduaunced her religion rewarded with a temporall blessing of a godly husband and eternall saluation in the kingdome of heauen Secondly by this wee gather that for many causes mariage is better then the vnmaried estate if with the feare of God it be vndertaken For in this place Naomi calleth it rest as she did in the first Chapter and therefore by relation the vnmaried life is disquietnes and as rest is better then trouble so the maried life is better then the other And truely in the vnmaried life wee find many inconueniences First the heart is neuer satisfied if a man haue riches honour pleasure health and fauour yet wanting a conuenient mariage hee is not at rest but desireth that If he bee in sicknes the diligence care of a wife is better then a phisition Nature biddeth him marry to increase his name The world biddeth him marry to multiply mankind The Lorde biddeth him marry to prepare some heyres for the kingdome of heauen So that if nature worlde religion require it who shal speak against it Secondly in the vnmaried estate is either too too much solitarinesse or too too much pleasure the meane betweene both is mariage where hee shall alway finde company to expell sorrow and ioyfull care to driue away ouer merry pastimes it calleth a man to grauitie it admonisheth of death if sheweth the world to bee vanitie hath no hope but in heauen Therefore Salomon speaking of one kind and alluding to both saith Hee that findeth a wife findeth a good thing and receiueth fauour of the Lord euen so may a woman say If she find a godly husbande she hath a great fauour Christ taketh greatest delight in his Church and his Church in Christ Such is mariage when the hart of one resteth in another that is the rest which is to be required As for temporall blessinges which further it they must be sought for by diligent labour and prayed for by faithfull supplication because it is the Lord that giueth power to get riches grace to vse them and his blessing to increase them We knowe all the fathers so soone as their children were growen vp they willed and wished them to marry that their mindes might first be stayed at home as it were the foundation and then their actions would bee wiser abroad which would make a perfect building But some will say Paule affirmeth it is not good for a man to touch a woman that is to marrie I answere that saying of Paule is because of troubles that are incident to mariage by reason of the wickednes of the world The marchant that ventureth on the sea hath greatest gaine and suddainest losse not as if the sea were in fault but because the stormes fall on the sea euen so if any find their mariages bitter vnto them let them knowe the fault is not in the thing but in the time place or persons And though troubles followe it it is but sowre sawce to sweet meat as the furnace doth purge the golde that their loue might be manifested their fidelity tried their patience approued and their religion if they haue any declared Againe they will obiect the same Apostle saith in the same Chapter He that giueth in mariage doth wel but he that giueth not in mariage doth better therefore the vnmaried life is better then the married To which I answere first he speaketh to them that haue the gifte of chastitie but we knowe the fewest parte are endued therewith Secondly his speech is for those troublesome dayes of persecution when the faithfull were in continuall troubles and feare of their liues then was it better to die single then leaue many helpelesse widdowes behind that they might the better flie in danger bee constant in affliction and haue no lets or pul-backes to keepe them from Christ so hee wisheth and protesteth for their troubles were meanes to keepe them from mariage in which sense the Apostle calleth it better not to marrie and yet yeeldeth the other to bee good and lawfull But in times of peace where there is plentie and libertie the swelling nature will not bee appeased but onely by mariage where the gift is not and the Apostle saith in those daungerous times that it was better to marrye then to burne that is to bee vexed with the daylie desire through the feeling of our owne necessities Thirdelie they may obiect that the vnmaried care for the thinges of God but the maried to please their husbandes and wiues to the which I aunswere that marriage hindereth not the seruice of God but furthereth it in many respects first because a householde is a little Church where the married persons are the ministers of their families by priuate instruction to drawe both children and seruantes to the kingdome of heauen Secondly it putteth them in minde of the loue of God to them when they loue one another and admonisheth them of their duties which is to loue God againe Thirdely they haue mo priuate blessinges as the seales of God his fauour towarde them which also stirreth them vp to serue the Lorde Fourthly two are better then one for if one bee negligent in the worshippe of God the other may whette his fellowe on their prayers are more acceptable because the number of them that praye is greater And if any omit these duties the fault is in the persons not in the marriage for that is it which the Apostle Saint Paule condemneth when eyther partie are so much inclyned to one another that they weigh not the loue of God and care of heauenly thinges for the fondenesse ouer themselues and trauaile for earthly commodities but wee must bee married as if wee were vnmarried in this respect we must vse the world as if wee vsed it not reioyce in the company of one another as if wee reioyced not Therfore to conclude mariage is honorable in all instituted by God himselfe obserued by the Fathers before Christ both princes priestes and prophets commaunded by our Sauiour his apostles to bee vndertaken that such persons as haue not the gifte of continencye might marry keepe themselues the vndefiled members of Christes misticall body Let vs then bee exhorted to bee patient in the troubles that accompanye it for although a bitter shell doe compasse the nutte yet how sweet is the kernell that lyeth within although it haue as many miseries as the winter hath colde dayes yet vnspeakeable
This I speake not to stirre vp the mindes of any against their parents but with the Apostle I exhort and commande that euery one obey their parentes in all thinges lawfull for hee is accursed that doth otherwise but to this ende I vtter it that wee may knowe what is lawfull and what is vnlawfull for the same God which hath commanded that parentes shoulde bring their vnruly sonnes daughters for to bee punished willeth also that they w c do any hurt to their children either in soule to drawe thē from y e Lord or in body as in vnlawfull or vngodly mariages in vnlawful vngodly actions their only rerefuge should be to y e minister of God y e lawful magistrate to whom they owe more obedience then to their owne parents Therefore Paul willeth parents that they prouoke not their children to wrath which is by their tirannous commaundementes to binde their consciences and their cruell authority to murther their mindes For if a priuate subiect may sue agaynst the Prince and craue the lawe much more a sonne or a daughter being grieued by their parentes The vse of this doctrine is to teach and instruct vs first what duetie wee owe to the magistrates who haue greater care and charge ouer vs for the peace of our countrey and publike welfare then parentes for our maintaynance and priuate obedience therefore Paule willeth to pray and giue thanks for the magistrates that vnder them we may liue godly and quiet liues for that is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour whereby wee maye iustly complayne of the slacknes of our vnhappie age wherein men murmure grudge at any charge which ariseth for our prince but especialy that there are so few which in all their liues haue prayed for Prince or Magistrates and if they haue it was but a wishe and no more that they might liue in peace to gather wealth not in godlines for the profite of their soules Again by this all parentes must bee instructed howe to deale with their children that they reygne not like Gods ouer the fruites of their bodyes but intreate them in meekenesse being of yeares of discreation like their fellowe heyres of God his kingdome euen as they wil aunswere to the Almightie who gaue them such issue and to the lawes of our Prince that requireth accompt of them for the chiefest stroke lyeth not in them but in those that gouerne both church common wealth and wee haue already shewed that in some causes it is a glorie for their children to decline from their counselles Lastly all children must herein also bee schooled that with all reuerence they submit themselues to the aduice of their parentes but especially like free men in Christ they listen alway what the word of God saith for that must bee their iudge and parentes also when it shall not goe for payment that they did it for feare of their friendes but they which feare them more then God shall with them bee excluded for euer from God and let vs euermore giue thankes to the Almighty which thus prouideth for our misery to defende our innocency that if wee bee in one place oppressed we may bee redressed in another appointing courtes of appeale from our owne parentes to his owne magistrates Thirdely by this also wee obserue and note when hee saith that this was a sure witnes in Israell that it is a thing required in our religion that of our publike affayres there may bee publike testimonyes as for example our purchasing buying or selling ought by religion and the feare of God to bee done with open and publike witnesse for the better assuraunce to buyers and sellers to auoide deceit in the one and couetousnesse in the other and therefore it was said in the lawe that vnder the witnesse of twoe or three shall euery worde stande And further also there must bee some outwarde signe to seale vp the matter in this place here is the putting of the shooe which signifieth possession and dispossessinge againe the rendring of a mans right to him that hath it Therefore in some places there is vsed striking of handes as the shutting and making vp of bargaines and couenauntes and who knoweth not that in the purchace of Lande there is seisin and deliuery by a peece of earth and a twigge of houses all goe forth and the buyer entreth in alone and there abideth and this I may say is a sure testimony in Englande But you woulde knowe why the Lorde beside the recorde of the magistrates required such outwarde and open signes To which I answere he did it for this cause that the simplest among them might not be deceyued but might haue y t as the euidence of his possession for euermore witnes sayleth magistrates dye people are vnconstant yea and some will falsely sweare and witnesse to any vntruth yet the shooe remayned an euerlasting testimonie Therefore among vs there is writing and seale by the which thinges are confirmed which passed many ages ago and this was taken from the ancient vsage wherein mens names were entred in brasse and stone and the quantity of their possessions described Therefore doth the holy Ghost so precisely set downe the purchase which Abraham made with Ephron where the fielde is named the borders or boundes of it is described the caue is mentioned and the very trees that grew in the same are made sure vnto him the like may bee saide of the stones in mount Gilead that Iacob reared as a witnesse betweene him and Laban and many other which serue to this ende that as Paule sayth Wee shoulde not defraude one another For if hee were accursed that remooued the lande marke of his neighbor what shall they bee which get markes and lands both some by deceyuing some by forged euidence other by false witnes and some force their neighbours wil they nil they to depart from their dwellings and possessions and to leaue them for little or nothing in the clawes of these cormorantes their great possessions require great accomptes and I feare mee when that day shall come they will be as ready to restore as euer Iudas was but it shall bee to late and without fruite for the sentence is already pronounced that fire shall consume their dwellinges and their children or posteritie shall be vagabounds but the righteous shall haue the land in possession Therefore the kinseman This verse sheweth howe the right was resigned first the kinseman giueth Boaz authority when he biddeth him buy it for himselfe and secondly hee renounceth his owne when he pulleth off his shooe Where first of all it may bee demaunded why doth hee plucke off his owne shooe seeing by the lawe the woman shoulde doe it and also spitte in his face as wee haue hearde already Vnto which I briefly aunswere First the law beforesaide wherein the woman was bound to plucke off the shooe and to spit in her kinsemans face was for such as vtterly denied both
being in health of bodie and minde is bound by the word of God to nurse her owne children and the reasons for the confirmation hereof are these first because the Lord in the creation of their bodyes hath giuen to euery woman breastes which are the meanes whereby children sucke their nourishment and therefore eyther the Lord created their breastes in vaine or els they sinne if they set them not to worke if any say that the Lorde did giue the breasts not for any necessity that they are boūd so to doe but that they might bee furnished with the meanes if they had the pleasure to do it to whom I answere by the like example the Lorde hath giuen to euery one handes to worke eyes to see eares to heare and tongues to speake is it in the choise of men to cut of their handes to pull out their eyes to stoppe vp their eares and to keep their tongues in silence all their life neuer vse them as many women doe their naturall breastes I thinke not for if they shoulde they must deface the workemanship of God dismember their own bodyes and murther the parts of mankinde Therefore as the Lorde hath giuen to euery one handes euery one must worke or els he is accursed vnlesse they wil be idols of whom Dauid speaketh they haue hands handle not eyes and see not eares and heare not feete and walke not noses and smell not and such are women that haue plentifull breastes and yet giue no suck Secondly the example of all the godly confirme it as we see in Sarah which nursed her sonne Isaacke in the mother of Moyses which was careful that her childe should bee nursed by no other then her selfe in Manoahs wife the mother of Sampson so did Bath shebah the mother of king Salomon being a queene in Israel the wife of king Dauid yet she thought it her duety to take her owne child and nurse it I will speake nothing of Hannah of Elizabeth the wife of Zachary and mother of Iohn Baptist of the virgin Mary which gaue sucke to the Lord of glory Iesus Christ her sauiour and of the mother of Dauid all which are as patternes of naturall affection for all the godly women in the world to imitate and what blessing was powred vpon their children who knoweth not Therefore eyther women must follow their godly examples or shew some charter of their libertie aboue these or proclaime open disobedience to God and the godly because they swarue from his holy worde and their most pure and worthy examples but it is better to obey God then men and to be ruled by the troublesome liues of the faithful then by the peaceable and pleasant deuises of all the gentlewomen in the worlde whatsoeuer Thirdely it is a signe of the wante of loue and naturall affection in the parentes as the Apostle speaketh when the mothers doe not bestowe the labour to giue their owne children their naturall milke for if they had the same naturall feeling of theyr duties to their children they coulde not hauing no occasion commit the nourishing of their children to straungers who can neuer bee so inwardely kinde to the infantes as the mothers eyther are or ought to bee therefore although though they pretende a kinde of sorrowe for their childrens absence or departing from them yet it is like the lamentation of Esau which wept when hee could not get the blessing whereas he solde it before and was the onely cause of his owne reprobation so women weepe at the departure of their children whereas it lyeth in their owne power to keepe them in their owne possession and more thankefull woulde the chylde bee in his hearte to his mother if shee had bestowed the labour to nurse him Fourthly it is not so naturall for the chylde to bee nursed where hee was not borne for the same body whereof hee had his being is most fitte for his feeding as wee see a plant doeth best prosper when it is grafted where it sprunge vp first of all then being remoued into another grounde so the bodies of children doe growe more freely and like mote cheerefully with their owne mothers milke then with all the worlde beside and the auncientest Phisitians say that it were also better for the mothers if they gaue themselues to this labour therefore they doe but hinder their owne infantes borne of their owne bodyes and as it were keepe them from their naturall welfare when they giue them to bee made another nature which is by their nursing and feeding These causes and more also being duely and carefully considered you shall fynde it a greater sinne to giue your children to other to bee nursed then heretofore you conceyued of it so that you must for this one thing condemne the vse of your breastes which were the creation of God and the practise of the auncient godly women which were euery way as noble as any aliue forsake the tender loue that annother ought to beare to hir innocente babe bring your childrens bodyes to a seconde yea a contrary disposition and complexion and stoppe vp the plentifull conduytes of streaming milke in your breastes to the losse and hinderaunce of your owne health Therefore if any haue any power to performe this naturall duety to theyr children let them practise it for all the carnall reasons of the worlde must not preuayle agaynst the least collection of the worde of God But some will say admit that any through negligence doe put their children to bee nursed of other doeth the faulte onely rest in the parentes and nothing in the nurse to whome I aunswere if it bee vnlawfull for the parentes to giue it is also vnlawful for the nurse to take so that whatsoeuer is said against the one may also bee brought against the other But in causes of weakenesse in the woman daunger to the childe or sicknesse in eyther of both it is not onely a duety of necessity but of conscience to nourish and cherish the children of other Therefore although the mothers had the nursing of their children yet there were others also like peti-nurses which had some especiall care in the keeping of the children as we may read of the nurse of Rebecca which was the true vse of nurses for the ease of the mother to take the custody of the children in all thinges saue onely in giuing them sucke and therefore is it that wee may reade in auncient histories that one childe had many nurses that is many to attende the welfare and nourishment of the infant of this sort was Naomi at this present who tooke vpon her some care of this sonne of Bohaz that they both might bee more diligent for the education thereof Now for the other question whether it bee lawfull for the parentes during all the time of the infancy thereof if the mother be not able to giue it sucke to commit their chyldren to other to be brought vp I aunswere that euery man and