will thus work And if the loue of corporall life be so forcible how much more the loue of eternall life for which we should be willing to forsake all But alas the least worldly gaine or carnall pleasure banisheth this loue out of many mens hearts who rather follow here Elimelech to leaue the people of God to goe into Moab for the world than Abraham to forsake his Countrie at the comandement of God In the Country of Moab This Moab was inhabited by those which came of Lots eldest sonne Gen. 19. 37. Num. 22. 6. incestuously begotten of this was Balak King who hyred Balaam to curse Israel who committed fornication with the Daughters thereof to the destruction of thousands ouer this Land reigned Eglon who smote Israel and possessed some Iudg. 3. 12. 13 14 part of the Land and kept them in bondage eighteene yeeres some think that Elimelech iournied to Moab in his dayes howsoeuer by this wee may learne that wicked Idolaters may haue sometime plenty when the people of God are in want Here Moab had plenty when Israel was vnder a famine Of the prosperity of the wicked read Psal 73. 4. 17. 14. 37. 15. Iob 21. 7 13. and of the troubles of the godly Heb. 11. 37. And this commeth to passe because the wicked are at home here here their heauen and time of reioycing but the godly are not here at home the Lord looketh for their comming to him and therefore prepareth them by crosses he loueth them and therefore doth he correct them that they might not be damned Hence then it followeth that we are not to iudge mens spirituall estates by outward prosperity or aduersitie for the wicked haue the greatest portion of the things of this life See it in the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus Why doe men then blesse themselues for their wealth and honour and despise their poore brethren in a farre better estate before God than they Quest Whether did Elimelech well to goe from Bethlehem into such an idolatrous country Answ It may seeme not because he went of distrust rather than of present want verse 21. and for that he left the place of Gods true worship and where the Lord promised his blessing Canaan also being a type of the Kingdome of heauen to goe among the wicked Idolaters whom the Lord by name also had forbidden to be receiued vnto his people Deut. 23. 3. Neh. 13. 1. Further hereby he could not but endanger his family to be defiled by idolatrie if the Lord had not beene more mercifull And to cōclude this We see how the Lords taking both him and his sonnes away may somewhat perswade that he did not wel seeing the Lord suffered him not to returne home againe True it is that Dauid went out of Iudah vnto Idolaters for feare of Saul but it was against his will and with much sorrow of heart Abraham he traueled into Egypt but it was at Gods bidding and the Shunamite might by the Prophets warrant goe into some place out of Israel to preuent the misery of famine 2. Kings 8. 1 2. But what is this to such as haue no such warrant but such mouing causes as here Hee and his wife and his two sonnes This is praise-worthy in him For an honest man careth for his wife and children as well as for himselfe Abraham tooke his wife with him into Egypt Gen. 12. 18. Iacob all his with him Gen. 42. for the wife is as himselfe Gen. 2. and so to be loued Eph. 5. and the children are bone of his bone Reason and nature tyed Elimelech to this an example of a louing husband and of a naturall parent to be imitated and which condemneth those which runne away from wise and children and are worse than Infidels 1. Tim. 5. 8. yea than the bruit beasts This mā led them they followed him so wines and children are to be companions with their husbands and parents in aduersitie Sarah will follow Abraham Rachel and Lea Iacob from their country and fathers house and Mary the mother of Iesus will follow Ioseph for the husband is the head and the bond of law bindeth thē thereto which checketh the contrarie if husbands and parents doe command to be followed obeyed in things lawfull If Elimelech as it may seeme did not well to goe it may be questioned whether these did well to follow him He might doe amisse not they being vnder his gouernmēt so long as he led them not to doe euill and to commit idolatrie but for sustentation of life in that country where they were not outwardly compelled to idolatrie but might serue God as they had learned at home If any thinke otherwise either of Elimelechs going or of his company I contend not Verse 2. And the name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi and the name of his two sonnes Mahlon and Chilion Ephrathites of Bethlehem Iudah and they came into the countrey of Moah and continued there THe Historiographer goeth on with the former narration of the iourneying first expressing by name the man the wife the sons shewing plainely who they were then the finishing of their iourney and thirdly their aboade there Into these three things this verse diuideth it selfe the declaration of their persons what they were called both in respect of their names and place whence they came the perfecting of their iourney and their stay there And the name of the man was Elimelech By naming the parties and not speaking in generall as before the holy Ghost would haue notice taken of them the better either to see their graces or to discerne their wants and so to haue a more certaine knowledge what to follow or what to take heed of for the knowledge of persons maketh the things which they doe either more or lesse apparent to vs. Elimelech signifieth The Lord my King a man well descended he was of the chiefest Tribe to wit of Iudah a nigh kinsman vnto Boaz the Lord of Bethlehem and one of note as appeareth by the article in the Hebrew and in the Greeke Septuagint also as likewise by the notice taken of Naomi his wife at her returne ver 19. yea he went out of Iudah without want as may be noted from verse 21. and as learned men from thence doe collect And if so his going away was more of feare to want than present necessitie which sheweth his great weakenesse worthy reproofe See here a man well borne of good meanes of good note and carrying a name of trust in God yet slipt through distrust of Gods prouidence too much relying vpon his owne deuised course which yet failed him in the end Great birth good meanes high name and fame saue not from falling either into sinne or outward misery if a better blessing than all these be not giuen men from God and therefore not to rest vpon them And the name of his wife Naomi Whose daughter this was the Scripture
and at length vvill be abhorred of all And here let the rich learne vpon whom to bestow freely their kindnesse and whom to loue and respect euen the godly poore such as bee Gal. 6. 10. Mat. 25. 10. of the houshold of faith for in them Christ is relieued and such shall not lose their reward If you aske Who are these godly poore I answer Euen such as Ruth which get a good name by their vertuous liues their duty done to their betters their painefulnesse in labour their conscience of Religion These be the godly poore and not the stubborne the idle the irreligious swearing fighting railing drunken poore who are more worthy of punishment than reliefe Vnto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband Thus Boaz beginneth to particularize her vertues and the first here is her louing carriage and praise-worthy behauiour vnto her mother in law not onely while her husband liued but euer after not ceasing to loue because he was dead for whose sake shee first was occasioned to loue her Due prayses can be shewed in particular vertues See it in the praises of Iob Cornelius the Iob. 1. Act. 10. 2. Reu. 2. 1 2. Angell of Ephesus And therefore in praising any wee must bee able to instance in those things which deserue such praises else it is sottish ignorance or grosse flatterie or both Againe note That whom we loue for our friends sake being aliue if loue be vnfaigned it will appeare when they be dead This is Ruths loue vnto Naomi Dauids to Mephibosheth for Ionathans sake True loue is a fountaine that neuer can be drawne drie This reproueth the loose loue of many who can loue and lightly turne it into hatred of the same person vpon small occasions such also as can loue their friend for his time but when he is dead will neglect all respect to euery one of his whom in his dayes they pretended to loue And how thou hast left thy father and thy mother and the land of thy natiuity and art come vnto a people which thou knewest not heretofore This was rare loue and a very great measure of grace for Religon sake to forsake naturall parents for a mother in Law her owne country for a strange nation and people shee must needs bee endued with a strong faith and an extraordinary measure of loue to Religion and the worship of the true God By which wee see that faith and feruent loue ouercome all difficulties euen nature it selfe as here in her so in Abraham when leauing his Heb. 11. Gen. 12. Gen. 22. 21. Gal. 1. 10. countrey he trauelled hee knew not whither and did offer vp Isaac at Gods bidding and put away Ismael and al three without gainsaying cherefully These ouercame carnall reason and this desire of pleasing God made Saint Paul a zealous Professor Faith made Gideon to leaue thousands Iud. 7. 7 12. 8. 10. 13 5000. Iosh 6. behind him and to bee content to enter the battaile whith 300. against many thousands so did Ioshua by Gods direction command seuen Priests to goe seuen times about the walls of Iericho to beate them downe with sound of Rammes hornes This faith loue made many proselytes and Heathen to become Christians and Christians in the time of bloody persecutions to forsake all for Christs sake and his Gospell as the Apostles spake of themselues vnto Christ This faith and loue of God will vanquish the world 1. Ioh. 5. 4 5. and will make 〈◊〉 leaue the Court of Pharaoh to bee with Gods people in affliction and will make Amaziah to separate himselfe from the 2. Chro. 25. 6 9 10. wicked and make light of an 100. talents of siluer Yea so powerfull is faith and loue of God as they will ouercome our selues euen to make light of our selues and our liues for the Lords sake as we see in the blessed Martyrs suffering cruell torments for the truth sake for the power of faith and spirituall loue is supernaturall and is wrought and so assisted by Gods Spirit as no worldly or fleshly impediments can hinder them in the way to eternall life Therefore must we labour for these graces aboue all things if wee would be masters ouer our selues if wee would preuaile against all hinderances of our saluation These will bridle lusts contemne vaine honours resist Satan and his temptations and seeing they are so powerfull hence may we see whether wee haue this faith and true loue if we can ouercome our corrupt nature carnall reason and this euill world but if these ouermaster vs then want wee this faith and loue from which those be farre off who are led like beasts by nature like sensuall men by lusts corrupt reason and by this vnconstant world and the vanities thereof Though they doe beare the name of Christians yet Christs power is farre from them Note further hence why hee speaketh thus to Ruth euen to giue her to know the true cause of his kindnesse and good respect towards her euen her godlinesse and grace which may teach That vertue and grace are the greatest motiues to incite great men which be also good men vnto the workes of mercy and bounty to the poore as we here see by Boaz speeches for vertue is louely to them which are vertuous though the parties be neuer so poore Let thē the poore labour for grace and godlinesse that they may find mercy at the hands of the wealthy for if they feare God he wil be their spokes-man hee will moue the hearts of others to doe them good Though this bee the way to procure fauour yet commonly we see the poore idle and too lewd of life and yet they murmure curse and rage if they be not relieued for they thinke they ought to be relieued euen because they bee poore though neuer so wicked though they will hardly labour to take any paines to liue when of such the Apostle speaketh that they should not be relieued Hee that will not labour let him not eate 2. Thes 3. saith the Apostle As this is for instruction to the poore so the rich from Boaz may learne on whom to bestow their fauours and workes of mercy euen vpon the godly the houshold of Gal. 6. 10. Mat. 25 10. Pro. 19. 17. Psal 41. 1 2 3. faith for in them Christ is relieued in them they doe lend vnto the Lord who vvill repay them to the full and greatly reward them But of this a little before in the beginning of this verse Verse 12. The Lord recompence thy worke and a full reward be giuen thee of the Lord God of Israel vnder whose wings thou art come to trust THese words are a prayer and blessing pronounced out of the mouth of Boaz vpon poore Ruth which doth maruailously set out the pietie of this man Here may be noted who makes this request to whom for what for whom and why The Lord recompence thy worke This rich Boaz prayeth for
recordeth not her name signifieth My pleasantnesse or sweetnesse as wiues should be such to their husbands and so husbands should account them Shee was faire a wise woman of great note in the Citie and a very godly and meeke spirited woman full of true loue patient in want thankefull and humble all which to be true her words and deedes in this historie doe plainely shewe So she was faire inward and outward an example and Looking-glasse for women the gallant Dames which would be Naomies for outward beauty and brauery but are foule Marahs for want of grace and true goodnesse Naomi is named before her children both in the former as a wife to Elimelech and here as a Mother to them and this reckoning of her name in this order declareth her dignitie and place before them Shee as a wife is to haue place next Elimelech the husband who is to preferre wife before children for shee is himselfe and as a mother to goe before them that be her children who are to honour their parents And the name of his two sonnes Why not her sonnes for shee was not their mother in law but they were sonnes borne of her body verse 11. But they are called his for the more honour For the father chefely giueth honour to the child Mahlon and Chilion The former signifieth infirmitie the latter finished Why so called is not shewed but they answer the euent of things the first his fathers infirmity in going from among Gods people to liue with Idolaters for preseruation of his outward estate and the other his fathers death being taken away in Moab verse 3. He was Mahlon in his leauing of Bethlehem and Chilion in abyding in Moab And here note in all these names how significant they be which the Hebrewes did euer obserue in naming their children yea the Lord himselfe in giuing a name to any one as in calling Abram Abraham Sarai Sarah which is of vs to be imitated thereby expressing our faith and grace towards God and admonishing them of some duety True it is that good names haue no vertue in them to make men better nor names without signification to make any worse yet for reuerence to our holy profession and that blessed Sacrament of Baptisme at which time names be giuen and in imitation of the godly in Scripture yea of God himselfe who called his first Sonne of men Adam and his blessed holy One Iesus by the Message of an Angel let vs giue our children good names significant and comely not absurd ridiculous and impious as some haue done out of the spirit of prophanenesse Ephrathites of Bethlehem Iudah So termed because Bethlehem was called Ephrate Gen. 35. 19. or for that the Countrey where Bethlehem stood was so called as may appeare in Mich. 5. 2. and Iudah is added not onely for a distinction of this Bethlehem from the other in Zabulon but for to make a difference of the Ephrathites here from other in the tribe of Ephraim for Ieroboam is called an Ephrathite 1. King 11. 26. By which wee see how carefull the holy Ghost is to make cleare the History and to free it from ambiguity of speech that the truth might better appeare and not be mistaken The Penmen of this and other diuine Histories are Faithfull Historians and such should others be and not full of fables falshood and deceit written through feare or fauour or ill will And they came into the Countrey of Moah So they finished their iourney Howsoeuer the Man might doe amisse in leauing Israel for Moab the Land of the liuing for a dead Nation yet it pleased the Lord to speede his iourney to bring to passe what he had intended for the conuersion of Ruth to make her a mother in Israel whence we see that God intending good to some in his secret counsel may prosper that which others vndertake with no good warrant Thus shall Nebuchadnezzar prosper against Ierusalem Iacobs sonnes act in selling Ioseph their brother yea the enemies of Christ to put him to death as God had determined Act. 4. For the Lord can worke good out of euill and can vse ill instruments to good purposes And therefore simply for the good issue which God maketh we are not to approue of either the matter in hand or the mindes of men which God vseth therein as is apparent in the former examples for Gods will and worke was one thing but theirs another hee is to be praised but they are to be reproued The word Countrey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 2. 5. Num. 20. 17. Pro. 24. 3. Septu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be also transalted the field as in the Originall it is often vsed and hence some coniecture that Elimelech went not into the Cities of the Moabites but dwelt in Tents as did Abraham Isaac and Iacob and not in the Cities of the Canaanites If men liue where Idolaters be it is good to auoid the occasion of infection as much as may be For much conuersing breedeth familiarity this loue of their persons so a liking of their waies with neglect of true Religion at the first but it falleth into contempt at last It is rare to bee a righteous hearted Lot in Sodom he was but one and one alone Israelites became Idolaters in Egypt This is it which made the Lord forbid communion and marriages to them with the Canaanites lest they should learne their wayes Let vs therefore take heede of conuersing with the wicked and with idolatrous people It is good that idle Trauellers should consider well hereof And continued there So then they had no repulse but were allowed to dwell there and that for a long time as the words in verse 4. doe shew yet these Moabites were formerly hard-hearted enough Deut. 23. 3. but by this we see that none are so churlish and vnkinde at one time to some but God can incline their hearts at another time to other some The History of Heathen Emperours manifesteth the truth of this towards Christians and the Story of the Israelites comming forth of Egypt for mens hearts yea the hearts of Kings are in the Lords hands to turne them towards whom he pleaseth as Nehemiah knew well which Nehemiah 1. made him to pray and Iacob also when he feared the comming of Esau When wee haue to doe with ill and dogged natured men let vs goe to God who can turne Esaus bloody heart in his comming foorth into a kind welcomming of his brother at their meeting he can incline Assuerus heart towards Ester to make him hold out to her the golden Scepter Consider the promise Ier. 15 11. and 42. 12. let vs seeke to please God and hee will worke vs fauour in the eyes of men Pro. 16. 7. and Iob 5. 23. let this be our comfort It may further seeme by the course of this Story that these Bethlehemites were not onely suffred to dwell among the Moabites but also that they were kindly vsed in that they
Iewes for in doing this we may greatly further what we doe intend And therefore let vs learne this wisedome to put it also into practice What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitesse The reason of this speech of buying first of Naomi then of Ruth is this Naomi was Elimelechs widdow to whom the land did belong and whom the kinsman should haue married but seeing shee was too old to marry and to beare children and now Ruth yong and the widdow of one of Naomi her sonnes shee was to supply Naomi her defect and shee when the land was to bee redeemed must also be married to the Kinsman albeit shee was a Moabitesse for Gods Law was not partiall but extended in Israel in that case for which the Law was giuen to the woman whether shee were an Israelitesse or of another nation and married to an Israelite Note here that Boaz at the first propounded not so much as he intended yea what is principally intended is often last propounded as here or wholely concealed vsuall with Statists as we may see in 1. Sam. 18. 9 17 21 25. Saul who propounded the marriage of his daughter to Dauid as if hee honoured and loued him when the end of his policie was to destroy him Ieroboam propoundeth tranquillitie and rest to Israel and that he had care to saue them from so great cost trouble as to go vp to Ierusalem there to worship hee would for their ease haue them worship at Dan and Bethel the golden Calues but this their fleshly ease effected by this deuilish policie was not intended but the safety of himselfe and the confirming of the Kingdome 1. King 12. 26 27. to himselfe of which yet in the end he was deceiued Seeing that lesse is at first propounded sometime then intended and the maine thing now and then concealed as these examples shew and as wee may see it in the Serpent that Grand Politician vnto Eue let men learne to be wise to sift the drift if they haue to do with men of wisedome and of a deepe reach else auoid them if their owne apprehension bee too shallow to conceiue them lest by credulity they bee ouerthrowne But it may here be asked seeing Boaz did propound not that which at the first he chiefely aimed at whether it be lawfull so to doe I answer Yes for to propound one thing before another is not euill neither to conceale sometime part of our mind as wee may see in Samuel so aduised by 1. Sam. 16. 2. God himselfe to speake yea that may bee sometime spoken and in some case which may seeme to further a thing in hand and yet bee the way to preuent and tend to the well-fare of another as the counsell of Hushai to Absalom which counsell 2. Sam. 17. was not to ouerthrow Absalom though by Gods hand it fell out so but to prouide for the safety of Dauid and to crosse the counsell of Achitophel which tended to the vtter destruction of Dauid the Lords Anoynted which was honest and godly policie in which no euill but good was intended of Hushai his part which differs much from the damnable policie of Saul and Ieroboam which subtill men most commonly follow and put in practice We may also obserue here maintenance for Naomi and marriage for Ruth so as both the widdowes were cared for for of widdowes Exo. 22. 22 23. God hath euer had an especiall care To a widdow must Eliah goe to preserue both his owne and 1. King 17. her life for a widdow must Elisha worke a miracle 2. King 4. 1. to discharge her debts that shee and her children also may liue for widdowes left childlesse a Deut. 25. Law was made for their marriage and maintenance allowed for such if shee were a Priests Leuit. 22. 13. daughter when she returned to her fathers house And therefore let men haue respect to the widdowes as Iames exhorteth who maketh it a Iames 1. 27. chiefe signe or character of our Religion before God The wife of the dead This sheweth how Ruth came to haue a right in an Israelite to marry with him because her husband was an Israelite and the Law was that the widdow of such a one the next kinsman should marry if hee died without issue But yet this is not all for Orpha was the wife of the dead too shee was married to Chillion brother to Mahlon but Ruths Religion and comming with Naomi to dwell among Gods people giue her this benefit of Gods Law By which wee may learne that Religion and not any earthly priuiledge doth interest vs into the Law of God and the benefit thereof for otherwise Orpha had as much right by the Law to the Kinsman and to Boaz as Ruth had If therefore we claime a benefit by the Word let vs bee religious for godlinesse hath the promise of this life and the life to come but vnto the wicked no hope so long as they so remaine but to them the threatnings and curses be due To raise vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritance This was Moses Law and ordained Deut. 25. 5. for diuers causes first to shew that by death the right of inheritance was not lost for it is called his inheritance which figured out this that by death we lose not our right of Heauen which is called our inheritance Secondly to prouide that the widow should not be without children thereby typing or figuring vnto vs that the Church should not be left barren Thirdly to make the dead to liue againe and his name to remaine among such as were in the land of the liuing so teaching that the dead should rise and enioy Life euerlasting Fourthly to preserue the Deut. 25. 6. name of the dead that it should not bee put out so giuing vs to know that God keepeth our names in remembrance and we shall not perish Fifthly and lastly to preserue the honour of the first borne when hee that was begotten by the kinsman was to beare the name of the dead and not his name which begot him so God would teach vs that Christ the first begotten should be honoured and such as were begotten by spirituall Fathers the Ministers of the Word should carry Christs Name and from him bee called Christians not by the name of their Teachers as if they begot people to themselues but onely to Christ to keepe vp his Name amongst his Saints for euer Besides these ends and this typicall and figuratiue meaning wee may obserue that by Moses Law kindred were to vphold the name of their house that it perished not for it Psal 109. 13. Ier. 22. 30. was a great curse to haue a mans name rooted out And though that Law doe not bind vs yet the Law of naturall loue and louing respect to our owne kindred the name and credit of those which we come of yea and