Lorde were not able to releeue vs or else were vniust in punishing our sinnes howe can that bee seeing hee calleth for repentaunce and amendement and then promiseth plentye and abundaunce These saintes endured some three some seuen and other tenne yeeres famine and yet wee saye was there euer such a people thus afflicted like to vs with one yeres dearth They were driuen to wander abroade in their enemies Countrie for manie yeeres together shall wee then thinke it such a miserye to goe two or three miles for our corne They aduentured the losse of their liues and wee are afraide of the lessening or diminishing of our goods And shall wee yet saye there was neuer anye people tormented like vnto vs Yea I adde this that euen at this daye there are people in the worlde which sâ—ant in all their liues doe eate anye bread but onely the barke of trees with some other vnseasonable fish others liue on the rootes of the earth some on the fruites of trees And what shall I saye more our wickednesse is greater then our want our sore is smaller then our sinne our transgressions haue deserued to bee punished with the scourge and yet wee are scarce corrected with the rodde our complaintes are greater then our huâ—te and our murmuring exceedeth our misery therefore wee haue greater cause to tremble at that which hangeth ouer our heades then to feare or crye for this which wee already suffer for it is hardly the beginning of sorrow So Mahlon and Chilson Now when they were compassed about vvith the friendes of their vviues vvhich did promise securitie then after a fevve yeeres spent in safetie the Lorde called them avvay after their father Where vvee see our former doctrine iustified that the end of one sorrovve vvas the beginning of another When they were most like to continue then they gaue ouer as it were in the armes of theyr wiues and the sight of their aged mother to whome no doubte this was the greatest griefe of all other that now beeing lefte destitute both of husbande and children she should without comfort liue with the Moabites and without ioye returne agayne vnto her owne Countrey as a bird robbed of her young ones Yet seeing this is our worldly lot still to endure misery let vs set both our shoulders vnder the burthen if it be too heauy let vs flee to the finisher of our faith with zealous and earnest prayers desiring him eyther to ease or to remooue his hande But seeing wee haue spoken of this before this shall suffise at this time to serue for a remembrance Then shee arose When her friends were departed and her selfe lefte comfortles yet the Lord remembred her for euen then came the rumor vnto her that the famine was ceased in Iewry that the Lord had visited the sicknes of his people and restored the plenty of the earth againe and therefore it is time for her to bee hasting home againe for here the holy Ghost setting downe her returne and the cause of the same sheweth that it was euen then when her children were dead for what should a godly woman liue there where were non that could strengthen hir in the wayes of the Lord but rather prouoke her to imbrace infidelity And againe euen at that time when shee was most comfortlesse for the losse of her children came this rumor vnto her of the restoring of her Countrey so that now Naomi thou art here in Moab a sorrowfull pilgrime go home to thy Countrey and bee a ioyfull inhabitant indeede thy children are dead but thou shall haue greater comfort of thy ancient acquaintaince What knowest thou but now the Lord hath called thee to consolation whereas of late thou mightest thinke hee had wrought thy confusion By this wee note that the Lord deferreth to helpe till greatest necessity euen as hee stayed the stroke of Abraham when hee was at the verie instant to cut of little Isaks necke So wee read that when the king of Assiria had inuaded the kingdome of Ezechia wonne his cities subdued his Country conquered his people and had not lefte him two thousand horsmen being destitute of all helpe then the Lord raised vp the king of Ethiop who called the Assyrians from the siege of Ierusalem What shall I saie of Lazarus raised from death Of the deliuerance of Peter out of the handes of Herod the daie before he should haue bene martyred Of the shipwracke wherein Paul was and yet not one of them were lost And excellent is that of Christ sleeping in the shippe on a pillowe suffered his disciples to bee so long tossed with the violence of the sea till they cryed out Lord saue we perish and then hee awaked rebuked the rage of the windes and stilled the stormes of the sea and a peaceable calme followed This is that preseruatiue agaynst desperation which must staie our mindes on the leasure of the Lorde wee must not at the first look for our desires but as Abraham and Zacharia were old before they had any children and yet in the end the Lord promised and also perfourmed euen so when wee haue least hope for obtaining of our desires wee most often receiue them For the Lord desireth our requests for the triall of our fayth and pacience that like as the wheate corne groweth not till it bee dead euen so his works doe not answere our expectation till they seeme to vs impossible that as the most precious pearles are farthest brought and longest in comming when wee haue them we keepe them more carefully euen so his excellent mercies being with difficulty obtained should be esteemed more thankfully Therefore be of good comfort you that now sorrow for you shall bee comforted you that now hunger for you shal be satisfied you that nowe weepe for you shall laugh the Lord will shortly come beare but a litle and he will wipe away all teares from your eies then oh how happy shal they be which haue trusted in him That the Lorde had visited This is the last parte of this scripture being the reason that moued her to returne into her Countrey O it is as if the holy ghost had sayd The Lord looked vpon the afflicted estate of his people supplied their want of food To visit in the scriptures is taken two wayes first to punishe as when God sayth in the second commaundement that he will visite the sinne of the fathers vppon the children vnto the third fourth generation secondly it signifieth some times to pardon or to show mercy as that of Zachary The Lord hath visited and redeemed his people that is hee hath shewed mercy in redeming his people In this later sense it must be taken in this place Now the word properly signifieth to goe to see and is referred to them that are sicke which by a metaphor is applied to sinne for sinne is the sicknes of the soule and is very fitly applied to punishments sent
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
at the byrth of her sonne so as a woman in trauaile hath no ease till a sonne is come into the world neither must we looke for any rest till our soules are deliuered out of the wombe of the body into the kingdome of heauen Our sauiour compareth vs to the fruitfull vine which doth not onely abide frost snow storme and heate but also at the gathering time is broken of that the gropes might be reached The gold must be tried in the furnace the siluer fined in the fire the wheate purged in the floore and before it be meate for man is also ground in the mil so must we be proued in afflictiō fined in persecution and crushed to pieces vnder the burthen of our own miseries that we may bee made prepared bread for the Lord his own spending Why then doth the Lord make such large promises to his Church of plenty seeing it endureth continuall pouerty I answere the Church of God must be considered after two sorts the first as it is cleansed in the blood of Christ and washed pure from all outward and notorious offences vnto which estate pertaine all those outward promises of liberality in the scripture The second is the declined estate or corrupted condition of euerie one in the Church euen vnto the worldes end vnto this pertaine all the punishments persecutions and ttibulations which the godly endure which the Lord sendeth vppon them that he might by litle and little scoure vs from our transgressions and weary vs with the miseries of this life that wee might the more ernestly desire the life to come for the Lord doth here scourge vs that we should not be condemned with the world Examples of these are most plentifull in the old testament of the Church of the Iews for as much as this perfectiō of the church being once lost is like broken glasse which can neuer be soldered againe so the Church shall neuer attaine those promises in this life but they are all referred to the life to come where shal be no hunger thirst nakednes pouerty trauaile famine or sorrowe but all teares beeing wiped from the eyes of the faithfull they shall then rest from their laboures and receiue many thousand times for euery afliction which they heere endured eternall felicitie in the presence of Christ when all worldlings shall be burned with vnquenchable fire Fourthly in that they went down to the wicked Moabits there taried we note that it is lawfull for the godly in the time of necessity to craue help or reliefe of the very enimies of God so they bee not polluted with their superstitions For the proofe hereof we haue the former examples of Abraham in Egipt of Isahac in Gerar of Moses in Midian when he fled from Pharao of the spies of Israel which lodged in the house of Rahab So did the Lord commaunde Ioseph in a dreame to take Mary and Christ and to goe into Egipt to saue Christ from Herod So did Christ aske water of the woman of Samaria when he was wearie with infinit other testimonies which the godly may find in the scripture But the vse of this point is that although the Lord hath permitted this libertie yet we must take heede of two things first that we neuer receiue any thing with condicion of religion or dooing the least thing against their owne knowledge for idolaters desire nothing more then to winne mens soules to the deuill Secondly wee may not go vnto such when we may bee eased of the godly for it is free necessitie that constraineth not necessary liberty that permitteth By this we learne what to iudge of them which are dayly at talke and table with the wealthiest papists Atheists and carnall prophane persons who care not for the losse of religion so they may gaine by their friendship Esteeming more the feathers of a rich man though vngodly than the bloud of a poore godly christian they vse them too commonly for wealth commoditie not for need necessitie these are seasoned in the leauen of vnrighteousnes baked in the ouen of hipocrisie and shal one day be burned in the fire of euerlasting destruction for they which for gaine loue their company in this life shalbe partakers of theyr rewards in the life to come Fiftly by this wee note that the Lord doth euer prouide for his faithfull seruaunts in all their miseries We see heere these Iewes satisfied with plenty in Moab that were almost famished with penury at home therefore sayth Dauid The Lord knoweth the dayes of vpright men and their inheritance shall bee perpetuall they shall not be confounded in the perillous time and in the dayes of famine thay shall haue inough Most notable is that speech of Ioseph to his brethren telling them that God sent him before to prouide victualls for them in that seuen yeeres famine So hee stirred vp Obadiah which hid fifty prophets in one caue and fiftie in another feeding them with bread and water during the time of famine Hee prouided for Eliah first by the rauens and after by the widdow of Zarephtha multiplieng her oyle and meale for Eliah her selfe and her sonne So hee sent Elisa to warne the Shunamite woman of the seuen yeares famine that shee should flye for her selfe and liue where shee could I might bee infinite in this pointe to declare the bountifull liberalitie of the Lord who euer prouideth one remedie or other to satisfie the continuall prayers of them that feare him for we may say as Paul sayth Wee are afflicted yet wee are not in distresse in pouerty yet not ouercome of pouerty we are persecuted and yet not forsaken cast down but we perishe not This is the mercifull kindnes of him who giueth foode to the young rauens that call vppon him maketh his sun to rise shine both vppon good bad Yea wee our owne selues haue experience in our owne countrey for we which were wont with our abundaunce to helpe other nations about vs yet now in our want we are succoured by them How should the poore in many places be relieued if it were not for the corne which commeth ouer-sea therefore as the seuen plentifull yeares in Egipt succoured the seauen deare yeares euen so the Lord relieueth the misery of one time by the multitude of another Therefore my brethren let vs not say the Lorde hath forgotten for although our desires be not satisfied yet our bodies are not famished yea the Lord testifieth that he is as vnwilling to punishe our deserts and vtterly to depriue vs of our maintenaunce as we are to departe from our pleasant pastime or dainty belly cheere Poore Lazarus that was not releeued with the rich mans crummes yet was he comforted with the licking of the dogs so much doth the Lord affect liberality and kindnes that he commandeth brute beasts to execute his goodnes vpon his seruants Now let vs proceed to the second part of this
come safe to Moab and there to liue till they got fauour and dwelling and also maintenance was a singular fauour of the Lord towards both that howsoeuer they were afflicted yet they were not lefte destitute And this teacheth vs that in al our afflictions we receiue especiall blessings at the hands of God for this end that we should not bee swallowed vp of sorrowe There is no sicknesse but it is eyther short and sharpe or els tedious and light if it bee sodaine and verie extreame the continuance of it is but short if it belong and tedious it hath some time of ease some time of more quietnes so that in all our miseries we may say with the godly If the Lord had not bene on our side we had bene swallowed quick he tempereth the sodainest showres with least continuande and the longest winter hath many faire dayes Be strong therfor my brethren and sisters for sure the Lord will stablishe your hearts feare not all the daungers of the world though as many troubles compasse vs as there were Sirians about Eliseah yet lifte vp your eyes there are many thousands more with vs then are against vs. He that suffereth none to bee tempted aboue their power will not lay more vppon vs then we are able to beare but as he wrestled with Iacob with one hand he held him vp with the other so though hee afflict with one arme he shall sustaine with the other Which tooke them wiues Now we are come to the childrē the holy ghost expresseth the frendship which they receaued of the Moabits after the death of the father which is their mariage with their daughters Where first of all it may be demanded in this place seeing the Lord forbideth all strange mariages whither these sons of Elimelech did not offend against this law we know that the vnmaried are at liberty to mary whom they will onely in the Lord now the Moabits were heathen people and strangers from God his couenant and therefore these persons maried not in the Lord. To which I answere briefly that the Lord forbiddeth mariages with infidells for two causes first when wee may lawfully and without daunger ioyne our selues to them that are godly and wil presumptuously for worldly respects run to the daughters of men secondly that wee should refraine from all such mariages where wee are like to bee drawne away from our profession as wee see in Salomon But these sonnes of Elimelech offended in none of these For first they were now straungers and had no other choise and secondlie it appeareth by that which followeth that they were both well perswaded in religion For as Moses marryed a Madianitish woman and was blamelesse and Salman the sonne of Nahasson the prince of the Iewes maried with Rahab which both were the parents of Boaz mentioned hereafter and was faultles nay it was done by the permission of Iosuah therefore lawfull euen so these straunge Iewes moued with the same reasons chused the like mariages But some wil say the Iewes which had maried strange wiues in the captiuity of Babilon might haue alledged this against Nehemiah that they were in captiuitie had no women to take but strangers To the which I answere if they had so obiected they had spoken vntrueth and so would Nehemiah haue replyed for there were Iewishe women captiues as well as men and further I say that this their marying of strange women was the cause of the destruction of many Iewish women who being forsaken of their owne people must of necessity bee maried to infidells which could neuer returne to Ierusalem Again these sons of Elimelech by their mariage gayned greater fauour of the Moabits but especially the hande of God was in it that when they both should be dead Ruth might be maried to Boaz and be made a mother of Christ First therfore we note out of this that as these Moabits were kind to the father in giuing him residence so they were louing to the sons in giuing them wiues a notable example of humane curtesy giuen vnto vs by these heathens that we with the like fauour should entertaine strangers But manie couetous parents in these dayes which would be accompted Christians are so farre from doing this vnto strangers that they will hardly doe the like to their natural Countriemen rather imitating that vngodly Laban who made marchaundise of his daughters then godly Caleb in beestowing them on Othniell be he neuer so poore if they haue deserued well of Church or cōmon wealth rather desiring to aduance their postiritie in the glory of the world thē to discharge their duetyes in the presence of God They will say they ayme at this the feare of the Lord when as if they had matched their children with Turkes or infidells they would not or could not be more profane then those sauing onely these are outwardly obedient to a Christian prince that they might with more libertie followe theyr licentious Atheisme when as peraduenture the other woulde not so dissemble so that goods and not goodnesse the worlde and not the woorde earthly vanitie and not heauenly felicitie our parents ayme at But what shall wee saie to them that force theyr children not onely to match agaynst theyr mindes but to marrie with publike papists and knowen recusants onely for thinges of this lyfe Truely I aunswere that it is agaynst these that the Lorde speaketh when hee sayth You shall not take theyr daughters to your sonnes nor giue your daughters to theyr sonnes but as they haue marryed wythout the counsell of the Lorde in murdering the fruites of theyr owne bodyes euen so they shall prosper wythout the blessing of God in confounding the soules of theyr owne posteritie and as the children of the Iewes which were borne of strange women were separated from the newe founded temple euen so these shall bee excluded from the euerlasting Ierusalem And they tarryed there This time of theyr abode in Moab signifieth the great continuance of this miserie First for the Iewes at home who indured famine and secondly for these abroade which liued among Infidels tenne yeeres together It is a fearefull thing wyth vs that wee haue but one yeeres famine oh then wee thinke that the Lorde hath forgotten to bee mercifull But we haue heard alredie of famines of great continuance that in Iosephs time was seauen yeeres together that in Dauids time was three yeeres and a halfe and this miserie lasted tenne yeeres together Wherein many godly persons dyd patiently indure it Howe is it then that for this lyttle dearth among vs there are so great exclamations for corne and plentie such horrible blasphemies agaynst the Lorde himselfe saying Shall this indure alwaie Was there euer anie poore people thus afflicted Is this the fruit of the Gospell Are these the fauours of God and his righteousnesse in keeping his promise with such lyke too horrible to bee suffered as if the
light let vs shine forth in holy conuersation seeing the world is our enemie which dayly lyeth in wait to discredit our profession let vs adorne the Gospell wee professe eyther make the tree good and the fruite good or the tree euill and the fruit euill cast awaie this counterfeit holynesse which is double iniquitie let vs confesse with the mouth vnto saluation beleeue in the heart to iustification and practise in lyfe vnto sanctification and let euerie one that calleth on the name of the Lorde departe from iniquitie Thus much for the Daughters aunswere Nowe to the mothers replie in the nexte verse But Naomi In this verse and in the two next following Naomi confirmeth her counsell by forcible reasons taken from their second marryages and studying more for theyr good than her owne The first reason is that shee hath no mo sonnes eyther borne or vnborne to bee their husbandes for by the lawe one brother being dead without issue the next was to marrie his wife and to raise vp seede to his brother They knewe shee had no mo children alreadie borne and shee proueth that shee is out of hope to haue anie mo by her ovvne age she is too old to marry therfore to beare children so that the force of this reason is to perswade them to go back againe that they might marry at home for she knew not how to bestowe them in her owne Countrey In the which words thus taking a reason frō their marriage she noteth the duetye of younger widdowes and women which is to marry and to beare mo children and in her selfe persuading them vnto it shee noteth the duetie of godly parents which is to deale priuatly with them for their publique commodity For the apostle Paul willeth the selfe same thing that the younger widdowes marry and bring foorth mo children as the most acceptable condition for their fruitfull dayes and a necessary duety for replenishing the Church But these persons must not so marry for wantonnes as if they minded nothing but procreation of children but they must ioyne with it all Christian obedience to the aduise of their husbands secondly they must be carefull to bring vp their children in the feare and nurture of the Lord thirdly this must bee the end of their mariage and childbirth that they may the more deuoutly giue themselues to the worship of God and by their children to increase the number of the faythfull For it is better to be barren then to bring forth children to the deuill which they do that mind nothing lesse then their carefull education and Christian instruction yea it is more excellent to bee a religous widdow then a prophane maried wife But some will say that second mariages are not lawful at all because Paul willeth that such widowes should not bee chosen into the number of church seruants and the holy ghost giueth such commendation of Anna because shee neuer married though shee were left a widdow very young moreouer the counsell of Paul is that if they bee losed from husbands or wiues they should not seeke to beioyned vnto them Vnto all which I answere with the same Paul That a woman so soone as shee is loosed from her husband or so soone as her husband is dead shee is at liberty to marry with whom she will onely in the Lorde Anna is commended more for her religion them her chastity And Paul his counsell is to them that could forbeare in those dayes of persecution But to come to Naomi shee saith shee is to old to marry therefore it seemeth though second mariages bee good for young women yet they are not lawfull for the old To this I answere her meaning is not that it is simplie vnlawfull for her to marry but that it should not profit her in regard of child bearing men desire young and fruitfull women not old and barren her purpose is to persuade her daughters that she neither had nor coulde haue anye more children for them therefore in the next verse she addeth If I hoped or If I were this night with an husband But in my iudgment I see no reasonable cause why old women especially shuld marry how soeuer others may be contrarye minded my reasons are these First I reade it not practised by any body in the scripture I meane such old women as in their owne consciences are persuaded they are past child bearing Secondly they breake the greatest consideration in marriage they vndertake it for lust and not for children for marriage was not ordained for the lust of the mind but the necessity of the body to withdraw it from sinne Now their withered bodies cannot accomplishe the desire of theyr carnall mindes Thirdly it bringeth great inconuenience with it if they marry with a young man there is no equalitie as anone shall bee proued if with old men like themselues what comfort can they minister vnto them Lastly such mariages are more for wealth then woman or necessitie Yet this is but my poore iudgment if anie doubt of it let them examine my reasons if they bee waighty let them receiue them if light amend them If any say they marry for comfort as they can say nothing els I demaund why poore women haue not this comfort as well as the rich I see seldome any poore widowes maried but the wealthy so soone as eyther honesty or modesty will suffer them Againe comfort is no sufficient cause for marriage because it may bee had without marriage but children cannot It is the duety of married folks with their mutuall loue to comfort one another but not a cause that ought to constraine to mariage The Eunuch wanteth comfort yet who thinketh such a person fit for marriage a continent person which as Christ sayth hath made himself chast for the kingdome of God vvanteth comfort yet he should sinne greiuously if he married for comfort let lawfull things be ioyned with expedient and I thinke olde women will neuer marrie Yea if I had This is the second reason wherewith she persuadeth her daughters to turne backe againe namely graunt she had sonnes new borne yet it were too long for them to tarry till they were growen vp and fit for marriage yea then they would bee past children also they should lose the season of their youth and so should reape no haruest of their daies there would be no agreement in yeares betweene them when they should be as a withered stubbe and the young men as greene oliues Where we note that by the iudgment of this godly Naomi there must bee an agreement in yeeres betweene the parties that shal be married for she saith would ve be deferred for them from taking any husbandes nay my daughters by the which wordes shee signifieth that it would be no fit marriage that one should be so old and the other so young The Lord created Adam and Heuah in one day not only that marriage should not bee deferred too long
wilde when it shall be manifested that the surest safest way in religion is to depend on God and not men Where thou dyest Hauing promised her life to bee spent in her mothers company shee proceedeth to her death shewing vnto her such perfect frendship as neither the trauailes of life or sorrows of death could euer abrogate and she addeth that euen in that place where Naomi should be buried would Ruth bee enterred for wee know the ancient custome was to bee buried with the fathers or predecessours whereof vndoubtedly the cause was the hope of the resurrecton that as they were buried so they shuld rise together to be made partakers of eternal woes or euerlasting ioyes And by this we obserue the loue which we owe vnto our fathers frends must be of such continuance y t it reach vnto the graue not only to be here the inheritors of their lands but also being dead to giue our bodies to their sepulchres and the measure of it must be so perfect that we must be the companions of life death And truely such as is the loue of children to their naturall parents such must bee the peoples to their spritual fathers in Christ The Galathians to pleasure Paul wold haue pulled out their own eies but men in these daies are so far frō this liberalitie towards the small number of preaching ministers that they wil hardly giue any penny towardes their maintenance they had rather haue their gold then the gospel of Christ their paltry pigs then preaching They cry out chargeable chargeable is the ministery when they thēselues which should pay the tenths yeld not the twentith of their increase such suing for their right such triing of customes such ouerbearing the weake finally they would be religious but y e ministers must be as beggers among thē Who seeth not in many places where they crie out for preachers and promise largely in their behalfe yet when the Lord hath sent them they almost stinke in their presence I speak plainly I confesse yet but the truth moreouer they are not onely poorely prouided for but euery base person pesant pot cōpanion are suffered to crow ouer thē cry out against thē Thus Chirst was before yet like vs contemned of the brauest reuiled of the basest the world I see is no changling although many hundred ages haue passed since yet the maners thereof remaine it agreeth in nothing saue onely to persecute Christ and seeing we are sent forth as a silly lambes among ten thousand wolūs and as men borne out of due time although our calling be despised our labor vnprofitable we made laughing stocks yet our pains will be rewarded our offences pardoned we crowned they euerlastingly confounded So let God Last of all that shee might be no more molested by her mother in law she confirmeth the resolution of her mind by an oth in these words So let God do vnto me and more also if ought but death do separate thee and mee which is an vsuall manner of swearing in the scripture as we reade of Dauid how he swore he woulde bee reuenged of the churlish Nabal for the vncourteous message he returned him by his seruants and is vsed by all the godly in the olde Testament and indeede it doth most notably describe the nature of an othe for it is thus much in effect I pray God confound mee if I speake not this with purpose of heart out of the which wee note many thinges most profitable First that in euery oath wee curse our owne soules if we publishe not the truth or performe not that which we promise as if euerie time we sweare wee shoulde saie The Lord confound mee bodie and soule with sathan and his angelles if this bee not so Oh that our othe-mongers common swearers in our daies wold remember or vnderstand this that wheras in their daies they haue sworne many milions of times so many curses damnations they haue wished to themselues the very consideration wherof would make them as gulitie in their own consciences as euer Cain was for killing a man or Iudas for betraying the Lord of glory they haue with their arrowes of blasphemy shotte thorough boared the Lord to the very neerest place of his life for euerie trifle And truly as the common Inne is knowen by his signe and the black Moore by his skin euen so is an atheist and carnal man by his othe We shal talke with honest worldly men who at euery worde or sentence will breake foorth into most horrible swearing vppon no occasion if they be rebuked they waxe much worse We read of an Egiptian Israelite that blasphemed and was by God his owne commaundement stoned to death How if this law were put in practise among vs where woulde the gallant companions which will sweare by all the colours of the moone become would not they crye out to the hills to couer them and to the rocks to fal vpon them was it not strange that among sixe hundred thousand men which were able to beare armes with olde men women and children almost innumerable there shuld be found but one man that had blasphemed or taken God his dreadfull name in vaine and he must be stoned But among vs if so many chosen men were taken my life for it there shall not be found among euery hundred ten persons which are not common blasphemers Oh Lord how doth thy mercy stay the heauens from powring downe stones vppon vs as they did vppon the Cananits There is not now a child in the streets if he be able to speake but he murmureth an oth onely excepted some few which haue godly parents there is not a woman eyther mayde or wife some few excepted which doth not dayly increase their curse by their continuall blasphemies may wee not now say Lord what is man that thou visitest him or the son of man that thou so regardest him Truly the most folow the counsell of Iobs wife they curse God and dye a godly martir required to curse christ and hee should liue answeared seuentie yeres haue I serued him yet hee neuer did mee any hurt why then should I curse him And I pray you what hurt hath the Lorde done vnto you that you thus blaspheme his honour curse your owne soules rebell against his lawes and sweare many hundred times oftener then you eate or drinke surelie the disease of leprosie was contagious and whosoeuer had it was excluded from the congregation how much more ought this poyson of swearing and swearers to be cut of from the society of God and men And surely now helpe O ye Gods of the earth I meane you magistrats and men of authority this knot will neuer be vnloosed except you draw out your swords and strike it a sunder though you would giue them all your posessions steale away their swearing as Rahel stole her fathers idols yet they will sweare
their tedious iourney was eased by their mutuall conference but what things happened to them by the way the scripture mentioneth not onely their intertainment is heere set downe how their comming being noysed about the citie they came vnto them and saluted their old acquaintaunce Naomi by name For this question is not this Naomi after the manner of the Hebrues is a vsuall manner of affirmation as we may see in these places of scripture Where first of all we see the wonderfull mercy of God toward Naomi which in so many yeares absent suffered not her memory vtterly to perish but at her first arriuing did publish her name and comfort her sorrowes Thus God hath many blessings in store for the relieuing of his poore afflicted saintes and surely hee is carefull that the candle of the righteous be not put out for euer But as in one day after many yeares sorrow for Ioseph famine for bread Iacob receiued tidings of the welfarre of his sonne and prouision for his familie euen so the Lord compasseth about the faithfull with songs of deliueraunce that though heauines endure for a night yet ioy commeth in the morning Let vs therfore with the losse and laying downe of our owne liues confesse the goodnes of the Lord for as he draue the king of Babilon for seuen yeares from the throne of maiestie to the wildernes of wild beasts so he called him aganie and restored to him his scepter and seate established his kingdome all the dayes of his life Therefore feare not feare not my beloued haue wee now famine we shall plenty againe Do we cary foorth our seed weeping We shal come againe with plentyfull sheaues Haue we sowed in teares wee shall reap in ioy Haue we bin strangers in other lands we are come home with Naomi to the citie of God his people finally those that feare the Lorde shall bee as mount Sion which can neuer be moued for as there is a time to mourne so there is a time to reioyse and as the wicked shall haue measure for measure so the godly shall receiue reward for reward Secondly by these wordes wee obserue the fruiâ—te of charitie or duetie of neighbours and acquaintance for as these cityzens of Bethlehem came to see and to comfort Naomi so must euery one beare some part of his brothers or sisters sorrow in relieuing their troubled minds by their presence and speeches We reade that Mary went to her cosin Elizabeth being with child that they might commune comfort theÌ„selues in the promises of the Lord. We read how the Iewes accompanyed Mary and Martha weepping for Lazarus and the same also we reade was done at the death of Dorcas What shal I say of the four men which brought the sicke of the palsie vnto Christ and most excellent is the felowship of the saintes in the primitiue church which are said to continue abide together with one accord in praier breaking of bread so that their spirituall comfort of praying and temporall refreshing of corporall foode were priuate to any but also for their comfort as a young child is wrapped in his swadling clothes so was the infancie of Christs church maintained by the company of their faythfull fellowship Oh that wee could loue and liue thus together in the bond of vnitye and christian concord that as we are members of one body so we shuld not be so strange one to another as if the eye had neuer seen the foote or the head neuer knowne the legges such is the scornefulnes of our age wherein men are ashamed of Christ in his members if they be a litle falen into decay how hardly will they comfort them as these Ephrathits do Naomi a poore widow now though once a noble woman They will rather curse theÌ„ with Shemei than blesse theÌ„ with Tziba but let the faithfull like feeling members of their brethrens affliction looke vppon the Naomies in our dayes some are poore and frendles other sicke and harborles some sorrowfull some hungry many destitute let vs gather to vs these members of Christ our company will more refresh them then our contribution our talke more then our almes our feelling and fellow prayers more then the distribution of our money let vs lay hold on that and yet forget not this for as God hath giuen both to vs so he looketh wee should giue both to other Thirdly by this we obserue how the world is wont to comfort one another for these Bethlemits say vnto her Is not this Naomi that is they comfort her with the consideration of her name which in hebrewe signifieth bewtifull or pleasant as if they had sayd vnto her Although thou art old yet thou art beautifull for thou remainest Naomi still thy name is a prophet vnto thee to forewarn thee of thy welfare and if thou be now like the stubble after the crop yet thou shalt shortly be as the green hearb or plesant plaÌ„t comfort thy self Iacob always preuailed with God because his name was alwayes Israel the doue shall bee chast because it is a doue the eie shalbe bright because it is the eie Naomi shalbe blessed because she is Naomi Thus worldly persons wish worldly things the best they desire most is outward prosperitie Neither is this simplie vnlawfull for such as is the sore such must bee the salue and where the wound is the medicine must be ministred if in the world they be oppressed in the same they may not onely wish but praie for release yet alwayes remember that friendes and parties must so desire and request it as may bee most for the glory of God Therfore this is our dutie that in praying for earthly benefites we aime at God his will but in desiring spirituaÌ„ blessings we must regard our saluations And more also wee must not so rauish the mindes of the worldly afflicted as if they had no other hope but this temporal welfare but so promise the blessings of God as they may haue a spirituall signification for worldly miserie is abated but with euerlasting felicity And Naomi said In these words Naomi answereth to the comforts of her frends telleth theÌ„ she rather deserueth to be called Mara then Naomi that is bitter then beautifull whereby shee teacheth vs howe vaine are outward and worldly titles for which cause Iames wisheth vs not to bee called many maisters knowing we shal receiue the greater damnation as if he had said worldly honor bringeth death but desire or loue of carnall comforts cause damnation When the arke of God was taken by the Philistines and the sons of Heli both slain the wife of Phinehas the son of Heli died after her trauaile and named her son Ichabod which is by interpretation wher is the glory although there a man child was borne yet the woman forgate not her sorrowe because the arke of God was taken by the heathen for if shee were the daughter to the chiefest in
biddeth her to trimme and smooth her selfe vp shee warneth her not to come to the man till hee were layd to his rest and finally shee counselleth her to lye downe at his feete Truely in outwarde shewe it seemeth vnlawful yet in substance very honest if we consider euery circumstance First I demaund what is it that seemeth dishonest in this whole discourse some will say first the dressing of herselfe is scant the parte of an honest woman for it is very likely Naomi had this intention by this meanes to drawe the old man in loue with her for she tooke him as it were at aduantage alone in the floore and such sayth Salomon is the parte of whoores I aunswere that them other of Salomon sayth that it is also the point of a wise and a godly womā to watch in the night to be finely appareled to clothe her household and such like Therfore seeing an honest woman may do these thinges Ruth did no dishonestye in this Againe this kinde of dressing in Ruth was needefull because she had to deale with an honorable man and therefore the more carefully and comely shee must appeare in his presence But you will say that Naomi had some such meaning because shee bid her that shee shoulde not let her selfe be knowne till the man were gone to his rest I answere this shee did that they might more freely talke together of the matter of her mariage for if shee had come before hee wente to supper the daye woulde not haue suffised to commune of the cause of her comming niether would the old man haue gone to his loding if he had knowne a woman to bee present Then you will say why did shee not come to his owne house at home and that in the daye time I answere because it was a reproch to Ruth to bee knowne to deale publiquely in her owne marriage which must needes bee knowne if it had beene done in the city or in the daytime and therefore seeing time and place were nowe conuenient the man being alone they tooke opportunity by the fore-lock and prepare themselues for the aduenture of her marriage Why then will some say what moued Naomi to giue such counsell vnto Ruth seeing shee knewe it might bee defamed I aunswere Naomi knewe Boaz to bee an olde man not giuen to such lewde and filthy conditions but especiallye shee knewe him to feare God and Ruth her daughter in lawe to bee a vertuous woman trusting to his age and both their godlines shee is emboldened to giue this aduise And this may suffise any sober mindes from suspition of Naomies counsell Ruthes dishonesty or the religion of Boaz. But some will saye if the matter bee so cleare as you will make it then maye wee also followe the example and doo the like To which I answere if any doo so it is much amisse for wee must not imitate euerye example wee reade of in the scripture as that of Rebeckaes counsell to her sonne Iacob whereby hee got awaye the blessing from Esau There is no cause that can mooue vs as there was Naomi for Ruth must bee married in her kindered we neede not shee was bound to one or twaine but wee are free to manye thousandes shee might challenge in her owne behalfe for the law of God but wee cannot doo so excepte there bee a promise of marriage therefore neyther must wee followe this example nor yet suspecte the actions of either And Ruth Nowe the counsell propounded and the meanes for the execution thereof declared Ruthe approueth her mothers aduise by promise of obedience that first she woulde do it and in the verse 6 she doeth perfourme it Where wee haue a good example in the matter of marriage for all children to depende vppon their godlye and religious parentes If any aske mee whither they bee bounde vppon necessitye so to obeye their parentes that if they offer them husbandes or wiues they cannot refuse them but their parentes maye compell them to whome I answere first if it bee possible hearken to the voice of thy parentes but if thou canst not thy parentes cannot commaund thee against thy minde for they must propounde it conditionallye not absolutelye In thy body concerning thy labour thou must obey them in all thinges because they are the parentes of thy bodye but thy minde or soule which commeth from God is alwaye at libertye so that disobedience to parentes is the refusing of their temporall commaundement but marriage is euerlasting to the death of a man Secondlye children maye refuse because the Lord manye times reuealeth that to the childe which hee shewed not to the parentes as wee may see in the example of Sampson when hee woulde marrye with a philistine woman for his parentes gaine-sayeng it y e scripture sheweth the reason of it because they knew it not to come from the Lord but Sampson did they fore stood in it his parents harkned vnto him in the end got him y t womā for his wife By the which wee gather that no children maye lawfully celebrate their marriage without the parents consent secondly that they must be very circumspect to marry their children thirdly that they cannot in any good conscience deny their consents to their children to keepe them from honest marriage if there bee any equality betweene the partyes or hope of honesty in the time of louing But of this matter wee haue often spoke and therfore this shal suffise for this time Nowe let vs giue prayse to God The end of the eight Lecture The ninth Lecture Chap. 3. ver 7.8.9.10.11.12.13 7. And when Boaz had eaten and drunken and made his heart merry he went and lay down beside the heape of corne she came softly and vncouered the place of his feete and lay downe 8. And at midnight the man was afraid and turned him selfe hither and thither and he hold a woman lay at his feete 9. To whom he said who art thou and shee said I am Ruth thy handmaide spread the wing of thy garment ouer thy handmaide for thou art the kinsman 10. Which sayd blessed be thou of the Lord my daughter for thou hast performed more kindnes at the last then at the first because thou followedst not young men were they poore or rich 11. Now therefore my daughter feare not whatsoeuer thou sayest I will doe vnto thee for euery one within the gates of my people knoweth thee to be a vertuous woman 12. Now indeede it is true that I am thy kinsman yet there is one neerer than I. 13 Sleepe heere this night in the morning if he will do the parte of a kinsman let him but if hee will not do the kinsmans duty I will do the kinsmans dutie as the Lord liueth sleepe vntill the morning NOw it followeth in this scripture to speake of the effect of this counsell and of those thinges that happened after Ruth came downe into the floore and the happy successe she had with
as Peter woulde but they must sinke as Peter did and yet they perish not but are lifted vp and saued by Christ as Peter was though our olde Adam cause vs to commit many sinnes yet our newe Adam will remoue all wee must iudge charitably of all our brethren that are ouertaken in their seuerall sinnes Sara lyed vnto the Lorde himselfe Onesimus was a thiefe and a runne away from Philemon Rebecca caused Iacob her sonne to beguile his owne father and all the holy Patriarkes had many wiues yet none must bee so bolde as to condemne any of these notwithstanding their seuerall and manyfolde faultes Euen so in these our dayes though we see and beholde our brethren some ouercome with the worlde other by promotion many by their lustes and concupiscences other in their braue apparell nay if they steale and robbe yet wee must not iudge but charitably of them I speake not this to encourage any hereunto for if grace abounde aboue sinne yet cursed are they that sinne that grace and blessing might abounde vnto them for if wee may not doe euill where wee certainely know good may ensue thereof much lesse may wee doe euill to make the mercy of God the baude of our sinnes but this we must remember that there is no condemnation to the righteous although they fall seuen times a day but if any sinne vppon presumption of God his mercies theyr damnation is iust and are like a thiefe that stealeth because hee seeth one among twentie pardoned by the Prince Secondly there are many that condemne the whole profession because they liue not all in the same perfection and bring not forth the same fruites which by this doctrine we see here condemned For as the grapes of the vine haue some lesse and some more sweetnes yet all are grapes and grow of the vine so the Saints of God haue some more purity and some lesse and yet all are nourished by Christ the vine what if some saith the Apostle haue not beleeued shall the grace of God be made of none effect and what if some haue often fallen into sinne shall the whole Gospel for their sakes bee discredited nay the Lorde hath alway some that liue so purely such as Isaacke Ioseph Bohaz Daniell Zacharie and Elizabeth whom all the world can neuer blemish howsoeuer others haue their publike faultes first that the worke of repentance which is a grace of God might be practised Secondly that God his mercy in sauing great sinners might be magnified Thirdely that the faithfull seeing their dayly falles might more earnestly desire their finall deliuerance Lastly that the wicked by this meanes might haue occasion by their blasphemies to worke their owne damnation Afterward she arose for Boaz said Nowe the night well passed in quiet sleepe and the dawning of the day approching Ruth at the commandement of Boaz ariseth before the day light least any should know she had taried w t him all that night whereby the good old man signifieth vnto vs that it is no newe thing in the worlde that slaunders should bee raised for this was the thing that Boaz feared that if any should haue seene the woman with him they woulde presently conceiue it were for no goodnes For the worlde museth as it vseth and they will soonest espie a mote in the eye of a godly man it euer was is and will be that causles surmises and reproches shall be brought vp vpon the godly for princes nor people can be freede therefrom the which Dauid felt wel inough when he said in a certain place that one blessednesse in God his kingdome shall bee this to be kept from the strife of tongues thereby insinuating that they must needes endure them in this life present We knowe what our sauiour reporteth of the Pharisies how they accused him to bee a friend of publicanes harlots and sinners and Iohn Baptiste to haue a Deuill Therefore this must worke patience in the faithfull that are like affected and afflicted with venemous tongues for wee are not better then those fathers are who many yeares agoe sustayned the same reproches and lefte the burthen behinde them to bee borne by vs for the world is no chaungeling that which then they spoke against them now they spitte agaynst vs and though the authours of these slaunders be many yeares since departed yet their manners and heyres shall abide while the worlde standeth But to come to the wordes wherein the minde of Bohaz is that none should knowe that woman were with him at such a suspected time Why will some say is it such a matter to talke with a woman priuately and alone we may doe it publikely and who can say nay vnto it I graunt wee may and with lesse offence yet Bohaz woulde giue no occasion of offence because we must abstayne from all appearaunce of euill wee must not onely bee carefull wee sinne not but Christians must bee carefull to auoide all suspition of sinne it is not lawfull for Christians commonly to company and keepe with enemyes because it may bee thought that they are secreatly in league with them it is not lawfull for a christian to go into the house of a harlot because it will discredite his name it is not lawfull for a Christian to goe into a Temple of idols vnlesse it be to deface them because it may be thought he goeth to worshippe the like may bee said of all other in the like kinde where men are as guiltie that looke on as they that are the principalles And beloued I would to God that this carefulnesse to auoide and shunne the outwarde appearaunce of iniquitie were well considered then extraordinary charges in diet or apparel wolde bee eschewed lest wee bee accompted daynty and prodigall or proude slackenesse in going to sermons woulde bee amended lest wee be deemed idle and secure Atheistes buying selling playing and gaming on the sabbaoth day would be punished lest it be thought we haue no feare or care to worship the Lorde the dayly and most lamentable swearing of rich and poore old and younge parentes and children maysters and seruantes husbandes and wiues men and women would with terrour of the Lordes iudgementes be restrayned idlenes woulde be reformed drunkennesse in euery degree woulde bee corrected dalliaunce and wantonnes ashamed cosening and deceyuing simple persons bee banished and finally if this fearing the shaddowe of sinne would rest in the heartes of mankinde neyther should the substance thereof ouercome them the pleasures allure them the hope deceiue them the profite compel them the glory prouoke them or the end these of condemne them Let vs therfore beloued neyther frequent or approch to persons y t are suspected or places that are corrupted we can touch no pitch but wee must be polluted nor any vncleane thing but wee are defiled sinne is a contagious disease it wil infecte the walles and the garmentes where it is committed and what agreement is between the children of God
and in that the loue of God in Christ to his Church that though we dye without fruit in barrennes yet the Lord will giue vs a name whereby after a few dayes we shall liue with him for euer But in these words we first of all note when he saith that he must buy it at the hand of Ruth the Moabitesse the wife of the deceased that one cause both of the redemption of lands and marriage of the brother or next heyre to the widdow was for the womans or widdowes sake namely that she should not be left destitute for we reade in the Gospell of Luke that barrennes was a great reproch among women in those dayes now we know that this law was onely for barren widdowes and not for them that were fruitfull and who would marry with such a woman whome in his owne heart he feared would be fruitlesse therefore the Lord to succour these poore desolate widdowes gaue this for a lawe that the brother or neerest kinseman to their husbands deceased should take them to be their wiues where he againe commendeth vnto vs the carefull estate of destitute widdowes if they be oppressed we must ease them if reiected we must receiue them if forsaken we must comfort them if reproched we must acquire them and finally if they will marry they may yea their owne friends or the Church must prouide them husbands And seeing the Lord would thus decree by a lawe the safegard of those that were despised much more would he defend by iudgement the cause of poore fruitfull widdowes the mothers of many children Now although we are not bound to this lawe of mariage yet wee are tyed to doe good to the widdowes for the nature of the lawe being long since abrogated yet the vse thereof remayneth for euer and euer For maintenance by the word of God must be allowed them wherewithall they may liue theyr husbands beeing dead Therefore Boaz telleth hys kinseman that hee must redeeme the inheritance at the handes of Ruth the Moabitesse because by her marriage it is made the widdowes the husband dying without issue like as in this place wee obserue that all the inheritance descendeth to the widdow and therefore she bestowed her selfe vpon the next of the kindred who indeede with vs is the heyre to all Therefore by this we must all learne but especially the married or those that intend it hereafter that it is one especiall duty of a carefull husband to prouide before hand for the maintenance of their wiues that if death neuer so suddaine take them away yet they may not leaue them as many haue done harbourles without house comfortles without friends and wealthles without conuenient maintenance By this we see the cōmendable assurance of ioyntures dowers in lands or money which many parents do wisely take for their daughters to be a thing alowable by the word of God yet many offend in the excesse that they will neuer match where they can haue none though there be neuer so great hope in time to come so that wealth and nothing els is the end of most mariages Then by this we see cōdemned first all those which hauing sufficiēt will hardly leaue to their wiues anything beside that which they cannot keep from them and hence it is that many leaue to their children hundreds and thousands but scant twentyes or fortyes to their helples widowes Other hauing many children leaue the greatest part of their wealth to their widdowes through whose youthfull mariages many times their whole posteritie is brought to pouertie But a third sort there are which mind nothing saue only mariage and to borrow a little for their festiuall day but afterward let the world sinke or swimme children without bread wiues without comfort themselues as bare as the grashopper in winter and their whole families most pitifully tormented they repent though all too late the children wish they had neuer bin borne the parents curse the day of their first acquaintance the family complayne of pouerty the countrey of charges the people of necessity but they poore seely soules the innocent infants are left to the merciles world to liue in beggery Oh that this godly forecast would enter into the minds of many headlong parents that their liues might be more blessed their children more happy their families more contented the countrey better furnished and the poore better succoured that there might bee no complayning in our streetes no leading into captiuity and not one feeble person among vs that our sonnes may bee as the fruitefull garners and our daughters like the polished corners of the temple Oh blessed are the people that bee in such a case yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lorde Then should the name of God bee honoured by our liues and praised in our deathes when our widdowes are prouided for our children maynetayned our families nourished and our soules shalbe blessed Then the kinsman said This seconde question of marriage being propounded the kinseman in these wordes answereth that hee cannot redeeme the inheritance vpon that condition and giueth a reason thereof because then to saue anothers hee shoulde destroy his owne meaning if hee had but one childe by Ruth that shoulde bee for Machlon her deceased husbande and so his owne name shoulde bee forgotten in his inheritaunce Whereby wee see that he opposeth the feare of the losse of his owne name against the seuere commandement of God and doubteth that if hee followe the lawe of God and custome of the faithfull his land may lacke an heyre his house a mayster and himselfe a sonne The like vnto this was that of Onan the seconde sonne of Iudah when he shoulde haue taken the wife of his deceased brother would not performe his duety towarde her but abusing in filthines his owne body because he woulde not benefite his brother was therefore iustly slaine by the Lorde And I feare that a great many are sicke of this disease that loue the world aboue the worde their lande aboue the lawe of God their children more then charitie requireth who thinke they are borne for no bodie but onely for themselues but especially in mariage they had rather haue the lande then the man the portion then the woman like this man which was willing to take the inheritance but vnwilling to marrie the widdow for this cause they oppresse both children and widdowes they preferre their priuate gaine before publike godlines who for their posteritie some are occupyed in briberie some in vsury some in extortion and many in vnlawfull bargaining whose only and chiefe care is for nothing but that they may die rich but better is poore Lazarus at his death then all the rich gluttons in the worlde for wealth maketh not to die well but rather choketh the soule with infatiable care onely religion is the surest badge of a godly man whose riches is pouertie whose pleasure paine and whose rewarde is saluation But this man is well contented to
not the riches for their daughters husbands or sonnes wiues keeping them in continuall burning for lacke of this wealthie licour And I knowe many parents which haue cast off their children for poore mariages but neuer any for the wealthy were they neuer so wicked therefore whosoeuer for this cause denieth right to his childe shall be more faultie for their vngodly disposition then the children for their vnaduised mariage Now in these dayes it is a wonder to see how the mindes of men and women can loue for wealth that euen as a harlot humbleth her selfe for money to him whome otherwise she would not looke vpon so men and women will marry themselues for wealth where if there were pouertye they would thinke them vnworthie to be theyr seruaunts I maruaile if the heathen lawe were now in force that no man shoulde giue any thing to theyr daughters marriage in what time of theyr dayes would these men marry truely I thinke they would neuer marry except it were to make drudges of their wiues But these are not of Boaz his minde for he marrieth a straunger who had but little wealth because the Lord so commaunded to take his kinsmans wife although he might haue refused yet he was contented for this cause to buy her as he sayth in this verse to teach vs that if God bid vs to marry that is if we finde in our owne consciences that we cannot liue otherwise then rather aduenture thy wealth then the displeasure of God But some will say is it not lawfull to desire and to sue for wealthie marriages Yes verily with this affection that thou like thy choise as well if there were little as now there is much And therefore thou must euermore remember these cautions both in the choosing and vsing of a wealthie marriage First that thou desire it to the intent thou mayest bee more able to doe good to thy bretheren that want for it is a more blessed thing to giue then to receyue Secondly that thou mayest the more freely giue thy selfe priuately and publikely to the seruice of God for wee knowe that pouertie taketh our greatest time to labour for wife and family but the wealthie neede lesse labour and may applie the more time to the seruice of God therefore was it that Paule sayd the maryed care for the things of this life to please theyr wiues shewing that it is one misery vpon the poore when they are maryed that they are troubled about worldly and necessarye prouision but if these things be supplyed by a good marriage thou mayest prayse God with the greater diligence But who are they which haue desired or obtayned a wealthie marriage for eyther of these causes if the poore should goe in collection for reliefe of them which for this occasion haue richly ioyned themselues what should they gather or how farre should they goe to how many persons might they come before they get a shilling Truely for this cause they desire them some that they might lauish out the more in riotous expenses with the rich man in the Gospell to seede in pleasure to be clothed in silke to mayntayne dogges houndes haukes horses and retinues of idle men but neuer the Church of God fareth the better for them Agayne by their wealth they haue idlenesse and time to wander abroade heere to feast and to make merry there to playe and disporte themselues in bodilie exercises and worldlie vanities but neuer one houre the more is spent in the seruice of God but much the lesse for the Deuils sweete and pleasant baits drawe away theyr mindes from the consideration of theyr owne miseries Agayne they are many times a thousand folde more clogged with the cares of their wealth then the poorest soule to prouide bread for his family by his bodily labour Lastly theyr desire is to leaue great possessions to theyr posteritie that the honour of theyr houses may be increased and the name of theyr memory might bee euerlastingly recorded so that neyther the glory of God the promoting of the Gospell the relieuing of the faithfull or the succouring of Iesus Christ hymselfe is any part of the thought of these couetous wretches but as they desire the inheritances of the Lord to be their portion in this present life so they haue them for the canker of their soules the rust to consume them the care to torment them the feare to forsake them the loue to enioy them the trauaile to increase them and the reckoning for abusing them to their endlesse confusion Therefore except the Lord doe build the house their labour is but in vaine that build it except the Lord make the marriage the riches of Salomon cannot continue them for better is a little that the righteous hath then the great possessions of the vngodly Lastly he that marrieth for obedience vnto God must haue this care to prouide before hand things honest and lawfull for the present maintenance of wife and family Therefore when Abrahams seruant came to the City of Nachor among others which he told vnto Laban and the mother of Ribkah he shewed them what cattell and flocks seruants and maidens his maister had which all should be Izaaks thereby signifying that all necessary prouision for their maintenance was alreadie procured and there wanted nothing but a wife for Izaak So Iaakob after his foureteene yeares seruice with Laban couenaunteth to haue the profit of the flocks which should be spotted and this was when he knew he was to depart from his father in law and therefore was bound to prouide for himselfe Now this prouision is not so meant as though euery one were bound to get all things before hand which are needefull to marriage but it is required that euery one should procure somewhat according to their degree and the maintenance of their calling This point is clearer then the sunne and it serueth to the reproouing of them which runne headlong to marry one day but fall into wofull beggery the next neither houses to dwell in labour to worke on meate to sustaine them money to procure them friends to relieue them or credit to helpe them onely wiues and husbands they must needes haue not caring what shall become of them afterwarde And truely if the hurt did onely redound to theyr owne hinderance the pity was the lesse but wofull it is to tell how theyr miserable posteritye are thereby euen thorough their parents rashnes brought to euerlasting pouertye and such as is most lamentable for theyr mindes are not instructed they haue no knowledge of the true God neyther can they pray to theyr comfort or hope for any saluation If it were but the labour and pouertye of the bodye it were much to be desired and nothing to be feared but being the endaungering of both body and soule how much is it to be disliked that any for their owne lusts should leaue their wretched posteritye to the power of the deuill Therefore beloued counsell
one thought for the faythfull prayer of the godly that their prosperous lyfe may bee blessed in wedlocke this they ought to be most careful for and yet not to leaue the other vndone but godly prayers are better then great portions and it is better to haue poore Christ at your weddinges then a thousand thousande of these glistering gallantes Truely in these dayes how doe men and women prouide for mirth not for modestie that their day of marriage may bee ioyfull with worldly disportes not godly with Christian exercises they buy hire musitians to passe the time in pleasant dauncing but neuer entreate or speake one word to the godly to bestow their hearty prayers vpon them Let therefore beloued this bee our direction that as we marry for the Lorde not for the world so we studie for prayer and not for pleasure Secondly by this wee gather that the greattest blessing in marriage is the bearing of children the blessing vpon the vyne is to bring many grapes the blessing vpon the earth is to bee fruitful in bringing and springing much corne and pasture the blessing on the sea is the multiplying of the fish and the blessing of marriage is many children Therefore in this place they pray that Ruth might bee like Rahel and Leah which builded all Israell that is they were the mothers of a greate nation they multiplyed in their posterity to a number like the starres of heauen For this cause the first blessing vpon mankinde after the floode was that they shoulde increase and fill the earth for this cause the fathers desired children so much and the ouerloue of many children encreased the multitude of their wyues for this cause the Apostle saith that women through bearing of children shall bee saued if they continue in fayth and loue and holynesse with modesty For all other blessings may be had without marryage wealth and ryches comfort and frends honour and pleasure quietnesse and rest may be founde in the liues of vnmarried persons onely children must come of a grafted stocke which is a holy and sanctified marriage or wedlocke When Abraham wanted a sonne he prayed for one when Rebecca was barren Isaacke prayed for her and she conceaued When Mauoah wanted children he prayed and the Lorde gaue him Sampson when Amah was barren shee prayed and obtayned Samuell and when Zacharie and Elizabeth had no issue by prayer they obtayned Iohn Baptist So they accompted of their marriage without children as a faire and pleasant garden without fruites and as the one doth fructifie by seasonable showers so the other doth multiply by faythfull supplications Therefore here this people of God pray for Bohaz and Ruth that many pleasant twigges may spring out of their fruitful bodies By the which wee see the ready remedy for barrennesse which are godly and zealous prayers powred forth into the eares of the Almighty that he would remoue his hande from punishing and withdrawe the curse of barrennesse from penitent sinners But in our prayers we must alway take heede that wee appoint not the Lord what he shall giue vs eyther sonnes or daughters but rest vpon the will of God to receyue eyther of both And indeed be it that children are the greatest blessing of marriage yet all things considered it is much happier to bee barren for our miserable dayes adn sinfull liues call for a scourge and once more the saying of Christ shall be fulfilled that there shall be woe to them that are with childe and that giue suck in those daies yea vndoubtedly our posteritie count them happy that are vnborne and themselues shall wish with Iob Ieremy they had neuer seene the sunne Oh who are they that haue any desire of many children Looke vpon the worlde it falleth to Atheisme looke vpon the Church it declineth to errour looke vpon the Gospell it is persecuted by the Deuill and viewe euery degree if corruption groweth not vpon them truely truely as Esau saide the dayes of mourning for my father will shortly come so may all the faithfull say the day of mourning for y e Gospel and knowledge wil one day come and the Lorde knoweth how soone Therefore if you woulde leaue your children to be atheistes your issue to bee heretickes your posterity to bee afflicted and all your ofspring to bee corrupted and miserably punished in this life or eternally plagued in the life to come then desire little children be it you can prouide landes to maintaine them teachers to instruct them learning to defend them honour to aduance thē frends to assist them castels of security to keep them from the hurt of the world yet alas alas into how many thousand aduersities may their soules descend I speake not this to discourage any from desiring children but I admonish from the Lorde that you bee wise in your petitions and thinke as well of your infantes misery as your owne suffering nowe you desire ease without paines but they in all manner of afflictions may sende vp cries to the heauens and not bee heard Oh that all degrees both marryed and vnmarried would haue pitty on their posterity before they be borne then shoulde fewer be vagabondes then now are more be prouided for then nowe can bee then should men and women for their childrens sake amend their loose and desperate behauiour not fit for pagans much lesse for christians left the children shoulde be plauged for the fathers fault Assuredly beloued the Lord hath spoken it that if your children proue wicked they shall suffer and beare the sinnes of all their auncestors yea though they be dead many hundred yeares agoe Thirdely by this prayer of these elders and people we note that for the helping of our weaknes in prayer and releeuing of our wantes we may set before vs the goodnes of God vnto others In this place they pray that Ruth may be as fruitful as Rahel and Leah which were the wiues of Iacob who bare him eight sonnes one daughter expressing their hearty prayer for Bohaz and Ruth by the example of these twaine The like we may reade of the Apostles when they prayed after their deliuerance from the rulers and elders they alleadge Dauid for their helpe as he speaketh in the second Psalme For wee many times know not what to aske as wee ought but the spirite which wrought these giftes in the fathers helpeth our infirmities by the examples of the ancient godly that wee shoulde aske the same graces which they enioyed to leade the same lyues which they liued and obtayne the same crowne wherewith they are all rewarded Yet we must alway remember the rule of the Apostle that this is our assuraunce if wee craue any thing according to his will wee receiue it that is wee must not desire the least thing in worldly affaires but vnder this condition If it bee thy will O God because the Lorde is not bounde to giue vs any thing no more then wee are
thankesgiuing to God vers 14. in these words Blessed be God secondly the matter of their thankesgiuing in the words following first for Bohaz his sake in that God had left him to be Naomies kinseman secondly because this childe of Ruthes her louing daughter in law should renew her yeares and cherish her old age of these parts let vs briefely speake in order So Boaz tooke After the solemnitie of this mariage in the presence of the people and their prayer ended which they powred foorth in the behalfe of both these partyes and their posteritie Bohaz proceedeth to the end of this action and taketh Ruth to his house to be his wife as a duety of a kinde and a godly husband For all this while we must imagine that Ruth was absent from the place of this communication and according to the counsayle of her mother sate wayting at home for some prosperous newes and praying no doubt for a ioyfull successe of this desired mariage our of this we gather First the duety of all godly husbands which is to take their wiues and dwell with them as this Boaz doth Ruth for it is no doubt but that he presently went to the house of her mother and thence tooke her bringing her to his owne house that there they might liue and loue together This phrase of scripture wee may finde vsed in many places as in the history of Izaak how he tooke Ribkah his wife and brought her into the tent of Sarai his mother and was comforted after his mothers death where the holy Ghost doth not onely declare the kindnesse of Izaak but also the commoditie of dwelling with a wife for the presence of Ribkah caused her husband to forget the death of his mother as if he had sayd the presence of a wife is greater then the comfort of a mother For this cause Peter exhorteth that husbands should dwell with their wiues like men of vnderstanding giuing honour to their wiues as to weaker vessels because they are the heyres of the same grace and that their prayers be not hindered as if he had sayd they must dwell together and they must pray together for as Christ is alway present with his Church so husbands must keepe the companies of their wiues This point being euident both by reason and religion it condemneth the wandring abroade of many idle husbands some which are neuer satisfied with riches by markets and merchandise trauailing in the world depriue their wiues of their due beneuolence others for their pleasure walke from Countrey to Countrey spending their dayes in pleasant disport among carnall and suspitious companions leaue wife and family to the sea of this world like children in a Ship without guide or mariner many are present but to the discommoditie and discomfort of their poore wiues and children oh how doe any of these persons take their wiues with godly mindes eyther to dwell or pray together How can the vine prosper when the roote is vncouered and how can women be comforted when their couer is taken from them I meane their husbands as Abimelech the king of Gerar tolde vnto Sara Is not the body dead without a head yea if it be but a minute of an houre do not then our wandering youths murder the bodie of their owne family being absent about vnnecessary busines sometime for the space of many moneths Is not the body maymed if it want but the least member yea but a finger how is then those households wounded where the chiefest parts either husbands or wiues be wanting and wandering abroade and finally what is this but to diuorce themselues for a season without any lawfull cause to put asunder them whome the Lord hath ioyned together to breake the felowship of holy wedlocke to despise the societie of godly marriage to lay open themselues to the temptations of the deuils and to thrust both bodyes and soules into daunger of damnation This I speake not as if all absence frō eyther party which consent for a time about necessary busines were vtterly vnlawfull for so Iacob Moses Aaron Dauid and the Apostles should be faulty but I speake against this wilfull departing of one from the other without either consent of man or wife conscience of the law of God or regard to their owne persons for the company of these twayne is greater then parents or children for which the Apostle sayth that if one be a beleeuing person and the other an infidell yet they must not depart if they be willing to dwell with them and he giueth no libertie for breaking theyr companie except it be to pray the more feruently and wisheth also that if they doe so yet it must be but for a season that sathan tempt them not so great regard must be had of the fellowship in marriage that the zeale of prayer the worship of God the loue of our owne parents the increase of wealth and the pleasure of the world must not separate without the voyce of both partyes and yet the time must be but short for the auoyding the temptation of Sathan and the daunger of their owne damnation Secondly by this we may gather who is the author and sender of children which is the Lord for this scripture sayth that the Lord gaue her to conceiue for as Paule sayth of the corne that is cast into the earth that it increaseth neither by the planter nor yet the waterer but by the Lord so must we say by the seede of mankinde that it lyeth neyther in the husband nor in the wife but in the blessing of God for which cause when Rahell sayd to her husband Iacob giue me children or else I dye he answered her in anger am I in Gods steede that kept thee frō the fruite of thy womb as if he had said it is God that sendeth issue and not man therefore Dauid saith that children are the possession of the Lord and the fruite of the womb is his reward By the which we are taught many excellēt and worthy lessons first that seing they come from the author of euery good gift we haue a ready way where to aske them when we want them for as when we want wisedome the Apostle saith we must aske wisedome at the hand of God so whē we want children we must aske children at the hand of God When Ribkah was barren by her husbands prayer she was made fruitfull so barren women by their husbands prayers haue bene made the mothers of many children Annah obtained by her prayer at the temple not only Samuell but also three other sonnes and two daughters Oh let vs not be vexed then for many children but let euery one aske confidently by the will of God and they shall receiue if it so please him plentifully to their owne desire Secondly seeing children come of the Lord we are taught to vse them as the blessings of God and as the child by nature should first know
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
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
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
dead Let not the lots of your inheritance deceiue you though their soile bee as fruitfull as this of Iudah and your possessions neuer so great he that in one night destroyed all the fruites of Egypt can also in one houre blast your corne with deawes consume your possession with drought for a fruitful land maketh he barren for the wickednes of them that dwell therein Secondly we note out of these wordes when he tooke his wife and children with him an example of a religious father and a louing husband he might if hee had consulted with flesh and bloud done like our husbands in these dayes which had rather in their wandering shifte about for themselues and leaue wife and children in a sea of troubles to sinke or swimme to some doubtfull releefe But the godly in old time knew that their wiues and children were as themselues and as they were carefull to cherish their owne bodyes so they were mindfull to nourish their owne families This the Lorde at the first mariage that euer was comaunded that for a mans wife he should forsake father and mother and they two shall be one flesh as if hee had sayd parents must not hinder fellowship of wedlocke much lesse pouertye or temporall wants as the barke is ioyned to the tree the fleshe to the bone if one be without the other they both perish so must husband and wife liue and loue togither vnlesse they will be the slaughter slaues of their owne destruction We read of this practise in the scripture when Abraham by reason of a famine went downe into Egypt hee tooke Sara his wife with him when I shak by reason of a famine wēt to Abimelech the king of Gerar he took Rebecea his wife with him How do we read of Iacob how twise he sent into Egipt for al his family the third time hee went down with all his household his sonne Ioseph fed him fiue yeares of famine yea the Apostle sayth that he is worse then an infidel that prouideth not for his own family and Christ going from his disciples asked them if they had wanted any thing and they answered nothing Against this pointe of doctrine there are manye that offend some that are married by their couetous parents who respect nothing but wealth are so matched as if a vine were planted in the flowing of the sea which prospereth best whē the water is lowest euen so these are in sweetest fellowship when one is a thousand miles frō the other Others there are which in theyr marryages please nothing but their eies which as old persons cannot see without spectacles so they cannot find wiues without the spectacle of bewty and these loue as long as bewty eudureth which is till they be sicke for sicknes is the cutthrote of beauty Some take wiues and husbands as fooles find pearles for as they cannot discerne them pebles so these are ignorant of all kind of dutie towards one another From hence proceedeth all the adulteries which are dayly committed here ariseth the fountaine of strife contention debate ielousie also the vnhappy blows which many giue to their wiues hence it cōmeth that so many gentlemen and others are seldome at home but eyther beyond the sea in warres or in trauaile which in their vnmaried estate wanted nothing but vviues but novv being maried vvant all things but vviues Hence it commeth that they termed them by the odious titles of crosses plagues troubles and also as I haue heard some say the causes of their vndoing vvheras they may as vvell accuse the eye of his blindnes as their vviues of their own wilfull miserie and to conclude there is not one breach of loue or kindnes betweene them but it springeth from these corruptions which then were sowed when they intended their mariage But oh beloued let not the godly be drawen away with the crooked conuersation of these contentious persons but let thē be armed vvith the forenamed examples of godly vnitie that as their troubled daies were eased in the ioy of their ovvne loue so let our miseries be releeued which you suffer in wedlock with your comfortable agreement in christian societie for so saith Salomon Let thy fountain be blessed and reioyce with the wise of thy youth and thus much of this second doctrine Thirdly by this we may note that the godly are oppressed vvhen the vvicked haue abundance heere vve see the Israelites vvhich vvere the Church of God had a famine but the Moabits to vvhom this man descended being a cursed generation incestuous gentiles had plentie abundance for els Elimelech vvould not haue gone thither to be relieued This may seeme a strāge thing that the godly shuld be oppressed with famine when worldlings heathens shall wallow in their wealth Of these Dauid speaketh I haue seene the wicked strong spreading himselfe like a bay tree And in another place They are inclosed in their owne fat And againe he saith They haue their portion in this life whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasure their children haue inough leaue the rest of their substance to their children And in another place there are on bands in their death but they are lusty strōg they are not in trouble like other men and a litle after these are the wicked yet prosper they always increase in riches The very like you may heare in Iob in the prophet Ieremy But of the rightous he saith often crieth out of their afflictions their sorrowes nakednes their hūger misery all the day long are they appointed as sheepe to the slaughter yea our sauiour Christ pronounceth himself in his members poore hungry naked harborles thristy and imprisoned the foxes haue holes and the birds of the aire haue nests but the sonne of man hath not where to rest his head And the authour of the epistle to the Hebrues sayth of the godly Some are stoned some cut asunder some slaine with the sworde some wandering abroad in goats skinnes and sheepe skinnes destitute oppressed euill entreated of whom the world was not worthy wandering in deserts in the mountaines in dennes and caues of the earth Iudge now I beseech you betweene the outward estate of the godly and the wicked are they not contrarie That which of the world is condemned is of the Lorde commended yet I beseech you my brethren be not terrified from godlynes but rather strengthened in your profession Then will you say tel vs the cause of all this inequality Our sauiour answereth it very wel You are not sayth he of the world if you were of the world the world would loue his owne and Dauid saith that their portion is onely in this life but Christ sayth our reward shall bee great in heauen and againe you shall weepe and lament but the worlde shall reioyse but your sorrowe shalbe turned to ioy like a woman that reioyseth