a quiet contented marriage to their comfort Note hence I. That godly and wise friends pray not onely in generall but in particular as they know them to stand in neede for whom they doe pray as here Naomi for good husbands for her daughters in law for wee should take notice of our friends wants and so pray for them and not rest in generals II. Godly mothers in law are hearty well-wishers to their children in law whether they bee such by a former husband departed or by another husband liuing or by the marriage of their children as Naomi is here mother to these for the loue they beare to their husbands and because godly women know themselues to bee Stepmothers stept in to be in stead of naturall mothers and therefore doe make conscience to supply their want which if it be so or ought to be so it reproueth those Stepdames which are vnkind and cruell to their children in law and cannot endure the sight of them III. That second Marriages be lawfull 1. Tim. 5. 11 14. The reason is giuen by the Apostle 1. Cor. 7. 9 36. Which confuteth such heretikes as in former times haue denied this contrary to the Apostles Doctrine and the example of Abraham in marrying Keturah IV. That husbands are to bee their wiues rest Chap. 3. 1. and they are so called because of the desire of women to marry and because they seeke rest in their marriage and for that louing wiues take rest and contentment in their owne husbands who ought therefore to be rest vnto them which shall bee if they doe loue them as they ought Ephe. 5. 22. if they wisely gouerne them 1. Pet. 3. 7. if they prouide and allow them what is meete according to their abilitie in all decencie and honest contentment if they keepe their faith plight and reioyce in them and with them they cannot but find rest But vnlouing and fierce natures Lamech-like husbands a word and a blow or terrible threats miserable and niggardly Nabals so prodigall and vnthrifty drunken or adulterous husbands are so farre from being poore womens rest as they make them weary of their liues But now if husbands must bee their wiues rest and that they looke for it then wiues must care to make their husbands so to them by willing obedience by meekenesse of spirit very acceptable to God 1. Pet. 3. 4. by seeking to please them by speaking to them in a louing reuerence and to keepe silence when words may offend or not doe good as wise Abigail did by a wise frugall course and good huswisery as the woman in the Prouerbs Chap. 31. Speake not foolishly as Iobs wife to thy husband in his griefe nor mock him not like a barren Michol nor abuse him not as Potiphars wife would haue done her husband nor be impatient for not hauing thine own will as Rachel was but rest in his will and thou shalt find him thy rest Here is also an vse for parents to match so their daughters as they may get husbands as rests for them and this will be when they marry their daughters betime to men of wisedome fit for yeeres not vnfit for birth and estate well agreeing in qualities and good conditions and in religion V. That it is Gods blessing to bee peaceably marryed Pro. 18. 22. and 19. 14. He is the Marriage-maker whosoeuer are the meanes and he is the disposer and framer of their hearts one to another therefore let God herein be sought vnto and let him receiue praises and thankes for such a blessing the greatest corporall comfort in this world Then shee kissed them This action we may find foure-fold Carnall as in fleshly lust Hypocriticall as was Ioahs and Iudas kisse Holy of which the Apostle speakes 1. Cor. 16. 20. or Ciuill as here This was vsed at the meeting of friends Gen. 29. 11. and 33. 4. at their departing Gen. 31. 55. 2. Sam. 19. 39. Act. 20. 37. This was vsed betweene men and men Gen. 45. 15. Exod. 4. 27. 2. Sam. 19. 39. betweene women and women as here in this place and betweene some men and some sort of women as betweene husband and wife in meeting and departing parents and children and nigh kinsfolke Gen. 29. 11. but not strangers nor others not of kindred to auoid the suspicion of wantonnesse It was honestly vsed to testifie loue and vnitie as Isaac did to Iacob Gen. 27. 26. therefore in the Primitiue Church before they receiued the Sacrament they thus saluted Iust Apol. 2. Bezâ—â—â— 2. Cor. 13. one another And they lift vp their voice and wept Here was an answerable affection to the kindnesse of her action her signe of loue was not without loue againe to her for it was not a few silent teares from the eyes but a passion of the heart breaking forth into wailing and weeping so as their voice of mourning was heard An argument of loue and true affection towards her This is rare loue betweene mothers in law and daughters in law in these daies But concerning weeping it is vsed in Scripture I. To expresse sorrow as at the parting of friends Ioseph at his fathers departing Abraham at Sarahs Ioash at Elishas 2. King 13. 14. and when friends must leaue one another though death separate them not as when Ionathan and Dauid parted 1. Sam. 20. 41. And who can but weepe if true loue be there when friends must bid adieu one to another and especially for euer as we may see in Acts 20. 37 II. For very ioy as Iosephs sight of his brethren Gen. 45. 14. and so Iacob at Iosephs comming to him Gen. 46. 29. so did Iacob in meeting with Rachel Gen. 29. 11. Such true louing natures haue beene in the godly in former times but now men are louers of themselues without naturall affection 1. Tim. 3. III. In pitty and compassion from a mercifull heart to behold the miseries of others as Iob did for the poore Chap. 30. 25. Esay for the people Chap. 22. 4. so Ieremy Chap. 4. 19. and 9. 1. and 13. 17. Christ Iesus for the Iewes Luke 19. 41. This is a charitable a holy weeping when men can weepe for the miseries of other corporall but chiefely spirituall as Dauid did because men kept not Gods Law Psal 119. IV. Sometime some will weepe in the apprehension of the kindnesse shewed to them where none but vtmost extremity is deserued 1. Sam. 24. 16. Now if Dauids forbearing of Saul wroght in Saul this passion how should we be moued to consider of Christs loue to vs and our cruelty against him Verse 10. And they said vnto her Surely wee will returne with thee vnto thy people BEfore was noted their affection here is set downe their resolution which was to accompany her and also how farre And they said vnto her All this while they heard her they accompanyed her but no mention of any speech hitherto made vnto her but now necessity compelleth them to breake silence Which though it be
cases let vs shew loue by vsing good and louing termes by protesting our true affection if so neede require by giuing good reasons thereof that may fully shew it and by being ready to doe them good offering them to doe it if there shall be occasion of it Note more that it was a custome among the Iewes for parents and children to speake most commonly one to another in the neerest and dearest termes of loue by the name of father mother sonne daughter and not by calling them onely by their names as parents doe children now See this in Gen. 22. 7. and 27. 1. and 48. 19. and in many other places which argued meekenesse of spirit intyre affection and a louing naturall kindnesse worthy imitation Why will you goe with mee This question is propounded to draw them to a consideration of some reasons within themselues why they should resolue to goe with her as if shee had said I loue you as a mother her daughters therefore I aduise you to consider seriously of your resolution aforehand and weigh with your selues what may so lead you for I can see no reason in wordly respects for such onely shee vrged both heere and in the verses following why you should go with mee And by this as she taught them so vve may learne that it is a point of wisedome to aske our selues Why we will doe this or that thing before wee vndertake it or resolue vpon it And hereunto our Sauiour aduised Luke 14. 28. for that is well begun which is laid vpon good grounds and sound reasons it is a wise proceeding it will preuent the after Had I wâ—st and future repentance Let vs therefore learne this wisedome and not bee foolishly rash in our attempts Are there yet any sonnes in my wombe that they may be your husbands Naomi now beginneth to bring in her reasons why shee would haue them to returne all drawne from the world in which respect shee giueth them no comfort to follow her and it is as if she had said If you vvill goe with mee for any vvorldly respect alas I cannot pleasure you I am old I haue no sonnes to marry you againe vnto and as for an outward estate you see me very poore In thus speaking plainely and disswading onely by worldly reasons to try them vve may learne I. That the true honest-hearted and such as feare God in the kind offers of their friends deale truly with them and will not lead them into vaine hopes Thus Naomi dealeth thus did our Sauiour Mat. 8. 20. for they would not deceiue them Wee must labour for this plaine dealing and not onely looke to our selues and what present benefit wee may get to our selues as most doe in these deceitfull times which is contrary to our Christianity 1. Thes 4. 6. to true loue 1. Cor. 13. and to the comfort of our ovvne consciences Men now a daies gladly make gaine of all proffers of loue vvithout any respect to their friends because men are false-hearted and like such as Dauid vvas troubled vvith Psal 41. 6. II. That worldly respects are not the motiues which should induce any to ioyne themselues with Gods people for they want these things often Of this our Sauiour telleth the Lawyer Luke 9. 57. The Godly heere haue their least share in the things of this life because they haue a better portion prouided for them in the life to come Wee are not then to become professours of Religion with others for these worldly things Naomi telleth thee this is not a good reason Christ telleth thee hee is poore and such as follow him must take vp their crosse must suffer affliction saith Paul 2. Tim. 3. 12. for to the godly it is giuen to suffer for him Phil. 2. 29. Beware of a Iudas minde to come for the bagge or a Demas like disposition to come before thou hast shaken off the loue of the world for if thou doest not thou wilt sell Christ for the world and bid the Gospell adieu for goods Quest Why is it said that shee had no sonnes moe for them to marry why should shee thus speake to them We must know that it was a Law among the Iewes that a brother should raise vp seede to a brother who left a wife and dyed childlesse Deut. 25. 5. Gen. 38. 8 11. To which Law and practice her speech alludeth And by this wee may thinke it very likely that these women were taught in the Law of God and made acquainted with the practice of Gods people This is very probable because Naomi was so godly a Matrone and it appeareth by Ruths vertues which being so it commendeth the care of Naomi and her sonnes for the soules of these young women borne of Idolaters out of the Church to teach them the Law of the true God A good example for parents to follow and for husbands for fathers and mothers See Pro. 4. 3 4. Deut. 6. 7. Ephe. 6. 4. Deut. 11. 19. Pro. 31. 1. 2. Tim. 1. 5. and 3. 15. and for husbands read 1. Cor. 14. 35. But alas many are so ignorant as they cannot teach them and many so carelesse as they neglect them many so wretched as they will not and some so prophane as they mocke at it and hold it no duety for them but for the Priest as in scorne they call the Minister of Christ to performe Verse 12. Turne againe my daughters goe your way for I am too old to haue an husband if I should say I haue hope if I should haue an husband also to night and should also beare sonnes NAomies third motion to haue them to returne vsing still the same exhortation with the like kind tearmes of loue and adding another reason to moue them to returne Turne againe my daughters goe your way Naomi ceaseth not to vrge them still to try them to the vtmost not in want of zeale to gaine them to God but in a godly iealousie fearing their constancie if they should goe on with her of this before at large and therefore here I omit the instructions For I am too old to haue an husband This reason is a preuenting of an obiection to her former reason for they might say Though mother you be not with child now yet you may marry and haue children to this Naomi answereth that shee is too old to haue an husband From this we learne that there is a time when women are too old to marry by the opinion of godly Naomi Now if any aske when that is I answer as I suppose when a woman is aboue sixtie yeeres of age and therefore Saint Paul alloweth such a one for a widow but not vnder giuing leaue to others to marry for vnder sixtie women haue had children but none aboue but Sarahs extraordinary blessing And it is fit for women after sixtie to follow the praise of blessed Annah Luk. 1. 37. We read not in the Scripture of the marriage of such and if they be poore among vs and doe
her selfe and praised Gen. 29. 32 35. God for children Some would haue some one or two as it were to play withall or to inherite that they haue but many they cannot away with but these are most to be condemned who vse meanes and medicines to preuent children or sin in the sinne of Onan whom the Lord slew for it is Gen. 38. 9. murther before the Lord. Lastly from the prayer made to the Lord for loue betweene them and the encrease of children wee may obserue two other things First that loue betweene man and wife commeth of God and is his gift for as the Psamist saith it is God that maketh them that are in one house to be of one mind and therefore we ought to pray to him for it and where it is to praise him heartily for the same Then that Children are the gift of God as may appeare by many Scriptures and by the prayers made to Psal 107. 38. 127. and 128. Gen. 20. 18. 29. 31. 4. 1. 29. 3◠God for them And therefore must we acknowledge them from God as Eue did and Leah if wee want them pray to him for them as Hannah and others did and then care to bring them vp well and dedicate them to Gods seruice in some lawfull calling in thankefulnesse for his so great a mercy Which two did build the house of Israel That is God made them fruitfull to bring forth to Iacob a familie of whom came the Israelites the peculiar people of God They two are onely mentioned their maids are left out but vnderstood in them for that they were the wiues gift vnto Iacob to beare children for them when they bare not They are said to build the house when they brought forth children which Metaphore is vsed because in Hebrew the name of a sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commeth from a word which signifieth to build so as the bringing forth of children is as the building vp of an house by which a familie is named for the cohabitation of man and wife together so wee call our kindred and stocke our house Note here howsoeuer men haue the name of the house and by them commeth the posteritie to be honourable yet are women the builders vp of the house and are the especiall instruments of the encrease of posterity for when men had no children it is said The women were barraine and their wombs shut vp and when men had any it is said The Lord gaue the women to conceiue In them therefore is either the encrease or decay of posterity yet both from God as hee either pleaseth to blesse or to deny the blessing By Israel is meant Iacob touching which name of Israel note these three things the change of the name Gen. 32. 28. 35. 10. by God himselfe to comfort Iacob in great feare for his brothers comming against him and to shew his more excellent estate then before for the change of a name was to expresse a more happy condition as may appeare in a new name Esai 62. 2. Gen. 17. 5 15. promised to the Church and giuen also to Abraham and here before Iacobs name was called Israel it is said The Lord blessed him and gaue him Gen. 32. 26 27 28. the name so as with the change of the name was the change of his estate foretold The signification of this name which is the next thing is preuailing with God whence wee in Christ are Gen. 32. 28. Gal. 6. called The Israel of God for that we preuaile with him through Christ The third thing is the euent according to the name for hee preuailed against Esau by Gods mercy for though hee Gen. 33. 4. 36. 6. came against him with foure hundred men yet was his heart so mollified at the sight of his brother as hee with teares embraced him for ioy of their meeting and afterwards when Iacob was in Canaan Esau gaue way vnto him and went into Edom and left him the Land Thus God made good his Promise to Iacob and made him Israel a true Preuailer for God giueth no signes to his children but he maketh the same good in the effects and the euent answerable thereunto So much for the words but in this that these Elders and people doe pray for a blessing of children from the consideration of Gods former mercies to others and also doe take their example from such as did build vp Israel Gods Church and not Babel Bethel and not Bethauen we may learne First that Gods blessings to others before vs are a motiue to vs that come after to beg the like blessings in the like case from God reseruing to himselfe his good pleasure and will which in asking the common blessings of the world is euer the condition either to bee expressed or vnderstood for Gods mercies shewed to others are not onely for their present good which receiue them but to shew how ready the Lord is to shew the like mercie to others if they themselues by their sinnes hinder not the same Therefore let vs consider of Gods mercies to others to bee thereby encouraged to aske the like of God for our selues in the like case with submission to Gods good will and pleasure Secondly that such children are to be desired as may bee to build vp Israel that is Gods Church such these pray for heere This is the most happy blessing of the wombe thus shall the wife bee as the pleasant Vine and the children like Oliue branches which a man may behold with comfort for by them God is glorified in his mercy the Church encreased parents comforted and children made happy sonnes being as Plants growing vp and Psal 144. 12. the daughters as corner stones polished these be the arrowes which make the man blessed that hath his quiuer full of them But alas how few Psal 127. 5. desire such children Most desire them for their name for to possesse their inheritance after them but not for the enlargement of Gods Church for if so we would not marry for meere pleasure as many doe or for the world as not a few doe but in the Lord with such as feare God and so for Religion sake and haue a care to bring vp our children in the knowledge of God and not in the corrupt manners of the world and fashions of the times as most doe vnto vanity or but vnto meere ciuility as many doe which are well accounted of yet neuer bent their thoughts to true pietie in the education of their children And doe thou worthily in Ephrata This Ephata Gen. 35. 19. 4◠7. is said to bee Bethlehem yet some distinguish them thus as Ephratah to bee the countrey and Bethlehem the City the one signifying encrease the other the house of bread which being so it noteth that where the countrey is fruitfall and Ephrata increasing there the townes and cities are Bethlehem store-houses and houses of bread So was it in Egypt
adultery with Dauid to shew hereby that be our blessed Sauiour came into the world to saue sinners which 1. Tim. 1. 15. is for the comfort of the penitent And here also such as be godly may learne not to be discouraged not to be daunted neither to account worse of themselues because they haue had of their kinred fouly tainted with vices We see here the innocent Lambe of God to haue been of such and yet he the Holy one of Israel Let such then put themselues to silence who seeke to disgrace the vvell deseruing by the staine of Ancestors or some of their kinred By thus doing men should offer wrong to Iesus Christ which euery Saint of God is very farre from and who is hee that should not bee disgraced if this might serue to disgrace a man Note farther how these words come in by a parenthesis whether vttered by the Elders and people or else put in by the Pen-man of the holy Ghost it is not materiall but heere we see how God would haue a remembrance of the birth of Pharez with his honour and outward blessings from God for that it is good in our great glory and outward prosperity to be put in mind whence wee be Thus God put Dauid in remembrance 2. Sam. 7. 8. and Ierobâ—â—â— for so such persons shall haue cause to praise God for his mercies and bee kept humble and not forget themselues as men commonly doe in their peace and prosperity Let such then as bee raised vp from a low estate remember whence they are and bee willing to heare thereof from others for Gods mercie shall be the more knowne admired and glorified whose praise wee must seeke with the very vtter contempt of our selues if so the case shall require How great a signe of pride is it then and of a will to obscure Gods mercies when men will chafe in themselues against such as shall mention their meane or base birth But if men may not forget whence they be in their worldly aduancement then may wee not forget our naturall birth in our spirituall exaltation when wee bee made the children of God Kings and Priests to him of children of wrath and bond-slaues to Satan If the remembrance of the other put vs in minde of Gods mercy much more this for betweene them is no comparison Lastly note that it is said that Tamar bare Pharez vnto Iudah Mothers bring forth children to the fathers of the children so is it said that Leah bare sonnes to Iacob Gen. 29. 34. for the father is to beare the name and take the child into his care and tuition whether borne in wedlocke or otherwise Let fathers therefore take care of such as they beget for to them hath the mothers brought them out Of the seed which the Lord shall giue thee of this young woman Hence may bee obserued that an old man may marry a young woman as heere Boaz did Ruth and Ioseph did the Virgin Mary but not for wantonnesse but for issue and posterity as Boaz doth allow therefore of such marriages in such a case but beware of an old man lecherous who is one that God hateth so an old woman wantonly affected to marry with a young man Secondly that Children are Gods gift of Gen. 4â— â— which at large before Which must mooue vs to thank God for them and to traine them vp to his seruice and to acknowledge them his gracious gift as Iacob did Thirdly that true prayer is not Gen. 33. 5. without faith for it proceedeth from it as the Apostle teacheth and heere the words plainely Rom. 10. 14. imply that these Elders and people were perswaded that God would giue to Boaz children of Ruth for they said Which the Lord shall giue thee As taking it for granted that he would giue him children which they were perswaded vnto from the young yeeres of Ruth then from the obedience of Boaz who married Ruth onely to raise vp children to the dead that his name might not perish according to the Law of God which hee Deut. 25. herein chiefely respected and thirdly because this was the Line and Stocke out of which the Messias should come according to Iacobs prophesie and therefore they knew that of these should come issue to fulfill the prophesie In praying let vs also with these beleeue so are wee Iam. 1. 6. commanded and if we doe beleeue we shall obtaine what wee aske if the Lord thinke it needfull Mat. 21. 22. for vs for the prayer of faith auaileth much Iam. 5. 15 16 17. if it be feruent Fourthly and lastly hence obserue that Prayer is a meanes to make an honourable house and to continue it in the following posterity Therefore Dauid vsed prayer in this case as these 2. Sam. 7. 25. doe here for Boaz house in his posterity and so did Abraham pray for Ishmael to continue in the Gen. 17. 20. Lords sight who promised him mercy and an honourable issue to many generations from him Let vs vse this meanes to vphold and continue our house I haue spoken of many good meanes before let this bee added to them But men in Out of verse â— their worldly wisedome seeke by other meanes without prayer to continue their posterity in honour as by these First by great purchases for their children But doth not Salomon tell th 〈…〉 Prou. 27. 24. that riches are not for euer And we find it true by experience Secondly by building stately houses and calling them by their owne names thinking that their houses shall continue for euer and their dwelling places to all generations But doth not the Psalmist tell them that this their Psal 49. 13. way is their folly Is not the Tower of Babel throwne downe And became not that their Gen. 11. 4 8. confusion by which they sought a name and to continue together Thirdly by intailing of lands vpon the heires male from one to another for many generations But could there be a surer intaile than the Kingdome of Israel to Dauid which yet was almost quite cut off by Salomons idolatrie so as Rehoboam lost ten Tribes in his dayes Intaile it as sure as they can yet the iniquity of the children will make it to bee cut off God liketh not that men should by their deuices tye his blessings to whom they list for vaine-glory sake and to keepe vp a name And doe not we see Lawyers which teach parents to intaile how they can teach their children to vntaile it againe Fourthly by matching with great houses and by this they thinke their house shall stand But did not Ahab by marrying with Iezabel the King of Zidons daughter root out his whole posterity And did not Iehosaphat by marrying his sonne to Ahabs daughter doe almost the like Fiftly and lastly by procuring great places of honour in the Common-wealth oh then they thinke they are surely founded But doth not Salomon tell Prou. 27. 24. them
shall be vnto thee a restorer of thy life Naomi had many crosses she had lost her Husband and Children yea and her outward state in the world which made her as it were dead with sorrow which these Women and godly Neighbours well considered of and here therefore doe enlarge their speech for Naomies greater comfort to teach vs That true friends affected with others miseries cannot but meditate many arguments of comfort in the daies of their felicity For the ioy of their hearts is vnfained for their friends prosperity as truely as before they were mooued with their calamitie Thus let vs learne to trie the sympathy of mens hearts towards other in prosperitie and aduersitie Arestorer of thy life So they speake as if by her former misery she had as it were been liuelesse Whence note That heauy crosses as pouertie old age Widdowhood and losse of Children doe bedead the spirit euen of godly persons So these words imply and experience teacheth For no affliction is ioyous for the present but grieuous Heb. 12. 12. How much more when many come together Therefore let vs haue compassion of the afflicted and labour to raise vp their spirits especially of poore afflicted Widdowes for it is a part of pure and vndefiled religion before God Iam. 1. 27. This condemneth such of cruelty as will vexe the afflicted or bee miserable comforters as Iobs friends were to him Secondly wee may learne That godly Children are as restorers of life to their Parents Prou. 10. 1. they make them glad Let Children labour to be such that they may cheere vp their Parents hearts and not bee as too many be causers of hearts griefe to them making them to goe downe with mourning to the graue for such are foolish Children Prou. 15. 20. and 10. 1. and 17. 25. And a nourisher of thine old age Note first that old age needs nourishing for it maketh man feeble and to want heate 1. King 1. 1. Eccles 12. 3. Also to be subiect to diseases as to bee blind as was Isaac Gen. 27. and Iacob Gen. 48. 10. to be lame as Asa 1. King 15. Therefore in the youth of Summer prouide somewhat for the Winter of old age and when thou hast prouision for age thanke God therefore Secondly that children are to be nourishers of their parents in their old age as Ioseph was to Iacob Gen. 45. 11. and Ruth but a See before Chap. 2. 18. daughter in law here to Naomi Chap. 3. 18. and such a one the women hoped Obed would be Let children learne this duety for first nature teacheth it in the Storke and branches of trees receiuing the sap from the roote doe returne it againe to it towards Winter Secondly Reason teacheth to bee thankefull and to doe good to them that haue done vs good From parents children haue being bringing vp and their preseruation whose loue care paines and cost children can neuer recompence Thirdly it is one end why they bee borne for if a friend bee borne to helpe his friend in aduersitie Prou. 17. 17. then much more children to helpe their parents who are bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh Fourthly parents are childrens glory Prou. 17. 6. Therfore should they make much of them Fifthly hereto adde the Commandement Exod. 20. to honour our parents Now how are they honoured when in want they are not relieued Sixtly such as succour their parents may expect a blessing from their children Those children therefore which are without naturall affection sinne against God against Nature Reason and Religion But children will perhaps say Our parents are froward and hard to please and therefore they make vs wearie and vnwilling to keepe and nourish them Answ First consider how froward you were in childhood and yet poore parents carefully kept you and cast you not off Secondly when old age commeth you may bee such Do then as you would be done vnto learne to beare with your parents to teach your children how to beare with you Thirdly note how children can beare with rich parents well enough while they hope for profit and feare to lose what they looke for If hope of gaine can make children put on such patience then let true loue doe it much more For thy daughter in law which loueth thee which is better then seuen sonnes hath borne him This is a reason of the womens hope of this childs kindnesse towards Naomi From these words we may learne these things First That there is good hope of childrens loue which come of louing parents that they will loue such as their parents haue loued Thus the women conclude and this was a lesson which Dauid taught his sonne Salomon 1. Kin. 2. 7. And Christ louing those whom his Father loueth teacheth so much Let therefore children be thus affected especially if their parents haue set their loue aright vpon such as were worthy of loue Secondly That there may be great loue betweene a mother in law and a daughter in law Ruths loue towards Naomi was very great shee left her countrey and kindred for her Chap. 1. 16 17. laboured painefully for her Chap. 2. 18 23. and Naomi was not wanting to seeke the good of Ruth Cha. 3. Let these two bee examples to such and to make them louing striue to bee religious and to feare God as these did for Religion will worke what corrupt nature cannot effect Let them performe mutuall dueties And let stepmothers know that they step in to be in stead of naturall mothers and so let children take them so will they loue one another Thirdly that true loue cannot be hid for it so will expresse it selfe as other shall take notice of it These women knew Ruths loue so did Saul Ionathans to Dauid the people Christs loue to Lazarus Iohn 11. 36. for true loue will breake out as fire Try true loue by the manifestation thereof Ioseph may hide his a Gen. 45. 1. 2. Sam. 13. 39. and 14. 1. while from his brethren and Dauid from Absalom but it will breake out at length They therefore but boast vainely of loue which neuer expresse it Fourthly that true loue in aduersitie is not lost in prosperity Ruth is said still to loue Naomi though thus exalted so did Hushai Dauid so did Iobs friends Chap. 2. howsoeuer they erred in iudgement Let not loue be altered with our estates nor honours change good conditions as it doth in too many Fifthly that the loue of a stranger may sometime exceed the loue of many children by nature The women preferre Ruths loue aboue seuen sonnes that is aboue many sonnes Such God by fauour can supply what is wanting in them by nature and make a strangers loue surpasse Let this be comfort to the distressed Verse 16. And Naomi tooke the child and laid it in her bosome and became nurse vnto it THis verse sheweth the education of the child by whom and how And Naomi tooke the child This the old woman did voluntarily out of
brests more of her substance than they which doe not Children loue their Nurses we see by experience and better then their mothers that bare them so long as they be without iudgemēt to discerne onely follow nature for the nourishmēt of life It is not so naturall say also these Heathen to be nursed of another as of the mother in whom it is conceiued for differing bodies haue differing temperature and therefore the taking away of the Infant so soone from the accustomed nourishment in the mother must needs breed an alteration A learned man thinkes this to be the cause Kick. in his Oecono of the degenerating so much of Great mens sonnes and of their so little loue to their mothers It is a token of no great loue to children when their mothers put them ouer to strangers it is iust with God if mothers after find their children ouer-strange to them being but rather Note this you vnnaturall mothers halfe than whole mothers mothers of necessitie not of good will for perforce they bring forth but it is true loue which maketh a mother to giue sucke safety to themselues disereth the former or else to dye with it in the Wombe but loue onely to the Infant procureth this latter at their hands Besides all these reasons the examples of all the godly women in Scripture teach mothers now this duety That right honourable Sarah Gen. 21. 7. the wife of a most honorable man and mightie in substance and power nursed her sonne Isaac Princely Iob was nourished by the brests of her Iob 3. 12. Cant. 8. 1. whose wombe did beare him Queene Bathshebah nursed Salomon What shall I speake of holy Hannah the mother also of Moses of Samsons 1. Sam. 2. 23. Exod. 1. Iudg. 13. 42. mother and others The mother of Iesus our Lord and Sauiour whom all doe honour shee did giue her blessed Babe sucke all women call her blessed because shee bare Christ And was shee not as blessed in giuing him her brests to Luk. 11. 27. sucke Yes verily Some good Ladies at this day disdaine not this duety And what should hinder them Such persons may giue sucke and then may deliuer the child ouer to a dry Nurse to attend it in all other things which helpe the poore cannot haue Lastly as there is a blessing Gen. 49. 25. of the Wombe to bring forth so of the brests to Hosea 9. 14. giue sucke and the dry brests and barren wombe haue beene taken for a curse Let mothers therefore take knowledge of these things to presse them to this duety of nursing their owne bowels that in giuing still of their owne substance they might the more worke loue in their children towards them Their excuses are idle are of no force against these reasons for true motherly loue is seene in nursing for lust brings to conceiue necessity forceth to bring forth but onely true and naturall loue causeth a mother to nurse her child Verse 17. And the women her Neighbours gaue it a name saying There is a sonne borne to Naomi and they called his name Obed he is the Father of lesse the Father of Dauid HEre is the naming of the child which was borne of Ruth where note who named it the reason the name thereof and what he came to be shewed in his honorable and royall posterity in his Sonne and Grand-child And the women her Neighbours The women here are those before in verse 14. very godly and religious as appeareth by many things before spoken off These godly women were Naomi and Ruths Neighbours such as dwelt together with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them as the word signifieth Here may be noted who be fittest to be called to such businesses the honest Neighbours and Kinsfolke as was at the birth and Circumcision of Iohn Baptist for kinsfolke they expect it and haue therein an interest and cause of reioycing in the increase of their linage and therefore may not be carelesly neglected and Neighbours are to be called as those which be nigh at hand and helpfull at need who being neere are better as Salomon saith then a brother farre off But here obserue farther what manner of Neighbours they were which these godly women had euen such as themselues for godly women delight to haue about them such as themselues for the wicked and they cannot accord they haue differing heads and hearts ouer the one God ruleth ouer the other Satan the one is regenerate in heart the other vnregenerate and therefore cannot but iarre in word and deed the one being an abomination to the other as Salomon speaketh But the godly hauing Prou. 29. Act. 4. one head Iesus Christ and one heart they will reape benefit one of another by instructing admonishing comforting and praying one for another Therefore to shew your selues godly bee yee delighted to haue them about you And gaue it a name It is said the women gaue it we finde that sometime the Fathers gaue the name as Abraham to his sonne whom hee called Isaac Mothers often as we may see in Leah and Gen. 29. 30. Rachel so kinsfolke now and then as wee may note out of Luke chapter 1. 58 59. And here in Ruth the Neighbours gaue it yea sometime a stranger named the child vpon iust occasion as Pharaoes daughter did giue the name of Moses to him which the Parents did not alter so as it seemeth this was not strictly stood vpon though most commonly the Parents gaue the name If any here aske concerning the time when children were named I finde that it was sometime at the birth of the Infant so Rachel and the wife Gen. 35. 18. 1. Sam. 4. 21. of Phineas gaue their children names vpon their departure but being in such cases it seemeth not to be ordinary it may be thought to be vsually at the time when the child was circumcised as we may perceiue at the naming of Isaac Gen. 21. 4. Luke 1. 59. and Iohn the Baptist And thus doe wee giue names at the baptizing of Infants that as they did so we may put children in minde of the Couenant made in Baptisme of their badge of Christianity and of their ingrafting into Christ and how they were admitted as Gods children into the household of faith and as heires of the Kingdome of Heauen There is a Sonne borne to Naomi That is for the good and comfort of Naomi as is before shewed out of the fifteenth verse and as may bee gathered by the like phrase elsewhere So as in Esai 9. 6. Luk. 2. 11. these words is a reason of the name which they gaue vnto the child Whence note that the godly in ancient time gaue names not by hap-hazard but as good reason did leade them thereunto for they gaue names in obedience to Gods commandement Gen. 17. 19. 21. 3. Luk. 1. 13. who appoynted sometimes names vnto children to knowe also whence they were and whence taken
in sinne brought vp therein and none so free euer but in his highest pitch of well-doing he may be tainted of sinne 1. Ioh. 1. II. That the Lord in afflicting his children sweeteneth the same with some comforts he wholly leaueth not them without some taste of his mercy and goodnesse as we may see in his dealing with Naomi he tooke away her husband and left two sonnes and after tooke them away but gaue her an excellent daughter in Law Elisha had an 2. King 6. 10. earthly power comming against him but he then saw a great help from heauen It was a bitter affliction for Ioseph to be sold of his brethren but it was sweetened with Potiphars fauour This at length imprisoned him vniusty but the Lord gaue him fauour in the eyes of the Keeper of the Prison to sugar this bitter pill with And this the Lord doth in mercy that his children might not be ouerwhelmed with griefe and swallowed vp of sorrow therefore by one meanes he casts them downe but by another sustaineth them Let not therefore men which feare God bee ouer-sad when afflictions come God will lay no more then they can beare he layeth on them a burthen but he putteth vnder his hand If wee looke vpon the affliction let vs also consider what cause of comfort wee haue marke when for what how long or short what it is allayed with that we bee not wholy cast downe Vers 4. And they tooke them wiues of the women of Moab the name of the one was Orpha and the name of the other Ruth and they dwelled there about tenne yeeres THis sheweth what course the sonnes tooke after their fathers death they returned not home this crosse brought them not to thinke of leauing that idolatrous Countrey but they setled themselues to marry there so as this verse telleth vs of two things the first is of a marriage and herein who they were the men Elimelechs sonnes the women who are set out by their Countrey then by their names the second is of their abode in Moab and time how long Note before I come to the words that euery crosse bringeth not men home againe their fathers death made them not resolue to goe backe vnto Gods people againe Lot was taken prisoner yet would he still abide in Sodom after his deliuerance Iehosaphats danger with Achab made him not wholy to forsake that house but he must haue more afflictions and the Prophet openly to rebuke him And this commeth for want of waighing the true cause of afflictions when they happen or desire to please other or the loue of this world or some such corruption of our heart To bewaile this our peruerse nature not easily reformed a great affliction must worke on Manasses great distresse must presse the prodigall sonne before they will come to themselues and turne to the Lord yea some are worse for afflictions as may be seene in Achaz 2. Chron. 28. 22. in Amon Chap. 33. 23. in the Antichristians Reue. 16. 11. and in the Iewes Ier. 5. 3. And they tooke them This may seeme an act of their owne as that of Lamech Genesis 4. 19. and that of the sonnes of God 6. 2. and not their mothers deed as is said of Hagar Gene. 21. 21. If they did this with her consent it was as godly children should doe to marry with consent of parents For parents haue authoritie in this case 1. Cor. 7. children owe this honour to them Examples of the godly as in Isaac and Iacob and Samson moue to it and the contrary is found fault with Gen. 6. 2. and in Esau our lawes require it godly men and learned Diuines so teach out of the Word Let children therefore herein take aduice of their parents they shall thriue the better if they doe well their parents will reioyce if otherwise then children may more boldly seeke to parents for comfort and expect helpe at their hands Wiues So women be called when they be marryed vnto men or betrothed It is as if it had beene said They tooke yong women for wiues to liue in Gods ordinance and not for wantons to liue in vncleannesse Though they were not in Israel yet they let not loose the vnbrideled lust of nature but vsed marriage the ordinance of God So men are to take women as wiues to liue together in Gods holy ordinance as the godly haue euer made conscience to doe and not to liue as bruite beasts to defile themselues as Hamor did Dinah and Zimri did Cozbi in the sinne of fornication From this must we flie as the Apostle exhorteth and from other degrees of vncleannesse as adulterie which God seuerly punished 2. Sam. 22. 10. Iob 31. 9 11. so incest Gen. 19. 36. 1 Cor. 5. 1. 2. Sam. 13. 14. and other vnnaturall pollutions not to be named Rom. 1. which God giueth reprobate mindes ouer vnto Of the women of Moab With these they were not to marry Deut. 7. 3. and 23. 3. Esdras 9. 1 2. Neh. 13. 23 25 26. Young persons in their choyce soone erre if they suffer lust to rule and follow not the Law of God Gen. 6. 2. Herein wise Salomon was ouertaken Neh. 13. 26. 1. King 11. 1. Therefore men are to bridle appetite and lust and let the Lord rule them Religion and reason guide them herein The children of God are not to marry with the daughters of men it is condemned Gen. 6. 2. the contrary commanded Deut. 7. 3 4. See there the reason and equity therof euer such marriages are not made in the Lord as they ought 1. Cor. 7. 36 and God hath punished such matches see in Salomon 1. King 11. and in Iehosaphat in marrying his sonne to Athaliah 2. Chro. 21. 6. If Rahab bee a beleeuer Salomon may take her to wife so Boaz may marry Ruth and if there were none other to match with in the world Abraham may take one out of another countrey for Isaac and Iacob may marry Labans daughter but there is no such want but that the sonnes of Abraham may match with the daughters of Abraham now The name of the one was Orpha and the name of the other Ruth This was the wife of Mahlon Cha. 4. 10. the elder brother and Orpha the wife of Chilion the younger whether sisters or no or of what parents these came is not mentioned These Heathen people refused not in those daies to match with strangers Iethro giueth his daughter to Moses which must be for his vertue and not for his wealth for hee had none hee was brought vp like a Prince but he humbled himselfe to keepe Sheepe and so obtained his wife Mens manhood vertues and painefulnesse in those dayes got them wiues Caleb will marry his daughter for the mans vertue sake and valorous spirit Saul will pretend as much towards Dauid but that was pretended in policy not in truth Laban the worldling will marry his daughters for the world and sell them for gaine but a godly man preferreth
grace before goods and wisedome before the world though where grace is if goods may come with it it is a blessing and the better to be liked of for helpe to vphold the burthen of marriage And they dwelt there about tenne yeeres Whether this time beginneth at their first cōming or after this marriage is not certaine but it is ten yeeres before Naomi heares of the Lords visiting of Israel with plenty It is a long time for a godly woman to bee kept from Gods people and publike seruice of his name Dauid lamented it much Psal 120. 5. and desired the presence of God and his Tabernacle Psal 84. 1 4. In Moab was corporall plenty but not spirituall for the one the other was neglected Such is our corruption a comon sinne now I wish it had not taken possession of the best But besides this we may further note how a heauy calamity may long rest vpon Gods people we may reade of a famine three yeres and a halfe in Achabs daies three yeeres in Dauids time 2. Sam. 21. 1. 1. King 17. 1. Luke 4. 25. and seuen yeeres at another time 2. King 1. and here also for a great many of yeeres And this commeth through mens obstinacie in sinne and for that such things are not reformed as God commandeth or for that some euils are not punished as they ought to bee as for innocent blood-shed 1. Sam. 21. 1. for open idolatrie and murthering of the Saints as in Achabs dayes We are in such continuing iudgements to looke to our waies and bewaile our sinnes also seeing thus Gods hand against his people so long wee may learne patience in the yeres of scarcity and blesse God that neuer thus afflicted vs in any of our remembrances for such a famine would in these Northerne parts be most intolerable farre more vnsufferable than in hot countreyes where people could humble themselues with fasting many dayes together Verse 5. And Mahlon and Chilion dyed also both of them and the woman was left of her two sonnes and of her husband THis verse sheweth a further griefe which befell good Naomi which was the death of both her sonnes and so to be left a heauie soule in solitarinesse in a strange countrey where she could haue no spirituall comfort and where now she had lost her chiefest corporall comfort And Mahlon and Chilion dyed also both of them These inioyed their yong wiues for some space and had time to haue returned home to the Lords people but they for bodily maintenance new friends gotten by their marriages would not the Lord therefore tooke them away in this strange Land Many things may be noted I. That the Lord gaue them time to marry and to enioy their marriage for some space though they made no better vse of their fathers death thus good and patient is God vnto men for their bettering if it would be for which praise him II. That when God hath proued men in patience and they will not make right vse thereof then will he take them away for he will not alwaies striue in mercie here the abusers of Gods goodnesse may learne to take heed III. That God can and will cut off sometime yong men in the flowre of their youth Thus he tooke away Nadab and Abihu Hophni and Phinees Amnon Absalom two gallant yong Princes so here these two though some by violent death and other by naturall death And this is sometime a punishment for sinne Psalme 55. 23. 1. Sa. 2. 31. but not euer for God in mercie will take some from the euils of the world as he did Iosias Let none because of youth put farre off the day of death Death respecteth no age no strength no beauty Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth Ecclesiastes 12. 1. Thy owne sinne may cut thee off in youth as it did Absalom and so the rest or thy fathers sinne as Dauids child was taken away 2. Sam. 12. 14. and the tenne 1. King 11. 12. and 21. 6. Tribes from Rehoboam and the sonnes of Saul And the woman was left of her two sons her husband This is added to aggrauate the affliction of Naomi and doth teach that neither few nor light afflictions sometime befall the godly Naomi lost her husband then not one but both her sonnes and left their widowes without children so as Naomi had none of his bloud remaining in Moab And as shee was thus afflicted so was Dauid who had proud and scornefull brethren a bloudily-minded father in law a mocking Michal to his wife lewd and vnnaturall children besides many other great trialls What shall I speake of Iobs trialls Ieremies troubles and Pauls persecutions Yet God thus suffers his to be tried to make them know themselues to shew them their graces and their imperfections which in affliction they will manifest to weane them from the world to the loue of a better life to whip them from their sinnes and to make our vile natures tame to submit to his yoke Let vs looke therefore for them let vs be contented and patient vnder them and consider the troubles of others of old and in the primitiue Church and of later times Let vs not thinke our condition the worse before God but rather the better if instruction be with correction for God loueth vs then It is a fault to murmure at him it is an error to thinke our estate to be euill before God because of sundry and great crosses for many are the afflictions of the righteous he saith not of the wicked yet then righteous when they be afflicted this is comfort against despaire Note againe that he saith the woman was left he saith not now Naomi as before after to expresse her deiected condition for a widow poore alone without friends and in a strange country is in an afflicted estate contemptible it is the not Naomi but the woman in distresse and miserie And lastly obserue that when death calleth friends must part and one leaue another husbands their wiues children their parents parents their children as here no band of loue can keepe them then together death must be welcome and vnto dearest friends we must bid farewell Verse 6. Then she arose with her daughters in law that shee might returne from the Countrey of Moab for shee had heard in the Countrey of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giuing them bread HEre is at the length the returne of Naomi with whom from whence and the reason drawing her minde homeward Then shee arose Shee had long abode in Moab now after such crosses shee ariseth to goe thence vnto the Church and people of God when the Lord thus afflicted her when shee saw her selfe destitute of her husband and children and had none to goe vnto and to conuerse with but Idolaters the Moabites then she arose to leaue those coasts Note how affliction shall follow affliction to bring home such as be the Lords if one crosse will not
them and nursed by them also for that mothers are more tender-harted towards them and most familiar with them therefore here is their mothers house named though afterward Ruths father Chap. 2. 11. And yet some childreÌ„ we see ready enough to despise their mothers which is contrary to nature contrary to the commandement Exod. 20. Prou. 1. 8. Yea it is great ingratitude to requite so the great paines in conception in bearing in nursing which a child can neuer recompence and therefore a curse is pronounced against such children Deut. 27. 16. Pro. 20. 20. and of this the Prophet Ezekiel complaineth Chap. 22. 7. II. That poore widowes are to be maintained of their able parents when they be left alone and cannot maintaine themselues Leuit. 22. 13. 1 Tim. 5. 16. The law of nature and we see the Law of God leadeth thereto and Naomi knew not whither else to send them And whither should children goe but vnto their parents If this be so then let parents see to the well matching of their children to preuent their pouertie if it may be and a second charge of them Let children be then ruled of their parents in taking marriage vpon them seeing parents are to be troubled againe with them if need require Yea and let husbands haue care when they haue receiued their wiues portions so to husband the same that they may leaue them to liue after them and not to be againe chargeable to their friends The Lord deale kindly with you Her prayer for them which was her best recompence for their loue being now poore and not otherwise able to requite them their kindnesse Note hence I. That it is a duety to pray for those which doe either vs or ours good So doth Naomi here so Boaz for Ruth Chap. 2. 12. Dauid for Abigails good counsell 1. Sam. 25. 33. and Saul for Dauids sparing his life 1. Sam. 24. 19. And this duety let vs performe as Christ in the forme of Prayer hath taught vs Mat. 6. and not pray onely for our selues as worldlings doe nor to thinke a fauour done is requited with I thanke you onely and that prayer for a blessing vpon them is not required especially if they be superiours and yet we see here the practice of superiours to inferiours II. That at parting friends are to pray one for another as we may see the practice of it in Isaac Gen. 28. 1 3. Laban Gen. 31. 55. Iacob Gen. 43. 14. and in Paul Act. 20. 36. It is very Christian like an argument of loue and desire of their owne welfare which cannot be without Gods protection put this therefore into practice True it is that men now doe it but it is not with that reuerence nor expressed with that earnest desire as is meet and befitting in such a case III. That the godly are perswaded that the Lord is a mercifull Rewarder of the dueties of loue which one doth towards another This Naomi her prayer to God for them here teacheth for the godly know that the Lord hath commanded such dueties and what he commandeth to be done that will hee reward in the doer And hereof let vs bee well perswaded this wil make vs do our duties cheerefully though men requite not our paines because God will By this reason Saint Paul encourageth seruants to their duties and to doe what they ought heartily Col. 3. 24. IV. That children should so well deserue of parents yea though but parents in law as they may bee moued heartily to pray for them as Naomi doth in this place A good carriage is a duty towards all then much more to parents and the prayers of parents is a meanes to put a blessing vpon their children But some children are so farre from doing their duties to their parents to procure a blessing as they with Cham deserue a curse such a one was rebellious Absalom bloody Cain such a one was Ruben Simeon and Leui whom the Lord punished V. That God will not onely barely reward but so deale with vs as wee deale with others This Naomi begges for this the Lord in mercy will doe Mat. 7. 2. for our incouragement to well doing he will reward vs according to our works This should stirre vs vp to doe our duties vnto our brethren knowing that as we doe we shall be done vnto As yee haue dealt with the dead and with mee Here Naomi acknowledgeth their louing obedience and good carriage towards their husbands when they were aliue and now to her they being dead and this maketh her to pray thus for them Note here first that daughters of a bad race may prooue good wiues and good children in law sometime as these daughters of Idolaters did when God restraineth nature and giueth grace withall For many times there are trâ—ctable and gentle natures where Religion is not grafted these by good instruction and Gods blessing may proue excellent wiues Children therefore are not euer to bee censured according to their parents though it is dangerous to graft in a bad stocke for an hundred to one but a Michol will make a Dauid know that shee is a Sauls daughter But here women Christians are taught to shew themselues good wiues and children or else these daughters of the Heathen will condemne them whom Naomi commendeth for good wiues Now to bee a good wife a woman must know her duty and be very desirous to doe it which stands in loue vnfeigned in feare to offend Ephe. 5. 22. Col. 3. 18. 1. Pet. 3. in cheerefull obedience in meekenesse of spirit and in sympathizing with her husband in prosperity and aduersity But where is the woman where is this Sarah this Rebeccah Shee will answer perhaps Where there is an Abraham and an Isaac for a good husband will make a good wife a good Iohn a good Ioane the body will obey where the head knoweth how to rule well II. That good and truely louing wiues loue their husbands parents for their husbands sake as these did Naomi For the wife and husband are one and should be of one heart and the one loue vvhere the other liketh and a good vvife striueth to please and content her husband in shevving loue to his friends Shee vvill not bee like such levvd vviues vvomen not vvorthy to bee vviues vvhich hate their husbands kindred and brovv-beate them out of their houses Verse 9. The Lord grant you that you may find rest each of you in the house of her husband Then she kissed them and they lift vp their voice and wept NAomi her continuing in prayer for them as before in generall now in particular for a speciall blessing This verse containeth a petition an act of a valediction and the passion which is wrought The Lord grant you that you may find rest each of you in the house of her husband Shee prayeth here for their second marriage and that the same might be blessed of the Lord the chief Marriage-maker so as it might procure them rest and be
marry we dislike it and speake against it if they alledge the ends of marriage they are easily answered For the first is for procreation of children which in thē is past the other is to auoid fornication which they should be farre from seeing the body is dead the heart should not grow ranke with filthy lust the lecherous old person is hated of God If they alledge to marry for mutuall comfort I aske With whom will shee marry for such comfort If with a yong man shee may perhaps comfort her selfe in him but not he himselfe with her for yong men marry old womens goods and lands but not their persons there is in nature no accord between them her wanton heart may seeke her pleasure in matching with him but he will take no contentment in her but for what shee hath If with an old man where is comfort when two froward old persons meet together old age all know is hard to please and therefore old persons can hardly afford kind comforts one to another Lastly marriage bringeth cares and troubles 1. Cor. 7. saith Saint Paul Now it is time for old women to lay aside the cares of this world and to giue themselues to fasting and prayer and to doe good workes and so to shew their care for the world to come And therefore let such widowes continue widowes betake themselues to God and his diuine worship as best befitteth them If I should say I haue hope to wit to haue children and so might take an husband implying thus much that while a womā hath hope of children shee may marry for the first and chiefest end of marriage such a one is not depriued of And therefore let child-bearing women vse their libertie and marry if they cannot abstaine 1. Cor. 7. 1. Tim. 5. 28. yea though they be poore neither may any be offended thereat If I should haue an husband also to night This circumstance of time is noted that these women had gone nigh one dayes iourney with Naomi at the least So they shewed herein great kindnesse to trauell so farre with her or that it was farre on the day before they came forth if this was the first night or else shee speaketh thus for that marriage was consummated at night Here some may aske why needed Naomi thus to speake of her hauing an husband and bearing of children seeing shee knew that the next kinsman was to doe the office for the dead Chap. 3. 1 2. Shee might haue said Your husbands haue kinsmen which by our Law are to marry you if you will goe with me though I haue no sonnes my selfe Naomi knew this well enough as it appeareth afterwards but first shee will not draw them to the Lords people with such carnall reasons againe shee knew not perhaps now whether such were dead or aliue if aliue yet they might be marryed and so could not take them for wiues if vnmarryed shee yet knew not whether they would submit to the Law in that case For we see that what God commanded was not euer obeyed and the Story telleth vs that one kinsman Chap. 4. refused her and why not another And therefore because shee could not speake any thing of certainty on which they might depend shee mentioneth no such thing shewing this that the wise will not make promises rashly for others nor perswade to more then they well know lest they be deceiued and so also deceiue others relying vpon their word This reproueth all rash vndertakers for others though reason and Religion should bind those for whom they so vndertake to performe the same And should also beare sonnes Naomi speaketh first of hauing a husband and then of bearing children for childbirth is to be the fruit of lawfull marriage onely God first ioyned man and woman and made them man and wife and then said Increase and multiply Naomi was not of that mind to make her selfe a mother out of marriage as many wantons and Light-skirts doe making themselues whores and their children bastards and all for satisfying the rage of present lust though after they repent with griefe and shame Verse 13. Would yee tarry for them till they were growne would yee stay for them from hauing husbands nay my daughters for it grieueth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me NAomi here disswadeth them from staying for husbands by her if it were granted that now shee had borne sonnes and hauing thus spoken shee breaketh forth into a sorrowfull complaint of her inabilitie to doe them good for their sakes The disswasion is set out by a double interrogation for more vehemencie of speech and by an answer made thereto In the complaint shee sheweth her griefe and that for whose sake chiefely and how it came vpon her Would yee tarry for them till they were growne As if shee had said If I had now yong sonnes you could not marry them till they were of sufficient yeeres they must be growne vp to marriage before they doe marry Marriage is for them that are growne vp for it and are marriageable God when he made our first parents made them of yeeres fit for procreation of children before he marryed them And this is to be obserued for the due accomplishment of marriage and for reuerence to Gods ordinance which checketh those parents who for other ends then the ends of marriage doe match their children together before they be marriageable Here parents abuse marriage for this is no coniunction for procreation of children nor to auoid fornication these parents take away their childrens liberty which is to marry or not to marry when they come to yeeres of discretion they are cruell and mercilesse parents who bind their children in an vnseparable knot and indissoluble bond before they vnderstand what they doe such matches are commonly cursed of God one forsaking another when they come to yeeres or hating one another liuing in the gall of bitternesse all their dayes and so parents expectation is frustrate and children vndone with sorrow to friends on all sides A iust punishment of God and reward of their sinne Would yee stay for them from hauing husbands As if she had said You are yong women there are men now fit husbands for you it is not meet you should therefore stay so long for little children and so be vnfitly matched with them so yong and you so old It is not good for such as intend to marry to deferre off too long This is it which Naomi here teacheth her daughters and this counsell is good if the parties cannot abstaine and that fit matches be offered let them yeld to the good hand of Gods prouidence and not refuse an honest offer either of pride or of foolish fantasie or of some nicety or other light and idle womanish reason against good reason and sound perswasion of godly and wise friends Nay my daughters This answer sheweth Naomi her meaning in the former interrogations that she could not
a name like their nature they can be content to be Vsurers but not so to be called they can liue as Misers but will not so be accounted the denomination from their sinnefull practices is worse to them then the sinnes which they doe commit for that they more are touched with the shame of the euill before men then with the offence thereby committed against God Here it may be demanded Whether any may be called by any other name then formerly they haue beene called by We see here that Naomi would be called Marah Iacob was after called Israel Abram Abraham Sarah Sarai and many such instances in Scripture as Saul called after Paul Ioseph called Barsabas Act. 1. 23. which may be to expresse some grace in them for which they be praise-worthy as Iacob being called Israel because he wrastled and preuailed with God so Ioses called Barnabas the sonne of Act. 4. 36. consolation for his rare loue to the Church and for giuing such an example thereof to the Apostles Simon must be called Peter for his constancie So to expresse some notorious euill on the other Act. 13. 6 8. Ier. 20. 3. side Bariesus was called Elymas and Pashur must be named Magor-Missabib And we see by ancient practice for greater honour men were called As with the Romanes Cato Censorinus Scipio africanus Aenilius Macedonicus Antoninus Pius c. by other names then from their fathers families which they purchased as a title of their honour for the reward of vertue to encourage men to noble atchiuements worthy of honour being by others put vpon them for the praise of their vertues without flatterie and vaineglory and some names also were inuented for disgrace of vice in such as deserued the same but they also without scorne derision malice and euill will to the party otherwise then to beate him out from his sinne which may not be for such sinne as he committeth of infirmitie but for open and notorious enormities and from which he will not be hardly reclaymed without some note of infamy For the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me The reason why shee would be called Marah because of her bitter affliction which the Lord Almighty hath laid vpon her Whence we may learne these lessons I. That the Lord is Almighty Gen. 17. 1. for he can doe what he will in heauen and in earth Psa 115. 3. This should worke confidence in his Word for what he saith he will doe he can doe his power can effect it This must make vs humble our selues vnder his mightie hand 1. Pet. 5. 6. he is able to destroy and cast into Hell Mat. 10. 28. By this let vs be encouraged to doe what he commandeth for he can beare vs out in it and can supply our wants 2. Cor. 9. 7 8. Hence may we gather comfort against all that rise vp against vs for the Lords cause for he is greater then all Iohn 10. 29. And we may to conclude learne to hope well of others though they haue long gone astray for God is able to saue them Rom. 11. 23. II. That the Almighty can alter an estate into the cleane contrarie as Naomi into Marah mirth into mourning sweet into sowre honor into dishonor and contrarily heauinesse into ioy disgrace into high esteeme and so forth as we may see in Iobs downefall and also raising vp againe in Hamans honour into extreme contempt in Mordecaiâ—s base estate into great dignitie so in Iosephs exaltation likewise and in many others for euery mans estate is in the Lords hand to alter it at his will 1. SaÌ„ 2. 7 8. Let none be proud in their prosperity for God can cast theÌ„ downe See it in Haman Nebuchadnezer Balthasar and Herod whom God made spectacles of his displeasure for abusing their prosperitie as we haue examples of late among our selues And as prosperity should not make vs proud because God can cast vs downe so aduersity should not make vs despaire because God can raise vs vp as he did Iob Ioseph and Mordecai III. That the godly feele a bitter taste in their afflictioÌ„s they are distastfull vnto theÌ„ for no affliction 1. Pet. 1. 7. Heb. 12. 11. is ioyous for the present which maketh infirmities appeare in the best in time of their troubles as we may see in Iob Ieremie Hannah For none Ier. 20. 12 14 15. 1. Sam. 1. euen of the Saints of God are perfit in faith loue patience other vertues which might make vs endure afflictions quietly And therefore we are not to maruell when we heare words of impatiencie come from weake men nor sit downe and censure them but to iudge charitably though they cannot beare afflictions altogether with chearefulnesse quietly and without strugling For though the Spirit be willing yet flesh and bloud are weake and euen the best manifest their weakenesse and the bitter taste which they haue of affliction Verse 21. I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home againe empty Why then call ye me Naomi seeing the Lord hath testified against me and the Almighty hath afflicted me NAOMI goeth on in her speech to the people so speaking of her as is before noted first shewing how the Lord had dealt bitterly with her and then why they should not call her Naomi for that the Lord had testified against her and afflicted her thus shee complaineth and amplifieth the same by contraries I went out full Shee here speaketh of her former estate when shee went from among Gods people The word is taken from a full vessell and this is to be vnderstood of her outward estate in which shee felt no want no more then there is want in a full vessel for shee had an husband and two sonnes and no doubt other things sufficient for the words imply shee went not for want but for feare of want If the words be vnderstood of her fulnesse in her husband and children it noteth that a good woman feeleth no want while she hath a louing husband and obedient children for she taketh such contentment in them as shee cannot feele want neither will such an husband and children see her to want When women are thus happy let them blesse God for their full estate If the words be vnderstood of fulnesse for outward things withall and yet could not abyde at home wee may learne that in present fulnesse and plenty Eccles 4. 8. there may want contentment either through a greedy desire which neuer hath enough or through a distrustfull heart fearing to want with which these were so troubled as it made theÌ„ leaue Gods people for sauing of their goods and to goe among heathen Idolaters For whither will not distrust of God and loue of riches leade men They erre therefore which being in a poore estate thinke contentment to be found in riches and fullnesse of these earthly things when Salomon Eccles 5. 10. telleth vs the contrarie and daily experience from the Rich
equitie and true liberality that graunted her freedome in his owne and not in other mens fields What further may be obserued from hence see before in the eighth verse where the matter is handled here onely is the relation of her liberty vnto her mother in law In all which speech it is worthy the noting that shee speaketh not a word of Boaz great commendations of her owne selfe verse the 11. Which commendeth to vs in her modestie that is to passe ouer our owne praises which is an example for our imitation that we might not be condemned of vain-glory and to bee such as be in loue with themselues as those be which loue to tell of their owne vertues Verse 22. And Naomi said vnto Ruth her daughter in law It is good my daughter that thou goe out with his maidens that they meet thee not in another field NAomi her good counsell with the reason drawne from perill and danger if Ruth should not follow it And Naomi said vnto Ruth her daughter in law Here note once for all that plainely the Writer of this Historie setteth downe this conference repeating againe and againe Naomi and mother in law and Ruth the Moabitesse and daughter in law which I note to taxe curious eares in these times who can away neither with speech nor writing except all be very sententious briefe without repetitions or one word more then they conceit to be needfull Gods Spirit the authour of euery good gift be it neuer so excellent taught not this Pen-man to be so curious not that he would haue holy things carelesly and rudely set downe as men censure it but to humble proud Albeit what humane eloquence could euer attain to the sublimitie of stile vsed in the Propheticall Bookes of sacred Scripture as in Esay Ieremie other◠wits giuen ouer to a light esteeme of holy Writ not caring to reade therein for the plainnesse of style that so through their owne pride they might perish as alas many of our high wits doe who cannot in the hautines of their owne hearts descend to so low a pitch nor vouchsafe to spend any time in such homely Histories as be in the Scripture because as they prophanely iudge the stile is not stately enough for their carnall hearts And as this taxeth these proud and prophane persons so also doth it such as doe despise or carelesly neglect many good mens labours onely for the plainenesse of the speech as if all writings were weake which are voyd of strong lines These daintie palates can away with nothing but what is finely cookt because they come not with hunger after good things but are carried away more with the manner than with the matter and so more with shadowes than substances as in likelyhood it would appeare if they should come to the triall of Religion and suffering for the name of Christ It is good my daughter that thou goe out with his maidens This is Naomi her aduice to Ruth From whence note I. That Parents are not to be wanting in giuing good counsell to their children as here a mother in law to Ruth and Iethro a father in Exod. 18. 1. King 2. 1. Sam. 2. 23 24 25. law to Moses Dauid to Salomon and Eli to his sonnes It is their duety so to doe and the yonger yeeres need it wanting the experience of the aged Let parents performe then this duety shewing their children what is good what dueties they owe to God and man and how they should demeane themselues well euery way Contrary to these doe they which take no care to aduise their children but doe let them follow their owne swinge Such also as counsell for the body as the Heathen may doe but not for the soule Ephe. 6. 4. Deut. 6. 7. as Christians should doe Thirdly those wicked parents which counsell their children not to doe well but to doe ill to lie sweare steale as many poore doe or to dice card drinke or to doe worse as men desiring to be counted of another ranke wickedly teach their children by their lewd examples to their shame and their childrens ruine the infecting of the Cōmon-wealth and the destruction of their house many times Whereas such parents as doe aduise well their children Titus 2. 3 4. do discharge their duety towards God and their countrey and acquite their soules from the bloud of their children II. That it is good for women going abroad to associate themselues to those of their owne sexe For they are subiect to be tempted to be deceiued and abused being weake in temptation and easily ouercome Let women learne here of Naomi her aduice to Ruth and follow it let them beware of being alone as Dinah or in suspected places with lewd women or in light and wanton company It is no good signe of a maidens chastitie to seek to be in mens company as many doe till shame come vpon them That they meet thee not in another field meaning some lewd and lustfull men whom Naomi will not so much as make mention of though Ruth named in verse 21. yong men yet her mother in law will not name them shee auoids the mentioning of men to her as teaching her and so all others that women should auoid in their priuate conferences vnnecessary talke of men Note moreouer that it is wisedome to preuent dangers and Num. 14. 42 43. not expose our selues into perill when we may auoid it Naomi knew the danger of those times and how wickedly many were bent and ready to abuse a poore yong woman and a stranger and therefore shee teacheth Ruth to be wise to preuent the same for if we vnnecessarily cast our selues into danger we doe tempt God which we may not Mat. 4. 7. Deut. 6. 16. Psal 91. 11. Num. 14. 42 45. 2. Chron. 35. 22 23. doe It is not our way and therefore we haue no promise of protection and God hath punished his owne people for so doing as we may see in the Israelites and in good Iosias who escaped not correction And therefore let vs learne to be wise to preuent dangers and not carelesly expose our selues thereinto Nature teacheth this to beasts much more reason should perswade man vnto it and Religion alloweth it and commendeth that prudent man that seeth the euill and Prou. 22. 3. auoids it when they haue no iust cause to the contrary I meane the euils of trouble crosses and such like for the euill of sin is euer to be auoided of which it may be Salomon doth speake yet is it wisedome to auoid vnnecessary crosses and troubles of this life and such dangers as may procure our hurt as Iehoram did by the aduice of 2. King 6. Elisha discouering the armies of the Syrians vnto him that he might not be indangered by them If here any obiect the certaine danger that Micaiah willingly did runne into when he went to prophesie before Achab who hated him and such like I answer that men
reason to weepe then to wax high-minded by this couering of our shame and nakednesse I wish wee were like one Pambo a godly man being at Alexandria and there seeing Pet. de Natalib Eccles hist lib. 8. cap. 1. a woman proud of her attire fell a weeping and being asked why he so wept said thus Two causes mooue me the one to consider the perdition of this woman and the other for that I beeing a Christian cannot study so much to please Christ by innocencie of life as shee doth hereby desire to please filthy and dishonest men Fifthly is Pietie when in time of humiliation and dayes of abstinence we goe as such should who feele the hand of God and apprehend his displeasure against sinne and when we so aray our selues daily as that modesty grauity frugality and humilitie may appeare therein for why should we not euen in our clothing set forth our profession and thereby grace our Religion And this piety shall appeare if when we garnish the body wee neglect not to beautifie the soule with learning and Religion for a man in rich clothes without other better qualities and endowments of mind is as Diogenes said a sheepe in a golden fleece and yet such sheepe haue wee in our English pasture for want of grace and better education hauing nothing to set them out withall but the brauerie of their clothing which Augustus Caesar called The Ensigne of pride and the nest of luxurie Vexillum superbiae niduâ— luxuriae which wee finde in these dayes to bee young mens ouerthrow a let to good house-keeping an enforcing to enhaunsing of rents in Landlords and in others to fall to ill shifts when their owne meanes of lands and reuenewes faile them And thus much for this point And get thee downe to the floore Take the opportunitie offred to procure thy welfare so she is made by Naomi her aduice to goe to Boaz and to demand marriage of him which might seeme not fitting but by Moses law it was allowed to the Deut. 25. woman widow without children to claime marriage of the next kinsman if he neglected to take her and it was no more immodestie for women to claime that right then then now for one betrothed to challenge the man for her husband for where God alloweth the thing it taketh away the scandall and offence which otherwise might iustly bee giuen and so others iustly bee offended therewith Which is not a small comfort against the vncharitable censure of vnaduised persons But make not thy selfe knowne to the man vntill he shall haue done eating and drinking Go she must but so warily is shee to behaue her selfe as shee should not discouer her selfe nor make her mind knowne vntil he had supped and was laid downe to rest so as her mind must be shewed in priuate and to him alone The night and in priuate make modest persons vtter more freely their thoughts then otherwise they would in the light and before company The phrase of eating and drinking implyeth feasting Matth. 24. Isai 22. 13. Exod. 32. 6. 1. King 4. 20. as appeareth hence from verse 7. and from other Scriptures so then at such a time as this it may seeme the Israelites feasted made merry as a signe of gladnes and reioycing in the Lords blessings Of feasting I will speake afterwards in verse 7. Here note that Naomi held it the best time to speake of marriage when Boaz had well eaten and drunken for then are men more apt to speake freely and to promise their good will then at other times this Naomi knew well and therefore aduised Ruth to make vse of it Which beeing so it should make men at such times more silent and more obseruant of their speeches Verse 4. And it shall be when he lyeth downe thou shalt marke the place where he shall lye and thou shalt goe in and vncouer his feet and lay thee downe and he will tell thee what thou shalt doe THe rest of Naomi her aduice to Ruth what she was to doe when she came to the threshing floore obserue where Boaz lay then she her selfe to lye downe and the end to know his mind and what she should doe And it shall be when he lyeth downe After labour followes rest and the night is appointed for the same to refresh the wearied limbs so the Psalmist teacheth Psal 104 23. Gen. 28. 11. and Iacob practised and this is the right vse of time Let vs spend the day in labour and take the benefit of the night for rest with thanks to God and prayer for a blessing and not bee as wild beasts as some men bee who make the day their time of rest and the night their walking time as fit to goe abroad to rauen for their prey or to spend it in vnlawfull and lewde courses as ill as theft That thou shalt marke the place where he shall lye This is aduised lest she should in the night mistake for warie obseruation preuenteth error This sheweth also that Boaz had not any certaine set place to lye downe in but to lye as best liked himselfe in the floore In those times they had no care of stately lodging they were not effeminate and slothfull which make vs now to seeke for soft bedding which breedeth lust encreaseth sloth and maketh the body more tender and so lesse able to endure paines And thou shalt go in and vncouer his feet Though Naomi aimed to make Ruth Boaz his yoke-fellow yet she teacheth her to proceed in humility to goe to his feet and to lye downe there For humilitie is not any let but the way to aduancement Prou. 15 33. 18. 20. 22. 4. and the reward thereof is riches and glory and life Let all them which hope for preferment labour for humilitie for God giueth such grace Prou. â— 34. 20. 22. Luke 1. 48. and fauour the humble in spiâ—â— shall enioy glorie vpon Marie her lowlines did the Lord look Dauid was humble in his owne eyes and obtained great glorie and Abigail by so wise and humble behauiour purchased fauour in Dauids eyes On the contrary by pride commeth confusion as may appeare in Absalom and Adoniahs attempt to the Kingdome for shame accompanieth it and Prou. 11. 2. and 16. 18. pride goeth before destruction and a high mind before the fall And lay thee downe and he shall tell thee what thou shalt doe Naomi was well perswaded of Boaz his honestie and that he would well aduise Ruth for good counsell may be looked for of those that bee truly religious and wise withall as Boaz was And there is no doubt of their readinesse whom experience hath made knowne to be louing and kind This is it which made Naomi to speake thus confidently that Boaz would tell Ruth what she should do But here it may bee demanded Whether Naomi did well to aduise Ruth to vse this meanes to trie Boaz his minde The manner seemeth not to bee good
poore a woman relieued by his Almes Blessed be thou of the Lord. Which words may bee taken either as a petition or as an affirmation If as a petition that the Lord would blesse her then are the lessons the same with those in Chap. 2. 20. where the same words are vsed by Naomi for him as hee doth here for Ruth excepting this circumstance that there Naomi a poore woman prayeth for the rich and here the rich prayeth for the poore of which also before in Chap. 2. 12. If as an affirmation of that which he iudged her to be as if he had said Blessed art thou of the Lord thou art an happy and blessed woman as in Luk. 1. 28. for in Hebrew the word be or art is not expressed but onely thus Blessed thou of the Lord and so may be vnderstood either be to make it a petition or art to make it an affirmation and then wee learne That the godly Luk. 1. 28. with 11. 28. though poore yet are blessed and so accounted of Boaz that is of a godly man who can iudge of true blessednesse for the godly haue those things wherein true blessednesse consisteth As first Gods fauour in Christ and through him are the Mat. 25. Children of his Father therefore called blessed Secondly they haue the fruits of the Spirit and the practice of vertue and for this they bee pronounced Psal 119. 1 2. 128. 1. blessed Thirdly they haue the pardon of sinne and their sinnes put away in Christ and Psal 32. 1 2. shall not be imputed to them and therefore are blessed Fourthly they haue the assurance of eternall life which is promised onely to such and cannot be taken from them and therefore most Ioh. 10. 27 28. blessed though they want these outward things as their Master Iesus Christ himselfe did whilest hee liued heere on Earth Let this comfort the godly poore and make them to reioyce more in their godlinesse then the worldlings in their earthly treasure the carnall man in his pleasure or the vaine glorious in his honour This should make men esteeme of the godly as Dauid did Psal 101. and as Abimelech did of Isaac also to endeuour Gen. 26. 28. to be like them if we account them blessed and to esteem their reproach for righteousnesse sake to bee more honour then the glory of Pharaos Heb. 11. court as Moses did to haue them to dwell with vs to haue our delight in them as Dauid had in Psal 101. the Saints for they are blessed And if so then this confuteth the carnall conceit of worldlings who thinke not so of them especially if poore yet let such consider our Master Christ how poore hee was also the afflicted state of the Saints mentioned in Heb. 13. 37. yet pronounced to bee such as the world was not worthy of And lastly how Ioseph a Prince in Egypt did rather choose to put his sonnes into Iacobs family and to bee called his children than into Pharaos court to bee accounted mightie among the Egyptians My daughter See Chap. 2. 8. Thus he might call her as beeing old for the ancient are to be as Fathers and old women as Mothers vnto the yonger sort in teaching them good things by word and Tit. 2. 1 2 3. by example So as a Magistrate hee might so speake to her as Iosuah spake to Achan for magistrates Iosua 7. are to be as Fathers to the people and to tender them as their children but of this before Note how she called her selfe his handmaid but he is pleased to tearme her by the name of daughter though shee so had debased and humbled her selfe For the humbling of our selues maketh our esteeme to be nothing lesse but rather greater with such as be godly and wise see Chap. 2. 10 11 12. where the more Ruth did humble her selfe the more account did Boaz make of her for such as humble themselues shall bee exalted Let none then thinke by humbling themselues that they shall lose credit and honour as foolishly the base borne and new start-vp doth imagine for they cannot but be suspicious of contempt who know themselues vnworthy of honour and esteeme For thou hast shewed more kindnesse in the latter end then at the beginning This is the reason of his blessing of her or accounting of her blessed because shee encreased and did not decay in goodnesse The truely vertuous and heartily religious are better at last than at the first As the Angel of the Church of Thyatira and as it is said of Ruth here in her kindnesse and loue for goodnesse grace and vertue where it is truely planted will increase rather then decay for the Lord husbands Iohn 15. 2. such Trees by his Word his Spirit and afflictions Wee must therefore labour for this 1. Thes 4. 1. commendation if wee will be held truely vertuous truely honest kind iust mercifull and gracious but some are farre from this praise growing worse and worse till they be starke naught whether it be in respect of Religion as we see in Iehu Demas Alexander the Copper-smith and Iudas who were worst at last because they were neuer truely good at the first or in respect of loue and kindnesse as here spoken of Ruth which loue some turne into hatred and kindnesse into cankred malice and shew more ill will at the last then loue at the first like Amon to his sister Tamar and Saul to Dauid for that loue was neither good nor sound in them as Ionathans was to Dauid and Ruths to Naomi and hers to Ruth againe In as much as thou followest not young men whether poore or rich Boaz in the other words gaue a reason of his blessing of her here he giueth a reason of his so commending her kindnesse which appeareth to bee more at the last now than at the first to wit to her husband deceased and to her now mother in law Naomi because shee married him in her owne countrey and him rather then any of her owne nation which was kindnesse then for Naomi her sake to leaue her owne countrey and to come and dwell with her in Iudah in a poore estate this was great kindnesse but now to be ruled by Naomi beeing so yong a woman to seeke to match with an old man and not to follow nature in desiring yong men but the Law of God for to raise vp a name againe vnto her dead husband whom by this meanes shee maketh to liue againe in Israel this is it which maketh her kindnesse to bee more at last then at the first in louing an old man rather than any yong and him also for the dead sake to reuiue his name among the people of God See here in Ruth how true loue obedience to good counsell and grace doe ouercome nature and the law of lust for shee loued her husband shee was obedient to Naomi and in her selfe vertuous and therefore reason and Religion did take place and
their obedience to God Fourthly the loue of praises of men and feare of them Ioh. 12. 42 43. make them to make balkes in their seruice to God now omitting this then that and heere trespassing and there offending against the Law to get this mans praise and not to displease that being bound onely to man but loose in their hearts to follow their owne wils in respect of any conscience towards God Fifthly the deadnesse and benummednes of their consciences for want of looking into Gods Law and the searching out of their wayes by the same which neuer troubles them for neglect of their dueties nor for the breach of any part of the Law Sixtly a carnall perswasion of their good estate and that in thus doing they be not so much to blame because they thriue in the world they get many friends and they see others also to be their companions with them herein of the best ranke in the world and such as professe to be better yet are taken tardie in foule faults and therfore are they hartened hereby in this their halting seruice and partiall obediēce to God Let vs take knowledge of this to bewaile it then to remoue these causes and to labour for the contrary graces that wee may serue God with all our hearts Note againe how he saith I cannot when hee might haue said I will not but hence we see that what man will not doe that hee excuseth with I cannot doe So did the high Priests and Elders answer our Sauiour saying they could not tell when indeed they would Mat. 21. 27. not tel him what they thought of Iohns Baptisme for I cannot is a more modest speech than I will not and it carrieth a reasonable excuse with it for in reason we thinke that what a man cannot doe he should not be vrged to doe and therefore doe men vse to say they cannot doe that which they haue no will to doe either of a froward spirit which is to be condemned or vpon respect of some inconueniences which may in some sort be excused with I cannot doe to wit with conueniencie but this must not excuse or hinder our duety of charitie to neglect the helping of our brother in this his necessity or to omit to doe what we ought or may well doe for so to say I cannot is vntruth and an euill excuse Lest I marre mine owne inheritance Thus this Kinsman excuseth his refusall of Ruth He might thinke perhaps being a worldling that he might marre it if he married a young woman and so bee ouercharged with children or that in marrying Ruth hee should bee burthened with poore Naomi or he hauing children by another should by this bring a new charge vpon him and occasion discord by children of diuers women which seldome agree as may be seene in Ishmael Isaas and Iacobs sonnes or he might haue another wife as vpon this place some doe note and so by taking this the house might be filled with contention as wee may see when Abraham tooke Hagar to Sarah also in the wiues of Iacob Elkanah his two wiues and as is very like betweene the wiues of Lamech the first Bigamist Or lastly he might thinke hauing a good inheritance of his owne by taking Ruth and be getting a sonne to the dead and so perhaps hauing no more should thereby raise vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritance and want one for his owne which he would not so marre as he saith whatsoeuer his thought was thus to moue him to speake We may learne that a Worldling is carefull to preserue his outward estate that it be not marred as he here speaketh for such a one is wise in his generation hee loueth his riches and wealth and he feareth want and it is not amisse to care to get honestly and to preserue our lands and goods when wee haue them for they are Gods gift and wee are made his Stewards ouer them to keepe them carefully and to imploy them according to his will and not after our lusts yea this wee are commanded to doe and vrged by Pro. 27. 23 24 25 26 27. Gen. 33. 13 14. 1. King 21. 1. Tim. 5. 8. Prou. 31. 1. Cor. 12. Salomon thereto by many reasons this care had Abraham Isaac Iacob Naboth and the Apostle telleth vs that euery one is to prouide for his familie as the good Huswife doth and parents are to lay vp for their children which they cannot doe except they be painefull frugall and do care to vphold their estates and therefore thus farre a worldling is not to bee reproued but as farre forth as he careth for the world with neglect of Religion in himselfe and in his family when as first we must seeke Gods Kingdome as Christ Mat. 6. 33. commandeth and that in the first and not in the last place and as farre as he keepeth it with ship-wracke of conscience vpholding it by ill meanes and hauing no care to doe good works which two that is the neglect of Gods seruice and of keeping of a good conscience if they bee auoided men may in the care of their outward estate bee well warranted to keepe and preserue Gods blessings bestowed vpon them euer in faith to God and loue to our brethren for with all care wee ought most of all to vphold our spirituall estate that we marre not that and lose our hope of Heauen but let the care of the one put vs in mind of the care of the other as euery way more excellent Note farther from this man that Worldlings thinke by obeying Gods Law they shall marre their earthly estate that Religion will ouerthrow them and thus they imagine first because they see Gods Word to crosse their worldly courses whereby they doe vse to get and vphold their estate which indeed cannot stand with Religion pure vndefiled before God Secondly because they are perswaded that they must doe as men of the world doe else they shall not thriue howsoeuer Religion it selfe binds them to the contrary Thirdly because they trust not God nor rely vpon his Word Fourthly for that they see many which goe for religious men to be poore and not to thriue as they doe or desire to doe in the world which they impute to their ouerstrictnesse in Religion and therefore doe conclude with themselues that to liue after the Rule of Gods Word is the next way to beggery which they will by their worldly courses preuent if they can But let vs beware of such Atheisticall thoughts and be farre from these imaginations of Worldlings first because riches Deut. 8. 18. are from God and not by man man cannot make himselfe rich by any meanes if Gods common blessing be not assistant thereto experience also teacheth vs this when wee see men industrious yea prouident and wise as others yet can they not attaine the halfe that others come to Secondly because these outward blessings euen these are promised to such as doe liue
Cor. 6. 14. Gen. 27. daughter to his seruant an Egyptian but otherwise they may not God forbad it his people such matches were condemned the Yoke is vnequall as Saint Paul speaketh it was reproued in Esau and herein was hee a griefe vnto his parents This is not to marry in the Lord it is dangerous to the soule if the heart should bee drawne from God as was Salomons and such matches hath 1. King 11. 1. Nehe. 13. 26. Deut. 4. 7. 2. Chro. 19. 2. 21. 6 13. God cursed as we may see in Iehoshaphat matching his sonne with Ahabs daughter it had almost rooted out his whole House Fathers and Councils doe condemne it and therefore beware of making such matches The wife of Mahlon See for this before Chap. 1. 4. and in this Chapter verse the 5. where Ruth is called the wife of the dead and here shewed to bee Mahlon the Elder brother to Chilion the husband of Orpha who by her apostasie lost her blessing in Israel which Ruth obtained by her constancie Haue I purchased to be my wife We see hence a good man will be at cost to obtaine a good wife Abraham Gen. 24. will send farre a messenger to this purpose with Camels loaden and with Iewels of siluer and gold Iacob will serue seuen yeeres and seuen Hos 12. 12. Gen. 28. 29. too but he will haue Rachel Boaz here will purchase a poore Ruth for her vertues for indeed a vertuous womans price is aboue Rubies shee Prou. 31. will doe her husband good all his dayes shee is worthy therefore the getting and worthy to bee honestly maintained and yet wee see most care least for such an one but they will labour and spare no cost to get one that is faire though beautie be deceitfull vanity and sometime such Pro. 31. 30. a one not ouer-honest or one rich louing the portion better than the partie marrying basely and after liuing disconâ—eâ—â—dly or for birth and friends when the one lifteth vp the heart with pride and the other becommeth chargeable Beautie maketh not blessed but vertue not goods but grace not naturall generation but spirituall regeneration not friends heere but the sweet fauour of God which hee onely affordeth vnto the vertuous See further from hence the loue of Naomi to Ruth who giueth her right to Boaz to redeeme the land for aduancement of Ruth for louing parents will doe much for the preferment of their children Naomi heere liueth vnmarried shee doth all shee may to get Ruth a good match for her owne sake and in loue to the dead that of her may be gotten one to beare the name of the dead as Boaz speaketh in the words following Which honest and louing care of Naomi checketh such widdowes as being well left by the dead doe either of couetousnesse and carelesnesse neglect to marry their children liuing onely for themselues or else of a wanton lust doe cast themselues away vpon such as will both vndoe them and their children To raise vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritance Of these words somewhat is spoken before on verse the 5. which I will not repeat Here Boaz alledgeth these words as a reason of his marrying this young woman they are the words of the Law in Deuteronomie and so are the next Deut. 25. 6 7. following to which Law Boaz had respect in thus matching with Ruth from whom we learne these things First that a wise man will preuent an offence which by others might bee taken at him when hee considers the occasion thereof for Boaz telleth them the true ends of his marrying thus lest the Beholders and Hearers should haue censured ill of him as of lecherie he being old and she yong or of folly she being poore and he rich she base and he honourable or of an inclining in her to idolatry he being an Israelite and shee a daughter of Moab of that race which inticed Israel to sinne and brought a great iudgement vpon the Num. 25. people And this hee did for the care and credit Eccles 7. 1. Prou. 22. 1. of his name which is highly to be esteemed and in loue vnto those there gathered before him in whom hee would preuent the offence which on their behalfe might be taken though not on his part giuen And thus must wee learne to doe 1. Cor. 10. 32. Mat. 18. both to beware of offences to all sorts and also where wee perceiue that any might take an offence there wisely to preuent it in them if wee can and not bee like such as giue themselues to all licentious libertie to liue as they list as almost euery one doth in these dayes not caring for a good name of a graue and sober Christian or of adorning their holy profession or of displeasing the godly minds of others but to liue onely like Libertines after their owne lusts opening the mouthes of the Aduersaries to speake ill of the Gospell of God Secondly from Boaz wee may learne that a godly man in his marrying is guided by Gods Law and hath respect vnto Gods good pleasure therein so had Abraham in matching his sonne Isaac and Isaac in marrying of his sonne Iacob for such as be godly make the Lords Will Word their Rule in all things much more in a matter of this weight and consequence they know it to be Gods ordinance and therefore will aduise with God about it yea they know that God hath not left men herein to their liberty and lust to marry as they like best but hath limited them and in his Word hath taught them with whom how and to what end to marry And therefore in marrying we must be ruled by the Lord which will appeare by these things If we see what calling wee haue to marry before wee enter into this troublesome estate as Reason and Religion should perswade vs If we see that wee haue a iust cause to marry then to consider with whom God alloweth vs to marry If we seeke out such a one as not onely with whom we may marry lawfully but also fitly therefore to pray earnestly to God for such a one for God maketh fit matches Gen. 2. and a vertuous woman is his gift It is a happy thing to match fitly and more hard then to match lawfully If lastly we vse marriage Gen. 2. as God hath appointed for increase of posterity and to auoid fornication the first end was before 1. Cor. 7. the fall the latter after and withall for mutuall society helpe and comfort which one ought to haue with another which cannot be except there bee fitnesse grace true loue humilitie and patience But who are thus led by the Lord in their marrying Men seeke wiues now without any respect to Gods will and pleasure they follow the lusts of the eyes the lusts of the flesh and pride of life Thirdly we may obserue how the vertuous are to match so as they may raise vp
persons in our selues who by our corruption pollute the ordinance of God and as wee bee of Adams race so haue we our children conceiued in sinne and brought forth in iniquity and beget such as be after our owne likenesse wee haue Gen. 5. cause then to pray and that seruently to God to blesse and shew mercy vnto vs. And thirdly for the troublesomenesse of the estate of marriage which may cause vs to pray heartily for it is full of temptations and trials And therefore let it moue vs to pray for them after the example of the people here and these Elders and not be like such as at the time of marriage onely stand staring and looking on or through vaine thoughts doe laugh and make a sport thereof or else spend their thoughts vpon the delight of future vanities dauncing drinking lewd songs and ribaldrie more heathenish than Christian-like And if others are to pray for the married parties then much more should they pray for themselues but alas how farre are most from it hauing their thoughts spent vpon vanities Secondly note that in publike prayer the Assembly should bee of one 2. Chron. 5. 13. Nehem. 8. Acts 1. 14. and 2. 46. and 4. 24 accord as all these were heere both the Elders and people as also elsewhere This is vn 〈…〉 〈◊〉 the other confusion when people are otherwise exercised than in giuing their assent to that which is publikely performed That is come into thine house That is either already come or that certainely shall come as if shee were already in the house This sheweth the cohabitation of man and wise and that they are 1. Pet. 3. 7. 1. Cor. 7. 5. to dwell together as Peter speaketh and God placed the first man and wife together in Paradise and Abraham and Sarah liued together so did Isaac and Rebecca Iacob and his wiues and so did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Sam. 6. 20. 1. Cor. 9. 5. Dauid with his And this is fit and necessary for mutuall comfort and society therefore the Apostles tooke their wiues with them and it is for this cause altogether a fault when any wilfully liue separated from their wiues or any vnnecessarily without a calling out of an idle leuity will become Trauellers into other countries after they bee married when the Apostle warneth them not to defraud one another except with consent and that but for a time and for this end to giue themselues to fasting and prayer and then come together againe lest Satan tempt them to incontinencie Like Rachel and Leah Rachel is first named because shee was Iacobs wife first by couenant and his best beloued Two wiues he had and it was and i◠lawfull to haue one wife after another as Abraham had Keturch after Sarah for they that cannot abstaine it is better to marry than to 1. Cor. 7. 9 36. burne and when the one is departed the other is free to marry againe in the Lord. And therefore it is an hereticall opinion to forbid second marriages which the godly practised and the Apostle alloweth vpon good reasons But to haue two wiues at once is not lawfull for it is contrary to the Lords first institution of marriage who ioyned together but one man and one woman it is Gen. 2. against the Apostles Doctrine who teacheth euery 1. Cor. 7. man to haue his owne wife and euery woman her owne husband And wee may reade of the first offenders how one was out of the Church a blasphemous Lamech and the other in Gē 4. 26. 34. the Church a prophane Esau And albeit holy mē had many wiues it was their fault God onely being pleased to passe it ouer in his mercie but allow thereof hee did not as appeareth by the Malac. 2. 15. Prophet Malachies words And therefore are they not herein to bee followed It is a blessed Law which of late time hath beene enacted in this Nation against marrying two wiues at once In praying that Ruth might bee first like Rachel who was amiable and louely to Iacob and then like Leah who was fruitfull they may seeme to pray for two things of the Lord the first was that there might bee true loue and good liking betweene Boaz and Ruth for true loue and Ephe. 5. 25. Col. 3. 19. Gen. 24. 67. 1. Sam. 1. 5. good liking ought to bee betweene husband and wife specially so commanded so practised by Isaac and by Elkanah and other godly men and it is that which maketh marriage comfortable and the parties to liue quietly together with mutuall contentment Oh therefore let vs pray for this loue and not onely pray but endeuour to vse the best meanes to procure and hold it And to effect this the married persons are to take heed of strange affections which might alienate their minds one from another then to behold rather the good qualities and vertues of one another than the infirmities and things to bee found fault with for loue couereth a multitude of offences Young persons before marriage cannot see one anothers faults and if they doe see them yet their loue is such as they can passe them by Why is not loue in marriage as strong nay stronger seeing now two are made one Isaac tooke Rebecca and shee was his wife and he then loued her but now men loue their Rebeccaes afore marriage and then taking them for wiues they hate them or not loue them as before Moreouer the married parties are to bee ready to performe mutuall dueties cheerefully yea they are to striue which should be most louing in their dueties of loue and should also prouoke one another thereto Lastly they should often thinke of the solemne couenant made betwixt them and by that and other godly reasons presse themselues the husband himselfe and the wife her selfe to their dueties yea they should bewaile their owne and one anothers corruptions before God and pray against them and for Gods good graces to make them duetifully louing one to another thus doing shall they by Cods blessing both procure and keepe loue The second thing they prayed for was the encrease of children which was Gen. 1. 28. Zach. 8. 5. Gen. 9. 1. the first blessing to man and woman when God had made them and the first and principall end of marriage and which God promised vnto his people In old time it was held a reproach for Luke 1. 25. 1. Sam. 1. 26. Leuit. 20. 20. Ier. 22. 30. Gen. 20. 18. 2. Sam. 6. 23. Psal 127. and 128. women to be barraine and the Lord did threaten it as a punishment yea and inflicted it vpon some Surely it is the want of a blessing as the Psalmist teacheth And therefore let vs pray for this blessing as Abraham did Isaac Manoah and Hannah from which these are farre who so marry as they might bee without hope of children such also as murmure at Gods blessing through vnbeliefe fearing not to haue to maintaine them vnlike Leah who comforted
practice Heathen by lawes haue forbidden it Athenian law apud Sâ—obaeum for that it polluteth the mind filleth it with wickednesse and maketh such impudent and also Au. Gell. did punish the same as is reported of the Romanes that so the dignity of the Lawes and Discipline among them might remaine as one saith inuiolable What a shame and impudencie is it then in such as would bee called Christians and yet cannot by Reason nor Religion of Christ be restrained from such petulancie and wantonnesse Note againe here how this is spoken after marriage and not before to teach that such as be marryed may lawfully company together and that Gen. 29. 21. by warrant from God who said after hee had made man and ioyned Adam and Eue in marriage Increase and multiply and the Apostle 1. Cor. 7. 3 5. teacheth that then neither of them hath power ouer their owne body and hereof maketh a double vse to render due beneuolence and not to defraud one another Then they are to be reproued which before marriage company one with another as incontinent and violently lustfull persons doe and such as being married doe defraud one another And heere this condemneth the Church of Rome which alloweth man and wife vpon the vowe of chastitie forsooth to liue asunder one from another contrary to the Apostles Doctrine and exhortation 1. Cor. 7. 5. The Lord gaue her conception Hence it is euident that the gift of conception is from the Lord and this is true not onely in such as be altogether barren as was Sarah Rebecca Hannah the Shunamite and Elizabeth but in such as bee at the Iob 10. 8 10 11. first fruitfull this also is from his gift And therefore is it to be ascribed to him he is to be thanked for it wee are not to thinke as Rachel did that a husband can giue children it is no strength of body nor good complection that can make fruitfull but the blessing of God And wee may further learne here that the Lord alloweth of the honest act of marriage for hee commandeth due 1. Cor 7. Heb. 13. 4. beneuolence he calleth the marriage bed vndefyled hee blesseth it and giueth the gift of conception hee allowed thereof before the fall and Gen. 1. 1. Cor. 7. 2. hath in mercy ordained it as a remedy against sinne This therefore confuteth such as haue iudged the companying together of man and wife to bee a sinnefull act absurdly and prophanely abusing this place for it Those that liue in the flesh cannot please God as if that which God himselfe hath allowed and most holy men of God haue done should bee now that which should debarre them of Gods fauour when yet these popish harlotries can dispence with Gods Law and keepe their whores and yet not liue in the flesh but bee holy men But let them know that whoremongers and adulterers God Heb. 13. will iudge when marriage is honourable and the bed vndefiled and the libertie to be vsed and allowed for procreation of children to auoid fornication with heartie thankes vnto God for his ordinance Heere note farther the difference which the Scripture maketh betweene conception of a woman a wife and of another In copulation out of marriage it is said of a woman that shee conceiued as Thamar by Iudah Hagar by Gen. 38. 18. 16. 4. 2. Sam. 11. 5. Abraham and Bathsheba by Dauid but neuer as heere that the Lord gaue her to conceiue for the other is by his common blessing as among bruit beasts but this by his fauourable approbation and gracious blessing as Iacob said of his children vnto Esau Gen. 33. 5. And she bare a sonne After the gift of conception followeth child-birth not forthwith but in Gen. 18. 10. due time of life which is sometime at the nynth moneth but commonly at the tenth It was not enough that she should conceiue and after haue an abortiue birth but that God in mercy should preserue the child aliue in the mothers wombe to be timely borne for as not to conceiue but to be barren was a punishment so conceiuing and to bring forth an vntimely birth is in the same nature The Lord therefore here sheweth his goodnesse not onely in giuing conception but a happy deliuerance vnto Ruth and a timely birth so the Lord followeth his with his mercies Now in that it is said to be a sonne and not a daughter it is to note the greater blessing For it is a greater blessing to haue a sonne then a daughter And therefore wee doe finde when God would make the barren to beare and such as had begged that blessing at his hands he gaue them sonnes as we may see in Sarah Rebecca Rachel Hannah Elizabeth and in others Because the sonne is the vpholder of the name of the family he is in nature the more worthy for the woman was made for man and not man for the woman as the Apostle teacheth and the man is a more fitter instrument for the good of the Church or Commonweale albeit sometime the Lord hath done wonderously by women Besides these reasons the males among the Israelites were a greater blessing for that the man-child and the continuance of the line in Iudah gaue them hope of the Messias which they looked for and the male child bare vpon him the seale of the couenant of God which was circumcision that God would bee their God and of their seed after them Therefore praise God for this blessing and birth for both but more specially for this as beholding therein the Lords mercy to keepe thy name vpon the earth among thy brethren and Saints of God Lastly note the effectuall power of the prayer which they made vers 11. The Lord heard them for here wee see Ruth before barren is now become fruitfull So as we hereby doe learne That the hearty and faithfull prayer of the godly is neuer in vaine for the people and Elders desired that Ruth should be fruitfull and she was so and also that Boaz posterity might be honorable and renowned so it was as we may see in the 21. and 22. verses of this chapter For an effectuall praier of righteous men auaileth much as Iames saith Iam. 5. 16 17. and prooueth by an instance of the prayer of Eliah and as may be seene in the prayer of Moses 2. Chro. 14. 11. 12 and 20. 6-14 15 and 32. 20. of Asa Iehosaphat Esai and Hezechiah and of many moe which is to encourage vs to the exercise of prayer in faith and feruency of spirit If any thinke that those afore-named were extraordinary men and that therefore wee poore and miserable persons in comparison of them cannot looke to haue our prayers so effectuall with God I answer first that Iames takes away this obiection and feare of acceptance with God for hee saith that Eliah was a man subiect to the like passions as wee are yet hee prayed and was heard
Secondly that we haue assistance of God his Spirit teaching vs to pray with groanes which cannot bee expressed because wee know not how to pray as wee ought and thirdly that Christ prayeth for vs and in him we offer vp our supplications and so shall be heard This lesson 1. Sam. 12. Rom. 15. 30. 2. Cor. 1. 11. Ephes 6. 18. Col. 4. 3. 1. Thes 5. 25. Philem. 22. Phil. 1. 19. Heb. 13. 18 19. also teacheth vs to esteeme greatly of the prayers of the godly seeing they be so effectuall and desire them to pray for vs as the Israelites did Samuel and S. Paul the faithfull and Saints of God as may appeare in almost euery of his Epistles so highly did he account of their prayers for him Verse 14. And the women said vnto Naomi Blessed be the Lord which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman that his name may bee famous in Israel PRaise and thankesgiuing vnto God at the birth of the child The parties reioycing were the women their ioy was vttered to Naomi the manner was holy and religious praising God the matter thereof or the moouing cause was that God had not left her without a kinsman and the hopefull end thereof that his name may be famous in Israel And the women said That is such godly women as were at the child-birth these reioyced In Naomies behalfe For it is the duty of one to reioyce in the welfare of another when God best 〈…〉 his blessings vpon them As these doe here the neighbours Luk. 1. 58. Exod. 18. 9. Iob. 42. 11. of Elizabeth Iethrâ— at the prosperity of Israel and the friends of Iob at his recouery This we are commanded to doe to reioyce with those Rom. 12. 15. 1. Cor. 12. 26. Matth. 22. 39. that doe reioyce the godly are members one of another and therefore must needs haue a fellow feeling it is a fruit of loue and charity and that wee loue our neighbours as our selues which if we doe we will reioyce in their welfare as we doe in our owne But let this be with them in lawfull things for charity reioyceth not in iniquity let vs reioyce with them in their happy and blessed 1. Cor. 13. welfare whether temporall as former examples shew or spirituall as Saint Paul reioyced in the behalfe of the Philippians and Colossians and Phil. 1. 3 4. Col. 1. 3. 12. 2. Ioh. Verse 4. Saint Iohn in the graces of the elect Lady and her children This reprooueth three sorts first such as enuy the prosperity of others as Sanballats Nehe. 2. 10. Exod. 1. and Tobies like Egyptians which cannot endure to see others prosper by them These are voyd of charity which is without enuy and they 1. Cor. 13. 4. are like the diuell that being cast from Heauen could not endure to see man in Paradise or like diuelish men Cain Saul and the Scribes and Pharises the enemies of Christ Secondly such as reioyce with their friends in their prosperity though they get vp by vniust meanes and by vnlawfull practices vphold themselues this is not 1. Cor. 13. 6. true loue for here is more cause of mourning then of reioycing for what ioy can it bee to a godly heart to see his friend rich and in glory by vsury bribery oppression deceit and fraud which came for plagues vpon him from Heauen and are the high way to hell and damnation But outward prosperity so dazeleth the eyes and deludeth the heart as the plagues of the soule and vengeance due for the same they either see not or beleeue not therefore they reioyce like worldlings with such as themselues The third fort are they which cannot reioyce with others in their spirituall welfare that men are become godly as Saint Paul and Iohn did but rather despise them for it because they themselues sauour not of the things of God they loue darkenesse rather then the light If they doe reioyce herein it is rather for the good which conuersion brings in worldly respects then of religion it selfe as that hereby they leaue to be vnthristie and doe care to liue in the world and such like vvhich is no reioycing at their heauenly graces but for vvorldly profit and for such things as Religion maketh good in regard of the outvvard things of this life as profit good report in a common acception ciuill carriage and so forth This is a worldly and not a spirituall reioycing with-those that truely reioyce in the Spirit Vnto Naomi And why to her more then to Ruth Because she was the principall instrument for the effecting of the marriage and shee stood in most need of comfort hauing endured a long time affliction For those chiefely are to be cheared with the consideration of Gods mercies and blessings who haue been most humbled As these doe here Naomi for they speake so to her as if this blessing had been onely for her comfort saying He hath not left thee without a kinsman hee shall be to thee a restorer of life and so forth And therefore when wee see any to haue been much cast downe and that the Lord beginneth to shew them mercy let vs speake thereof chearefully vnto them and comfort their hearts for they know how to vse well Gods mercies their former humiliation hath prepared them hath schooled them so as they will not waxe proud with the Lords blessings as others doe Blessed bee the Lord. Words of praise and thankesgiuing to the Author of this blessing Thus begin they their ioy and mirth for the ioy of the godly is holy and religious for the matter of their ioy is good and lawfull the manner with Ephes 5. 19. grace in the heart as the Apostle exhorteth and the end to set forth the Lords glory of whom with praises they make mention This was the ioy of Moses and the Israelites of Deborah and Exod. 15. Iud. 5. 2. Chron. 20. Luk. 1. Barak of Iehosaphat and Iudah of Zacharie and Elizabeth for the godly take occasion from all the good which befalleth them to be mindfull of the Lord from whom they know they receiue all blessings whatsoeuer they be and whosoeuer be the instruments thereof to them with Dauid Psalm 103. therefore they say O my soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits If this bee the ioy of the godly what wickednesse then is it in those who in their mirth and in the midst of Gods blessings doe put away the remembrance of God and the thought of his precepts spirituall songs and gracious speeches marre vtterly their mirth the presence of the godly is hatefull to them and hindereth their merriments for they cannot reioyce but in vaniâ—ie their talke is ribauldry their songs wancounesse their laughter madnesse and the delight of their hearts meere sensuality the mirth of these must turne into mourning before they dye else shall their musicke bâ—e else-where weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth And here before I
end this women may learne how to behaue themselues at the birth of Children as first in prayer then in praises pray they should for pardon of sinne and bewaile in the womans pangs original corruption in the birth our spirituall pollution and praise God they ought for safe deliuerance acknowledging it his mercy and goodnesse as these doe here Many things might mooue them hereto and to be far from the behauiour of some who in stead of praising God sit downe to bee merry and to spend their speeches idly prating of others yea sometimes in lewd slandering of their Neighbours or in filthy scurrility wherein the Midwife which should bee a mother of modesty is often chiefe when such should be chaste graue and godly matrons who by their office and godly counsell might doe much good if they were as they ought to bee but so lewde are some of them as they cannot endure the company of better disposed persons Their praises should bee like the Midwiues in Egypt women Exod. 1. fearing God able to instruct to comfort to pray vnto God and to praise him for his goodnesse Which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman This is it they blesse God for that God had giuen to Naomi a young kinseman a kinsman indeed which will so shew himselfe Naomi had a kinsman very nigh vnto her before Chap. 3. 12. but hee shewed himselfe not like a kinsman and therefore was here passed ouer as no kinsman For as men in deede shew themselues such they bee and so are to bee esteemed otherwise they haue but a name of a Brother Father Kinsman Friend Christian yea Minister Magistrate and haue not the trueth and substance of such They be but meerely titular and glory in shadowes as most doe who are nothing answerable to that title and name of nature of loue of fellowship or of office and place which they are called by or fettled in Note further that it is of God that the godly poore are not left comfortles of some friend one or other both able and willing to helpe them Thus the women here tell Naomi and doe blesse God therefore in her behalfe for if God should not raise them vp succour who would respect them Because pouerty causeth contempt or neglect at the least and the religion of the poore is but held counterfeit and themselues hypocrites so the world iudgeth of them And therefore when God raiseth vp friends to take knowledge of them and to doe them good great cause haue they to blesse God as they here doe both for hope of supply of wants and also preuenting of iniuries which honest poore by such able and good friends are lesse subiect vnto then others which want them That his name may be famous in Israel This is the hope they haue of this young Obed and one mercy of God in giuing this Sonne vnto this honorable family is that he might be renowned among Gods people Whence note these two lessons first That much is expected and looked for from the children of great godly Parents both in respect of the Parents also of the Childrē For is it supposed that Parēts being godly will haue care to instruct and if need be to correct their Children to pray for them and bee good examples to them and being great that they will vse the best meanes and procure the best helps for their good education and leaue them sufficient to shew forth the fruits of godlinesse And if thus Parents doe who may imagine otherwise till the contrary appeare but that the Children of such will demeane themselues as they should And who can expect but good from Children of godly Parents Should not the Fathers graces prouoke Children to goodnesse and their greatnesse to abhorre base practices Good Children will not degenerate from good Parents whose goodnesse will more perswade to well-doing then greatnesse to make them proud and wicked as some Absaloms and Esaus haue beene and yet are to the griefe of religious Parents and at length to the shame and confusion of themselues Secondly here may be obserued that God giueth Children to the better sort great and honorable that they may become famous amongst Gods people So conceiued these godly women of this Sonne of Boaz for indeed all the blessings of riches and honor giuen vnto Parents are not only giuen for their owne good but amongst other ends for the better inabling of them to bring vp their family in good order and especially their Children in the waies of God for his seruice and honour as they haue more meanes to prouoke them thereto Let therefore such Parents here take such a course with their Children as they may make them by Gods blessing famous in Isreal in Gods Church and among his people which they may effect by these good meanes First by being euery way and at all times a good example of piety to them as Dauid was and Zacharie Psal 101. Luk. 1. Secondly by instructing them carefully in godlinesse and Religion as Parents are commanded Ephe. 4. 4. Prou. 4. and as Dauid did instruct Salomon Thirdly by seeing them set to the practice of that which they are taught and to haue an especiall eye thereto Men teach their Children good manners among men for ciuill carriage of their outward man and will see therein if they offend and reprooue them so should they thus see to them in their Christian good manners and behauiour towards God and good men and in euery Christian duty towards all Fourthly by setling them in some particular calling as Adam the Monarch of the world did his sonnes to keepe them from idlenesse from being busie-bodies and from a world of wickednesse which such as liue but of a calling runne into Fifthly by restraining them from ill company idle wanton prodigall and prophane persons and exhorting them to haue fellowship with such as feare God also with ciuill and honest men well reported of well brought vp and well disposed vnto goodnesse Sixthly by commending countenancing and encouraging their well doing both by present rewards and promises of future good but if they doe ill then fatherly to admonish at the first to with-hold them from euill by loue rather then by slauish feare but if this will not preuaile then to rebuke sharpely and to punish as the cause shall require Thus if Parents would doe there is no doubt but by Gods mercy many mens children of place may become famous in Israel and not be so infamous as some be to Parents shame and their owne ouerthrow Verse 15. And he shall be vnto thee a restorer of thy life and a nourisher of thine old age for thy daughter in law which loueth thee which is better to thee thenseuen sonnes hath borne him THis is still the continued speech of the women to Naomi the scope whereof is still to comfort her in foreshewing what this Babe should be vnto her and the reason why they so speake of him And he
her true loue both to the mother and the child She was in the house of Boaz that great rich man we here see and so well prouided for in her old age yet would shee take paines and not be idle So wee see that the godly though old and well prouided for yet will set themselues to labour and doe something for they make conscience of their time not to spend their dayes in idlenesse which they know to be a foule sinne and the nurse of many They will labour to be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 example vnto others and to spurre the younger on to take paines Though they liue of themselues yet they owe a duety to God to be doing what they may if they liue vpon others herein they shew their good will to be as little chargeable as they may and to be thankefull after their strength and power Now this holy woman is herein to bee imitated and let none thinke that they may be excused to liue idly either for age so long as they can take paines or for that they haue enough to liue vpon because God giueth none riches to liue a lazie life but such euen old persons should liue either in labour as Saint 1. Tim. 5. 4. Tit. 2. 3 4. Paul willeth the widow of threescore yeeres old or in teaching and instructing others a blessed exercise for old folke which will giue them comfort in the end of their dayes And laid it in her bosome This sheweth her loue and with what tender affection shee tooke him into her hands Foure things might moue Naomi thus affectionatly to loue the Babe First her loue to the mother who so exceedingly loued her Secondly her loue to Boaz the father who had so mercifully dealt with her Thirdly her loue to her husband Elimelech departed whose name was raised vp againe by this child vpon his inheritance Fourthly her great hope of ioy and comfort from the child it selfe as the women foretell in the former verse Howsoeuer it was here we may see that Parents carry a heartie affection towards their children they be in their hearts and bosome for if this loue was in Naomi a mother in law wee may well conclude it in naturall mothers which may appeare many waies in their great paines and care in nursing them and in bringing them vp in their griefe and sorrow when their children are any way diseased Marke 9 24. 7. 25. Mat. 15. 22. as we may see by the teares of the father and cry of the mother which Marke and Matthew make mention of In their kind imbracing of them as here and as did the father of the prodigall sonne In their great ioy to heare of their well-fare as Iacob did reioyce to heare of Ioseph Gen. 45. 27 28 In their easie natures soone reconciled to their children when they humble themselues before them as wee see in Dauid to Absalom and the father of the prodigall sonne Lastly in their great lamentation at the death of their children as Dauid did for Absalom though a most vnnaturall sonne and the widdow which followed her sonne to the Graue which Christ raised vp to life againe No other reason can bee giuen but that naturall and inbred loue to children in parents else some children are so hard-fauoured and ill conditioned as parents could not so loue them but onely for that they bee their children Let children hence learne to bee thankefull to God and their parents and shew loue to them againe in all obedience And became his Nurse That is a helpe in the mothers nursing of it as by holding it lulling of it asleepe giuing of it meat warming of it and such like helps for the nourishing of the life of the Babe and not giuing it sucke for shee was too old to doe this Wee may find in Scripture two sorts of Nurses dry Nurses such a one was Rebeccaes to helpe to attend on the childe and Gen. 24. 59. to ease the mother somewhat as Naomi doth here and in helping to nourish and bring vp a child in this sense a father is called a Nurse The other sort are milch-Nurses such as giue suck Num. 11. 12. vnto children as in Scripture we find onely those to be their mothers euen them that bare them to bring them vp also that as they afforded them the Wombe to beare them so the brests likewise to giue their children sucke And this is the mothers duety if possibly shee be able not birth wealth nicety nor idlenesse can exempt them from this duety as it doth a number of wanton Dames that they may be fitter to follow their lusts That mothers are to giue their owne children sucke it is apparent by these reasons the naturall instinct in beasts teacheth euery other Creature hauing paps to giue sucke yea the Sea-monsters draw out their brests and giue sucke to their young Lamen 4. 3. ones saith Ieremie and therefore such as neglect this duety are worse then these beasts which we hold vnkind if they let not their young ones sucke It is the principall vse and end of brests in women when God sendeth them children though too many now make them onely stales and bawdes of lust The Workemanship of God should make them doe this First in placing them so high as in no other creature euen neighbouring vpon the heart the Shop of heat to conuey the bloud sooner into the brests so as the heart workes for the Infant to teach mothers to haue affection to this worke Secondly so placing placing them as the mother is taught in nature to embrace the Infant to lay it to her brest the more to worke loue betweene the mother and the Babe Thirdly in making them to haue this facultie to turne bloud into milke And lastly Gods prouiding as soone as the Infant is perfect for birth milke in the brest for the Infant so as God and Nature call them to this duety except any will say that God hath done all this in vaine and might haue spared this Workemanship The very name of a brest Mamma should put them in mind hereof the first syllable whereof is that which an Infant doth soonest speake calling the mother Mam as if nature had giuen this first to the Babe so easily to frame to vtter this word to put the mother in mind of her duety and to giue it her brest Againe God in the worke of nature hath not onely giuen brests but heads or nipples for the Infant to sucke the milke out of the brests and to helpe it hath made the skin about the nipples more rugous and rough for the childs tongue to hold by The Heathen Arist Plutarch Philosophers endued but with the light of nature teach this and affirme that the mothers milke implants in children the loue of mothers yea mothers loue commonly those children better which they nurse than the rest and reason may bee giuen because the mother giueth and the child receiueth by sucking her
Thus Adam was so called of the matter whereof his body was made so Moses of the place whence he was taken Some had a name from their miserable estate and condition as Enosh some to call to remembrance some fauours of God thus Simeon was so called of his Mother Leah and Ioseph for the like reason called Gen. 29. 41. 51 52. his sonnes Manasses and Ephraim Sometime names were giuen from some thing which fell out at the birth hence Pharez had his name Gen. 38. 29. 1. Sam. 4. and Ichabod his Some were named so from that which should come to passe afterwards as Salomon was for that in his daies should be rest and 1. Chron. 22. 9. peace Some had their names from some things to be effected and done by them so was our Lord called Iesus because hee should saue his people Mat. 9. from their sinnes Besides these inducements to impose a name they did sometime call them after their Ancestors to keepe them in remembrance Luk. 1. 59 61. We must learne to imitate the holy men of God in these things to expresse our own graces or to teach our children some duties or to call to minde the workes of God or to remember holy men and women to imitate their vertues And we may not thinke this to be too precise a practice seeing Gods wisdome interposed it selfe sometime both in giuing names and in changing of names and the reuerence due to the holy Sacrament administred aduiseth vs to a due consideration hereof in honor of the Sacrament And a good name may call sometimes a man to the remembrance of his duty I knowe that a name maketh not a man good for some haue good names but their conditions starke naught yet a good name may sometime occasion a man to thinke of goodnesse and howsoeuer the party so named doth make no vse of it yet it is commendable in the imposers thereof who imitate the example of godly men in the old time the Saints also in the Primitiue Church and the godly-disposed at this day Which reprooueth such as giue names idly without sense or reason ridiculous names Heathenish rather then Christian and some such names as bee very prophane But of this thus much And they called his name Obed. That is as they gaue him his name so thus was hee called which words may imply that the name once giuen was with authority confirmed so as the Infant was commonly so called without alteration neither were euer any names altered but vpon some extraordinary occasion for to suffer a change thereof is either folly or worse if good and honest causes mooue not thereunto Obed. This signifieth seruing because hee should serue as a comforter to old Naomi as the women said verse 15. which is the reason of this name to teach him and also all Children their duetie which is this to labour to be a comfort vnto their Parents of which before in verse 15. Now this they shall doe if they liue in obedience to their Parents with feare to offend yeelding euer to bee ruled by them if they seeke to imitate their Parents vertues and to follow them in all good things if they frame their courses to godlinesse striuing to haue an Heauenly Father also for their guide and direction if they settle themselues to a good course of life to liue within some honest calling either in the Church or Common-wealth if lastly they liue in mutuall loue one with another like Iobs children These things will comfort Parents which therefore let children labour for let them bee Obeds seruing thus to their comforts let them bee Isaacs to make their Parents to laugh for ioy and not Benonies Sonnes of sorrow like Cains Esaus and Absaloms wicked prophane and vnnaturall Note here one thing more before I come to the next words how that this child is not called either Elimelech or Mahlon and yet was he giuen to raise vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritance that might not be cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his place and Verse 10. for this end did Boaz marry Ruth Whence therefore we may perceiue that the preseruation of the name of the dead stood not in anothers bearing of his name so to be called as he was but rather in the issue hauing a right to the inheritance and inioying of it that it might not bee alienated from the kindred and stocke of the dead which being so sheweth the grosse folly and wrong which some shew to their neere blood in disinheriting daughters and passing their inheritance vnto meere strangers for a very bare name as if that were to hold vp their name when oftentimes it commeth to passe that such sell away the inheritance and so roote out their name which is better kept by continuing an inheritance in their blood and bowels then by the sound of a word vpon the person of a stranger this folly we see by examples to be condemned and cursed before our eyes in not a few Hee is the Father of lesse the Father of Dauid These words are added to shew first who this Obed was or rather what a one he came to be in his posteritie euen very honorable and of high renowne Here wee see that as Ancestors may grace posteritie so honorable of spring may grace Ancestors and forefathers Againe by these words we vnderstand when this Story was written euen in the daies of Dauid and that also when he was chosen of God from his brethren for else Iesse his eldest sonne should haue been named and not Dauid who was the seuenth and youngest sonne of his Father Thirdly these words shew whereto this History tendeth to bring vs vnto Dauid that sweet singer of Israel the chiefe type of Iesus Christ the Sauiour not onely of the Iewes but likewise of the Gentiles of whom he was pleased to come to be their Sauiour also as it appeareth to vs at this day blessed be God for euer Amen Verse 18. Now these are the generations of Pharez Pharez begat Ram. HEre is the last part of this booke and the conclusion of this chapter containing a genealogie from Pharez to Dauid ten generations as they be reckoned in order in this and the rest of the verses from the father to the sonne and from the sonne to the end of the tenth generation The occasion of this genealogie was from the last words of the former verse speaking of Obeds being father to Iesse and Grand-father to Dauid and to shew this the holy Ghost beginneth a genealogie from before Obeds time in seuen of his Ancestors and descended to Dauid his Grand-child Now these are the generations Vsually the genealogies of the godly are recorded but sometime the generation of the wicked as of Ismael Gen. 25. 13 36. 9. 21. 13. 4. 17 18 19. and Esau are set downe not so much for their sakes as to shew the truth of Gods promises made to