the mountaines they are not drowned if the earth quake and rend asunder yet they are not swallowed vp if the wilde beastes fall vpon them they are not deuoured and if the Deuill himselfe would oppresse them yet he shall not ouercome them Then how glorious is our calling That liue vnder the wings of God that feede with the flocke of Christ to whome are reuealed the secrete Counsels of the Lord speaking vnto vs by his Ministers giuing vs the euidence of our saluation by his testament regenerating vs by the immortall seede of his holye word sealing vs with the spirit of promise lifting vs vp from the dust of worldly miserie to the thrones of heauenly Maiestie Salomons seruants were happie that stood in his presence and heard his wisedome Daniel was happy when the Lyons could not destroie him his fellowes were happie when the fire coulde not consume them the Israelites were happie when the Egyptians were drowned Iob was happy when his wealth was restored and the Disciples were blessed when they hearde Christ preach How many blessings belong to the religious Sathan that roaring Lyon cannot ouercome them the fire shall haue no power on them their enemies shall neuer hurt them the riches of the grace of God shall be powred vppon them and the word of life is dayly preached vnto them Consider therefore my beloued what is the hope of our profession whereunto we are called the dignitie of our condition wherein wee stande and the reward of our Religion prepared for our soules Call to mind the examples of the Fathers the promises of the Gospell the oath of the Lorde himselfe the price of our redemption and the place of our saluation you shall finde nothing wanting in Religion that might encrease your blessednes Therefore how happie are the eares that heare the things which wee heare the eyes that see the thinges which wee see the hands that handle the thinges which wee touch nay the soules that are assured of the fauour of God If all the worlde woulde goe about to set downe the felicitie of the godly and the dignitie of the chosen they could neuer atchieue it no not that which they enioy in this life for their thoughts are heauenly their hearts the throne of the holy Ghost their hands feele the Lord of glorie their tongues talke of his praise their feete stand in his Temple their words are acceptable before him their Prayers like sweete sauours of incense their worship like Euening sacrifices their eyes behold his glorie their eares heare his wisedome and their names are written in the kingdome of heauen Would not any man become religious that he might bee rewarded with this excellent honour To eate his meate with the Kinge of heauen to weare the Crowne that neuer shall haue ende to haue the Angels his attenders the Saintes his fellowes the heauens his dwelling place the starres vnder his feete the euerlasting light to walke in the presence of God to delight him the pleasures of Paradise for the recompence of his Religion For this cause I haue giuen this title vnto these my slender labours vpon this booke of Ruth wherein beloued in Christ you shall find the matter to agree with the title and the hope of all the faithfull concerning the end of their profession so profitably deciphered as hath comforted manye troubled soules confirmed many wauering mindes confounded many obstinate Atheists encouraged many godly persons and therefore I hope wil offer the same fauour vnto you in reading â—as it hath vnto many other in preaching Herein the holye Ghost I meane in the booke of Ruth hath laide open whatsoeuer can bee expected of them that feare the Lord here are afflictions to humble vs death to preuent vs examples to admonish vs here is the zeale of the godly the vertue of an effectuall calling the vizard of hypocrisie declared vnto vs heere is the loue of the faithfull the obedience to parents and the beneuolence of godly persons commended vnto vs here is the care of our parents the gifts of the spirite and the holines of the religious committed to the Church here is the office of Magistrates the Prayers of our brethren and the calling of the Gentiles expressed in the marriage of Ruth with Boaz who was made a mother of many Kings but especially of the king of glorie the Sonne of God the Sauiour of the world the gatherer together of the heires of grace My desire therefore is this that you trye it by perusing and reading this treatise for it is but superfluous labour for me any farder to trouble you with the Argument heereof seeing the whole matter lyeth before your consideration I wil pray for your successe commend the ende of my trauailes which is the comfort and instruction of the members of Christ to the fountaine of mercy by whome the heauens water the earth and the earth multiplieth with encrease and the encrease thereof preserueth the world that by the same power your souls may be edified your faith may be streÌ„gthned my labours may bee blessed that his name may be glorified his worde may euermore be taught among vs that many generations may embrace his Gospel and the course thereof finished our Religion by the mercie of the Father in the Sonne with the holy Ghost may bee rewarded with eternall saluation to whome let vs euermore giue thankes because hee hath vouchsafed vs the dignitie thereof and walke worthie of our calling least our secure liues our Idle faith our vaine hope our colde profession and our common conuersation with the vngodly bring vpon vs euerlasting damnation Your Louing brother who desireth your Prayers Edward Topsell ¶ Guilielmi Attersollj in Ruthae Explicationes carmen Encomiasticon EN Pietatis Honos en sic in regna reponit Quosque tulit casus abstulit ipse Deus En Rutha en Naomi per tot discriminarerum In sanctum tendunt regnaque sancta solum Nec te Rutha Moab distendit amore tuorum Nec colere ignotos barbara terra deos Gens inimica Deo Legemque deumque sequuta Praemia quaesitis diuitiora tenes Quis te magne Bohaz tacitum sine laude relinquat Quid prohibet castis nomen inesse tuum Coniugio foelix Rutham miseratus egentem Nomen ab insigni posteritate feres Vade liber liber titulumque expande decorum Materiâ titulo conuenieâ—te suo Hîc quoque zelus inest quis enim celauerit ignem Eminet ê proprio prodita flamma loco His simul exemplis matres viduaeque nepotes Instruite natos pignora chara rudes Vtilitas duplex partes se sistit in omnes Vtilis iste liber vtilis iste labor G. ATTERSOLL The same in effect in Englsh by the same Author LO here what guerdon godlinesse doth get And how the Crosse doth come before the crown Lo widowes twain before our eyes are set Not rais'd alost before they be cast downe And thou O Ruth renouncing natiue towne And Baal-peor God of
Moab land Art set at rest and blest by Gods owne hand The loue of friends and Countrie ouerpeized With loue of Soueraigne Lord behold in sight The antique age and life of Patriarkes praised How liberall frugall chast pure and vpright But now this mould of earth is turned quite Alas that nought in perfect state should sit The world is chang'd and we are chang'd in it Art thou a maide Learne here of Ruth thy mate To chuse whome God inspires with grace diuine A widdow thou To paines and labour late In each degree thy selfe with Ruth resigne Or art a wife To righteous Ruth incline If maide or wife or widdow then thou bee Thy selfe in Ruth thou as in Glasse shalt see Go little Booke display thy golden title And yet not little though thou little bee Little for price and yet in price not little Thine was the paine the gaine is ours I see Although our gain thou deemst no pain to thee If then O Reader little paine thou take Thou greatest gain with smallest pain shalt make The hungrie stomacke feedes with full desire Whereby the vitall spirites soone renew So if thine heart shall burne with heauenly fire Hereby great fruite shall to thy faith accrew Trie ere thou trust and then giue sentence trew If reading once be pleasant to thy tast Next pleaseth more yet sweetest comes at last William Attersoll In Laudem operis S. Theologiae candidatis Ioannes Brace girdellus HIstoriae methodum Ruthae cupis ordine ductam Haec tibi Thesaea fila sequenda cape Instar impositae facis est vbi Scrupulus extat Hic liber ostendens eruta sensa tibi Hinc tibi doctrinae seruatam sume medullam Multiplicis opus hoc dogmata sancta tenet Instruit vt rigidos casus patiendo repellas Instruit vt dominus colligit ornat oues Et quaecunque tibi remanebit sors locus ordo Ad pietatis opus concitat iste liber Multa docent multi varijs ambagibus aucta Multa tamen liber hic sub breuitate docet Plurima dant multi mendacia plurimae vana Hic nihil est nisi quod Biblia sacra tenet Perge Dei Topselle diu sic pandere sacra Carpere vult frustrà Zoilus istud opus RELIGIONIS Remuneratio per Eundem AVrea mellifluo tribuuntur praemia fructu Si tibi sanus inest relligionis amor Vnica perpetuum pictas durabit in aeuum Semper Aetherco lucet amanda polo. Caetera mortiferis euanescunt subdita telis Caetera postremum sunt habitura diem Caetera cuncta maris voluuntur fluctibus vnà Caetera Laethais mersa ferentur aquis Caetera quid referunt aliud quà m vana labores Et miseras animo se laniente cruces Maxima nobilium pereunt monumenta virorum Dura ruunt subitò saxa remota loco Depereunt vires sic deperit omne venustum Vita perit regum pompa superba perit Diuitiae rapidis agitantur casibus omnes Denique nil vasto permanet orbe diu Lucida diuinus transcendit sidera cultus Post cineres pietas viuere sola facit O quam te memorem dea splendida tu dea certe De caelo lapsam voxsonat alma deam Vox tua durabit dum caeli sidera durant Sola beata salus caetera mundus habet Cum bene nunc vegetans modo post fortuna reflârit Quid valet en pietas candida sola viget Cum nebulis positis Zephyrus spirauerit vltrò Quid iuuat en fastus tollit amica malos Cui micat in vultu patientia pulchra sereno Ciu sedet in nitido fulgida fronte fides Discipuli varijs agitantur fluctibus omnes Christi Christus adest hinc mare triste silet Auxilium differt diuina potentia saepe Vt longo vigeat tempore laeta salus Exilium crux mors ferrum flammaeque famesque Dilectis domini tendit in omne bonum Quos deus ipse tegit suffultos numine dextrae Vt sua quae statuit munera ferre ferant Si non inuenias qua posses vrbe morari Si tibi sint nimia membra sepulta fame Carcere si rigido positus vinclîsque grauatus Si tibi sit medijs anxia vita malis Dat deus vt vincas de puluere subleuat idem Ex humili miseros erigit ille lo co Dat deus orbatis viduisque verentibus illi vt tandem capiant optima farra sibi Ille Israëlem miserum per aequora duxit Hostibus immersis abstulit ille iugum Ille sibi charum Dauidem elegit ipsum Ex ouium caulis ad noua regna vehit Is Naomi reuocat Rutham quoque dirigit ille Vt rectam quaerant ad loca salua viam Vnde aliena sacro stabilitur faedere Christi Extitit atque sacris regibus alma parens Hoc deus est operatus opus qui tempora solus Mutat arbitrio sustinet omne suo Faults escaped in Printing GEntle readers by reson of my charge being farre from London I coulde not bee present at the Printing heereof whereby some faultes escaped the Printing although they be more then I wished yet they are fewer then I feared Of your gentlenesse Correct them thus Pag 3. line 30.31.32 Reade hee nameth the persons where was it done Hee quoteth the place and when was it doone He mentioneth the time The residue being but small amend in this sort Faults Page Line Correction  One 5 21 our Mestres 7 13 miseries gropes 16 31 Grapes desireth 28 19 deferreth not 56 2  Eliah foresee 59 21 Elishah did foresee fall 66 13 fault  77 20 not priuate proud 80 1  duetie 120 14 dulye  124 9 for feare Secondly 196 1â— Thirdly The Analisis or Resolution of the booke of Ruth The Booke of Ruth containeth the lively viewe of the Rewarde of Religion in the familiae of Elimetech wherein must be considered their affliction in famine which bringeth intollerable wrath and miserie to the fearefull and pining death Utter decay and losse of worldly prosperitie Selling and forsaking their patrimonies sojourning and wandering insâ—aunge countries to forsake the people of the Lorde with the Temple and place of Sacrifice Lords Ministers and Word to remaine with their enemies infidels Manie yeares together To dye and be buried among them deliverance by receaving Hospitality as houses for theÌ„selves for their families Landes Marriages plentie Among strangers in the time of their pilgrimage Among their owne friendes at home the famine being ended Returning To their owne countrie where they are joyfully received of their friends to the praise of God in his word to their own comforts in the Lord Readily restored by y e Magistrates to their libertie 1 to be present at the Temple 2 to have Justice to their lands livings With companies gained to the Lord for the increase of the Church by wholesome doctrine sanctified and holy conversations reviving of their owne that he dead to stirre up their names in their houses on
were imploied in their own busines let not the new soddaine vp start wealthy men among vs disdaine at poore laboring persons or thinke it any disgrace to do as their fathers did faithfully to labour in the meanest vocation Secondly after Boaz came to the field he saluteth the reapers saith The Lord be with you they answered The Lord blesse thee where wee see the first thing he doth he prayeth for the labourers in this his godly salutation for he wisheth the presence of God to be with them which is his fauour for his presence signifieth his fauour and blessing as absence betokeneth his iudgments and cursings This we may see in the dedication of the temple by Salomon the glory of the Lord so filled it that y e priests were not able to sacrifise in it the angel saluteth Mary the mother of Christ w t the selfe same wordes The Lord be with thee wherin he signified the wonderfull fauour of God vnto her which should be the mother of the Messiah And on the contrary the absence of the Lord is the heauy wrath of his maiesty as appeareth by that complaint of Dauid Wil the Lord absent himselfe for euer or hath he forgotten to be mercifull and Paul saith that the wicked are separated with euerlasting destruction from the glory presence of God By the which we learn how reuerētly we must vse our salutations least when we wish the fauour of the Lord to be present with others his mercy through our vnaduised praier be absent frō our selues for how lamentable is it to heare in many places with one breath prayers to be powred out for other and bitter blasphemyes against the maiesty of God with wofull curses to the death of their soules May wee gather any comfort by these salutations when men in derision passing by other shall vse the salutation of Boaz other wishing they know not what do as well by their ignorant greetings pray for their owne destruction as their neighbours prosperitie such precious balmes let them not come vpon the heads of the righteous for this is as certaine as the world shall haue an end that all their supplications either at morning noone or euening are but mere customary speeches proceding of the vsage manner of men not of the spirit or religion of the faithful Yet let it not grieue vs to vse this language of Canaan the phrase of the scripture in our ciuill and godly comunication and though al the world cry out puritanisme puritanisme yet blessed is hee that is not offended at Christ Let the Samaritās worship in their mountaines but we will worship at Ierusalem in spirit in truth and let vs vse in despight of the world y e weighty wordes of God his spirit that they may be our owne mother speech we the children of the church the heires of saluation But in this it is noted to be the duety of all men to salute them whome they meete to pray for the successe of laborers and workmen For wel we must remember that except the Lord doe build the house the builders build but in vaine and except the Lord do giue the victorie what though millions of horses be prepared of y e battel surely it is in vain to rise early and to go late to bed eate the bread of carefulnes to labour hard cōpasse the world by a thousand deuises except their own prayers the prayers of the faithful appeare in the presence of the eternall for thē And this noteth the carnal constitutions of many mens harts among vs which rashly enterprise their workes without calling on the Lord vnprofitably end thē to their owne destruction Oh how it grieueth God his Saintes dayly to heare his name abused by swearing euen among them that husband the earth They crye out on theyr seruants morning and euening abroad abroad to worke to the field but who sayth come let vs first fall downe together and humble our selues in the presence of God and call for a blessing vppon our labours or saie thus much The Lord bee with vs no no that will hinder their dayes worke they hire theyr seruants to labour and not to praie Therefore the prophet sayth You sowe much but you bring but little in you eate but you are not filled you drinke and are not satisfied you cloath your selues but you are not warmed and he that receiueth wages putteth it into a broken bag therefore thus sayth the Lord Hearken vnto my wayes This is the plague vppon vs that minde our wealth and not the welfare of God his Church therefore we labour lyke slaues but other receiue the benefite by vs wee imagine the earth bringeth forth of it selfe children are borne by nature the cloudes must needes raine and our fruites must needs increase thus wee make many Gods while wee ascribe the power of God to his creatures But be not so rude as brute beasts the dogge will craue his meate at the hands of his master more accursed are they which pray not for a blessing at the hands of God the father Thirdly by this salutation of Boaz wee obserue the dutie of elder persons or superiors which is first to salute or speake to their inferiors as masters to seruants magistrates to subiectes and pastours to their people yet against this in outward behauiour we haue many and dayly offences for you shall haue Gentlemen and yeomen which will hardly speake to a poore man being asked a question by him much lesse when they meet him will they giue anie curteous or friendly greeting But heere we see Boaz though honorable yet humble saluteth his poore and hired reapers who condemneth ten thousand that are contrarie minded for proud and surly persons Olde Eli would speake to young Samuel a little boy though hee were the high priest yet hee scorned not so gentle a child what then shall become of these stately person which being saluted will not salute againe as if euery word were gold that commeth from them so sparing are they to speake to a poore or a simple man whereas with their betters their tongs are too bigge for their mouthes whome they wearye with their vnprofitable bablings This kind of euill spirite wil not be cast out till the heart be humbled pride abated sorrowe for sin increased and the whole man perfectly regenerated for by thy wordes thou shalt bee iustified and by thy wordes thou shalt be condemned for an humble heart will shew it with meeknes but a proud heart will looke strangely Fourthly as Boaz praied for the reapers so the reapers returned to him and sayd The Lord blesse thee Where wee see a mutuall salutation much commended for as hee saluted so was hee resaluted like to the Queene of Shebah which gaue princely gifts to king Salomon and Salomon gaue royall rewardes to her againe so that inferiours are bound by the same lawe with as kind affection to pray for
your pensioner hangbies and luke warme professors papisticall Atheistes which come to our Churches to sleepe and there dreame who being come vnto you make you beleeue that their dreames were the preachers sermons and you that are apt to beleeue lies beleeue liars But to come to the purpose you accuse vs for condemning good workes when we attribute no merites vnto them this we deny for the reason is like this None will become a papist but hee that hopeth to bee Pope so none will do good workes but hee that hopeth to bee saued or crowned by them If they graunt the latter then they must giue the former which I am assured many honest minded papistes would not bee though they might haue as much as the Popes father the Deuill offered Christ which was all the worlde Therefore as a papist is not a papist because hee woulde be a pope so good workes must not bee done that men might bee crowned by them Euery Catholike which beleeueth as the Church beleeueth must not presently steppe into Peters chayre no more euery one that doth a good worke must by that ascend vp into heauen Good workes haue another vse then to iustifie Because the eye cannot smell shall it therefore bee puld out noe it was created to see and not to smell because good works iustifie not shal no man do them God forbid they were giuen to the faithfull for outwarde testimonies of fayth and of God his spirite that by them they they might assure themselues and others to be sanctified and elected not that they should helpe in their saluation As the tree dyeth without the barke and fire is nothing without heate so workes without faith and faith without workes is cursed and vnprofitable Therefore wee say let euery one that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie eschewe euill and do good feede the hungrie cloath the naked visite the sicke and imprisoned harbour the harbourles prouide for children and widdowes yea and builde Churches and Colledges for the maintenance of God his worship and learning Yet we say we are iustified by faith we haue peace with God through our Lorde Iesus Christ by whome we were brought to this grace through which we stand glorie vnder the hope of y e glorie of God for all the works in the world cannot satisfie for one sin because there is none other name vnder heauen by which wee may bee saued but onely by the name of Christ Out of this first wee gather the goodnesse of God which of his owne promise and owne mercie accepteth that little obedience of faith which wee offer vnto him What can we doe to the fulfilling of the lawe if we keept all and yet fayled in one we had lost all our labour but if we kept one point onely and faulted in the rest it were like to a man that was bounde to pay ten thousand pound and should offer a shilling but we keepe none and yet hee accepteth vs in the death of his Sonne that our righteousnesse might abound to euerlasting life Nowe the vse of the mercy of God is that hereby wee shoulde bee made more fearefull and carefull not to offende him not as some imagine that hereby is giuen the greater libertie to sinne because the Lorde speaketh peace vnto vs in his beloued Christ for this is as the prophet speaketh being escaped out of a ditch to fall into a snare and as a man which is drawne out of a riuer should cast himselfe into the sea But the regenerate must bee more affraide to offend the mercy of God then the vnregenerate at his threatning iudgementes They will not sinne because they loue God the other will abstayne feare of punishmente the promises of the Gospell terrifie them more then all the terrors of the lawe for they find a sweeter comfort in the presence of the spirite then to rest in all the gardens of pleasure when they finde accesse to the throne of grace through the blood of Christ and by him all their infirmities couered their petitions graunted their sinnes remitted they at peace with God like ioyfull men discharged from euerlasting imprisonment they walke in holines and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life Oh that these mercies would sinked deeper into our hard harts that the force of the cogitation of the blood of Christ might both soften and mollifie purge and cleanse them from wauering and doubting wantonnes and presumption and prepare our fallow groundes fit to receiue the Lords owne feed his euerlasting word which is able to saue our soules Secondly by this when he saith vnder whose winges thou art come to trust the dignitie of the faithfull is commended vnto vs for they liue vnder the wings of the Lord Which is a Metaphor or borrowed speech comparing him to a hen which couereth her chickens with her winges shewing vnto vs that then wee are in safetie when wee are couered with the winges of the Lord. This our sauiour noted when hee saide that hee woulde haue gathered the Cittie of Ierusalem as a henne gathereth her chickens This dignitie of the faithfull is by many such speeches manifested in the scripture wherein the Lorde sheweth vs the care hee hath for our safety when he calleth vs the apple of his eye He sheweth his loue when he calleth vs his childrē his brethren and spouse to teach vs our dueties he calleth vs the braunches of a vine which are good for nothing but to bring forth grapes euen so are the godly pleased with nothing which they doe saue onely the worshippe of God This consisteth in the holy fellowship which the faithfull haue with God which Dauid faith bringeth life for euermore with whome is a well of life and the fulnes of all ioy And in another place the Lord saith Behold I stand at the dore and knocke if any man open I will come in and suppe with him and he with me and Iohn saith He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the father and the Son Here is the comfort of the spirit that dwelleth in vs the assurance of faith which ouercommeth all the worlde the euidence of our saluation euen the confession of the Gospel with the mouth and the beleeuing in the hart the hearing of it when it is preached and praying in the assemblies of the faithfull for wheresoeuer are two or three gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them saith the Lord for he dwelleth among his saints the Arke is with his ministers the couenaunt or tabernacle of presence with them that feare him for euermore Oh who will not be drawne to be the member of Christes owne bodie the heauenly Temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in the sincere professor of true religion that they may haue both the Father and the Sonne Who will not open to the Lords knocking that hee may receyue the king of glorie for his guest
obtained of Phocas the Emperour and murderer of Mauritius that the Bishoppe of Rome might bee the heade of all Churches to whose iudgement all the world in spirituall matters must be subiect by which in time it came to this that hee corrupted the whole Church of Christ that hee got both swords into his hand and made himselfe a triple Crowne after the manner of the late Roman Emperors who had three Crownes at their inauguration and as the triple lightning was the auncient of Iupiter so the triple Crowne is the badge of the Pope thourough the honour or terrour thereof he threatneth what thunder-bolts he pleaseth in the world The Cabalists imagined two Keyes whereby Paradise was opened and shutte from hence the Pope hath in his banner the crosse Keyes telling vs that he hath power to open and shut Paradise for against whō he pleaseth Being thus exalted into the highest place as it was reported the God Termines would not giue place to iupiter standing both in the Capitoll no more the Pope giueth place to Christ although hee stand in the middest of his Church and sit at the right hand of his Father in heauen For this cause as the Emperours had their senate so he hath his Cardinals as the Egyptians bound the Priests of Isis or Apis to liue in perpetuall virginitie so hee forceth the sacred shauelings of his vnholy seate with the vowe of perpetuall chastitie and that he might helpe their weaknesse in this behalfe as Caligula suffered the whoores of Rome in his daies so the Popes haue graunted the tolleration of a Stewes builded by a Pope Sixtus the fourth which in shorte time so preuailed that the Pope receiued for Rents thereof fourtie thousand Duccats by the yeare And Paule the thirde had the names of fourtie fiue thousand Tennants belonging to that most filthie and damnable kinde of life Furthermore hee furnished or rather poysoned the Church of Christ with Friers Munkes Nunnes The Friers and Munkes are the successors of the Essaean Dosithaean Nasachaean and Cynicall heretickes which like these take vpon them the vowes of wilfull pouertie and perpetuall chastitie placing their Religion in abstinence from meates in outward and hypocriticall fasting affirming that they are the successors and followers of the Apostles like the heretiques called by Augustine Apostoliques defending that the Apostles leade a single life and had no wiues so these Romish heretiques accompt Marriage but filthines like the Marcionites Tacians Adamites Platonists and Valesian heretiques and are not ashamed to make the holy Apostles of Christ breakers of wedlocke and wilfull departers from their own wiues contrarie to the writings of the Euangelists and Saint Paul The Nunnes or women-Munks are the naturall successors of the vestall Virgins instituted by Numa as these were Dedicated to Vesta Apollo Iuno Argiua Diana Minerua so are the Romish Nunns to Marie the mother of Christ and other holy women Then also did he begin to dresse and adorne the Temples with Images which he learned of the Gentiles as I haue already declared and herein hee ioyned with the Gnostickes and Basilidian heretiques who defended Images to be lawfull for Christian people and as the Gentiles had their sacrifices for the dead called Inferiae so he instituted praiers for the dead least he should seeme to want any thing which hee should not haue Then also hee tooke the Scriptures from the common people least they should espie his lewdnesse and as Lysis the Pythagorean blamed one of his fellowes for making knowne abroade their Masters precepts so hee blameth all those that shall open the misteries of the Gospell to the common people and as the Magicians of Persia were wont to sing to their Idols in a strange tongue so the Pope commanded all things to bee done in the Church in an vnknowne language wherein they also ioyne with the Basilidian heretiques who gaue this as a principle that their misteries must be concealed and reuealed onely to a few being worse then the Pythagoreans who commaunded but fiue yeares silence to their Disciples but the Papistes keepe men all their liues from reading speaking and conferring on the Scriptures By this meanes he deceiued the world with iugling like the heretiques called Mirabiliarii and affirmed that faith commeth by nature like the Basilidians and Gnosticks they taught that euerie one that would be saued must be annoyled in their sickenesse like the Heracleonite heretiques that it is lawfull for women to Baptise like the Marcionites that children vnbaptised are not vnder the couenant and that grace is giuen with the outward signe like the Arrians and Heracleonites that children must be annoynted with Oyle in Baptisme like the heretiques Marcus and Marcosus that Baptisme washeth away originall sinnes and such actuall as are committed before like the Nouatians and Messalian heretiques that the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord after the words of Consecration spoken is the verie body and bloud of Christ so the heretiques called Marcites said they made by coniuration and for this cause the Pepuzian heretiques baked the bloud of man with the bread ordained for this supper that wine must bee mingled with water as the Artotyrites said they must offer Cheese with the bread in the Sacrament that good workes merite eternall life like the Pelagians Catharites and Mahumetistes that a man since the fall of Adam hath free will and that God hath Predestinated none like the Pelagians that it is lawfull for vs to sweare by creatures as the Virgine Marie Saints and Angels so doe the Manichaeans and Mahumetistes that some sinnes be mortall and some veniall so doth Mahomet affirme with a thousand like most vaine wicked wretched blasphemous and damnable assertions which were most easie to bee proued if there were any question of it By this your Ho. may perceiue that their Religion is but patched of many condemned heresies defended by vnwritten traditions and maintained by violent and forcible dealing like the Chamelaeon they haue often changed and poysoned the world but the scriptures are as a Baye lease to cure the contagion of such mortall confusion and thus in some sort I haue perfourmed my promise in deliuering the vanity of the world which hath refused the wisedome of the eternall word of God The end of this my speech is to shew the wonderfull and incomparable treasure of the holy Scriptures for as the Golde hath the brightest beames being laide to the Copper as the Adamante is of greatest force when the loade stone is beside it and the purest colour hath the best hiewe when the countersaite is compared with it so the blessing of God in his word doth most magnificently appeare when wee behold before our eyes the counterfaite colours of superstitious conceipts the crooked deuises and cursed opinions of the condemned Crue which haue refused the waye of life declared herein and chused the path of damnation for the hire of their superstition The Scriptures are not only a Castle to keepe
vs from heresie but also a salue or remedie if wee haue been poysoned by falshoode The sting of the Scorpion is cured by applying the Achates stone the grasse Alimos preserueth the famished person from death The Baare hauing eaten Mandragora saueth his life by the little Emmet and the poyson of the Chamelaeon is expelled by a Baye leafe euen so the word of God cureth the heresies of Poperie which are compared to the stinging of the Scorpions in the Scriptures it is the fruite of the tree of life and whosoeuer eateth and disgesteth in shall neuer die it is a preseruatiue against all poyson and the leaues thereof shall cure the nations By this alone the Lord hath wrought the calling of his children the confusion of his enemies the comfort of his Saintes and the replenishing of his kingdome All the Kings of the earth haue beene in armes against it yet the ministers thereof who neuer bore armes against them by their onely preaching haue wonne a glorious fielde All Egypt coulde not resist Moses and Aaron because they came on the Lordes message no more shall all the world ouercome the preachers of peace so long as they faithfully performe their heauenly Ambassage Wordes haue wrought more then weapons the spirite hath pearced more then the Speare the wals of Paper and the ordinaunce of Fathers haue battered downe the stately kingdome of the whoore of Babilon learning hath done better seruice then Launces Gownes haue conquered moe then Gunnes Bookes haue done more good then Bullets and the prayers of the faithfull haue preuailed more then the Pikes of horsemen the stone which the builders refused is become the head of the corner this is the Lordes doing it is maruailous in our eyes the bloude of the dead Martyrs hath giuē greater wounds in this quarrell then the swords of the liuing souldiours But thus I haue too long troubled your Hon. with that which you knewe before and haue presumed on your fauour for the acceptation of these my slender labours vpon one parte of Scripture the booke of Ruth which as the holy Ghost hath vouchsafed to call by the name of a woman to the praise of the whole sexe and euerlasting commendation of her Religion so am I emboldned to Dedicate it to so Honourable a Lady as your selfe whome I know to be a Ruth by Religion though a Noble woman by birth For many witnesses can testifie this also if I should be silent and the ordinarie exercises at Seuenoke will sound your name because your presence and diligence at them hath stirred vp manye meaner persons comforted some godly people thereabout and much euery way countenanced and encouraged the preachers of the same There are many causes which might compell me though vnwilling to commit my labours to the Presse yet willingly to present them to the world vnder the name of your Honour For I am assured of the acceptation of any small thing that shall bee offered in the name of Religion much more of this which comprehendeth the recompence and rewarde of our profession Your Honour knoweth that better is it to see the smoke of ones owne Countrie then the fire of another so I trust my slender studies which are but as smoke being compared with the burning coales of others knowledge such as dayly you heare shall be the better accepted because there I had my being where your Honour hath your dwelling Also I am hereunto moued that I might haue any occasion to testifie my bounden dutie which I owe vnto that Noble and worthie Gentleman Sir Henrie Leonard your Sonne of whome I haue receiued especiall encouragementes in the course of my studies and to whom I must remaine a debtour to the ende of my dayes being no wayes able to recompence his wonted kindnesse but onely by this daylye to praye for the life and prosperitie that hee may be as the heyre of your Honour so an ornament of the Noble house of the Dacres And the God of all peace blesse your owne person with such blessings as you daylye desire that you may still liue to the comfort of the godlye in this present life to the enlarging of your owne Honour to the reioysing of your whole family and to the endlesse saluation of your owne soule with Iesus Christ the Sauiour of all them which haue vnfainedly embraced true religion London this first of October 1596. Your Honours to command in the Lord. Edward Topsell To all them that haue vnfainedly embraced true Religion DEarely beloued in Christe when I consider that comfortable Oracle of the Apostle when he saith that godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of the life to come it commeth into my mind that religion is none of the meanest professions that is laboured for in the worlde for the greatest rewardes are promised to the chiefest exploytes and the worthiest enterprises are Crowned with glorious benefits Ioseph for his wisedome was made the gouernour of Egypt Othniel for his seruice receiued Aisah the daughter of Caleb for his wife Iiphtah for his victorie was made iudge of Israel and Dauid for his Musicke was made one of the Courtiers of Saul In so much as it seemeth an ordinarie practise that euerie knowledge is rewarded with some curtesie whereby wee are certified that it is no maruaile to heare hope for so excellent blessings as are promised to the Religious For they are the house of the Lorde and as hee dwelleth with all maiestie in heauen so he raigneth with all Authoritie in the righteous they are a chosen generation borne of God a Royall and holy priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people the free men of Christ the inheritours of the earth the iudges of the worlde the coheires of Christes kingdome and the Cittizens of heauen If wee looke for their Nobilitie they are the Sonnes of God if for their instruction they are taught of God if for their tuition the heauenly Angels are their seruants if for their degrees they are kings and priestes for the eternal God if for their calling they are Saintes if for their life it is heauenly if for their wealth it is the whole worlde and finally their death is the birth day of all felicitie For this cause Dauid desired rather to bee a doore-keeper in the house of God then a dweller in the stately tents of the wicked as if the meanest condition among the professors of Religion were more excellent then the chiefest estates among the worldlings their Crosses excell the others Crownes their barrenesse the others fruitfulnesse their humilitie the others honour their ignorance the others knowledge their simplicitie the others wisedome their weakenesse the others strength and a little thing that the righteous hath is better then the great possessions of the vngodly When there is famine they are satisfied when ther is warre they are deliuered when there is plague they are without daunger if fire fall from heauen it shall not burne them if the waters arise aboue
of the earth Of all these mistryes you may see in the booke of Iudges Samuel and Kings to which I referre you at your leasure as of Saul Dauid Ieroboam Achab Zidkia others as in this present place where they are oppressed ten yeares together so that heauen and earth may passe but the word of the Lord abideth for euer For this cause the prophets adde to their preaching of iudgmentes Thus sayth the Lorde as if they had said it shall neuer bee altered And if the lawes of heathen men such as the Medes and Persians might not alter much lesse the word of the Lord which is like siluer purified seuen times should haue any drosse or changeable substaunce in it Wee see the law of nature stand inuiolable for euer and shall not the law of him which made nature be also immutable when the fire ceaseth to bee hote and the water to be colde then shall be exception taken against God his iudgments and not before The vse of this doctrine is to cast downe the presumption of notorious sinners who to auoyd the terrors of God his iudgmentes deceiue their owne soules vvyth this that God is mercifull So that in theyr most singular sinnes they will flye to the mercyes of God as if they were the verie bonde of all iniquitie yea and these kinde of people perswade themselues to bee as good Christians as anie in the worlde because they can saie the Lord is mercifull But heare me a little in one word I praie you I am perswaded that I speake to many these people this daie What hurt hath the Lorde done vnto you that you rob him of his iustice Shall the Prophet be found a liar that sayth The Lord is iust in all waâ—es and holy in all his workes Or shall the Apostle speake vntruth that sayth It is a iust thing with God to render affliction to them that afflict you release to you that are afflicted Why shall we then spoile God of his iudgements vnlesse wee wyll depriue our selues of our owne saluation But you will saie this serueth for the wicked as Atheists Turkes Pagans Infidels and such lyke which shall haue no part with Christ I answere what greater wickednes can there be than to depriue God of his iustice Would a mortall man indure to be accounted without honestie and shall the euerlasting king abide to be spoiled of his righteousnesse Nay the iustice of God pertaineth to such as you would be holy persons as well as to anie For what saith the Prophet When the iust man turneth from his righteousnesse to doo iniquitie he shall die in it And Peter sayth that iudgement must begin at the house of God And a father once saide God of his most deere iustice hath decreed the summe of all discipline both in exacting and in defending as if he had sayd there is no correction of the Lord but it proceedeth from his iustice now the children of God are corrected for hee scourgeth euerie child whom he receiueth And therfore the iudgmentes of God must bee thundered out as well for the confirming of the faithfull as the confusion of Infidels But others there are that are so farre past feeling of either mercies or iudgements that as soone the deafe adder wil heare the voice of the charmer as they anie impression of terrour for sinne Hence commeth this custome of sinning which euerie sabboth commit their wonted iniquitie euerie houre vomit out their poison of blasphemies and euerie daie violate the lawes of charitie who through their dayly staring on the sonne of righteousnesse are nowe become starke blinde and with the continuall noise of God his waters are made so deafe that they can heare no goodnesse Vnto both these sortes of people hearken what the Lorde sayth in his Gospell But if that euill seruant shall saie in his heart the Lorde deferreth his comming and shall begin to finite his fellow seruants and to eate and drinke with the dronken The Lord of that seruant shall come in a daie that hee looketh not for and in an houre that hee knoweth not and shall separate him and giue him his parte with vnbeleeuers there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth This shall be the end of secure christians and contemptuous sinners carnall Atheists despisers of wholsome doctrine which haue no part but in this present life with endlesse and fearefull damnation in the world to come Thus much of the first parte the circumstance of time now let vs go to the thing which is the second parte of the occasion There was a famine in the land This was the chiefe cause which moued these persons to trauell the auoiding of the pinching penurie of fearefull death by lingering till the end of this pining famine Of all the punishments of sinne which happen in this life theâ—e is none more vehement than famine Therefore the Lord by the Prophet threatneth to send his arrowes of famine to breake the staffe of bread Where he alludeth to a maine battell signifying vnto vs first as the arrow is the fittest instrument to break the ranke so a famine is the sharpest weapon to dismaye the couragious stomackes of rebellious sinners For as the arrowe is alwaie in sight so a famine euer in sense the arrowe hurteth but not with a speedie death a famine spoileth yet with tedious miserie the arrowe entered doth procure more paine and greater wound at the pulling forth than the falling in euen so abundance of meate sooner dispatcheth a famished person than lingering hunger Therefore Dauid put to his choice of three plagues famine flying and pestilence chose the last as the most sodainest and therefore accompanied with lesse griefe for that disease by the rule of phisicke is most daungerous which is the longest in growing Now wee may reade of many famines in the Scripture one and the first we read of was in the dayes of Abraham another in the daies of Izhak his sonne Seuen yeeres famine was in Egypt where Ioseph by the hand of God succored the Church in his fathers familie And to omit that in Dauids time and that in Ahabs time with those in the dayes of Iehoram and Zidkia with many others VVee reade in the new Testament of a vniuersall famine in the dayes of Claudius Caesar prophesied by Agabus when the Church dyd most notably releeue one another Vnto the which wee may adde that at the destruction of Ierusalem about fortie yeeres after Christe All which are most worthie spectacles of humane miserie and worthy examples of God his iudgementes to terrifie all them which saie in theyr prosperitie they shall neuer be moued There wee may reade of the pittifull death of many thousands which starued in the streetes in the face of theyr dearest friendes and yet were not able to releeue them There wee may see howe men were driuen to eate dogges cats rats mice and horse
flesh but that which is most miserable the mothers to succour theyr stomackes and bodies with the slaughter and eating of their owne children VVhat heart of Adamant would not weepe yea rather bleede at the sight heereof And yet beholde a greater famine than all these Is it possible yea verily a famine of the worde of God when men shall goe from one sea to another and from the North to the East running to seeke the word of God shall not find it In that daie shall fall both the fayre virgins the young men which sweare by the idols of Schomron saie As thy God liueth O Dan and as the God of the waie of Beershebah liueth they shall fal neither shall they euer rise vp again Is not this greater than the famine of bread There was neuer famine so great but if liberty were giueÌ„ the famine was eased but in this they shall haue libertie to runne too and fro and shall not bee releeued There was neuer anie famine wherewith men were so hunger-starued but some recouered but in this sayeth the Lorde They that fall shall neuer rise agayne Oh that the open contemners of God his woorde woulde drinke but one droppe for a tast of these fearefull iudgementes I am perswaded that the heat of greedie sinne woulde bee so cooled in them that they shoulde recouer the health of their soules which will neuer bee tyll of open prophaners they become publike professours But of all these famines there is but one cause which is the abuse of the creatures of God for so the equitie of iustice requireth that in the same thing wherein they sinned they shoulde bee punished Like as the theese was bound for that which hee stole to restore foure folde Fulnesse of bread was one of the sinnes of Sodome and they vnderstoode not from whome they had it because they were vnmerciful to the poore and therefore abused it by vnthankfulnes And this is a worthie doctrine to bee vrged in our dayes wherein our abuse is greater than our want and yet our want is such as hath not beene heard of these many yeeres The couetous seller keepeth in his corne and draweth vppon himselfe the curse of the poore saying it is scantie it is scantie vvhen his garners are full Is not this to tell that the Lorde his hande is shortned when in deede it is lengthened Is not this to say thou openest thy hande and fillest vvith thy blessing euerie liuing thing Nay you plainely accuse the Lorde of illiberalitie Oh detestable crueltie vvho for to fat vp their owne posterityes vvyll murther the bodyes of manye thousandes of pouertieâ— yea this is more cruell than murther in the sight of God VVhy deale you not playnely and saie the Lorde hath giuen abundaunce yet your price must bee raysed so you shoulde speake truelye and excuse the liberalitie of the Lorde in accusing your owne couetous desires But oh vvretchednesse you wyll not laye the faulte vppon the guiltie you iustifie the couetous whome the Lorde abhorreth and condemne the innocent liberalitie of him vvho giueth to all freely and casteth none in the teeth Another sorte there are more viler than thase who of this great want vvhich if the Lorde suffer to indure vvyll turne to extreme famine yet they will spend more vpon one to make him dronke than vpon one dozen of poore folkes These are the tiplers alesellers dronkards the very caterpillers of our countrey who like the horse leache are euen sucking and neuer satisfied and these onely consume much that other should not be contented with it Of these both cities and countreyes are replenished and the magistrates suffer them with little or no punishment at all but if the poore preachers rebuke the folly their safety is indangered by this rauenous brood who are not ashamed to giue rayling yea threatning speeches And magistrates seruants are in greatest fault who are not onely partakers of this vnseasonable drinking but also deale priuatly with theyr maâ—sters that those which are complained might escape vnpunished Thus are the poore vnrelieued the countrie vnprouided the people vnanswered the wicked vnpunished the commonwealth vnreformed the godly vncomforted and the iudgments of God haled downe vppon vs that we might be euerlastingly confounded There went a certaine man Now are we come to the persons that traueled which is the second part of this verse which we shewed you ended in the second verse they are first generally described in this verse and after specially by name in the next verses They are of two sorts first the parents Elimelech Naomi secoÌ„dly the children Mahlon and Chilion who are all described by the place from whence they went Bethlehem Iudah it is so called because there was another Bethlehem in the tribe of Zebulun and this is that Bethlehem which in Genesis is called Ephratha therefore these persons are in these two verses called Ephrathits of the place where afterward Christ was borne Then it is apparaunt by the booke of Iosuah that the tribe of Iudah had the fruitfullest posession in all the land of Canaan they were the greatest in number the wysest in pollicy the richest by inheritance yet we see when the scourge of God came the famine inuaded their countrie and crope into the wals of Bethlehem and made the wealthiest among them to flie yet this Elimelech which was as appeareth by his consanguinity of the princes of the whol tribe such is the vehemency of the Lords arrowes when he shooteth them abroad that if king Achab were in his chariot in the middest of his host yet one of them shall giue him a mortall wound The vse of this doctrine is to teach vs that if the Lord suffer his plague to continue he will strike downe the chosen men in Israel the chosen men in England yea the noblest among vs who thinke themselues in greatest securitie can he easily bring to greatest misery Therfore you whose heads the Lorde hath aduauncted ouer your brethren look to your calling for the voice of the Lord shaketh as well the ceders of Libauns as the little shrubs in the wildernes of Cades it is as easie with him to bind the nobles in chaines and the princes in linkes of yron as to raise vp the poore from the dunghill to the throne Did not his darknesse couer as well the court of Pharao as the countrie of Egypt Was not the first borne of the king destroyed as well as of the poore pesants of the dwellings of Ham Yea when the Israelites were carried captiue to Babylon theyr King had his children slaine before his face his owne eyes put out and after lead in a chaine neither was hee spared for his throne nor you for your dignitie and wealth Oh that you woulde therefore bee warned of your slipperie estate that you might auoide the heauy wrath of God when without respect of persons he shall iudge both quicke and
Lorde were not able to releeue vs or else were vniust in punishing our sinnes howe can that bee seeing hee calleth for repentaunce and amendement and then promiseth plentye and abundaunce These saintes endured some three some seuen and other tenne yeeres famine and yet wee saye was there euer such a people thus afflicted like to vs with one yeres dearth They were driuen to wander abroade in their enemies Countrie for manie yeeres together shall wee then thinke it such a miserye to goe two or three miles for our corne They aduentured the losse of their liues and wee are afraide of the lessening or diminishing of our goods And shall wee yet saye there was neuer anye people tormented like vnto vs Yea I adde this that euen at this daye there are people in the worlde which sâ—ant in all their liues doe eate anye bread but onely the barke of trees with some other vnseasonable fish others liue on the rootes of the earth some on the fruites of trees And what shall I saye more our wickednesse is greater then our want our sore is smaller then our sinne our transgressions haue deserued to bee punished with the scourge and yet wee are scarce corrected with the rodde our complaintes are greater then our huâ—te and our murmuring exceedeth our misery therefore wee haue greater cause to tremble at that which hangeth ouer our heades then to feare or crye for this which wee already suffer for it is hardly the beginning of sorrow So Mahlon and Chilson Now when they were compassed about vvith the friendes of their vviues vvhich did promise securitie then after a fevve yeeres spent in safetie the Lorde called them avvay after their father Where vvee see our former doctrine iustified that the end of one sorrovve vvas the beginning of another When they were most like to continue then they gaue ouer as it were in the armes of theyr wiues and the sight of their aged mother to whome no doubte this was the greatest griefe of all other that now beeing lefte destitute both of husbande and children she should without comfort liue with the Moabites and without ioye returne agayne vnto her owne Countrey as a bird robbed of her young ones Yet seeing this is our worldly lot still to endure misery let vs set both our shoulders vnder the burthen if it be too heauy let vs flee to the finisher of our faith with zealous and earnest prayers desiring him eyther to ease or to remooue his hande But seeing wee haue spoken of this before this shall suffise at this time to serue for a remembrance Then shee arose When her friends were departed and her selfe lefte comfortles yet the Lord remembred her for euen then came the rumor vnto her that the famine was ceased in Iewry that the Lord had visited the sicknes of his people and restored the plenty of the earth againe and therefore it is time for her to bee hasting home againe for here the holy Ghost setting downe her returne and the cause of the same sheweth that it was euen then when her children were dead for what should a godly woman liue there where were non that could strengthen hir in the wayes of the Lord but rather prouoke her to imbrace infidelity And againe euen at that time when shee was most comfortlesse for the losse of her children came this rumor vnto her of the restoring of her Countrey so that now Naomi thou art here in Moab a sorrowfull pilgrime go home to thy Countrey and bee a ioyfull inhabitant indeede thy children are dead but thou shall haue greater comfort of thy ancient acquaintaince What knowest thou but now the Lord hath called thee to consolation whereas of late thou mightest thinke hee had wrought thy confusion By this wee note that the Lord deferreth to helpe till greatest necessity euen as hee stayed the stroke of Abraham when hee was at the verie instant to cut of little Isaks necke So wee read that when the king of Assiria had inuaded the kingdome of Ezechia wonne his cities subdued his Country conquered his people and had not lefte him two thousand horsmen being destitute of all helpe then the Lord raised vp the king of Ethiop who called the Assyrians from the siege of Ierusalem What shall I saie of Lazarus raised from death Of the deliuerance of Peter out of the handes of Herod the daie before he should haue bene martyred Of the shipwracke wherein Paul was and yet not one of them were lost And excellent is that of Christ sleeping in the shippe on a pillowe suffered his disciples to bee so long tossed with the violence of the sea till they cryed out Lord saue we perish and then hee awaked rebuked the rage of the windes and stilled the stormes of the sea and a peaceable calme followed This is that preseruatiue agaynst desperation which must staie our mindes on the leasure of the Lorde wee must not at the first look for our desires but as Abraham and Zacharia were old before they had any children and yet in the end the Lord promised and also perfourmed euen so when wee haue least hope for obtaining of our desires wee most often receiue them For the Lord desireth our requests for the triall of our fayth and pacience that like as the wheate corne groweth not till it bee dead euen so his works doe not answere our expectation till they seeme to vs impossible that as the most precious pearles are farthest brought and longest in comming when wee haue them we keepe them more carefully euen so his excellent mercies being with difficulty obtained should be esteemed more thankfully Therefore be of good comfort you that now sorrow for you shall bee comforted you that now hunger for you shal be satisfied you that nowe weepe for you shall laugh the Lord will shortly come beare but a litle and he will wipe away all teares from your eies then oh how happy shal they be which haue trusted in him That the Lorde had visited This is the last parte of this scripture being the reason that moued her to returne into her Countrey O it is as if the holy ghost had sayd The Lord looked vpon the afflicted estate of his people supplied their want of food To visit in the scriptures is taken two wayes first to punishe as when God sayth in the second commaundement that he will visite the sinne of the fathers vppon the children vnto the third fourth generation secondly it signifieth some times to pardon or to show mercy as that of Zachary The Lord hath visited and redeemed his people that is hee hath shewed mercy in redeming his people In this later sense it must be taken in this place Now the word properly signifieth to goe to see and is referred to them that are sicke which by a metaphor is applied to sinne for sinne is the sicknes of the soule and is very fitly applied to punishments sent
of God for when he scourgeth he cometh to see as he sayd of Sodome I will go downe and see whither it be altogether so if not that I may know for hee commeth to see vs in our miseryes as a phisitian to his patient whom he hath first or before made sick with his potion or corasiue bringeth a wholsome or speedy remedye with him Where wee note the miserable estate of men in the sicknes of sinne or vnder any of God his iudgments as dearth famine warre or pestelence that euen as sicke personnes are not able to helpe or comfort themselues or to take any pleasure in their wealth though they possessed the whole world so if we be oppressed in the punishment of our iniquities we can not or maye not rest in our selues but in the Lord our phisitian and watchman for if the Lord shut who can open if hee wound who can heale if hee curse who can blesse he that hath the bond or writing must discharge the debt the Lord that stroke must bind vs vp again Oh my dearly beloued brethren now are the childern come to the birth and there is no strength to be deliuered for this is the day of tribulation Now are wee in the ballaunce of the Lord eyther to visite our offences with his famin or to scourge our sinnes with the rod of dearth if either of both continue what end can we looke for but the pining of our bodyes and the consuming of our soules Whither shall we go to escape the iudgments of the Lord we are already clogged with his irons and fast bolted if wee striue to shake them of what doe wee els but rebell against the power of the highest if they continue we are but miserable prisoners and can looke for nothing but the fearfull day of execution Let vs turne to the Iudge before that daie and send vp our prayers as our dearest friendes vnto his sonne that hee may visite vs with the forgiuenesse of our sinnes that hee may sue out our pardon and bee intreated for our transgressions that wee may obtaine the release of our present miserie the remouing of his iudgementes the increase of the fruites of the earth that hee would visite vs in giuing our dayly bread to satisfie the poore with his goodnesse and giue vs all the bread of this lyfe to banish our dearth and the bread of lyfe to escape damnation And thus much for this time Now let vs giue praise to God The end of the first Lecture The second Lecture Chapter 1. Verse 7. to the 15. 7. Wherefore she departed out of the place where she was her two daughters in lawe with her and they went on their way to returne vnto the land of Iudah 8. Then Naomi sayd vnto her two daughters in lawe Go returne each of you vnto her owne mothers house the Lorde shew fauour vnto you as you haue done with the dead and with mee 9 The Lord graunt that eyther of you may find rest in the house of her husband and when shee had kissed them they ' lift vp their voice ad wept 10 And they said vnto her surely we will returne with thee vnto thy people 11 But Naomi sayd turne againe my daughters for what cause will you goe with mee are there any more sonnes in my wombe that they may bee your husbands 12 Turne again my daughters go your way for I am too old to haue an husband if I should say I had hope and if I had an husband this night yea if I had borne sons 13 Would ye tarry for them till they were of age would you be deferred for them from taking any husbands nay my daughters for it grieueth mee much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against mee 14 Then they lift vp their voice and wept againe and Orpah kissed her mother in law and departed but Ruth abode with her still IN these wordes is expressed howe Naomi departeth out of Moab to go into the land of Iewrie The wordes diuide themselues into two partes the first is the iourney in this seuenth verse The second parte is the communication in the next seuen verses The iourney is described by the persons which were Naomi her two daughters in lawe The communication which they had by the waie principally consisteth in the perswasion of Naomi to her daughters that they should returne backe agayne and first shee speaketh in the eight and ninth verses Her speech containeth two partes the first is the counsell she giueth to them in these wordes Go returne The second is her prayer for them which is double or consisting of two partes The first is generall in these wordes The Lord shew fauour to the end of that verse The second is speciall in the ninth verse in these words The Lord grant you that you may finde rest c. Which beeing spoken they lifte vp their voice and wept beeing sorrowfull for this newes and therefore they answere in the tenth verse that they will returne with her to her people In the next verse to the fourteenth Naomi confirmeth her former counsell by waighty arguments which are expressed in her questions and they all are taken from their second marriages The first is in the eleauenth verse that shee had no mo sonnes to bee their husbands eyther already borne or which hereafter might bee borne therefore their labour would be but lost if they went with her seeing she could prouide them no mo husbandes This is amplified in the eleuenth and twelfth verse The second reason is in the thirteenth verse that although she had now children borne yet it would bee to long to staie for them till they were of age much more she hauing none borne and least her daughters should thinke she cared not for them shee addeth in the thirteenth verse that it grieued hir more for their sakes that is the loue she beareth to them then for her owne but it is the hande of God and therefore shee is contented Lastly in the 14. verse is declared the effect of this communication what it wrought for Orpah departed as a woman ouercome by these worldly persuasions but Ruth abideth still with her Of these let vs briefly speake in order as they lye by the premission and assistaunce of the almighty And shee arose This iourney of Naomi to her owne people as in the former verse wee heard was vndertaken when shee heard that the Iewes were deliuered from their famine so it is more commendable if we consider the obiections lets and hinderances that may be made against it First the way was very long betweene Moab and Bethlehem which might terrifie an old woman but if any say that it was no longer to returne then it was to come downe I answere when she came thither shee had her husband and children to beare her company but now shee was to returne alone and therefore the iourney would be the more tedious Secondly the
and leases are forestalled by other that they them selues cannot enioy them such buying selling cosoning and deceiuing borrowing and lending vppon vsury taking of fines raising of rents vndoing of the poore and thrusting the weakest to the wall as if charitie were forgotten and the precept of the Lord had neuer bene written and finally as though all were our owne which we can get in our handling manie giue counsell like lawyers for their fees but few like Naomi for their conscience They licke their owne fingers as the prouerb goeth but few will cast any salt on their neighbors meat if they can get aduantages of their neighbours vpon statuts they sue the extremity as if they were infidells They will not saye as Abraham to Lot If thou take the right hand I will take the lefe that is my brother my neighbor take thou the choise I wish not thy wrong aske coūsel let there be no occasion of strife betweene vs men will hardly giue either coate or cloake in these dayes by suffering iniurie they will rather take both although they thinke it better to giue almes then to take yet they had rather take bribes rewards them to giue Oh my beloued let vs at the length bee ruled by the counsell of the Lord esteeme better of others then of our selues help as many as we can but hinder none Cursed are they that lay stumbling blockes before the blind and giue euill counsell for their owne aduantage Secondly by these words we may gather to whom widowes belong their husbandes beeing dead namely to their owne mothers house that is to their parents if the parents of their husbands will not prouide for them Therfore is it that the Lord cōmaunded if the daughter of a priest were a widdowe and returned to her fathers house hauing no children shee might eate of the peace offrings of the childrē of Israel And Paul giueth charge to the godly in his time that if any of their kindred were a widow of their owne costs they should prouide for her and not charge the church This is a profitable doctrine both for parents and children for parents that they bee carefull to bestowe their children in godly marriages where they may be well prouided for neither must they then cast them of but if neede bee receiue them to their owne families againe for children seeing the Lord doth thus commend their welfare careth for their widdow head as wel as their virginity that they cast not thēselues away vpon euery one they can loue without the consent of their parents wherby they impouerish their frends vndoo themselues bring a woful curse vpon their innocēt posterity Thirdly lastly by this counsel of Naomi we gather that if the father be dead we ow the same duty to our mother which is aliue for she saith to her owne mothers house And Salomon sayth it is foolishnesse or wickednesse to despise ones mother The Lorde curseth him in the Lawe that despiseth or curseth his mother as wel as his father In the fift cōmandement hee commandeth to honor the mother equally or as well as the father Many thinke they may bee more bolde vvith their mothers because they are more tender ouer them than with their fathers but the godly must knovve that vpon paine of Gods heauie curse they must follovv the counsell of their mothers vvith Iacob as vvell as the aduice of their fathers vvith Esau And the Lord doth often cloath the vveaker vessell vvith more honor that thereby wee might learne to continue our obedience to our parents The Lord shew In these vvords the general blessing or praier is contained vvhich Naomi maketh for her tvvo daughters vvhere she praieth to God for his fauor vpō thē as they shewed fauor to her and to their dead husbands as if she should saie I wish no more acceptable blessing vpon you than you haue done to others VVhere we briefly note that our duties which we discharge to parents or husbands are as pledges before the Lord to doo good vnto vs. This maketh him delight to poure his blessings vpon vs when he seeth wee dutifully walke in his presence and it prouoketh those to whome wee offer this obedience to poure out their prayers for vs into the eares of the almightie Euen so the neglect of our duties the contempt of our parents and the disobedience to our superiours procureth both the curse of God and them not onely in this life but also in the life to come The Lord. These wordes are her speciall prayer for her daughters marryage and are thus in effect I can praie for no greater worldly blessing vpon you than this that eyther of you being young women may find quiet and louing husbandes and bee made ioyfull mothers of many children VVhere wee first of all note that as parents are bound by the law of nature to prouide marryages for their children so they are willed by the lawe of God to praie for their prosperous estate both before and also after they bee marryed And truelye this neuer sinketh into the heads of carnall parents who are able to doo more wyth their purses than with their prayers who wish extremities to their children minding onely a wealthie not a quyet lyfe Oh how are wee beholding to such ignorant parents which onely take care for vs that we might bee lifted higher when they prouide not for vs against the stormie tempests of vnquite liues and the dangerous downfals of worldly confusion Let them neuer thinke that theyr wishes are praiers when they saie I would God my son were marryed to such a mans daughter or my daughter to such a mans sonne This is all they aime at simple and bare wealthie marriages neuer minding or praying for God his blessing vpon them Secondly by this prayer of Naomi we note the dutie of all husbandes towardes their wiues which is that they should prepare rest for them theyr mindes beeing troubled they should pacifie them with counsell their bodyes diseased they should comfort them with their loue their estate indangered they should deliuer them with carefulnesse and finally they shoulde loue their wiues as theyr owne soules The Prophet Dauid compareth a wife to a vine which if it be not propped vp with a staie by the hande of the gardener what will it doo but wallow on the ground remaine fruitlesse Euen so the best wiues if they bee not carefully maintained by the kindnes of their husbandes their sorrowfull liues will increase their curse yea destroie the fruit of their owne bodies The Apostle wisheth husbands to loue their wiues as Christ loued his Church which is not only mindfull to deliuer it out of present dangers but also hath redeemed it from the curse of eternall damnation so the husbands duties are to prouide for the temporall welfare of their wiues bodies and specially for the euerlasting saluation of their soules that they twayne
which in this life haue had corporall society in the life to come might enioy eternall felicity Now this condemmeth the carnall behauiour of wretched husbandes who vse their wiues as their seruants and not as themselues who deale with them as men do with nuts first they reach and trauaile for them and hauing gotten them they take out the kernell but they tread the shell vnder their feete so they hauing gotten the wealth the bewtie the health and young yeares of their wiues despise their gray haires which are their greatest credite as the shels wherein the kernel was giuing thē ouer in their weakest daies wherin they want greatest comfort Is this the rest you prouide for your wiues to cause them to weare their bodyes with weary trauailes to consume their minds with dayly griefe to procure their paines by bearing of children and to lay the greatest burthens vppon the smallest beasts for so some most wretchedly terme them Oh looke vnto it this measure will the Lord measure to you againe yee vnnaturall husbands which follow your pleasures and pastimes abroade and neglect your profits and sorrowfull wiues at home To fly ouer the seas with vnnecessarie iourneyes to frequent the company of suspected women to follow the counsel of vaine persons spending their patrimonies bringing thēselues their wiues posterity to woful misery Is this to dwell with your wiues like men of knowledge Is this to giue honor vnto thē as the weaker vessels Is this to account them the heyres of the same grace finally is this to see their praiers be not interrupted Nay rather ther are many thousand husbands which neuer either could or would pray with their wiues that think neither vpō heauē nor hell and haue no knowledge of their duties towards God or their neighbours much lesse to their wiues than brute beasts carnal infidels prophane atheists the murderers of thēselues of their own posterity Oh fearful danger that hangeth ouer your heads whō neither the lawes of God can compel to learne their duties or men instruct them to amend their liues But you my beloued who are guiltles in this point are the blessed of the Lord forsake not your carefulnes alredy begū that you loose not your reward Thirdly by this praier we obserue the duties of wiues or women in families namely that they shuld be peaceable thēselues for if they seeke peace they must ensue peace and if their ioy consist in the quietnes of the family they must be carefull they breake not the vnity If like Ismael their hands be against all the hands of all vvill be against them if they will bee the louing turtles they must not bee the chattering pies if they be the vines their fruit must be grapes out of grapes commeth wine wine reioiceth the hart of man so women must reioyce their husbands and families Some women wil neuer be at rest til they beare rule wil say their husbands loue them not except for their sakes they will displace their seruants fall out with their neighbours enuy their friends and in all things follow their mindes such men giue not peace to their wiues but swoords to slay themselues with all The harkening ouer much to womens counsell old Adam and wee his posterity may for euer lament yet godly men may heare their godly wiues remembring alway themselues to be the head the choise to rest in them eyther to lyke or dislike their counsell And they answered This is the answere of these women to the counsel blessing of their mother in law wherin they refuse to returne promise to go with her to her own people as if they should saye wee are rather bound vnto thee thē to our own mothers for thy sake whose godly conuersatiō we know are we drawn in loue with the whole people so that in these words they testifie their louing affection to their mother their desire to be with her among her people and the cause vndoutedly to be her godly wise conuersation with thē in the land of Moab Wher we note the duty of al the faithful which is so to walke that other by their good example may bee drawne to loue the trueth For surely these women liked wel of the religiō of Naomi but much better of her conuersation as a thing they better vnderstoode then the other For this point the Apostle warneth that wee walke in wisedome because of them that are without And Peter sayth to the dispersed Iewes of his time that they must haue a good conuersation among the gentils insomuch as their enemies might haue no occasion to speake against them And our sauior sayth Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works glorifie your father which is in heauen For as the vnbeleeuing husband may be wonne by the godly behauiour of the beleeuing wife so many infidells carnall persons are sooner drawne to the Lord by the works which they see then by the words which they heare Seeing this is plaine by the word of god where shal I beginne to complaine of this our vnhappy age wherein are but few talkers of God his word but much fewer walkers when the Gospell of Christ is made the cloake of wickednes Oh how grieuously is the Church of God rent in sunder by daily disquietnes insomuch as there is no peace amōg vs. Can the infidells papists say of vs as old Emor said of Iacob his family These men are mē of peace therfore let vs be circumcised with them What peace is ther left in the Church of God Truly we are like vnto a tree we agree all in the body of religiō but as the branches spred themselues an hundred wayes so in our indifferentest pointes of religion there is little or no vnitie There is no care had of giuing offences vnto the weake there is no conscience to staie the slaunder of the Gospell Oh how grieuous is it that many nowe a daies will defende their dissimulation by saying Take heed to our wordes and not to our deedes liue as we saie and not as we do making Christianitie like the profession of pharisies which saie and doo not Esteeming of religion lyke the occupation of a Smith wherein one is discharged by blowing and another by beating so these thinke if they can blowe out any good wordes and bee able to cry the Gospell the Gospell the preachers the preachers and to saie vnto Christ Thou hast prophesied in our streets and we haue eaten in thy presence they are right good christians But the Lord shall saie vnto them Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie I knowe you not Yet let vs bee warned by the examples of the godly the exhortations of the Scripture and the motions of God his spirite in our hearts that seeing Christ is our wisedome let vs walke in wisedome or else we dwell not in Christ seeing Christ is our
but also because their age should be alike but if any be the elder let it bee the man In the planting or gardens they get the youngest impes for the continuance and equality of the fruiete they will not digge vp an olde tree and plant him in a orchard of tender impes euen so must it be in marriage for the matrimony of olde men and young women is like Iosephes partie coloured coate which caused iealousie in his brethren for as that was a signe of loue in his father so this is a token of fondnes in a husband But most vnseemely is the marriage of young men and old women which a godly preacher in our daies cōpared to the grafting of a young head vpon an olde payre of shoulders I maye compare it to the mixture of oyle and water the which are quite against the nature of all medecines And euen the brute beastes and the birdes as wee reade of the turtles the harts the Elephants condemn herein the folly of mankinde which from their youth choose their mate and beeing dead refuse another fearing inequalitie of age and nature Both these kind of matches are neither begun in the Lord continued in nature or satisfie the desire of both parties but breake out into impatient iealousie or filthie adulterie thinking euerie daie a yeere till the eldest partie bee dead Oh vnseemely and vnfriendly behauiour towards those to whom they haue bound themselues to loue and liue together beeing the onely cause of the breach of fidelitie cursed discord mutuall enuie and euerlasting miserie Secondly by this we note that it is the dutie of parents in time to prouide for their children if they be willing to it some godly and fit marryage So did Abraham for Isaac his sonne so did Isaac and Rebecca for Iacob theyr sonne so did Iethro for his daughter Zipporah The neglect of this dutie in parents is the cause that so many children match contrarie to their mindes euen to theyr owne vndoing And then they crie out towne and countrie My sonne or my daughter hath marryed agaynst my minde when as themselues are in the onely faulte then they punish them by keeping awaie their portion so as before by their neglygence they sought their dishonestie nowe by their wilfulnesse they bring them to perpetuall beggerie I defend not the rash and headlong marryages agaynst parents consents especially where godly parents are and surely I feare there are but few in England that euer maried so but they procured the curse on themselues and haue often though too late repented their wilfull vngodly marryage But yet beloued bee warned if you desire the discharge of your owne consciences or the safegard of your children deale like parents with them they will performe like children to you the Lorde punisheth your negligence with their disobedience you sinned first and they followed your steps forgiue them their offence and receiue them to fauour againe and the Lorde wyll likewise pardon your transgression and blesse your posteritie with more dutifull obedience to you But this Now when she had perswaded her daughters to returne least they shoulde thinke shee careth not for them was willing to be rid of their companie as those that were troublesome and burdenous vnto her shee addeth this clause in the end of this verse Wherein she testifieth her care for them and her patience to the Lord. Her care for them when she sayth It grieueth me much more for your sake than for mine owne the death of my husband losse of my children grieue me but not so much as this that now either I must departe from you or else with your companie indanger your safetie I coulde not but sorrowe for the dead yet I am more grieued for you poore destitute widowes I haue lost their companie for a while til I meet them againe in God his kingdome but now we depart I to the Lords people you to Infidels and wee shall bee separated for euer Would God that I coulde so promise you prosperitie with mee that so you might receiue the peace of your soules Thus and such like she vttereth in these wordes for her owne excuse theyr comfort Where wee are first giuen to vnderstand how hardly true friendship is separated yea though some parties are indangered thereby Naomi would haue her daughters departe they weepe at it and shee is sorrow full insomuch as either partie striueth who shall receiue the worst The mother counselleth their good and the daughters promise hers shee would haue them returne and liue at rest in the armes of some louing husbands but they had rather trauell than she should go alone And this telleth vs that true friendshippe is not to receiue good of other but to doo good vnto other Choose thy friend that when hee is in heauinesse thou mayst comfort him when hee is hungrie thou mayest feed him when hee is cast downe thou mayest raise him vp and finally when hee wanteth make thou a supplie This is godly friendship like Ionathans and Dauids If anie choose friendes for other respects their friendship is carnall and not spirituall momentanie and not euerlasting like the standing pooles which drie vp in summer not like the running streames which indure continually Secondly by this we note that one misery commeth not alone for warres cause death dearth enuie and robberyes sicknes bringeth paine to the partyes and sorrow to their friends euen so death doth not onely bring sorrow for the dead but griefe for the liuing as Naomi sayth it greiueth mee much more for your sakes There is none that die but some shall want them many friends comfortles many chrldren harbourles many seruants maisterles and many creditouers moneylesse by the death of men I will say nothing that the godly may and ought to mourne for their friends that are dead as Abraham for Sara Iacob for Rahel the Iebusites for Saul Mary and Martha for Lazarus and the Apostle willeth vs to mourne but with this clause not as men without hope Therefore the vse of this doctrine is with pacient brotherly loue to beare with the weaknes of thē which seem in our conceipts to weepe more for their husbands and wiues children and friends than we thinke needfull It is their weakenes and what knowe we if the like burthen were on our backs that we should not be pressed downe vnder it like them Let vs therefore consider with our selues least wee also bee tempted and helpe them with brotherly kindnes not increse it with daily murmurings that which is to day their sinne to morrowe may bee our wickednes But the hand In those wordes she gathereth patience for the remedy of her own griefe sheweth howsoeuer she is afflicted yet she is not ignorant that as the showers come from the cloudes so her afflictions from the Lord his hand that wrought her felicity hath also brought her to misery her ease is her patience her weakenes is her
nor the thinges of the world for he that loueth the worlde the loue of the Father is not in him And Christ sayth Whosoeuer commeth to me and hateth not father and mother and wife and children is not worthie of mee Where are nowe our naturalles that woulde be professors but their friends will not let them they woulde be Christians but their wiues will not agree to them this yeere they will be worldlings and the next yeere when they haue ouercome their businesse if they haue any leasure they will heare the word preached Oh daungerous delayes of subtill Sathan studying by the worlde to drawe men from God they lye like sluggardes in winter it is too cold in sommer it is too hotte to worke so they in their youth will be religious when they are olde beeing in age when they bee riche being rich they waxe harder and harder and so continue till the day of their damnation Secondly by this we may gather howe farre an hypocrite or an infidell may goe in Religion Horpah forsaketh her owne people for the loue of God his people she weepeth and cryeth when it is but mentioned vnto her that shee woulde departe shee trauaileth on the way towardes the countrey of God his people and in this her iourney for a fewe worldly reasons she turneth backe againe though as it may seeme with a bitter heart Euen so hypocrites may forsake the worlde and their friendes ioyne themselues to God and his people trauaile and profite in Religion towardes the heauenly Ierusalem bee readie to weepe with them that weepe and lament with them that lament and in any good action set his foote as farre forth as the best yet some occasion giuen eyther for profite or pleasure feare or daunger sodainely turneth sayle and commeth to the worlde againe Euen so sayth our Sauiour of the seede that is sowen in the 2. and 3. grounde it taketh roote it springeth and groweth vp but sodainely the heate of persecution ariseth or offence taken at the doctrine which is taught them or the cares of this life deceitfulnesse of riches choake them By this we learne what to thinke of our softe hearted Christians many among vs that will diligently heare and wring out teares from their moistened braine at the hearing of God his iudgementes thundered and threatned by the Preacher yet being gone will make no conscience of oathes carding dicing tabling gaming for their neighbors mony going abroad on the sabboth day to feasts and beeing sharply reprooued for it then farewell Religion and profession also Thirdely by this we gather what exceeding kindnes an heathen an Atheist or an infidell may shew to them that feare God Horpah for the loue of godly Naomi goeth with her on the way weepeth and kisseth at their departure so great loue did she beare to her mother in lawe that had it not bene for one thing shee had gone thorough with her to her owne people So wee may see many among vs speake well of Religion yet they will not go so farre as Bethlehem for it that is they will wish they had a preacher yet they will hardly eyther on the Sabboth day or weeke daye stirre one foote from their owne places to heare a Sermon so colde is their deuotion but if they giue a poore man a meale of meate or lende him a little money at his neede or receiue a Preacher for a night then he is the onely man in the Countrey But oh Lorde open their eyes that they may see their curtesie is but light in regard of their duetie if for their brethren they would die it were but their duetie howe little is it then that they giue them meat But they woulde knowe of vs what is the way to be saued I aunswere so woulde the young man in the Gospell yet when Christ tolde him he woulde not doe it but went away sorrowing euen so these men may outwardly and inwardly in some measure professe kindenesse and humilitie to be instructed but alasse their profession is far from true feeling of Christian religion Lastly by this verse we note that as Horpah and her companions are carnally minded so Ruth and her fellowes are spiritually minded though one be ouerthrowen with worldly reasons yet the other remaineth inuincible in her first pretended purpose So that here is an image of a Congregation where all heare and yet there is a difference of hearing in one and the same Company one parte with profite another with disprofite one to their health another to their sickenesse to some the sauour of life vnto life to other the sauour of death vnto death Yet blessed be God that hath no earth so barren but it bringeth forth some fruite no people so rude but there are some sanctified persons among them which will not be drawne away till death no battell so cruell but some escape with life If the Pharises will not beleeue in Christ yet the poore people that knowe not the lawe will receiue him for the Messiah Among the mockers at Athens Paul receiued some fruite of his labours and the Gospell was neuer preached in any countrey but it gayned some This teacheth vs to follow the example of Ruth and we shall haue the rewarde of Ruth sticke to the Lorde and to the faithfull with purpose of heart let not the vaine glittering pleasure of pleasaunt pastime or profite drawe vs from the hope of our euerlasting blessednesse The time is but shorte wee haue to spende the labour easie if we willingly endure it the profite euerlasting if we continue to the ende This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our Faith for to him that beleeueth are all thinges possible Let vs therefore heare the worde with diligence that our fayth may be strengthened beleeue with assurance that our soules may be iustified and stand fast in the tryall of this world that bodie and soule may be crowned for blessed are they that endure to the ende And thus much of this conference or communication and the effecte thereof Novve let vs giue thankes to God for that vvhich hath bene spoken The thirde Lecture Ruth cap. 1. Vers 15.16.17 15. And Naomi saide beholde thy sister in lawe is gone backe to her people and to her gods returne thou after thy sister in lawe 16. And Ruth answered intreate me not to leaue thee nor to depart from thee for whither thou goest I will goe and where thou dwellest I will dwell thy people shall be my people and thy God my God 17. Where thou dyest will I dye and there will I be buried the Lord do so vnto me and more also if ought but death departe thee and me IN these wordes the holy Ghost declareth vnto vs the conference had betweene Naomi and Ruth after the departure of Horpah wherein Naomi ceaseth not throughly to trie and examine the minde of Ruth for what cause shee woulde goe with her the wordes containe in them 2. partes
in religion or rather in worldlines so shal we haue fauour aspire to the greatest promotions for there is greatest profit finally take pleasure in vnlawfull things let vs say come behind vs sathan For it is not our frend but our enimy sathan that thus alureth vs with the baite of pleasure ease and profite that wee might hang on the hooke of perpetuall perdition Then seeing we haue espied his pollicy discouered his deceipt tried the discommodityes that ensue his obedience let vs innocent children once burned dread the fire and as Iacob said by his own sons Simeon Leui My soule come not into their habitation so let vs say to our derest frends when their counsell a good conscience cannot stand together better breake the league of frenshippe betweene vs then suffer the shipwark of a pretious peaceable conscience The wisest Salomon by hearkning to his wiues disobeyed the Lord it cost him ten tribes of his kingdome if such greene peeces be destroyed what shall become of the rotte feare therfore if angels from heauen must not be heard much lesse deuils frō hell drawing vs away from following the trueth by the mouth of our dearest nearest frendes though it were by your wiues that lye in your bosomes Therfore let vs take vnto vs the whole armour of God that we may stand fast in the day of battell better neuer run except we obtain the price better neuer to haue known God or his Gospell then now to fall away from him againe But Ruth said intreat mee not This is the first part of the answere of Ruth to the argument of her mother it is her petition with the reason of it wherein she protesteth that it is better vnto her not to bee intreated to depart or once to haue it motioned or mentioned to go frō hir for her resolution is that neither the troubles or trauailes of life could separate her neither the sorrowes of death or desolation of the graue shoulde depriue her of Naomies company for she saith Where thou dyest will I dye and there will I be buried Out of which I obserue these thinges First howe the godly behaue themselues in all tryalls and temptations namely that the very thoughts of departing from God and yelding to sin are very gall and bitternes vnto them insomuch as they say with Ruth intreate me not to leaue thee that is neuer speake worde to moue me from hearing God his word to ouerthrow my faith to turne me to disobedience to perish my conscience to hinder my course or to subuert my profession A notable example hereof is in Elisha who was intreated by Eliah as here Ruth is by Naomi First he bid him tarry at Gilgal till he went to Bethel but Elisha said as the Lorde liueth as thy soule liueth I will not leaue thee nor depart from thee then they went to Bethel together and bid him tary there for the Lord sendeth him to Iericho but Elisha answered as the Lord liueth as thy soule liueth I will not leaue thee nor departe from thee then they went to Iericho Eliah bid him tary there till he went to Iericho and Eliah bid him tarrie there till hee went to meete the Lorde at Iordan Elisha aunswered as he did before for Eliah foresee that if he went not with Eliah he shoulde haue no benefite by his seruice so if we abide not the obiections of our friends the reporches of our enemies the intisements of the world the persuasions of our owne fathers and mothers that are against vs in religion we shall loose al that we haue done before yea though they shoulde say as Rabsakeh sayd to the men of Ezechia The Lord hath sent vs to speake vnto you But many will say if profane worldlings shuld discourage vs in religiō those y t are open contemners shuld perswade vs from it thē we could abide it but it goeth nie vs whē our own wiues or husbands fathers or mothers brethren sisters companions acquaintāce shal try vs so narowly But marke dearly beloued thou art not alone Ruth was thus handled by Naomi her deare mother in law for whose sake she had departed from kindred country yet she trieth molesteth vexeth her yet by the sauing grace of God his assisting spirit in the end she acquiteth her selfe like a woman of strength in the Lords quarel for the Lord for our farther triall doth not only proue vs in the lest but in the greatest afflictions The Israelits cared but little for the philistins had they not had giants among them so the Lord will bring crosses like armed men to dismay vs that our valor and courage may be knowne Iob had first one herd taken away and then an other in the end his children crushed to death and then he was strangely visited in his own body but hauing only one comfort in al the world left his wife she bid him curse God die But some say we would willingly be professors but the preachers themselues tell vs how we must be mortified they cal vs in their sermons wretches cursed creatures these hard words hinder vs if they spoke faire vnto vs cried mercy mercy we would with more dilligence frequent their exercise I answere if they speake in God his name whose embassadours they are cannot you beare it for his sake they are not commō persons in that place but supply Christs roome now Christ called his disciples a faithles generation he called Peter sathan a poore woman he called dog when she came vnto him How did he deale with king Herod and with the Pharisees euery man knoweth and are you better then these Paul called the Galathians folish was it not to make them wise that therby he might draw them to the truth they had forsaken euen so the ministers of Christ must handle this rough world setting it out by the titles that by the name they may gesse of the nature If the rich man promise peace to his soule in the multitude of his possessions shal not the Lord cal him fool for his labor if all the world follow the prince that raigneth in the aire shall not we say that they bee without God and so without saluation Doth not the Lord chasten vs in this world y t we shuld not be condēned in the world to come Are not seruants contented to bear hard words at the hāds of their masters because they receiue wages of them euen so suffer God his ministers to speake the worst they can of you yet I assure you there is no faithfull preacher that will speake so basely of the notablest wicked person that is but he speaketh thinketh a thousand times more basely of himself Beare with them therefore you are children infants in religion not able to speake they speake for you to the Lord in as humble manner as may be knowing that the
Berea which sought the scriptures dayly whither those thinges were so or not which were taught by Paule and Silas we know how Paul withstood Peter to his face who was a piller of the church and a more ancient Apostle then him selfe yet hee was faulty and to conclude we must receiue the Gospell as from God the onely author of it not from man least we make the preaching of the corsse of none effect it is farre surer to send vs to the fountaines of the written word of God then to the braines of the best learned in the world Therfore the conclusion is that we must not in the foundation of religion depend vpon men or angels though we were neuer so truly taught by them but must referre our faith and the credit therof to the onely written word of God But some wil say had Ruth this word of God or did Naomi cary it with her into the land of Moab I answere that it is very likely they had for the Iewes at this day haue the old testament with them in all nations secondly if they had not yet the Lorde by his spirite did persuade the heart of Ruth of the truth of those things which Naomi had taught her so did he perswade his church when there was no word written for the space of aboue two thousand yeres so doth he at this day keepe his church among infidells where is neither preaching word nor sacraments yet not one of them is lost But if any say let vs then forsake the written word of God and attend to these reuelations or priuate instructions of the holy ghost I answere so the Iewes when they came into the land of Canaan might haue eate no meate tyll the Lord raigned downe more manna vpon them surely then they had all starued many thousand yeares ago euen so if we looke for such extraordinary illuminations forsake y e present food of our souls God his writtē word preached among vs the other being ceased we shal iustly be condemned as the murderers and slaughterslaues of our owne destruction Let vs therfore take heede to God not to men ground our faith vpon his word not on humane giftes attend to the voice of Christ speaking by his ministers to the ears of y e body not waiting for extraordinary illuminatiōs if we want this means labor for it as a pearle worth all our marchants substance yea a treasure greater then all the world But of lighter pointes of religion if we receiue any thing of men who in one point haue diuers iudgments let vs learne to examine the reasons of all and being proued by prayer peace of conscience leane to the best neither doubting to depend vppon men or the credit of the truth but to the word Where wee note many things what great care ought parēts magistrats ministers prechers to haue ouer their children people subiects for their instruction seeing as Ruth had truly learned of her mother in law that did she constantly defend namely the worship of the onely one God If Naomi had peruerted her from on heathenisme to another it is very likly she wold haue abode by it but being instructed in the trueth and sealed by the holy spirite of promise shee doth carefully maintaine it giuing vs thereby to vnderstand how inestimable is the benefite of good education and first training vp in religion And ought not this to bee deare vnto vs that watch ouer the soules of our people and children who by vs beeing rightlie grounded in the foundation of christian religion maye happely growe vp like to glorious oliues for the church and commonwealth Wee read when Laban swore by his false gods then Iacob swore by the feare of his father Izaac so excellent was the instruction giuen him of his father that in the presence of idolatrous Laban for feare nor fauour would he alter his religion yea it seemed to be fastened in his flesh that hauing bene twentie yeeres among the idolatrous Sirians yet hee had not changed the manner of his oth the which he lerned of his father Oh where are these Izaaks in our dayes which teach their children any religion indeed men are too careful for their childrens temporall wealth they put them to schooles and vniuersities to be students at the law and men of occupations which are good but aske them why they do so they will answere that they might haue some thing to liue by heereafter neuer a word I warrant you of the saluation of their soules but for that they will hope in God they say and thus they compasse sea and land for trifles but the neuer fading health they least thinke vpon In times past seruants prayed to the God of their maisters but in these dayes if they should do so they must praye eyther to pride couetousnes or ignorance maisters and seruants can sweare by the name of God liberally but pray sparingly insomuch as if the life of God consisted in their praiers they woulde surely murder him they so seldome call vppon him Oh that this hellish behauiour of maisters and seruantes could be reduced to the line of God his worde but nowe they deale with their seruants as the Egiptians did with the Israelits they look for their tasks and worldly busines but they neuer exhorte them to sacrrfice to the Lord nay they hinder them and call them idle personnes if there bee any forwardnes of seruants and children that wayes truely now is like seruant like maister like maide like mistresse like father like sonne like mother like daughter such is the seede such is the haruest they go from cradles to graues and from graues to damnation their whole care is for pleasure and wealth and therefore they haue no part or portion but in this present life Yet let the children of Abraham do like Abrahā teach their sons daughters seruants the couenant of the Lord that all their seed posterity may be blessed both with the temporall euerlasting promise for godlines hath the promise of this life and of the life to come Secondly by this we note the fal of vngodly flatterers which will outwardly for shew or fauor be godly with the good wicked with the profane they wil in good company temper their speech like good men they will trudge trauel to sermons godly exercises because it pleaseth some gentleman or other will say to thē thy God my God your preacher my preacher your professiō shalbe my profession whom you loue I loue whō you hate I abhor Of this sort are many ignorant persons one misliketh our religiō because some popish frend of his mislike it some speaks against our gouernment because one or other which gape for the churche liuings speaketh against it and to say the truth it is very lamentable to see how all religion of many is turned into man pleasing but these tame beasts will one day come to the slaughter as well as
wilde when it shall be manifested that the surest safest way in religion is to depend on God and not men Where thou dyest Hauing promised her life to bee spent in her mothers company shee proceedeth to her death shewing vnto her such perfect frendship as neither the trauailes of life or sorrows of death could euer abrogate and she addeth that euen in that place where Naomi should be buried would Ruth bee enterred for wee know the ancient custome was to bee buried with the fathers or predecessours whereof vndoubtedly the cause was the hope of the resurrecton that as they were buried so they shuld rise together to be made partakers of eternal woes or euerlasting ioyes And by this we obserue the loue which we owe vnto our fathers frends must be of such continuance y t it reach vnto the graue not only to be here the inheritors of their lands but also being dead to giue our bodies to their sepulchres and the measure of it must be so perfect that we must be the companions of life death And truely such as is the loue of children to their naturall parents such must bee the peoples to their spritual fathers in Christ The Galathians to pleasure Paul wold haue pulled out their own eies but men in these daies are so far frō this liberalitie towards the small number of preaching ministers that they wil hardly giue any penny towardes their maintenance they had rather haue their gold then the gospel of Christ their paltry pigs then preaching They cry out chargeable chargeable is the ministery when they thēselues which should pay the tenths yeld not the twentith of their increase such suing for their right such triing of customes such ouerbearing the weake finally they would be religious but y e ministers must be as beggers among thē Who seeth not in many places where they crie out for preachers and promise largely in their behalfe yet when the Lord hath sent them they almost stinke in their presence I speak plainly I confesse yet but the truth moreouer they are not onely poorely prouided for but euery base person pesant pot cōpanion are suffered to crow ouer thē cry out against thē Thus Chirst was before yet like vs contemned of the brauest reuiled of the basest the world I see is no changling although many hundred ages haue passed since yet the maners thereof remaine it agreeth in nothing saue onely to persecute Christ and seeing we are sent forth as a silly lambes among ten thousand wolūs and as men borne out of due time although our calling be despised our labor vnprofitable we made laughing stocks yet our pains will be rewarded our offences pardoned we crowned they euerlastingly confounded So let God Last of all that shee might be no more molested by her mother in law she confirmeth the resolution of her mind by an oth in these words So let God do vnto me and more also if ought but death do separate thee and mee which is an vsuall manner of swearing in the scripture as we reade of Dauid how he swore he woulde bee reuenged of the churlish Nabal for the vncourteous message he returned him by his seruants and is vsed by all the godly in the olde Testament and indeede it doth most notably describe the nature of an othe for it is thus much in effect I pray God confound mee if I speake not this with purpose of heart out of the which wee note many thinges most profitable First that in euery oath wee curse our owne soules if we publishe not the truth or performe not that which we promise as if euerie time we sweare wee shoulde saie The Lord confound mee bodie and soule with sathan and his angelles if this bee not so Oh that our othe-mongers common swearers in our daies wold remember or vnderstand this that wheras in their daies they haue sworne many milions of times so many curses damnations they haue wished to themselues the very consideration wherof would make them as gulitie in their own consciences as euer Cain was for killing a man or Iudas for betraying the Lord of glory they haue with their arrowes of blasphemy shotte thorough boared the Lord to the very neerest place of his life for euerie trifle And truly as the common Inne is knowen by his signe and the black Moore by his skin euen so is an atheist and carnal man by his othe We shal talke with honest worldly men who at euery worde or sentence will breake foorth into most horrible swearing vppon no occasion if they be rebuked they waxe much worse We read of an Egiptian Israelite that blasphemed and was by God his owne commaundement stoned to death How if this law were put in practise among vs where woulde the gallant companions which will sweare by all the colours of the moone become would not they crye out to the hills to couer them and to the rocks to fal vpon them was it not strange that among sixe hundred thousand men which were able to beare armes with olde men women and children almost innumerable there shuld be found but one man that had blasphemed or taken God his dreadfull name in vaine and he must be stoned But among vs if so many chosen men were taken my life for it there shall not be found among euery hundred ten persons which are not common blasphemers Oh Lord how doth thy mercy stay the heauens from powring downe stones vppon vs as they did vppon the Cananits There is not now a child in the streets if he be able to speake but he murmureth an oth onely excepted some few which haue godly parents there is not a woman eyther mayde or wife some few excepted which doth not dayly increase their curse by their continuall blasphemies may wee not now say Lord what is man that thou visitest him or the son of man that thou so regardest him Truly the most folow the counsell of Iobs wife they curse God and dye a godly martir required to curse christ and hee should liue answeared seuentie yeres haue I serued him yet hee neuer did mee any hurt why then should I curse him And I pray you what hurt hath the Lorde done vnto you that you thus blaspheme his honour curse your owne soules rebell against his lawes and sweare many hundred times oftener then you eate or drinke surelie the disease of leprosie was contagious and whosoeuer had it was excluded from the congregation how much more ought this poyson of swearing and swearers to be cut of from the society of God and men And surely now helpe O ye Gods of the earth I meane you magistrats and men of authority this knot will neuer be vnloosed except you draw out your swords and strike it a sunder though you would giue them all your posessions steale away their swearing as Rahel stole her fathers idols yet they will sweare
by false Gods still as Laban did that is they must etiher dy or the wrath of God must be powred downe vppon vs for euer for his curse shal neuer departe from the house of the swearer And if you helpe not to cure this euill the Lord shall curse both you and them with euerlasting plagues Hee crieth and saith whome shall I send the ministers haue said they will go yea they haue told Iacob his sin and Israel his transgression and England his swearing also but they are come again with Ieremie vnto you O princes publish you the decree that whosoeuer sweareth by the name of God rashly hee should be cut off from the people and his house sowed with salt neuer to be builded againe Secondly by this we obserue that it is not lawful to sweare but only by the name of God for Ruth sayth so And so let God do vnto me and more also She calleth not heauen and earth to record or any other thing saue only he which is able to punish or els to pardon knoweth the secrets of euery mans hart Wherby we are taught that it is sacriledge in God his sight to sweare by our faith or troth our honour or honestye bread or drinke or anie thing else Many think they auoid swearing verye cleanly if they sweare by anie of these not knowing that he that sweareth by the gold sweareth by the temple he that sweareth by the temple sweareth by him that sitteth thereon euen so he that sweareth by his faith sweareth by Christ for faith is no faith without Christ he that sweareth by the sonne sweareth by the father and the holy Ghost Therefore dearely beloued let vs frame our tongs to honour not to dishonour God to glorifie not to defame his name For if he that toucheth his Saintes toucheth the apple of his eie what doth hee which thrusteth at his name which is dearer vnto him than heauen and earth Surely the Lord will not holde him guiltlesse but as he hath not pittyed the Lorde in tearing him with oaths no more shall the Lord shew anie mercie to his soule from punishing it in hell Lastly by these wordes of Ruth wee obserue that an oath must be the last thing we produce in the testimonie of any truth Shee denieth her mother once and the second time when her sister went awaie but nowe the third time after solemne protestation made she addeth an oath as the last refuge and end of all controuersie Against this do all the former offend which will not tary till the last but euen at the first rap out their oathes as fast as a brauling dog his barking swearing through custome to truth and falsehood making no difference betweene waightie matters and idle toies especially in gaming playing hunting chiding and such like they spit out their poison against God himself neither sparing the wounds bloud hart death and nailes of the Lord renting him worse being in heauen than the Iewes did vpon the crosse But let Ruth and her companions teach ten thousand of them with what reuerence they must vse the holy name of God shee had not bin past ten yeeres with a godly woman but she had learned her religion both of faith and manners for in this she vttereth both but we haue a great many both men women which haue had twentie and thirtie a peece not with one but with a whole church of godly persons and yet they haue got neither faith nor maners from them they can easily giue them leaue to practise religion but themselues wallowe in pleasure But bee not deceiued God is not mocked when he beginneth hee will make an end and consume your viperous tongues and beastly heartes as the fountain of this mischiefe in the fire of hell We are as importunate on you as the blind men of Iericho the more we are rebuked the more we cry vnto you let not our countrie bee cursed our prince remoued our God blasphemed his Gospell translated from vs our souls bodies euerlastingly plagued To God let vs giue praise The fourt Lecture Ruth 1. Verse 18.19.20.21 22. 18 When she saw that shee was stedfastly minded to go with her she left speaking vnto her 19 So they went forth both vntil they came to Bethleem when they came to Bethleem it was noised of them thoroughout all the citie and they sayd Is not this Naomi 20 And she answered Cal me not Naomi but call me Mara for the almightie hath giuen me much bitternes 21 I went out full and the Lord hath caused me to returne emptie Why call you me Naomi seeing the Lorde hath humbled me and the almightie hath brought nice vnto aduersitie 22 So Naomi returned and Ruth the Moabitesse c. HAuing heard y e conference between Naomi Ruth now the holy ghost descâ—â—beth the issue of this iourney to the end of this chapter wherein Naomi ceaseth to vex her daughter or dissuade her to proceed in her purpose but willingly taketh her with her both of them trauaile to Bethelehem whither they come in a most fit and acceptable time neither hindred in their iourney nor forgotten of their freinds but kindly receaued to their great comfort Those wordes containe in them two parts the first their consent to trauaile and iourney vnto Bethlehem the second is their intertainment there The first part is expressed in the eighteene and ninteene verses hath two members first Naomi rested satisfied with the answere of Ruth vexed her no more verse eighteen secondly their prosperous iourney to the city Bethelehem verse ninteene In the end of this verse is set downe the entertainment they found there which is this the citizens came flocking to see her calling and welcomming her by name in these words Is not this Naomi vnto the which salutation shee her selfe aunswereth in the two next verses first acknowledging her name but confessing hir selfe vnworthie of it in these wordes Call mee not Naomi but call me Mara secondly shee addeth the cause of her speeche in these wordes for the Lord hath giuen me much bitternes this is amplified in the next verse by an allegory taken from a vessel In these words I went out full finally shee setteth downe the vse shee maketh of her affliction shewing vnto them that shee could not glory in all the vaine titles of the world first because the Lord had humbled her secondly because he had brought her into aduersity in the last verse is set downe the time when these pilgrims came from Moab to Bethlehem which was the beginning of barley haruest When she saw As Naomi in the beginning dealt very wisely in the triall of her daughters before they were too farre gone so in the end shee dealeth very godly with Ruth in that shee yeldeth to her answere and petition giuing ouer to molest her with any more obiections This frendly and worthy meeknes is very commendable in all the godly for without this they can neuer in
charity and compassion try and examine their brethren When our sauiour Christ had dealt with the Cananitishe woman about the like cause seeing that silence would not answere her nor deniall satisfie her nor the opprobrious word of dogge dismay hir then he yelded to her desire cured her daughter and proclaimed her faith to bee wonderfull By which wee gather that it is an vngodly thing to try any in religiō or in any good motion beyond their strength for it is no doubt but Naomi if shee would could haue multiplied mo obiectiōs against this enterprise of Ruth but hir mind was to try her not to trouble her to confirme her not to confound her and to shew vnto her what must bee her resolution if she go vnto the Lords people she can hope for no earthly felicitye she must neuer repent and turne backe againe she must bury both countrey and kindred in the graue of forgetfulnes that the thoughts or desire of their fruition must neuer hinder the course of her religion Whereby all the godly are by Naomi admonished to be carefull whō they receiue into their company and how gentlye they must entreate them when they finde their fidelity the rauens will not feede their owne birds or young ones so long as they bee naked till their feathers come out and they knowe them to be their owne which iealousy of soules must teach vs that if wee see not the euident tokens of godlynes we must not receiue yea our owne kinsmen into the secrete of our hearts to communicate vnto them the sweet felowship we haue with Christ for many daily creepe into the church to espie our liberty but as Iohn saith if any come vnto you bring not this doctrine receiue them not to house nor bid them good speede But in this it is strange to see howe farre manie godly persons are deceiued which beleeue euerylight word of hipocriticall persons esteeming them good christians giuing thē the right hand of fellowship opening the treasures of the Lord to these mockers of spiritual things casting the childrens crummes to dogs and their pretious pearles before these filthy swine which tread both Christ and his gospell vnder the feete of their hearts and rent reuile persecute and seeke the destruction of the truely religious would God we were all Naomies in this point to trie their spirites whether they be of God seeing so many false spirits are gone out into the world for we must not commit our selues to euery one that will outwardly say as wee beleeue but first see the fruits and afterwards iudge of the tree We know how many in the Gospel our sauiour Christ refused which offered themselues vnto him for none can come to him but those whom his father draweth And against this especially do all the flattring Michaes and please-man preachers of England offend which as the prophet saith sowe pillowes vnder the elbowes of the people that is they giue them rest in their singular sins if they can say Lord Lord they tell them they are good christians if they come once a weeke to the church their deuotion is sufficient if they spend all their dayes in ignorance vanity yet a few words at the later end will recouer them Oh how fearefull and lamentable is the condition of such pastours and people where they are thus flattred in their sins stroked in their iniquityes they heare the gospell feed on the sacraments dwel safely in the house of God and eate of the fatte of the lands that their iudgement might be without excuse their damnation the greater themselues the prepared oxen for the Lords slaughter house they cry peace peace mercy mercy speake of plenty not penury of feasting not famines of pleasures not suffrings of mirth not mourning of newe wine not God his word nay they bid the most couetous cormorants in croching vsurers prodigall russians beastly drunkards filthy adulterers cursed blasphemers common swearers dumbe ministers and prophane and carnall atheists to hope for saluation whereas the Apostle sayth not one of these shall inherite the kingdome of God Is not this to cast childrens bread to doggs and to make the most holie Gospel a cloake nay rather a patent or charter to worke all manner of licenciousnes surelie if Naomi would not promise any thing to her deere daughter Ruth but rather discourage her from following the Lorde in the triall of her fayth you are as farre wide from any hope of sauing health as heauen from the earth or light from darknes therfore to conclude as the gold is not knowen but by the touchstone so is not any Christian till he be throughly tried in religion as the goldsmith will not accept it though it seeme neuer so fayre till he haue tried it so must not wee loose the bands of sins till they be repented or bind the breaches of iniquity till they be satisfied nor account any a christian till wee haue throroughly tried him Other there are which will neuer bee satisfied in their brethren euery day troubling thē with vaine vnprofitable questions neuer giuing thē ouer til they haue wearied them with their wranglings seking to deface in thē that little knowledge which they haue discourage them from the profession of christiā religion But most abhominable is y e dealing of many with their neighbours both christian men women who forsaking the cursed pastime of carnall cōpanions espiing the insufficiencie of dumbe vnpreaching ministers burning in loue for the pure preaching of God his word and seeking that where it is to be found absent themselues from their assemblies now then they present thē to the courts as wicked recusants where I warrant you they find as much fauor as Paul did before Felix thus we are many times vniustly vexed for good cōsciēces turmoiled aboū for hearing of sermons almost as much as any papist for abhoring our religion this it is that feareth many causeth other to fall back before troubles come dismaieth many weake soules when they see their poore brethren in this peaceable time vnder the gouernment of so godly gratious a prince so tormented as is incredible the experience of this is too too cōmon in euery corner of our countrey where ther is any diligent preacher or profitable hearer Let vs therfore my brethren with Naomi cease to vexe the godly minded Ruths both mē womē our dānation shalbe the greater if we draw driue men from God the laws require it not the magistrates like it not our profession forbiddeth it accursed are those godles iudges which pronoūce any sentence against these innocent persons Therefore saye with the prophet Come let vs ascend to the mountaine of the Lord euen to the hill of the God of Iacob for hee shall teach vs his waies and wee will walke in his pathes So they went foorth Now are these two good women both going and also come to Bethelem and vndoubtedly
their tedious iourney was eased by their mutuall conference but what things happened to them by the way the scripture mentioneth not onely their intertainment is heere set downe how their comming being noysed about the citie they came vnto them and saluted their old acquaintaunce Naomi by name For this question is not this Naomi after the manner of the Hebrues is a vsuall manner of affirmation as we may see in these places of scripture Where first of all we see the wonderfull mercy of God toward Naomi which in so many yeares absent suffered not her memory vtterly to perish but at her first arriuing did publish her name and comfort her sorrowes Thus God hath many blessings in store for the relieuing of his poore afflicted saintes and surely hee is carefull that the candle of the righteous be not put out for euer But as in one day after many yeares sorrow for Ioseph famine for bread Iacob receiued tidings of the welfarre of his sonne and prouision for his familie euen so the Lord compasseth about the faithfull with songs of deliueraunce that though heauines endure for a night yet ioy commeth in the morning Let vs therfore with the losse and laying downe of our owne liues confesse the goodnes of the Lord for as he draue the king of Babilon for seuen yeares from the throne of maiestie to the wildernes of wild beasts so he called him aganie and restored to him his scepter and seate established his kingdome all the dayes of his life Therefore feare not feare not my beloued haue wee now famine we shall plenty againe Do we cary foorth our seed weeping We shal come againe with plentyfull sheaues Haue we sowed in teares wee shall reap in ioy Haue we bin strangers in other lands we are come home with Naomi to the citie of God his people finally those that feare the Lorde shall bee as mount Sion which can neuer be moued for as there is a time to mourne so there is a time to reioyse and as the wicked shall haue measure for measure so the godly shall receiue reward for reward Secondly by these wordes wee obserue the fruiâ—te of charitie or duetie of neighbours and acquaintance for as these cityzens of Bethlehem came to see and to comfort Naomi so must euery one beare some part of his brothers or sisters sorrow in relieuing their troubled minds by their presence and speeches We reade that Mary went to her cosin Elizabeth being with child that they might commune comfort theÌ„selues in the promises of the Lord. We read how the Iewes accompanyed Mary and Martha weepping for Lazarus and the same also we reade was done at the death of Dorcas What shal I say of the four men which brought the sicke of the palsie vnto Christ and most excellent is the felowship of the saintes in the primitiue church which are said to continue abide together with one accord in praier breaking of bread so that their spirituall comfort of praying and temporall refreshing of corporall foode were priuate to any but also for their comfort as a young child is wrapped in his swadling clothes so was the infancie of Christs church maintained by the company of their faythfull fellowship Oh that wee could loue and liue thus together in the bond of vnitye and christian concord that as we are members of one body so we shuld not be so strange one to another as if the eye had neuer seen the foote or the head neuer knowne the legges such is the scornefulnes of our age wherein men are ashamed of Christ in his members if they be a litle falen into decay how hardly will they comfort them as these Ephrathits do Naomi a poore widow now though once a noble woman They will rather curse theÌ„ with Shemei than blesse theÌ„ with Tziba but let the faithfull like feeling members of their brethrens affliction looke vppon the Naomies in our dayes some are poore and frendles other sicke and harborles some sorrowfull some hungry many destitute let vs gather to vs these members of Christ our company will more refresh them then our contribution our talke more then our almes our feelling and fellow prayers more then the distribution of our money let vs lay hold on that and yet forget not this for as God hath giuen both to vs so he looketh wee should giue both to other Thirdly by this we obserue how the world is wont to comfort one another for these Bethlemits say vnto her Is not this Naomi that is they comfort her with the consideration of her name which in hebrewe signifieth bewtifull or pleasant as if they had sayd vnto her Although thou art old yet thou art beautifull for thou remainest Naomi still thy name is a prophet vnto thee to forewarn thee of thy welfare and if thou be now like the stubble after the crop yet thou shalt shortly be as the green hearb or plesant plaÌ„t comfort thy self Iacob always preuailed with God because his name was alwayes Israel the doue shall bee chast because it is a doue the eie shalbe bright because it is the eie Naomi shalbe blessed because she is Naomi Thus worldly persons wish worldly things the best they desire most is outward prosperitie Neither is this simplie vnlawfull for such as is the sore such must bee the salue and where the wound is the medicine must be ministred if in the world they be oppressed in the same they may not onely wish but praie for release yet alwayes remember that friendes and parties must so desire and request it as may bee most for the glory of God Therfore this is our dutie that in praying for earthly benefites we aime at God his will but in desiring spirituaÌ„ blessings we must regard our saluations And more also wee must not so rauish the mindes of the worldly afflicted as if they had no other hope but this temporal welfare but so promise the blessings of God as they may haue a spirituall signification for worldly miserie is abated but with euerlasting felicity And Naomi said In these words Naomi answereth to the comforts of her frends telleth theÌ„ she rather deserueth to be called Mara then Naomi that is bitter then beautifull whereby shee teacheth vs howe vaine are outward and worldly titles for which cause Iames wisheth vs not to bee called many maisters knowing we shal receiue the greater damnation as if he had said worldly honor bringeth death but desire or loue of carnall comforts cause damnation When the arke of God was taken by the Philistines and the sons of Heli both slain the wife of Phinehas the son of Heli died after her trauaile and named her son Ichabod which is by interpretation wher is the glory although there a man child was borne yet the woman forgate not her sorrowe because the arke of God was taken by the heathen for if shee were the daughter to the chiefest in
Finally who would not forsake the shadow of all the trees in the worlde to bee couered vnder the the winges of the Lords presence Where is more comfort to be found but one day then a thousande yeares in all the thrones of maiesty Thirdly and lastly by these wordes as is noted the dignity of the faithful so on the contrary is vttereth the desperate and comfortles estate of the wicked namely they are like vncouered birds also but neuer are shielded with the winges of the Lord they lie open and scattered subiect to all the soules of the ayre euery minute in danger to be torne in peeces by the hellish infernal deuils Therefore Dauid saith howsoeuer they bee nobles and Princes of the earth and haue houses and possessions after their owne names yet they stande but in slipperie places so soone as they mooue they fall Our sauiour saith They are like a man hauing no wedding garment so soone as the king espieth him hee is cast into vtter darkenesse Paule saith they are straungers from the life of God so that being liuing yet they are but condemned persons which euery houre looke for the tormentor then to bee burned in euerlasting fire Oh fearefull estate of all Atheistes papistes idolaters Iewes Turkes and Pagans carnal men and hypocrites despisers of the ministerie Gospel of Christ who as in this world they are without God so in the world to come shalbe separated from his presence with the Deuill and his Angels Looke on your reckoninges you guiltie consciences which euery day adde thousandes to your former inniquities The greater your debte is the sharper shall bee your imprisonmente The oftner you are warned the more shall bee your stripes As none were saued but those that entred into the arke so not one of you shall euer see the face of God except at your condemnation vnlesse you become zealous professors and heare our sermons bee partakers of our prayers and as obedient to the voyce of the Gospell in the mouth of his ministers as if there were a law of present death to be executed on you for euery default I finde fauour This is the second part of the speech of Ruth wherein she thanketh Boaz and excuseth her selfe She thanketh in the first wordes when she sayth I finde fauour in thine eyes oh my Lord because thou hast comforted me and hast spoken those thinges which are to the hearte of thy handmaide For she confesseth his curtesie and thankefulnes by the verdite of the learned is the humble confession of a benefite She excuseth when she saith I shall not be as one of thy maydens As if she had saide I am vnworthy of this curtesie because I come to labour for my selfe not for thee as these thy maydens doe Out of the which wee obserue these things First holy example of commendable thankefulnes much accepted of God and men as vnthankefulnes is abhorred by heauen and earth we haue examples hereof in many wicked persons as Laban his discurtesie to Iacob Saule vnto Dauid and the wicked Ammonites to his ambassadors To speake nothing of Pharaohs butler vnto Ioseph of Nabal vnto Dauid and also the inhabitants of Keilah which being famous in the scripture for the enemies of God so are they branded with this note of vnthankefulnes as if it were an especiall fruit of vnrighteousnes And truely this is most worthy to be vrged in our sinful age for the children forget their duties to their naturall parentes the people tread their preachers vnder their feete for telling them the truth we alwaies remember what we haue giuen but forget what we haue receyued whereas it is a token of the best nature to forget what we haue done to other but to remember what we haue receyued Surely surely vnthankefulnes towardes God and towardes men neuer raigned or raged more Toward God for the continuance of his Gospell peace plenty welfare of our countrey toward men in gadging the benefites that are dayly bestowed by casting in the teeth as if they were deserued The heauens abhorred this wickednesse and the heauens will raigne downe destruction vpon these thankelesse persons as they did vpon Sodom and Gomorra for the like offence Secondly by this we gather that the prayers of the righteous are more acceptable to the godly then giuing or taking of almes For when Boaz promised Ruth this kindnesse she thanked him and no more but nowe when hee prayed for her to the Lorde she protested that hee comforted her and that hee had spoken those thinges which were to the heart of his handmayde that is which pleased her exceedingly well As if shee had saide I am bounde vnto thee my Lord for thy kindnesse but thou hast comforted mee more with thy prayer then with that So that here for herselfe for all the godly she protesteth that of two benefits she was most of all comforted by his prayer which noteth in her a more hungring and thirsting after righteousnes then after all the maintenaunce of this present life for whosouer drinketh of that water of worldely welfare shal thirst againe but whosoeuer drinketh of the water of faithfull prayer shal neuer thirst any more This one consideration made the blind men of Iericho crie so importunately after Christ saying Iesus thou son of Dauid haue mercy on vs. Some heauenly benefite they looked for earthly he had none And this teacheth vs that when we giue wee should also pray for a blessing vpon our beneuolence for Salomon compareth the giuing of almes to the casting of corne into a moist or fruitfull lande so as the husbandman prayeth for a blessing vpon his seede euen so he which giueth to the poore must pray for a benefite vpon his beneuolence But if any gather by this my speech that it is sufficient to pray and not to giue to the pore I answere The scripture condemneth this folly when it saith If a brother or sister be naked and want meate and thou say vnto him go warme thy selfe and feed thy selfe and yet giue them nothing this is a dead and damnable not a liuing and a sauing faith of these kind of people the world is full which say alas God help you God prouide for you God giue you patience but nothing commeth from them saue onely fayre wordes To whome we may say as a beggar once did to a popish Bishoppe desiring a peece of money of him were it neuer so little but the Bishop saide no hee woulde giue him a pardon to whom the beggar replyed I perceiue if your pardon were worth any thing I should not haue it euen so if the prayers of these people were any thing worth they woulde not giue them because they giue nothing Lastly by this verse when Ruth excuseth her selfe that she should not be as one of his maidens she setteth downe a true example of Christian simplicitie for it may be she thought that Boaz was
fines defrauders of simple persons bargaining who all are condemned in the last commaÌ„dement as the couetors of other mens goods and therefore guiltie of eternal damnation And do you These words are the seconde part of his coÌ„mandement whereby the former point is confirmed that Bohaz knew Ruth would not picke the sheaues therefore willeth to let fall on the grounde plentifully for her to auoide her farther and more vnprofitable labour which he therefore doth that he might testifie his goodes to bee not onely his but all theirs that feare the Lord for no doubt but there were many that did gleane in the field beside Ruth with whom Bohaz did not thus deale shewing vnto vs that there may be a difference in giuing and that we are not bounde to giue equally to all but as the persons are so must bee the gift the poorest must not haue the greatest share but the godliest for pouertie without godlines is like the apple of Sodome which is as fayre to looke on as any other but being taken in the hand resolueth to smoke and powder so if vngodly poore folks be a little examined they shal be found as the apple not worthy eating so the other not worthy to be giuen to although they crie like the horseleaches daughters giue giue yet wee must answere theÌ„ w t spare spare But Bohaz doth in this place as Ioseph did to his brethren he feasted all of theÌ„ but Beniamins part was fiue times so big as the residue afterward he gaue to euery one chaunge of garmentes but vnto Beniamin he gaue three hundred shikles and fiue change of garments the reason of all this was because hee was Rachell his owne mothers sonne but all the other were his fathers children onely euen so must we do good to all that are our fathers children by creation but to our mothers children which is the Church of Christ the houshold of faith whereof Rachel was a tipe we must w t special portions for feeding their hunger and clothing of their nakednesse compasse their wantes with the supply of our beneuolence for which cause Sainte Paule in his preaching was willed by the other Apostles to haue speciall and heedfull care ouer the poore brethren which if it were put in practise wee should be more able to do good vnto the godly and to denie the contrary minded This one thing is aboue all other to be required y t euery one giue where God may most of all be glorified but the vngodly sort take their reliefe as the hungry houndes their feeding if they bee hindered they will flye vppon their owne maisters in like sort the wicked will blaspheme God liberally and not humbly thanke or praise him for anye thing they receiue What if they murmure against thee and saye my part is not so good as thine you giue him more then to mee and you care for none but for these precise fellowes Tell them againe it is lawfull for thee to doo with thy owne as thou wilt neyther ought thy eye to bee euill because my hand is good the vnworthiest in the world shall haue the worthiest portion they which with them are last with thee let be first the first with them be last with thee for spirtuall men must looke for spirituall hearts to cast the seed of their almes into good ground where the fruit may be increased the want of the faithfull may be relieued the glorie of Christ may be magnified thy owne duetie may bee discharged a good conscience satisfied and thy soule for euer comforted Secondly by this wee obserue that Boaz might haue admitted many hinderances whereby hee might haue bene better aduised before he gaue such large liberty either to Ruth or to his seruants for her as to gather among the sheaues or to let fall handâ—ulls vnto her Hee might haue thought thus with himselfe it was lately a derth for a long time together it may be shortly y e Lord wil send such another then all that I haue will be too litle for my selfe and my family and therefore I must be wise and giue not so much till I knowe what I shall lacke but all this coulde not turne away the heart of Boaz from doing good vnto Ruth for he esteemed more of one godly Ruth then of all the possessions hee had neyther ought any of the godly once to admit any such doubt in their minde as to be vexed in distrust of the mercye of God to come They must pray with Dauid o Lord incline my hearte to thy testimonies not to couetousnes The widdow of Zareptha might haue so answered Eliah that she had but so little lefte as would onely suffise for one meale and giue him nothing yet she was obedient and beleeued the worde of the prophet and her store increased that she wanted no more The church of the Macedonians might haue said that they were poore saints as wel as the residue therefore as they asked nothing but were content with their pouerty so none should charge them in giuing to other but yet the Apostle Paule said they supplied the want of the Cornithians and gaue more then they were able And euerlasting is the commendation which hee giueth of Onesiphorus how often hee refreshed him and was not ashamed of his chaines but came to Ephesus and visited him there and followed him to Rome many hundred miles that there also he might succor him with his charity Which teacheth vs when wee haue to deale with the godly as all these persons had no coste must be spared couetousnes not admitted no feare of want suspected for he which is Lord ouerall is also rich vnto all Obadiah in a famine fedde an hundered prophets yea and hidde them in caues from the wrath of Iezabell What want did he sustaine thereby surelye none for distrust causeth want and not liberalitye for hee which maketh thee to feede his saints nowe will also prouide another to feed the when thy store is wasted Oh hearken to this you possessors of the earth vppon whome in this time of dearth the eyes of the poore doe looke as on the handes of the Lord whereby hee filleth euerie liuing thing with his plenteous goodnes Open your gates wider that more poore maye come into your houses to bee refreshed with breade open your purses farther that more beneuolence maye come out to bee caste into the fruitefull lande of the famished poore for after manye dayes you shall finde it againe put on the bowels of compassion and let not your owne bretheren want seeing you haue inough Hee that willeth you to doo this for his sake will commaunde heauen and earth to restore his owne debte which you haue lent him feare not that you shall want for the Lorde is the owner of the earth this is senâ—e vppon vs to trye your charitye and compassion towarde the poore for his sake if you nowe bee liberall Paule hath prayed for
him in the day of his appearing teaching vs that our spiritual praires are more necessary for them then their temporall benefits are for vs therfore let vs learne to pray aright seeing it is our duty to pray for our frends These painted praiers of many which come from the lips or from wicked harts are such as the praiers of roaguing beggers at euery doore for base reliefe and also the commonest that are among many poore people in these dayes are abhomination in the eyes of the Lord no benefite to them for whome they are vttered and the poyson of those that thus do vse them Therefore beloued learne to acount of them as they are cloudes carried about with euerie winde welles and no water great wordes but no grace in them stoppe your eares at these bread prayers and withdrawe your handes from giuing any reliefe to them that abuse this heauenly blessing Then said Naomi In this verse Naomi repeateth her prayer and addeth a reason of the same because he hath not ceased to do good toward the liuing and toward the dead that is hee did good to my husband and children when they were aliue and nowe to vs their posteritye they being dead for in doing good to vs for their sakes they doe it to them for eyther interpretation will stand For wee must not imagine that this liberality doeth any good to them that are dead because they were in Moab â— these in Inda they were consumed in their graues and vnfit for any benevolence as for their soules they needed no earthlye beneficence for that remaineth true for euer which Salomon sayth the liuing knowe that they shall dye but the dead knowe nothing neyther haue they anye more parte seeing their remembrance is forgotten the thing which they loued the thing which they hated and the thing they desired is now perished with them neither haue they any more part of al the things that are done vnder the sunne By the which we may see the delusion of them which teach vs to buy prayers and pardons for our frends that are dead that their paines may bee eased which nowe they endure for if nothing can profit them that is done vnder the sunne then neither our prayers nor purses can giue them any reliefe But by these words we learne that if we do good to the children and widowes of our deceased friends it is all one as if we did good to their own persons Thus said Naomi in this place and thus Dauid did good to his frend Ionathan being dead when he did kindly entreate Mephibosheth his son being aliue The Lord himselfe protestteth in the scriptures that he did good to the Israelites and Iewes for Abraham Isaack and Iacobs sakes and our sauiour in the Gospell declareth that the good wee do to the least of his bretheren being on earth wee do it to him which raigneth in heauen for this is a duetye of true frendshippe to make much of our frendes when they are departed to be a frend to their frendes and to bee an enemie to their enemies as the Lord promised Abraham Therefore let vs cast awaye this counterfaite kindnes and perfourme this godlye loue wherein others before vs haue walked and as wee were wont louinglye to receiue the parentes being aliue so let vs ioyfullye entertaine the children nowe they are dead for true frendshippe loueth at all tmes and godlye kindenesse must neuer bee remoued As wee wishe that others shoulde vse vs when we are gone so let vs vse others now they are absent Moreouer Naomi said In these wordes shee giueth comfort vnto Ruth shewing her that his beneuolence was not causelesse seeing hee was neere vnto them and of theyre affinitye being an appointed person to redeeme their inheritance For in the lawe of the Lorde hee hath decreed for the poore of the Iewes that if any person had solde his inheritance the nexte of his kindred might redeeme it and restore it to the familye againe which comming into the minde of Naomi shee hopeth that by this meanes they shoulde come to their inheritance againe seeing Bohaz who was one of the nexte of her kindred had so curteously intreated the widdowe and heyre Whereby wee note the great care that the Lorde hath ouer the poore which by a lawe decreed that they should not for euer bee depriued of their inheritance for at the farthest they shoulde come to it againe at the yeere of Iubile And truelye this Iawe being ceased because the Iewes common wealth is ouerthrowen yet the Lorde executeth the same in some measure amongst the gentiles daylye For nowe wee maye see and heare howe he exalteth many from the duste to walke and sit with princes howe hee giueth greate possessions vnto them whose fathers had not one foote of land and casteth many from their vnlawfull titles And euerie day wee heare of some caste down and humbled and other lift vp exalted Who doth this but the hand of the almightye that putteth downe Haman and raiseth vp Mordechai refuseth Saul and chooseth Dauid remooueth Abiathar establisheth Sadoch banisheth Shebnah and aduanceth Eliakim and finally that in fewe ages changeth all things Therefore promotion commeth neither from the east nor from the west nor from the wildernes but from the throne of the Lorde of hosts which openeth and no man shutteth humbleth and no man setteth vp exalteth and no man casteth downe and ruleth the course of all mankind by his vnchangable decree Let not then the mightiest bee proude for their honour and dignity for the Lord destroyed the Anakims greate princes giants before the family of Caleb much more will he do those that are lyfted vp by their wealth that should rather cast them down and let vs do good to these poore bretheren among vs for they shalbe lifted vp vnto riches when the greatest and wealthiest among vs shall be cast downe into pouerty But of this matter wee shall haue more occasion to speake in the fourth chapter But Ruth said In this verse Ruth maketh relation of those things which Boaz had said vnto her and praying for a blessing vppon him because hee vouchsafed to take her into the company of his maidens gaue her leaue to gather to the end of haruest So that in this place by these wordes of Ruth wee haue an example of perfecte thankfulnesse omitting nothing that might serue to commende the kindnes of Boaz and also of womanlike and godlye modestye that concealeth the cause of all this curtesye which was her owne commendation as alreadye wee haue shewed you So that it is no parte or pointe of godlynes to do as our euill conditioned and ingratefull persons doo which omitte that which serueth most for to commend their benefactours and to lay all the prayse vppon their owne desertes But Salomon willed that another mans and not our owne mouth shoulde prayse vs and most vngodlye is it when men will not in so
founde to be nothing but rotten woode good for nothing But to come to Ruth shee perfourmeth her promise to God as Dauide sayth though it bee to her owne hinderance shee knoweth it with the appostles better to obeye God then men to followe Christe and not the flesh for the world it selfe shall bee shortelye consumed and then the louers thereof shall bee vtterlye condemned Oh let vs then practise the deniall of our selues before the time of tryall come let vs as the martirs did trye the burning of our fingers before wee venter our whole bodyes let vs giue some of our wealth to the poore nowe rather then keepe all to be spoyled by the wicked apostataes then but howe will men doo this at that fierye tryall when nowe in peace they will forsake and forsweare the Lorde some for their merchandise other for rentes reuenewes some to bringe the poore Nabaothes into destruction many for worldly profite and temporall gaine but this quene of worldly desire shall one daye bee meate for the dogges when it shall bee sayd that happye are all you that in wealth and pouertye haue followed the sonne of righteousnes in sinceritye 〈◊〉 Feare not my daughter His prayer and the reason thereof being ended nowe followeth the consolation hee giueth to Ruth in these wordes bidding her to caste awaye feare for what soeuer lyeth in his power he would doe for the whole citty would testifie the estate of her person and vprightnes in her liuing and therefore hee should bee much to blame if hee denyed so lawfull a request Out of the which we note First here is set down the duetie of all magistrates which is with meekenes and gentlenes to heare the petitions of their sutors for Boaz was a publike person or els Naomi had complayned to the magistrate but himselfe being a godly elder the suite is first priuately handled with him Therfore they must follow y e example of Bohaz here declared which is with the kindest wordes to intreate them and iust iudgementes to proceede for them alway yeelding to equitie where the cause is required For our sauiour accompteth a magistrate that is contrary minded neyther to feare God or to respect man that is such a one is hated of God and man For if magistrates loue God or regarde their subiectes they must bee easily entreated by the voyces of their suitors Therefore is that euerlasting commendation of Moyses y t hee sate in the door of his tent in iudgment frō euening vntil morning where al the people might freely haue accesse to his presence and godly conference with his person the which all the iudges in christendome might imitate without impeachment to their honours Olde Samuel when he had annointed and appointed Saule to raigne in his steade ouer all Israel appealed to the people what iniury he had done to any and the people iustified him in all thinges now hee was easily come vnto at all times when Saule and his fathers seruant seeking for asses woulde go to the man of God meaning Samuel Oh that all that are in authoritie would hearken to these examples that with all gentlenesse they might intreate the people of God committed to their gouernment that they might freely come to them and frendly speake with them that at the daye of their deathes they might haue the poore saintes of God praying for their deliueraunce their consciences vnburthened their duties discharged their subiectes satisfied iustice offered and their soules euerlastingly saued Secondly by this wee gather that iudges and iustices must especially looke to the godly for Boaz saith that all the cittie knew Ruth to be a godly woman So that hee bindeth himselfe by her religion to be as carefull for her being a stranger as if she were his naturall daughter For as all the cittie knewe her religious so they would all reioyce to see her aduanced And this is the cause wherefore the Lorde hath so much commended vnto vs the estate of widdowes and fatherlesse children because for the most parte they are oppressed and not oppressors vexed and not vexours receyuers and not doers of iniurie And surely such are simple godly men they will beare many burthens before they complain for euery trifle they wil not trouble a magistrate Therefore euery magistrate must saye with Dauid My eyes shalbe on them that speake truth on the earth and they that walke vprighly shall be my seruantes so haue you respect of persons though not in iudgement yet in common opinion for the professors of religion are your dearest friends who without ceasing powre forth their prayers for you that in equitie you might drawe your sword for them Oh howe lamentable is it to heare how poore godly men are dayly blasphemed and reproched for their religion when wicked Atheistes carnall persons common swearers godles wretches haue their harts desire at the hands of the magistrate Surely such persons who desire your aide against other deserue your swordes of iustice against themselues for they neuer come into your presence but to the dishonour of God Execute iudgement therefore for them and vpon them Thirdely by this wee gather what it is that most commendeth women for Boaz saith vertue and if all y t world crie the contrary yet Bathsheba the mother of king Salomon will confirme it for thus she saith Fauour is deceitful beautie is vaine but a woman that feareth God shee shall get praise for her selfe for vertue and the feare of the Lorde are both one thing So that this is the thing they are most commended for if religion will take any roote in their hartes for beauty is worne by age proportion of body lost by sicknes loue of men at the wagging of a hand and braue apparell when wealth decayeth onely the feare of the Lord endureth for euer We reade that Vasti the queene of Asuerus was exceeding beautifull but she disobeyed her husbande and was put from her princely roome when godly Ester was taken in her steade If the feare of God had beene in the former to obey her husbande Esther had not so soone come into her place But the Lorde that hee might punish the pride of the one and reward the religion of the other lifted vp vertuous Esther and cast downe that stately Vasti to shewe vnto vs that much better is the feare of the Lorde then all the beautie and glorie of the world We finde many commended in the worde of God for their faith but fewe for their fairenesse that all shoulde learne more earnestly to labour that the hid man of the hearte may bee founde in incorruption of a gentle and a quiet spirite which is very precious in the sight of the Lord. Lastly let vs all learne by this aswell rich as poore gouernours as subiectes men as women that aboue all thinges we followe the example of Ruth to please God more then our selues to labour for vertue and religion as for a treasure
wee must follow the counsell of Paule not to slacke in doing of good for in due time we shall reape if we faint not and therefore while we haue time let vs doe good vnto all but especially to the houshold of faith for as a father doeth euery day sustaine and prouide for his owne houshold so should we which are the stewards of the Lords possessions giue of his owne to his poore seruants for we shame his maiestie if we suffer his family to want We reade that our Sauiour came often to one house yet was not accompted a chargeable ghest We reade that all the poore in the primitiue Church were dayly maintained at the cost of the wealthie Our Sauiour hath tolde vs that we shall alway haue the poore among vs to whome wee may do good not that wee should once or twise bestowe liberally and euer after close vp our beneuolence but that the same poore persons that dwell among vs should dayly receiue their dayly reliefe For how shall we desire of God to finish his worke of redemption begun in our soules when we cease to perfect our liberalitie bestowed on the poore And now beloued in the Lord if euer you did put on compassionate hearts towards your poore bretheren in this time of dearth and thinke not sufficient to distribute once but stretch out your hands againe and againe to help the necessities of the poore saincts which dayly cry vnto you giue giue that your loue may increase your compassion augment and your fellow-feeling of the same hunger may worke a fellow feeding on the same reliefe And she came home Now we are come to the second part of this scripture which concerneth Naomi and Ruth And first heere is set downe her comming home to her mother in lawe before day to whome she declareth how the man had vsed her what promise he made her and what gift he sent her where we see the diligence of Ruth who hasted to her mother in lawe to shew her the newes and to auoid the slaunder which we spoke of before And this teacheth vs a mutuall concord in the duties of our profession that the weaker should be warned by the elder as Ruth was by Boaz for we must not let any be lost through default of our negligence but the wisest must gouerne and the other must obey if any be weary let them lay their heads vpō our aduise for the credit of y e Gospell pertaineth to all therefore all must be carefull to maintaine the same Then said she Naomi hearing the report of this prosperous successe seeing the corne that Boaz had giuē her comforteth her daughter to tarry the issue looking for a ioyfull end of so happy a beginning for she knew Boaz would not faint in y e cause that so much cōcerned his credit as this did nor sleepe till he had ended his intended deuise Whereby we first of all note that here is a godly example for parēts to imitate to stay their childrē by exhortation to depend in all things vpō y e leisure of y e Lord for if they be sick the comfort of parēts is much worth if in trouble the counsell of parents may ease them if in labour the parents aduise will much encourage them if in danger the care of their parents may deliuer thē and if they be obstinate who but parents can reclaime thē for as Abraham answered Izaak his sonne when he asked him for a sacrifice the Lord said he will prouide a sacrifice euen so parents must shew their children the prouidene of God to maintaine them his loue to embrace them his care to defend them his word to instruct them and the merits of Christ to saue them Secondly by this we gather a worthy example of a godly Magistrate who by his wonted and accustomed diligence had wonne and deserued this commendation that heere Naomi giueth of him that he would not rest till he had finished the matter and followed the suite of the widdow to the end Which is a worthy example for men in authoritie to imitate that for conscience they should labour as faithfully in the cause of the poore as if they were hired by fee in the suite of the wealthie and would God this could enter into their mindes which like dull horses will trauaile no farther then the spurre of money pricketh them forward how farre are they from the vprightnes of Iob which was an eye to the blinde feete to the lame father to the poore and diligentlye fought out the strife which he knewe not they are no Rulers that in meekenes intreate them not in mercy forbeare them not and in iustice reward them not But of this we haue spoken before now let vs giue praise to God for that which hath beene spoken The eleuenth Lecture Chap. 4. Vers 1.2.3.4.5.6 1. And Boaz went vp to the gate and sate downe there when behold the kinsman came by of whome Boaz had spoken to whome he sayd hoe such a one come hither and sit downe heere who came and sate downe 2. Then Boaz tooke ten men of the elders of the City and said to them sit downe heere and they sate downe 3. Afterward he said to the kinsman Naomi that is come againe out of the countrey of Moab will sell a parcell of land which was our kinsman Elimelechs 4. And I thought to aduertise thee saying buy it before the assistants and the elders of my people if thou wilt redeeme it redeeme it but if thou wilt not redeeme it tell me for I know there is none beside thee to redeeme it and I am after thee Then he answered I will redeeme it 5. Then said Boaz what day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi thou must also buy it of Ruth the Moabitesse the wife of the dead to stirre vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritance 6. And the kinsman answered I cannot redeeme it least I destroy my owne inheritance redeeme my right to thee for I cannot redeeme it NOw by the permission of the almightie are we come to the last Chapter and last part of this history wherein the holy Ghost sheweth vnto vs how Boaz perfourmeth his promise made vnto Ruth in the former chapter and taketh her to be his wife◠the whole Chapter containeth two parts the first is the mariage of Boaz and the second is the description of his kindred as well his auncestors as his offspring The first part of his mariage is described in the first 15. verses of this chapter with all the circumstances thereof necessary to be knowne and we will deuide it into two parts first must be considered that which passed betweene the other kinsman and Bohaz in the first 10. verses secondly the maner and circumstances of the mariage vnto the end of the 15. verse The things that passed betweene Boaz and his other kinsman are first their conference about the matter in these first 6. verses secondly the
and in that the loue of God in Christ to his Church that though we dye without fruit in barrennes yet the Lord will giue vs a name whereby after a few dayes we shall liue with him for euer But in these words we first of all note when he saith that he must buy it at the hand of Ruth the Moabitesse the wife of the deceased that one cause both of the redemption of lands and marriage of the brother or next heyre to the widdow was for the womans or widdowes sake namely that she should not be left destitute for we reade in the Gospell of Luke that barrennes was a great reproch among women in those dayes now we know that this law was onely for barren widdowes and not for them that were fruitfull and who would marry with such a woman whome in his owne heart he feared would be fruitlesse therefore the Lord to succour these poore desolate widdowes gaue this for a lawe that the brother or neerest kinseman to their husbands deceased should take them to be their wiues where he againe commendeth vnto vs the carefull estate of destitute widdowes if they be oppressed we must ease them if reiected we must receiue them if forsaken we must comfort them if reproched we must acquire them and finally if they will marry they may yea their owne friends or the Church must prouide them husbands And seeing the Lord would thus decree by a lawe the safegard of those that were despised much more would he defend by iudgement the cause of poore fruitfull widdowes the mothers of many children Now although we are not bound to this lawe of mariage yet wee are tyed to doe good to the widdowes for the nature of the lawe being long since abrogated yet the vse thereof remayneth for euer and euer For maintenance by the word of God must be allowed them wherewithall they may liue theyr husbands beeing dead Therefore Boaz telleth hys kinseman that hee must redeeme the inheritance at the handes of Ruth the Moabitesse because by her marriage it is made the widdowes the husband dying without issue like as in this place wee obserue that all the inheritance descendeth to the widdow and therefore she bestowed her selfe vpon the next of the kindred who indeede with vs is the heyre to all Therefore by this we must all learne but especially the married or those that intend it hereafter that it is one especiall duty of a carefull husband to prouide before hand for the maintenance of their wiues that if death neuer so suddaine take them away yet they may not leaue them as many haue done harbourles without house comfortles without friends and wealthles without conuenient maintenance By this we see the cōmendable assurance of ioyntures dowers in lands or money which many parents do wisely take for their daughters to be a thing alowable by the word of God yet many offend in the excesse that they will neuer match where they can haue none though there be neuer so great hope in time to come so that wealth and nothing els is the end of most mariages Then by this we see cōdemned first all those which hauing sufficiēt will hardly leaue to their wiues anything beside that which they cannot keep from them and hence it is that many leaue to their children hundreds and thousands but scant twentyes or fortyes to their helples widowes Other hauing many children leaue the greatest part of their wealth to their widdowes through whose youthfull mariages many times their whole posteritie is brought to pouertie But a third sort there are which mind nothing saue only mariage and to borrow a little for their festiuall day but afterward let the world sinke or swimme children without bread wiues without comfort themselues as bare as the grashopper in winter and their whole families most pitifully tormented they repent though all too late the children wish they had neuer bin borne the parents curse the day of their first acquaintance the family complayne of pouerty the countrey of charges the people of necessity but they poore seely soules the innocent infants are left to the merciles world to liue in beggery Oh that this godly forecast would enter into the minds of many headlong parents that their liues might be more blessed their children more happy their families more contented the countrey better furnished and the poore better succoured that there might bee no complayning in our streetes no leading into captiuity and not one feeble person among vs that our sonnes may bee as the fruitefull garners and our daughters like the polished corners of the temple Oh blessed are the people that bee in such a case yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lorde Then should the name of God bee honoured by our liues and praised in our deathes when our widdowes are prouided for our children maynetayned our families nourished and our soules shalbe blessed Then the kinsman said This seconde question of marriage being propounded the kinseman in these wordes answereth that hee cannot redeeme the inheritance vpon that condition and giueth a reason thereof because then to saue anothers hee shoulde destroy his owne meaning if hee had but one childe by Ruth that shoulde bee for Machlon her deceased husbande and so his owne name shoulde bee forgotten in his inheritaunce Whereby wee see that he opposeth the feare of the losse of his owne name against the seuere commandement of God and doubteth that if hee followe the lawe of God and custome of the faithfull his land may lacke an heyre his house a mayster and himselfe a sonne The like vnto this was that of Onan the seconde sonne of Iudah when he shoulde haue taken the wife of his deceased brother would not performe his duety towarde her but abusing in filthines his owne body because he woulde not benefite his brother was therefore iustly slaine by the Lorde And I feare that a great many are sicke of this disease that loue the world aboue the worde their lande aboue the lawe of God their children more then charitie requireth who thinke they are borne for no bodie but onely for themselues but especially in mariage they had rather haue the lande then the man the portion then the woman like this man which was willing to take the inheritance but vnwilling to marrie the widdow for this cause they oppresse both children and widdowes they preferre their priuate gaine before publike godlines who for their posteritie some are occupyed in briberie some in vsury some in extortion and many in vnlawfull bargaining whose only and chiefe care is for nothing but that they may die rich but better is poore Lazarus at his death then all the rich gluttons in the worlde for wealth maketh not to die well but rather choketh the soule with infatiable care onely religion is the surest badge of a godly man whose riches is pouertie whose pleasure paine and whose rewarde is saluation But this man is well contented to
giue ouer his right to Bohaz wherein surely he doth him a pleasure but if there had beene any profite in it hee woulde first haue serued himselfe wherein wee haue a worthy example of a worldly minde which graunteth all things til it touch his discoÌ„moditie for thus the world wil heare vs preach till we rebuke their couetousnesse or craue their beneuolence for euery one will goe as farre dry foote as they can but none will be wet for the law of the Lord that is so long as we tell them of their faithes exhorte them to repentaunce perswade them from pleasure and drunkennesse but once touch their purses as Iohn Baptiste did Herodes whoredome then farewell preaching faith and repentance But thus much shal suffice for this time Now let vs giue praise to God The end of the eleuenth Lecture The twelfth Lecture Chap. 4. ver 7.8.9.10 7 Now this was the manner before time in Israel concerning the redeeming and chaunging for to stablish all thinges a man did plucke off his shooe and gaue it his neyghbour and this was a â—ure witnesse in Israel 8 Therefore the kinseman said to Boaz buy it for thee he drewe off his shooe 9 And Bohaz said vnto the elders and vnto all the people ye are witnesses this day that I haue bought all that was Elimeleches and all that was Chilions and Mahlons of the hande of Naomi 10 And moreouer Ruth the Moabitesse the wife of Mahlon haue I bought to bee my wife to stirre vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritance and that the name of the deade bee not put out from among his brethren and from the gate of his place ye are witnesses this day THese wordes contayne the finishing vp the matter betweene Bohaz his kinseman how the one resigneth his right to the other and the knitting vp of the marriage They consist of two partes first a description of the auncient maner of alienation or chaunging of titles rightes and properties in the seuenth verse in these wordes Nowe this was the manner afore time c to the ende of the verse The seconde is the manner how this man doth giue ouer and resigne his right to Boaz in the eyght ninth and tenth verses and contayneth two partes the first respecteth the kinsman in the ninth verse where first hee biddeth Boaz to buye or redeeme it Secondly hee draweth off his shooe The second parte respecteth Boaz and sheweth how he receyueth it in the 2. next verses wherin first he calleth witnes of the elders and people vers 10. Secondly he accepteth the proffer or purchase which is double first the lande or inheritaunce vers 10. Secondly the widdowe or wife of Machlon vers 11 of these let vs briefly speake in order as they lie with the assistaunce of God his spirite and the permission of the time Now this was First of all here is described the manner of God his people how in ancient time they were wont to alienate or put of their right from one to another which the holy Ghost setteth downe for the better vnderstanding of that which followeth And this manner of chaunging or selling was commaunded by the Lord himselfe as we reade in these wordes Then the Elders of his cittie shall call him and commune with him if he stand and say I will not take her Then shal his kinswoman come vnto him in the presence of the Elders and loose his shooe from his foote and spit in his face and aunswere and say so shall it be done to him that will not builde vp his brothers house And his name shall bee called in Israell the house of him whose shooe is put of In the which wordes wee note these thinges First that it was the dutie of the woman to complain of such a man before the magistrates as wee may see in the 7. ver Secondly that the magistrates were bounde to call and examine such personnes of the causes of their deny all Thirdely that the woman shoulde pul off the shooe and also spit in his face which the Lorde did doubtles commande for the poore comfortles womans sake that no excuse shoulde bee admitted of delay but that they might eyther be presently receyued or presently refused for shee which was not fit to day woulde not be to morrowe where wee gather the great care of the Lorde for widowes which hath warned their frendes to prouide for them marriages armed the magistrates to defende their weakenes truely as they which are least accompted in the worlde are most esteemed of the Lord euen so they which are most regarded of the worlde are least respected of the Lord for in this lawe the almighty had an especial eye to the poore for hee knewe the wealthy could want no husbandes Whereby wee are taught first to magnifie the goodnes of the Lorde which as Marie sayth looketh vpon the poore degree of his seruantes and beholdeth the rich a farre off his delight is in aduauncing of them that are cast downe and all his lawes defend the causes of the oppressed Secondly that wee make no light accompt or reckoning of those whom the Lord in his worde doth so highly commende vnto vs for it is an especiall token of them that shall bee saued that they make much of them that feare the Lorde what though they bee as poore as Lazarus and neuer so contemptible in the eyes of the worlde yet it is a thousand times more commendable to be frendly to such then to al the rich gluttons of y e world but of this point we haue spoken before and it is sufficient to touch it nowe Secondly by this wee also note that if there bee any iniury done to the children by their parentes or to widdowes by their friendes in their marriages it is lawfull for them to appeale to the magistrates As for example if the parentes woulde force their children eyther not to marrie at all or els to marry against theyr mindes rather then they yeelde to eyther of both they may and ought to sue to the magistrate The which as it was lawfull for the Iewes by this lawe here mentioned euen so it is left to vs to immitate although the ceremoniall vse of it bee ceased which consisted onely in the brothers marriage and as long as magistrates are so long the true vse of it remayneth as it doth in many others Yet although the Gospell speake not of it because it is a thing so farre against nature yet it commaundeth that they which doe euill shoulde feare the sworde of the magistrate because hee beareth it not in vaine and moreouer it is flatly against the Gospell that any shoulde doe vnto other which they woulde not haue done to themselues much more this forcible dealing with frendes or children And if it bee lawfull for the wife or husband to flie to the magistrate in priuate iniuries much more for the children which are weaker and therefore neede more helpe
to redeeme the inheritance and to marrie the widdowe as also that woulde not prouide any substitute to doe it in their behalfe but this kinseman of Naomies got Boaz to redeeme his right as we may see in the 6 verse of this chapter in these words redeeme my right to thee Therefore that ceremony was needeles Secondly I answere that the woman by that lawe was bounde to complaine to the magistrates but neyther Naomi nor Ruth did make any complaint saue onely a priuate petition vnto Boaz for to marrie her in his owne behalfe and therefore the matter being confessed before the complaint as he was willing to release his title vnto Boaz who was ready to receiue it so w t lesse rigour y e law was executed vpō him for a penitent offendor is worthy of most fauor Thirdly neyther Naomi nor Ruth were present whē this matter was in hearing because they were vncertain of their kinsemans minde who if he had granted it had been immodesty for them seeing they neuer asked him before and if hee denyed as hee did by their presence they shoulde seeme to distrust the promise which Boaz made to Ruth But seeing the consent of Naomi and Ruth was yeelded to Bohaz and that being but the first motion they needed not bee present and the matter at the first confessed was at the beginning dispatched Out of the which wee first obserue that it is a pointe of godlinesse and worthy of frendshippe that in our suites wee shoulde at the first confesse our oppressions if wee haue done any I knowe many will commit their vniust dealing to the triall of the law looking for a doubtfull issue of the same and will say if I bee condemned the charge is but the more to my selfe but I reply and say why doest thou not confesse thy folly and the iniury which thou hast done saue y e charges w c thou spēdest in the trial thou dost but ad murther to thy mallice drunkēnes to thy thirst prodigality to thy couetousnes Thou hast already robbed thy neighbor by thy oppressiō now thou wilt spoyle the Lorde of those his goodes whereof hee hath made thee steward by cosuming them in Lawe to defende thy iniuries Follow the counsell of the Lorde agree with thy aduersarie quickely whilest thou art in y e way with him lest he complain of thee to the iudge and the iudge deliuer thee to the taylor and so foorth Let wise men ende your matters at home abide not the verdite of the law it is too costly for as you are accomptable to your neyghbour for the vttermost farthing so you shal bee answerable to the Lorde for euery mite you haue mispent when the very money you haue laide out shall rise in iudgement against you to condemne your contentions Secondly wee note here in Naomi and Ruth an excellent example of a godly minde for if Naomi would she might haue dealt with her kinseman and hee denying shee might haue done him all the disgrace set downe in the lawe to haue pulled of his shooe to haue spit in his face to haue defamed him and his house for euer but she dealeth not so she would not reuenge one iniury by another shee maketh the matter sure before hande that if he refused Ruth might be married and the other not disgraced So deare is the name and credite of ones neighbour to a godly person that they will aduenture their owne losse and hinderaunce to saue the honesty of the other Therefore saith Peter it is the glorie of a man to passe by the infirmities of his brother Ioseph might haue disclosed the lustes of his mistresse and saued his owne imprisonment but hee concealed it which wrought first his misery and then his felicitie But oh howe fewe are there like Ioseph in our dayes which hauing their brethren at uauntages will not to their vttermost accuse them Wee haue many Zibaes which accuse poore Mephibosheth to Dauid with giftes and with bribes pretending simplicitie with wordes sweeter then honye when warre is in their heartes their lippes haue learned their flattering style they are of their father that olde accuser of God his children but as hee is cast downe so they shall bee condemned yea euen then when it is no benefite to them how doeth it reioyce them to see their neyghbours imprisoned their enemies slaundered their possessions remooued their wealth diminished their credite abated and they depriued of frendes and fauour at one time Is this the thing that you woulde haue them doe to you might not the Lorde haue suffered him to stande and cast downe you that he might haue laughed at your destruction Consider your selues beloued in the Lorde and let vs be the schollers of this godly Naomi if wee may get our owne with faire speeches let vs not vse these threatning wordes If wee must hide the truth for the benefite of our neighbours much lesse must wee conceale falsehood that not one worde of disgrace bee vttered to the discreadite of our neighbours Oh that those which contende with their neighbours woulde bee instructed in this doctrine howe much woulde it moderate their malice for the benefite of their aduersaries and bring peace vnto both neuer to bee repented of Wherefore laye aside all maliciousnesse and guile dissimulation enuy and all euill speaking as innocente and newe borne babes and let vs desire the sincere milke of the worde of God that wee may grow to bee perfect men in Iesus Christ that as hee suffred and gaue no aunswere being led as a sheepe before the shearer which openeth not his mouth hauing many causes to alleadge against his aduersaries yet in silence endured both their iudgemente and reproches that wee with the same lenitye and meekenesse shoulde forgiue other euen as hee hath forgiuen vs. Thirdely by this also we obserue that the lawes both of God and men bee they neuer so sharpe yet in some causes they may bee moderated according to the discreation of the magistrate especially when they respect priuate persons In this place the spitting on the face and the disgracing of the name of the man is omitted which the magistrates might haue constrained if they pleased neyther are they to bee blamed for the party which was most grieued by this denyall was best pleased neyther did shee call for extremity And as Christ woulde not in his iudgement condemne or accuse the woman taken in adultery but bidde her sinne no more euen so the rigour of the Lawe is not to bee executed vpon euery offendour but where hope of amendment is there may bee a testistimony of fauour This is worthy doctrine for our dayes wherein men lie in waite as the dragons doe for the Elephants to get their brethren within the compasse of the lawe and though God his worde their owne consciences condemne them yet if the lawe say it depriue men of their liuinges Christians of their liberties seruantes of their freedome in
nothing for his paynes euen so all they whatsoeuer they be which haue married of their owne brayne without respect to the law of God can neuer haue or craue any blessing of the Lord vpon themselues or their posterity Oh fearefull consideration worthy to be considered of all them which vnaduisedly go about to marry for a wild tree bringeth foorth sowre fruite and wicked parents which haue no regard of holinesse in their mariages do seldome bring any wholesome fruite to the Lord. But some will say how shall we knowe how or in what sort to behaue our selues that before wee marry wee might ayme at nothing beside the commaundement of God Hearken a little and I will briefely instruct you out of the word of God First of all the care of those that will be maried must be for the onely blessing of God which is the very finall cause of this institution Therefore after the floud the Lord in the restoring all things amongst other confirming marriage Moses sayth And he blessed Noah and his sonnes and sayde Increase and multiplye so that they which looke for any increase or fruite of their marriage must first of all be assured that the Lord hath blessed them But how shall we obtayne this blessing of God I aunswere by diligent reading of his word and by prayer Dauid asking this question wherewithall a young man shall cleanse his way and then he aunswereth himselfe and sayth euen by taking heed vnto thy word And Paule sayth that the vnmaryed care for the things that please the Lord as if he had sayd they must remayne vnmaryed for no other cause but that they might the more freely giue themselues to the seruice of God If a man want faith he may obtayne it by prayer and if he want the blessing of God vpon his mariage which is a lesse thing then faith may hee not obtayne it by prayer Izaac hauing beene maryed twentye yeares yet was without children and then hee prayed for issue and the Lord gaue him two at one time and may not prayer obtayne this for the vnmaried as well as for the maryed yes verily if eyther woulde take the paynes to vse it But oh who are they that euer in their liues once offred of theyr prayers to God to blesse them with wiues or husbands that is that they might be so marryed as the name of God might be glorifyed by them Nay what young man or woman among a thousand in these dayes that is delighted with eyther prayer or preaching but rather affect nothing but libertie pleasure and pastime they neuer thinke of any neede they stand of these thinges but rather imagine that theyr youthfull dayes and yeares must bee consumed in riotous sports and wanton wandrings so that most men and maydens come by their wiues and husbands at feastings and dauncing by dallying and playing chosen by outward apparell not inward and secret vertues which are wonne with vanitie kept with pride and forsakē to the destruction of wiues and husbands therefore first seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof and all other things shall be cast vpon you Secondly the intention of them that marry for the commaundement of God is that thereby they might liue more soberly in their seuerall vocations for as the wanton oxe is brideled in the yoke so vnruled youth is gouerned by mariage for if we regard the minde of them that marry it is stayed vpon one if the company of the body it is bound to one if life it can not be solitary if wealth it must not be possessed alone Therefore Peter said husbands dwell with your wiues like men of knowledge as if he had sayd in your vnmaried time you were wanderers but now you are maried you are dwellers in your vnmaried age you were inconstant but now you are maried you are as vnmoueable as a house when you were single you were ignorant but now you be married be men of knowledge and finally when you were young you were troubled with the desire of many but now you are maried you are comforted with the loue of one and as a man without a dwelling place so is the vnmaried without a companion Such is the commoditie of mariage if it be duely considered and each party rightly instructed that it is as sleepe to a weary man as wine to the thirstie as a house to the harbourlesse and as a garment against winter and therefore is it compared to the felowship of Christ with his Church How then commeth it to passe that men liue more riotously being maried then when they are vnmaried for they amend nothing but thinke all things as lawfull for them then as it was before their houses without their presence their wiues without their company their families without their gouernment so that you shall see married persons wandring abroad as if they were vnmaried disporting themselues as shamefully and as loosely as any in the world not liuing in sobriety and modesty like the turtle doue but in gaming and daunsing like the wanton goate these partyes neuer marryed for the commaundement of God but some rash desire possessed theyr mindes and a little youthfull lust tickled theyr fancies much like the sauour of iuniper which continueth but a little while Other are so farre from this point to marry that they might liue more soberly that they make their mariages the couer of their dishonesty making the world beleeue they liue in perfect chastity because they are maried but priuily they giue themselues to most filthy adulteryes but the Apostle sayth mariage is honourable but adulterers God will iudge that is will vtterly condemne and if their behauiours were well examined you should finde this the cause that their houses cannot hold them the filthinesse of these partyes is condemned by the very bruite beasts and shall be punished by the seueare iudgement of God for they which make the members of Christ the members of harlots shall be with harlots the members of the deuill therefore marry for modesty not for filthinesse that your vngouerned age may be brideled with the consideration of your present estate your wearyed dayes may be quieted in the bed of godly holy and honourable mariage Thirdly they which marry for obedience vnto God must onely minde godly and not wealthy matches they must looke on the heart not on the face they must waigh the disposition and not the riches they must not say as the deuill said to Christ all this will I giue but they must say as Iacobs sonnes sayd to Shechem and Hemor if you will be circumcised you shall haue our sister that is if you feare God and receiue his true knowledge if you loue his word and honour his sacraments if you can benefit the soules as well as the bodies But a man may weary himselfe many dayes before he finde any of this inclination for parents will denye their consents if they see
your acquaintance to be carefull for theyr children as well as themselues first to try and then trust first to prepare somewhat that if sicknes come or charges come or are ouertake thee yet then thou mayest comfort thy selfe with thy owne gotten goods and rather be helpefull then chargeable to any Fourthly by this that Boaz sayeth he taketh Ruth to wife for to stirre vp the name of the dead and that the name of the dead be no more forgotten among his brethren in the gate of his place We note that our mariages must be taken in hand also to this end for the multiplying of the Church of God we haue alreadie shewed how one cause of this brothers mariage was for that vse and purpose and in this place not vnnecessary to confirme For the lawe of this mariage was speciall onely for God his people and therefore for the augmenting of the number of the Lords flocke And as this was among the Iewes that euery family might haue some temporall inheritours euen so is it among the Gentiles that if it be possible eueryone should bring one infant or other to be an inheritour of the Lords kingdome By the which parents are taught to be more carefull for the education and instruction of their children then for their procreation and birth for they are made the fathers and mothers of Christ in his members therefore they must not leaue him to Herod that is they must not giue their children to the power of Sathan by theyr negligence and want of teaching they are accursed that lay stumbling blocks before the blinde and shall not they also that leade them into the sea where is nothing but drowning euen so if godlesse parents doe leâ—de theyr children and innocent babes into damnable ignorance who shall aunswere for their soules shall not the authors of this destruction Had not parents neede then to looke to themselues for if they haue as much golde as Salomon had and as great inheritances as Caleb had and as much possession of Cattell as Iob had yet if they be not able to bring vp their children in the feare of God it were better for parents and children they had neuer beene borne then miserably to liue in wealth and bee euery houre in daunger of damnation But how then will you say must we be carefull for the instruction of our children I aunswere you must be carefull of these two things first that you teach them that which is good secondly that you giue no euill example vnto them Concerning the first for the teaching of them the truth you must first teach them the matter of theyr faith and secondly how to pray The matter of theyr faith is contayned in the twelue articles commonly called our creede or beliefe which euery father and mother is bound to teach theyr children with the pure vnderstanding thereof and as they be able to shewe them the proofes thereof out of the word of God I meane as the children be able to receiue it Heerein they must instruct them of the miserable estate of mankinde after their fall by the vse and vnderstanding of the morall lawe contayned in the two tables of the tenne Commaundements with the proofes thereof out of the scripture and the deliuerance by the death and bloudsheading of Iesus Christ the eternall and onely begotten sonne of God Againe you must teach them to pray according as the Lord hath taught vs in that forme which we call the Lords prayer with the vnderstanding thereof out of the word of God for except you teach them what they pray for by the vnderstanding of it you were as good to teach them in Greeke or Latine as in English For there are many thousands in England that call God Father in their prayers but I knowe not that there be any which knowe the meaning of the word I my selfe haue reasoned with many both young and olde and of men of good calling in the world about that one word which is the easyest and playnest in all the word of God but some fewe excepted which haue laboured for knowledge in the hearing of Sermons I neuer met with man woman nor childe that coulde giue mee any reasonable aunswere vnto this question beside this that God made them and therefore is theyr Father which euery Iewe and almost euery Pagan knoweth as well as they Therefore as our righteousnesse must exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies Iewes and Gentiles so must our knowledge also for by our knowledge of Christ wee are iustified to be hys members And although wee repeate the Lordes prayer a thousand times euery day and vnderstand it not we doe but bable before the Lord taking his name in vaine vsing it in our lips when our hearts haue no vnderstanding and therefore our prayers are without fruite Lastly if you your selues doe not walke before them without reproofe in pure and sanctified conuersations whatsoeuer you teach them you presently tread out againe for simple people and young children liue by examples and not by precept If you teach them to worship God you must also before their faces worship the same that they may practise by your example If you bid them that they sweare not you your selfe must be carefull not to sweare or else they will not beleeue you for as the people looke vpon the life of their pastour so the young children beholde the steps of their parents And we see in bruite beasts that examples are much more effectuall then precepts they cannot speake yet how do they traine vp their young ones It is reported of the Harts of Scithia that they teach their young ones to leape from banke to banke from rocke to rocke from one turfe to another by their owne example leaping before them which otherwise they would neuer practise by which meanes when they are hunted no beast can euer take them Euen so if you goe before your children in examples while they are young Sathan the hunter and roaring Lion shall neuer haue them for his pray When they learne to speake they take the words from our owne mouthes euen so when they shall learne to worship feare loue honour and pray vnto the Lord let them take you for their examples as Iacob did Abraham and Izaak Now let vs giue prayse to God The fourteenth Lecture Chap. 4. ver 11.12 11 And all the people that were in the gate and the elders saide we are witnesses The Lorde make the wife that commeth into thy house like Rahel and Leah which twain did build the house of Israel that thou mayest doe worthily in Ephrathah and bee famous in Bethlehem 12 And that thy house be like the house of Pharez whom Thamar bare vnto Iudah of the seede which the Lorde shall giue thee of this young woman AS we haue hitherto heard of Boaz and his kinseman the one in resigning the other in receyuing his right in the place of iudgement and the presence of
prayed for Boaz the dutie of them that are gathered together in any godly assembly which is to ioyne themselues in the same holy exercises if they heare the other must heare if they pray the other must pray if they sing the other must also sing for this is the felowshippe of the saintes or els nothing is When we read the church of God continued together in breaking breade it is also saide they continued in prayer as if the holy Ghost had saide as if euery one did eat bread so euery one did pray to the Lorde as it auaileth not a hungry man to see another eat he haue none but rather increaseth his desire so if you be euery day hour where praiers are made your selues tast not of them it doth but increase your damnation So wee read when the Apostles were forbidden to preach in the name of Christ they came to their fellowes and lift vp their voices with one accorde to the Lorde and when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled and they all were filled with the holy Ghost and spake the word of God boldly such is the effect of God his faythful when they pray vnto him with one accord like the assault of the four windes vpon Iobs childrens house which not onely shooke but also ouerturned the same many handes make a great labour to be lightly dispatched and many mens prayers doe pull downe the mercyes of God vpon vs. This I think is very needfull for our dayes wherein this dulnesse is growne so grosse that among a churchfull of hearers you shall haue very fewe which are not faultie in this doctrine for it is a world to see howe many haue their bodies at the sermons but their soules and affections are wandering in a thousande matters these pray not when we pray heare not when wee preach neyther sing when wee sing What profite haue these persons by our prayers or preaching surely they are idols they haue tonge but speake not eares but heare not eyes but they see not And this is most lamentable to see many vpon whom the Lorde hath bestowed this gift of reading or learning to come hande ouerhead to Churches without eyther booke or minde to profite themselues or other Thus they bury the graces of God in them they quench the fire of the holy spirite they loose the costes of their parentes which they bestowed to bring them to learning they disdayne to sing with the faithfull they abhorre the labours of their youth and mocke the Lord with their presence Looke vpon it my brethren for if the Lorde haue giuen any of you learning that you are able to reade his worde then hee hath planted you to beare fruite in his owne orcharde but if you vse not this gift then you are fruitlesse trees and the Lorde will cut you downe and cast you into vnquencheable fire if you say you haue no books I aunswere the fault lyeth in your selues for if you bee poore aske the godly and your want shall bee supplyed if you bee wealthy saue some of your idle expenses to spende vppon such a holy businesse If you say you forget your bookes behinde you I aunswere it is a signe you care but little for your iourneys ende for if you had that reuerence to come prepared to the exercises of the faithfull which you ought to haue you coulde not forget your bibles nay you shoulde rather forget your apparell then your bookes if you considered as it becommeth you But some say they vnderstande well enough though they say not amen to our prayers and though they sing not to the Lorde with vs but Paule sayth to such that they doe no good to their brethren because they edifie them not and that it is better in the Church to speake fiue wordes to instruct others then ten thousande for his owne benefite for in the Chuch wee are assembled for our brethren not for ourselues onely and whosoeuer prayeth not with his brethren in the Church or congregation doth breake the fellowshippe of the faithfull and standeth for a cipher among the sayntes Therefore if you haue any care of your duety to the Lord of the loue of y e faithful of obedience to your parents of increasing your talent of learning or the saluation of your owne soules both magistrate and subiect elders and people riche and poore olde and younge men and women fulfill the expectation of the godly praye when wee pray sing with vs when we sing heare vs when wee preach for with such sacrifice is the Lord pleased The Lorde make Now wee haue made an ende of the first parte let vs go to the second which is the prayer of these people and elders the first member whereof is contayned in these wordes wherein they pray for the fruitfulnesse of Ruth alleadging an example to testify the loue they beare to Bohaz that they desire his wife to bee as fruitfull as eyther Leah or Rahell who builded the house of Israel so that they would haue him the father of much people in so much as his name both of wealth and children might aduance the dignity of Bethlehem Ephrathah First therefore hence we note the duetie of all the godly which is to pray for the welfare one of another but especially in marriage for the prayers of the faithfull are as needfull for the married as skilfull mariners in the boate of passengers Therefore wee reade of fewe godly marriages in the scripture but they were celebrated with prayer when Rebecca was married to Isaake her mother brother and frends prayed that she might grow vp into thousand thousandes and her seed to possesse their enemies gate and in this place these frendes of Bohaz pray the like for Ruth for what make the peoples presence the multitude of lookers the number of acquaintaunce at the time of celebrating marriages excepte it bee to pray for the parties wee haue shewed you the last Saboath that for the ignorance of the people which coulde not pray came the ministers to haue a hande in it for supplying their wante and howe lamentable is it to see in many places and most persons that are marryed where their company are none but godlesse ruffians ignoraunt Atheistes prophane swearers and notable blasphemers to bee present at their vnhappy weddinges what prayers can these powre forth for their newe marryed frendes can the Cockatrice breath forth any thing but poyson or the spider spinne any sounder cloth then her webbe no more can these persons but curse them with their prayers not blesse them with their cursinges Is it not a worlde to see howe many agaynst their marriages compasse the countrey some to prouide delicate diuersities of meates to feede both the belly and the eye other to inuite their friendes which come ruffling into the Churches in silkes veluets sattins and softe apparel and some to decke vp themselues in braue clothing against their mariage day but neuer
to giue euery beggar that asketh an almes of vs but if we absolutely craue without this exception we breake the lawe of prayer and bring the maiesty of God into bondage by our petitions This teacheth vs this profitable lesson that before we pray wee shoulde learne and consider our wantes by the worde of God that we aske not at the handes of the Almighty any thing beside that which is godly honest and lawfull for many I am perswaded doe sodainely and vnaduisedly starte vp into the presence of the Lorde with rash and vngodly desires because they want the knowledge of the word of God and the due consideration of those thinges which they wante Of this sort are all the prayers of the papistes for they neither vnderstand their prayers in a straunge tongue nor yet will examine them by the worde of God Vnto these I adde the prayers and wishes of the ignorant multitude which are as farre from the 〈◊〉 yers of the faithfull as the Moone is from the earth For as it is impossible for a man to go without his legges or to see without his eyes so is it impossible for these to praye without the knowledge of the Gospell For in our prayers wee must speake to the Lorde in his owne tongue as he speaketh in his worde but what can these personnes bring out of the treasures of the holy scriptures scant one sentence in the whole gospel rightly vnderstood how theÌ„ can they bring the matter of theyr whole prayers if they want but one thing that will suffice but who is liuing which standeth not in neede of many thousande mercyes But I knowe their olde excuse for they say they praye according to the Scripture when they repeate the Lordes prayer which is set downe in the scripture to whom I aunswere they doe well if they vnderstand it but where doe they finde those wishes to grow rich those curses vpon them with whome they are angry whether it be man or beast and tell me the vnderstanding of one petition in the Lordes prayer Therefore beloued pray in spirit but pray in vnderstanding also vse the scripture for the rule of your supplication for as no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but onely by the Spirit of God so none can pray rightly but by y e knowledge of the Gospel If you once entertain this knowledge of God his worde then you will doe with it as a cunning workeman in his trade hee will euer take delight in his work occupation euen so if you had this this feeling you woulde delight in prayer which now is a hel vnto many then your harts both priuatly would bee as studious in meditating goodnes as euer they were desirous of worldly pleasure and woulde publikely breathe after it as the Harte in his chase doth after the well springes But oh dearely beloued this condemneth the worlde of hatred of God of the pride of themselues of ignorance in the trueth of coldnesse in religion of truâ—â—ing in the worlde mispending of time louing of pleasure and lacke of deuotion that they are as hardely drawne to praier according to the common Prouerbe as a hare taken with a tabret Think you that these persons which absent themselues from publique petitions and priuate prayers haue any loue of God in them nay are not those condemned which are drawne to them agaynst their will and where shal these cursed companions appeare which forsake sermons goe out of Churches lye idlie at home and are disporting themselues in brauery abroade when the time of prayer calleth for their presence at home or in the Church doe they not seperate themselues from the faithfull in this life and therefore they shall bee miserably damned with the Deuill and his aungelles and euerlastingly excluded from Christ and his Saintes Fourthly by this prayer of these elders wee obserue that we must especially pray for the multiplying augmenting of the faithfull for they pray that Ruth may bee like not to the daughters of Lot of whome came the cursed Moabites and Ammonites nor yet to Rebecca of whome came the vngodly Edomites nor yet to Keturah from whom came the godlesse Madianites and Arabians but to Rahel and Leah which builded the house of Israel that is which increased the Lordes people which multiplyed the heyres of the promised land and augmented the number of the faithful This our sauiour commanded to be done next to the glorifying of God for first wee say hallowed bee thy name and then thy kingdome come which is first that the spirit might raign in our harts theÌ„ that mo saints may be added to the Church For we must pray for the frends not for the enemies of Christ For this cause Paule compareth marriage to y e coniunction betweene Christ his Church for as the one ingendreth many saints so the other must beget many faithfull members truly as one pearl is worth ten thousand pebles so one good child is better to the parents then many thousands of euil The vse of this doctrine is that we should not bee like the Iewes desirous of many children because our families shoulde grow great but like the doues which bring forth few which might be the children of innocency the Elephant being the greatest and yet the meekest beast conceaueth but once in all her time whereas the lesser and more hurtful creatures encrease many yet it is better for the first to haue but one w c are good hurtles then for the latter to haue many which are euil and harmefull euen so beloued it is good to increase doues and not serpentes Elephantes and not Tigers and better is one Isaacke the sonne of promise then a thousand Ismaels the children of bondage We know the most precious hearbes bring the least fruites and that is not the best which doth most of all multiply so the godly like good trees must rather desire one or two children like themselues and to bring forth grow in issue sparingly by little little then sodainly to swell vp like the waues of the sea Wee reade that Ismael had twelue sonnes all princes but Isaacke his brother had onely twaine Iacob Esau and them he obtained by prayer so hardely the godly are borne and conceyued when with the wicked they come as thicke as the hailestones in Egipte for the confusion of the fruite of the lande Therefore as the seede is cast in vaine vpon the lande which the soules doe presently deuoure so those children had beene better they had neuer beene borne whom darknes blindeth ignorance possesseth mallice ruleth vngodlines leadeth and Sathan tormenteth for the fewest number are the godliest posterity in whom light shineth knowledge dwelleth meekenes raigneth godlines guideth Christ eternally blesseth Fiftly by the praier of these people we note y e second blessing of a godly mariage which is to gather by lawfull meanes much wealth for that which in the English is doe worthely in Ephrathah
in the Hebrewe is gather wealth in Ephrathah For it is more generall in the english then in the originall for to gather wealth by honest meanes is to doe worthely because it is the blessing of God Therefore wee wil take the surest and the safest interpretation by y e which this collection is confirmed and their meaning is that Boaz which in his mariage respected not riches should by his godly choise enioy a vertuous wife to bring vp faithfull children increase his substance by the blessing of God that he might aduance the honour of their countrey and Cittie Neyther is this vnknowne that after children the growing in wealth is the next blessing of the Lorde as Abrahams seruant telleth Laban the Lorde hath blessed my maister exceedingly and made him very great for he hath giuen him flockes and heardes siluer and gold seruants and maidens cammels and Asses all this did the Lord blesse Abraham with after his marriage with Sara Againe the holy Ghost describing Iob after his children which were seuen sons three daughters he reckoneth his wealth faith His possession was seuen thousand cattel three thousand camels fiue hundred yoke of oxē and fiue hundred she asses with a great houshold For wealth in marriage is the best seruant that can be entertained I might speake of many moe but few perswasions will suffice in this point because wealth was wont to be the maide and godlines the mistresse but nowe riches is become the mistresse and religion the maide For wealth men rise early and go late to bed labour diligently and fare hardely trauaile earnestly sweat painefully and I can finde no fault but with too much following this wealthy trade For first of all I must complaine with Salomon that there is but one and not a seconde who hath neyther brother nor sonne yet there is no end of his labour neyther is his eye satisfied with riches for this olde canker infecteth euery age whereby it is a pleasure to certaine couetous wretches to toyle theyr bodies with vntimely labours to clogge their mindes with golden cares and to weary their sences in numbring their wealth what is y e end hereof surely this the gatherer is like an asse which carryeth the treasure but cannot vse it being laide on his backe it must be taken of agayne the heyres like the drones spend all but gather none for as they sweat not for it as it was in getting so they spare not as long as it lasteth lauishing out that in riotous company which was gathered in couetous encroching Others that they may thriue count all thinges lawfull for they saye God hath giuen the earth to the children of men therefore they spende the sabbaothes in buying and selling in bargayning and labouring they get by right wrong forgery and deceite play and worke neyther lands not cattels come amisse to them so they may haue them But we must alway remember that wee neyther go to the right hand nor to the left that is if thou haue many children thou must vse no vnlawfull meanes to keep them if thou haue none thou must not hoarde vppe thy wealth as if thou haddest some but remember the day of aduersitie and deale somewhat for thy present neede and not altogether for thy owne commodity But you will say shewe vs some briefe rules by which wee may practise the truth by your fauourable audience I will giue you these three rules the first is in getting the second in keeping and the thirde in departing from it Concerning the first which is getting of wealth first our onely care must bee for the blessing of God to encrease vs We haue an excellent example in Iacob hauing nothing in the worlde beside his wiues and children yet woulde receyue no wages of Laban but promisde his seruice for the spotted lambes choosing rather to depend vpon the blessing of God then the pollicy of his owne wit to testify his vprightnes in the presence of Laban to teach vs all that thriuing commeth more by y e fauour of y e Lord then the wisedome of the world For Laban thought he had made a good bargain for himself w c indeed proued to his great hinderance euen so when men think they haue compassed the world to increase theyr profit sodainly the Lorde sendeth a crosse to disapoint their purpose y t they might know y t to be true w c Moses saith that it is the Lorde w c giueth power to get wealth against this those offende w c encrease their wealth liue vpon vsury for they depend not vpon the blessing of God but bind their debtors in bands win or loose they wil haue both principal increase Againe others are so greedily bent vpon their profits that their only desire is to wax rich of whō Paul speaketh They which wil wax rich fal into many temptations snares many foolish damnable lustes w c drown men in euerlasting destruction for y e loue of money is the root of all euil which while some desired they erred from the faith pearced themselues w t many sorrowes This striketh to the earth false measures naughty wares breaking of promises detaining of heirs raysing of rentes oppressing the poore deceytful bargaynes vnlawful trades for none of these depende vpon the Lord but giue their soules to the Deuil for encreasing their wealth Secondly you must know how to vse your wealth according to the word of God w c is thus according to the coūsel of th'Apostle if thou haue little be contented for godlines is great gaine if a man be contented with that he hath for we brought nothing into the worlde neyther shall wee carry any thing out of the worlde this is the reason of contentation but some will say howe much shal wee haue before we be contented the Apostle answereth in the nexte verse if we haue meat clothing we are there w t all contented Againe if they be rich the same Apostle sheweth how they shall beare their wealth in these words Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded neither trust in their vncertaine riches but in the liuing God which giueth vs all things to enioy aboundantly That they distribute to other that they be rich in good workes that they be willing to giue and easy to be intreated Laying vp for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life Out of the which words we must obserue these things First that riches must not make men proude for they are the gift of God but our rich men scorne and disdaine their poore bretheren of Christ commaunding and oppressing them both by word and deede in most odious and shamefull manner Secondly they must not put any confidence in their wealth but repose their trust in the liuing God who gaue it to them and to whome they
be by his blessing increased with his fauour preserued and to his glory bestowed Nay nay if none had no more wealth then that which they had gotten by prayer their glorious shewes would in little space grow as bare as the trees in the winter when they haue neyther fruite nor leaues to couer them This I speake not to the discredit of any wealthy persons but shew them the way to attayne the end of their desire the continuance of their posteritie in godlines and wealth which is by prayer For as Christ prayed for Peter that his faith should not faile him so parents must pray for their posteritie that their names may not decay in them If any thinke when theyr barnes are inlarged their corne gathered they filled health enioyed wealth increased and rest obtained that eyther soules or children shall haue the greater rest like that foole in the Gospell their markes are much amisse for wealth and issue are lost both in an houre looke vpon the example of Iob the death of his children and decay of his wealth Againe none must be hereby emboldened to present their prayers before the face of the almighty for the maintenance of their children in worldly vanitie to make that the onely end of all their desire which is to be more carefull for the shoe then the foote for the rayment then the body and for the body then the soule but this must be their direction as the Lord commaunded the Iewes if they kept his statutes then should their oxen be strong to labour their sheepe bring foorth thousands and ten thousands in their streetes their daughters like the polished corners of the temple and their sonnes as their fruitfull garners which neuer are emptye For vngodly Haman was hanged though he were the prince of the princes but godly Mordecay was aduaunced which was as poore as the basest Shebna was depriued of his office because he was wicked when godly Eliakim was promoted to his place euen so it is not honour but the feare of God that bringeth and sustaineth honour that you must pray for your children Kings for vngodlines were depriued of their seates and thrones of maiesty whereunto they were borne much more will the Lord execute his iudgements of pouertie and slauery vpon those that would be aduaunced and yet are wicked for Salomon sayth that the prosperitie of fooles slay them and the crowne doth not endure from generation to generation yet the feare of the Lord abideth for euer Secondly by this verse we may note when they expressely make mention of Thamar the mother of Pharez and wish the posterity of Boaz to be like his the great blessing of God vpon that incestuous birth for we know the history how that Thamar was y e daughter in law of Iudah the wife widdow of his eldest son dissembling her selfe to be a whore by her apparell and place had the company of her father in law by whome she was conceiued of two sonnes the elder was this Pharez and the yonger Zerach yet wee see how y e Lord doth magnify this Pharez with a glorious and godly posterity By the which he teacheth vs these two profitable lessons that the sinnes of the faithfull are forgiuē though they be neuer so great We see this Iudah an excellent man yet ouercome in this action had not any such plague inflicted on him as Ruben his eldest brother or Simeon Leui but he which couered and omitted that sin of Abraham with Hagar of Iacob with Bilhah and Zilpah of this Iudah with Thamar Lot w t his own daughters and such like wil also forgiue all the defaults of the godly vnto the end of the world By the which we gather exceeding comfort when we come to this persuasion that there is no condemnation to them that are in Iesus Christ that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the mercies of y e Lord that the victory of our faith shall conquer the world when Noah shall be cleansed from his drunkennes Moses and Aaron frō their doubting Miriam from her murmuring Dauid from his murther Peter from his deniall of Christ and all because the Lord will couer the sins of his Saints be they neuer so great when he punisheth the faults of many thousand wicked persons with eternall damnation although they haue not sinned with the like transgression Secondly by this we learne that the Lord doth not punish the childrē for the parēts faults if they commit not the like themselues for this Pharez begotten in incest was blessed by the Lord not only with temporal glory in himself and his issue but also with this that he was made one of y e fathers of Christ And this teacheth vs that this vpbraiding of men for their birth be they base borne or free borne is no fruit of the word of God but the malice of the deuill which first deceiued the parents and now would discredit the childe Let it not therfore beloued be any speech in our mouths to shoot at them whom the Lord hath wounded by nature any thought of our hearts to enuy their welfare were their parentage neuer so base but pray for them that though they proceede not of a sanctified birth yet they may grow vp to a sanctified and holy life to make a godly a blessed end And finally let vs be encouraged vnto religion by the fauour of God which dealeth thus mercifully with his Saincts neuer suffering any thing to be laid to the charge of his chosen stopping the mouth of the deuill himselfe y t he neuer rise in iudgement against y e faithful or bring any litle sin of theirs into the remembrance of God but washing them all in the lauer of regeneration y e bloud of his sonne and will giue thē white robes clensed frō al filthines y t they may be chast virgins for y e Lords seruice and feed at his own table for euermore this cōsideration made Dauid to cry out and say oh whē shal I come and appeare before the presence of God it made Simeon to say now Lord let thy seruant depart in peace it caused Paule to vtter these words I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ for blessed are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Thus much for this verse Now let vs goe to the verse following In these three verses following the holy Ghost declareth the blessing of God vpon this mariage of Boaz and Ruth The words containe in them two parts the first part is of Boaz ver 13. the second is of the women that were present at the trauaile of Ruth The first part sheweth how Boaz taking Ruth and vsing her as his wife had the blessing of God in conceiuing and bearing him a sonne the other part of the women is their reioysing with Naomi for this fruitfulnesse of Ruth it comprehendeth two partes the first theyr
accompted after wealth fayleth friendship withdraweth when they stand in most neede and least pitie is in the greatest extremitie Euery tree is greene in the Spring euery bird will sing in sommer and euery false hearted Christian will faune vppon theyr bretheren in prosperitie but bee ashamed of theyr want in aduersitie yea there neuer wanteth priuie repiners and grudgers at the wealth and welfare of euery one for some say it is too much if theyr neighbours corne increase others say it is too little when they are vexed and troubled by losse of their goodes and this maketh many medlers in other mens matters many backbiters for other mens welfare many enuye that any should haue theyr shares as good as themselues like him in the Gospell whose eye was euill because the Lords hand was good and as all the waues of the sea doe beate vpon the shore so all the braines of the world doe breathe against the prosperous Secondly the manner of theyr reioysing must be considered which the holy Ghost hath set downe in these words Blessed be the Lord wherein they testifye perfect ioy both to the Lord by praysing him and giuing thankes and also to Naomi vnto whome nothing could be more acceptable then to heare the name of God to be blessed for her sake To blesse in the scripture whensoeuer it is referred to God signifieth to prayse or to giue thankes as when Zachary sayth Blessed be the Lord God of Israell for he hath visited and redeemed his people that is Praysed be the Lord God of Israell Likewise the Apostle Paule sayth Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of mercyes and the God of all consolation that is praysed be God And in another place he sayth If thou blesse with the spirit how shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen to thy thanksgiuing that is if thou giue thanks with the spirit In this place it is of the first sence as if these women had sayd We prayse thee O God that thou hast looked on the misery of Naomi and hast reserued her a kinseman by whome the name of the dead might be raysed vpon the inheritance and his owne honor continued in Gods people By the which we are taught what manner of ioy the faithfull are to haue for their bretheren namely such as may redound to the prayse of God according to the saying of the Apostle that he which reioyseth must reioyse in the Lord for as bodily exercise profiteth little so carnall ioy profiteth lesse such as is the framing of vayne songs giuing ouer our labours and to reioyse in pastimes and such as is vsed in ringing of bells and the like sort being onely for man and not for God Therefore heere wee haue an excellent manner of reioysing when God is glorifyed by our mirth Thus we reade Moses and Aaron with theyr sister Miriam did after they came out of Aegypt Thus did Deborah and Barach after the victory against Sisera Thus did the women after the victory of Saule and Dauid when they came from the slaughter of the Philistins Thus did Zachary when his tongue was restored vnto him Thus did the children of Ierusalem cry when Christ came riding vpon the Asse Thus doe the faithfull reioyse after the destruction of Rome and Antichrist singing Praysed be God saluation and honour and glory and power to our Lord God And the Lord cryeth out of heauen vnto vs Prayse the Lord all ye his seruants and whosoeuer feare him both small and great Therfore beloued seing it becommeth the iust to be thankefull let vs prayse the Lord both euening and morning and let vs not see a sparrow to light on the ground without some prayse to God by whose prouidence all things are gouerned by whose will all things are ordered for whose glory are all things appointed that we should euermore giue thanks to him that sitteth on the highest heauens and ruleth the mightiest princes appointing the measure for the sea and calling the whole world to iudgement in whose presence is light and life for euermore Thirdly the matter of their thanksgiuing must be considered for they prayse God because he had kept a kinsman aliue for Naomi whose name should be continued in the people of God so that in plaine words they commend the kindnes of God because he had so prouided for this godly Naomi as she might be comforted by his meanes and his name continued by her daughter and all three eased by this one childe By the which we are taught these two profitable lessons first that we must magnify God for the life of our friends so doe these Iewes for the life of Bohaz by whome the Lord brought such great comfort to both these destitute and desolate widdowes for as we are sorry for their death when it is too late so must we be thankefull for their life when yet they are with vs the sonne for the life of his father and the father for the sonne the wife for her husband and the husband for his wife the seruant for his maister the subiects for their prince the people for their teachers and y e daughters for their mother There are few of these but they bring much benefit vnto vs and no small comfort doth arise by their presence which we shall better perceiue when we want them then now we enioy them and for these the Apostle also willeth vs to pray and one cause of these two miracles vpon Lazarus and Dorcas was that their life might bee prolonged with the church of God and more kindnes shewed to their godly frendes Secondly by this all those that are able to bestowe any kindnesse vpon other are taught their duties to their owne kindred that especially they bee carefull for the reliefe of their pouertie the maintaynance of their dignitie the preseruation of their honesty the nourishing of their own flesh for vnto that end hath y e Lord encreased their substance continued their name prolonged their daye and aduanced their seates that they may be more able to do for their poore brethren which are commended to them by the Lorde committed by the worlde compelled by nature which are bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh that they might bee maintayned as your owne selues When Dauid was made king he aduanced his sisters sons his kinsemen when Saule was king he aduanced Abner and other his frends and wee knowe that many of Christes Apostles were his kinsmen vnto the which end Paule exhorteth that poore widdowes be prouided for by their frendes that the Church be not charged with them This condemneth the forgetfulnesse of many in our age which being in wealth will scant acknowledge their poore kindred whereby they shew themselues like vnnaturall beasts as if the Lord were not able to bring thē down to y e footstool in the place of the other y t they
woman are bounde to see their childrens first instruction that is if it bee possible to haue them in their keeping at their first entraunce into knowledge and when they are first of all capable of any goodnesse So wee reade Isaacke remayned with his father Abraham in the time of infancy when God commaunded Ismaell to bee cast out so Iacob kept little Beniamin with him neyther would he depart from him vnto any til Simeon was bound in Egipt so we read of the king Ioash whom his aunt Iehoshebah hid from y e rage of Athaliah who was brought vp in the house of her husbande Iehoiadah where hee was most worthely instructed in the feare of the Lorde so wee reade our sauiour Christ kept till he was twelue yeares olde with his mother and supposed father and after he had beene at Ierusalem hee was obedient to them till the yeare of his preaching which was when hee came to the age of thirtie yeares Therefore the conclusion af all this is that neyther the nursing nor instruction of our children must be deferred to other at the least so as wee seeme not but to bee many wayes as carefull for them as if they were in our presence to be euermore mindfull for the wealth of their bodyes and health of their soules Fourthly and lastly by these wordes wee may gather how great and excellent is this worke the bringing vp of children for which the Lorde hath expressed in his worde that it is required that many shoulde bee applyed for in this place we see Naomi and Ruth bestow their labours for the education of this new borne babe and we haue heard that Rebecca had a nurse that came with her from her fathers house to the lande where Abraham dwelt which signifieth vnto vs that neyther their infancy can bee vnfedde nor their youth vnruled for this is not so base a worke as many thinke it that one is enough if not too much to take the care of their children for wee knowe they are easily drawne to many inconueniences neyther can the parentes bee present to foresee all but if any bee helpers in this buisines their care is much eased the children lesse endangered theyr welfare better prouided and the parentes dutie better discharged Euery flocke hath a keeper beside the owner euery garden hath a dresser beside the mayster and if it be possible let euery childe haue an ouerseer beside the parentes for alas the silly infante is soone cast into the fire falleth into the water ouerturned with the wind and euery beast is ready to work his destruction all which may bee wisely preuented though not with the presence yet with the counsel and care of the parents by prouiding such carefull persons to be their guides as may also defend them when they are absent And the women her neighbours In this verse is the seconde parte which concerneth the naming of the child where the holy Ghost doeth declare vnto vs the persons that named the childe to be the women of Bethlehem the neyghbours of Naomi which no doubt was then giuen to the childe at the eyght day which was the circumcision according as wee see in the history of Iohn Baptist after the law of the Lorde calling him by the name of Obed which signifieth seruing or a seruant shewing howe hee should serue for the comfort of Naomi Boaz and his mother By this wee first of all note and obserue that it is the duty of the faithfull to be helpers one to another in the seruice of God and admonition of their dutyes for here the childe being circumcised was accompanyed with many godly women whose deuise they vsed and followed in the naming of the childe Indeed we may often read that the parents gaue names to their children sometimes the fathers sometime the mothers sometimes the Lorde himselfe as in many persons wee may perceyue but wee neuer reade that the people were so kinde to helpe in this matter and to further the duty of any godly minded onely this place excepted so that these women are a most godly example for all the faithfull to beholde how they must further and helpe one another in the cause of religion For the naming of children in olde time was very excellent when they were carefull by their earthly and outwarde tytles to admonish them of their inwarde and heauenly duties And that which these did in this one must wee doe also in all other duties to draw more and more to the loue of religion as wee reade the Apostles did one another when they came to the first knowledge of the Messiah for as a little leuen seasoneth a whole lumpe euen so a fewe godly personnes may drawe a great many to religion Therefore this one dutie of all other belongeth to the flocke of Christ that they helpe one another in the workes of Christianity When the ruler of the Temple his daughter was sicke for the little childe hee went to our sauiour by which meanes he recouered her life this was the duetie of a godly father when the sicke man of the palsie coulde not come to Christ foure of his neighbours brought him to his presence and the Lord forgaue him this was charity and the duety of neighbours When Dorcas was deade the women sent for Peter who being come she was restored to life And thus parents must helpe forwarde their children neighbours their fellowes and euery man one another if they want knowledge let vs teach them knowledge out of the pure worde of God if they cannot pray let vs pray with them and for them to the almighty God if they trauayle to heare the word let vs trauaile with them to encourage their carefulnes But of this matter wee haue often spoken Now let vs giue prayse to God The end of the sixteenth Lecture The seuenteenth Lecture Chap. 4. ver 18.19.20.21 22 18 These are the generations of Pharez Pharez begat Chetzron 19 Chetzron begate Ram Ram begate Hamminnadab 20 Hamminadab begate Naschon Naschon begate Salmā 21 Salman begate Bohaz Bohaz begate Hobed 22 Hobed begate Ishai Ishai begate Dauid NOwe by the mercifull kindnes of the Lorde we are come to the last part of this history the conclusion of this Chapter where the holy Ghost describeth vnto vs the kindred of Boaz euen all the generations frō Pharez to king Dauid shewing vnto vs the increase of these Iewes from their dwelling in the land of Canaan before they went into Egipt vntill the time that Dauid was annointed and appointed king in Israell we may for the easier handling of these wordes deuide them into these two partes The first is those persons that were the progenitours auncestors or fathers of Bohaz in the ver 18. 19 20. which are set downe to be Pharez the first Chetzron the second Ram y e third Hamminadab the fourth Naschon the fift and Salman the sixte who was the immediate and naturall father of Bohaz The second parte is the progeny
of spring and children of Bohaz which succeeded him first Hobed secondly Ishai and thirdely Dauid the king Of these parts and persons let vs briefly speake so much as serueth for the exposition of the Scripture and the satisfying of the tyme through the assistaunce and help of the spirite of God These are the generations Now that the holy Ghost had declared vnto vs this history of Ruth though briefly and in a fewe words yet in ample and large circumstances for the vnderstanding of his minde at the ende hereof hee annexeth the kindred of the personnes whome it chiefly concerneth that he might shew vnto vs that they were no meane or base persons for whom this history was compiled but such as descended of the noblest family in all y e world who were the appointed fathers of many kinges and that which is most of all the persons of whose seede our sauiour Iesus Christ tooke the beginning and substaunce of his humane nature And therefore in this place wee must declare the causes that moued the holy Ghost to be so careful in the rehearsing of the genealogies of the fathers for we must not imagine◠that hee mustereth not the names of those auncient persons to worke any wonder in our mindes at the recitall of them or that the scripture coulde haue beene perfecte without the seuerall generations therein described but wee must knowe that there were dyuers necessary and waighty causes by the iudgement of the auncientest and most approued wryters which moued the Spirite of God to intersert these genealogies First therefore according to the condition of all mankinde there is equally described the generations both of the godly and vngodly in the scriptures for this cause to shewe the multiplycation of mankinde of this sort are the generations of Adam Seth and Cain reported by Moses that hearing the number of mankinde so quickely multiplyed wee might the more earnestly giue prayse vnto God Agayne the genealogies of the sonnes of Noah are described vnto vs to shewe the replenishing of the earth the destruction of countryes and the restoring of the worlde But to come neerer vnto the matter wee must take this for a generall rule that the genealogies of the wicked are reported in the scripture for to shewe the blessing and loue of God vpon the godly and righteous men as for example the Lorde reckoneth vp the posterity of Ismaell the sonne of the bonde woman shewing vs howe great a people hee became and howe many Dukes or princes proceeded out of his loynes to shewe vnto vs the promise and couenant which hee made to his father Abraham that hee shoulde bee a great people was fulfilled and this serued to magnify and exalt the name of godly Abraham We read that the Lorde bestoweth a great genealogie vppon wicked Esau or Edom numbring or reckoning vp his sonnes and his sonnes sonnes his kingdome and the kinges of his seede that raigned after him for no other ende but to report and to manifest the blessing vppon godly Isaacke and Rebecca his parentes according to the oracle that hee gaue to his mother when shee demaunded and enquired the cause of the strugling or striuing in her wombe The like may bee saide of godlesse Cham for Noah his fathers sake of the sonnes of Iacob for Israels sake of Ephraim and Manasses for Iosephes sake By the which we gather and note this excellent doctrine that if the wicked haue any good it is for the sake of their godly and righteous parentes or frendes Wee see they should not haue so much as a name in the booke of God were it not for the cause of the righteous and godly we reade that when the Sodomites were ouercome in warre their people lead captiues and their goods spoyled by the company of Cedorlahomer then for Lots sake the Lord stirred vp Abraham and armed him with men and courage who wonne the victory recouered the spoyle brought backe the prisoners restored their goods and gaue them all libertie for godly Lots sake who was shortly after despised by them but they for their wickednes were burned in brimstone when righteous Lot was deliuered from them If Ioseph had not beene they had had no corne in Egipt If Moses had not beene the Lord had often destroyed the Israelites while they wandered and wauered in the wildernes For Iacobs sake the Lord increased the flocks of Laban For Iosephs sake he blessed the affaires of Potiphar for Paules sake he saued all them that suffered shipwracke at Myletum Euen so also he blessed the house of Obed-edomi because the arke was kept therein and at this day giueth greatest peace to those Countreys where his Gospell is promoted Let the atheists thinke if there were none that feared God they should quickly be condemned let the drunkards know if there were not some temperate persons their bodies should be quickly consumed let the couetous wretches assure themselues if there were not some liberall men their owne goods would turne to their death let the profaners of sabbaoths remember that if there were not some sanctifiers thereof their delightfull vanities would long agoe haue wrought their sorrowfull destinies let the contentious plaintifes be certified that if there were not some peaceable Christians among them their wealth had long agoe beene wasted for the prayers of the faithfull are like the walled Cities against the rage of enemies to keepe the vengeance of the Lord from falling vpon vs as the bloud of the Lamb spotted vpon the posts of the Israelites houses caused the angell to passe by them when all the first bornè in Egipt were slaine euen so the bloud of the lambe of God which is shead in the hearts of the godly maketh his messengers of death to depart from our countrey and kingdome If there were not a remnaunt among vs that are in league with the Lord that dayly are the hearers of his word the beseechers for his mercy and as the ambassadours of peace to disswade him from punishing our contempt of his word with condemnation our abuse of his creatures into pining famine our wantonnes in peace into lamentable warres our riotous liues into forraine captiuitye and our pampered bodyes to the slaughter of the sword You euen you that blaspheme the name of God if there were not a number that reprooue your abhominations the heauens would raigne downe stones to reuenge your accursed tongues you euen you that spend the Sabbaoths in dauncing and playing if there were not a company that refraine your pollutions you had beene cut off from your pleasure with some fearefull death before you had passed thus many dayes of securitie you euen you that thinke the preaching of the Gospell like the voyce of one that singeth whereunto you owe no more obedience then eare-seruice if there were not a remnant that heard the word of power which they beleeue is able to saue their soules you had beene many yeares since suffering the reward
that his promise which he had made vnto Adam should be perfourmed in his posteritie which was for the comming of Christ This promise was renewed vnto Abraham vnto Izaak and vnto Iacob and most plainely vnto Iudah the third sonne of Iacob who was the father and graundfather of this Pharez that the Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor the lawgiuer from betweene his feete vntill Shiloh come and the people shall be gathered vnto him and againe vnto Dauid he swore that the fruite of his body should sit vpon his Throne both which promises or prophesies respect the comming and the raigne of Christ By this then we first of all gather the scope of the whole scripture namely that aboue all other it respecteth Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world the Prince of peace the mightye King and the great Counsellour For this cause he himselfe speaketh to the Iewes Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life and they are they that testifye of me Agayne Iohn speaketh in the end of his Gospell that the Scripture was written that we might beleeue in Christ And we reade that Apollo did mightely confound the Iewes proouing by the Scriptures that Iesus was Christ But most euident and playne is that of the Disciples going to Emaus and Iesus ouertaking them by the way it is sayd that hee began at Moses and all the Prophets shewing them that Christ ought so to suffer and that redemption and remission of sinnes might be preached in his name to all the world By the which it is most easye to be gathered and doeth necessarily follow that the summe drift and scope of the Scripture dependeth vpon Christ First because all the godlie that are named therein were eyther his Fathers according to the flesh or else the singuler types prefiguring his person such was Melchizedeck Ioseph Moses all the Iudges Samuell and the Prophets which although they were not of his naturall linage Melchizedeck excepted yet they did most liuely represent him Moses and the Iudges in this that as they deliuered the people from earthlye captiuitie so should hee redeeme them from euerlasting calamitye Samuell and the Prophets in this that as they instructed the Iewes in the lawe of the Lord which was giuen by Moses so Christ shoulde put his lawe in the inwarde partes of the Churche and teache them the Gospell of trueth theyr redemption wrought by himselfe the lawe of righteousnesse the words of eternall life Aaron and his fellowes in this that as they sacrificed for the sinnes of the people with bullocks and beasts and sprinckled the bloud with hysop for their outward cleansing so Christ sacrificeth his owne bodye and cleanseth from sinne thorough the sprinkling of his owne bloud Dauid and the Kings in this that as they ruled the people by theyr temporall lawes conquering theyr enemies and giuing them rest and worldly honour so Christ doeth raigne with the spirituall lawe of his word triumphing ouer hell death and sathan leading captiuitie captiue ascending vp on high receyuing gifts for men deliuering his Church from theyr aduersarye the Deuill bestowing vppon them spirituall peace and libertye giuing them the honours of hys Ministerie Word and Sacraments in this life present and Crownes of glory in the life to come Thus if wee looke vpon the Iudges they shewe vs our redemption If wee looke vppon the Kings they shewe vs our saluation If wee looke vppon the Prophets they shewe vs our instruction If wee looke vppon the Priests they shewe vs our reconciliation and if wee looke vppon the very names of the fathers of Christ which are described in the old Testament they teach vs that our names are also described in heauen and this is the profit we reape by the generation or genealogie of the faithfull to confirme vnto vs the true humanitie of our Sauiour So that heerein most liuely appeareth the dignitie of the Scriptures and the maiesty of Christ one mutually looking on another as the sunne doeth the starres and the starres the sunne for as the excellencie of the sunne appeareth by the glory of the starres to whome it giueth light so the maiesty of Christ is manifest by the scriptures to whome he giueth credit On the other side as the glory of the starres is magnified because it is the light of the sunne so the credit of the scriptures is exalted because they concerne the Sonne of God If the doings of earthly men be but paynted in some pamphlets tragedies or bookes of Chronicles we accompt them famous because their actions are commended in print what shall we then say of the Sonne of God whose workes excell the worthiest enterprises of all the world togither and are recorded by the holy Ghost the eternall God of trueth thoroughout all the sacred bookes of his eternall word farre aboue the credit of worldly commendations is not his maiesty incomparable Do we buy the bookes of earthly mens deuises to reade the fayned and doubtfull aduentures of Princes long since in their graues and shall we suffer this booke of the heauenly stratagemes of our Sauiour lye asleepe in the shops Compare their worthines togither you shall finde the difference as great as is betweene the light of the sunne and a little rotten wood glistering in the darke They ouercame some worldly Princes but he ouercame the Prince of the whole world they thorough a multitude of earthly souldiours but he thorough himselfe alone an infinite number of infernall powers they inuented politique lawes for their peaceable gouernment but he giueth spirituall precepts and ruleth by them the hearts of men himselfe they had the heads of many noble persons vncouered at their presence but he hath the tongues and knees of all them in heauen in earth and vnder the earth bowing vnto him yea the Angels do him reuerence for he is their head they prepared names of Ships to cut the seas but he could commaund the waters to beare him vp when he walked vpon them they had their glory in gold siluer pretious stones and soft apparell but he being on earth had his countenance like the brightnes of the sun his garments as white as the light they could digge in the earth to find treasures for their maintainance but he commanded the fishes of the sea to render him his want they were able vpon infinite charges to keepe great families but he without any charge fed fiue thousand men besides women children with a few barley loaues two fishes and caused much more to be taken vp then at the first was deuided among them finally they were able to destroie the bodies of men but he is able to destroy both body and soule they shewed themselues in outward glorie but he shall shew himselfe in flaming fire to render vengeance to all them that haue not obeyed his Gospell Therefore here must wee learne the maiestie of Christ euen in the Scriptures
East and West North and South all the children of Abraham to enioy the presence of his Maiestie the inheritance of his kingdome and the end of their faith the saluation of their soules Pharez begat Hezron Now we will briefely giue you the exposition of the names so make an end of this Historie Pharez or rather Peretz in Hebrue signifieth a diuision and the occasion of this name was because of the two twinnes in the wombe of Thamar he first of all brake foorth and therefore they called him a diuision from the time of his birth hee was borne in the land of Canaan Hezron or Chetzron which was also borne in the land of Canaan and the Sonne of Peretz who was borne about the time that the Israelites went into Egypt and signifieth in our English tongue the arrow of ioye for till the Israelits went into Egypt they endured a great famine which â—zechiel calleth the arrowe of famine and when they were deliuered from this famine by going into Egypt for corne this child being then borne he was called the arrow of ioy as the famine is called the arrowe of sorrow as a remembrance of the mercie of God to them in giuing them bread Ram was the Sonne of Chetzron and was borne in Egypt about the time of Iacobs death when the children of Israel began to be hated of the Egyptians and therefore they called him Ram which signifieth in our English tongue cast downe or cast off because they then began to bee afflicted and saw no doubt great misery like to fall vpon them and they should be cast downe so soone as either the king or Ioseph should bee dead Haminadab the Sonne of Ram was also borne in Egypt about the time of Iosephes death when he tolde the Israelites that the Lord would visite them and deliuer them from the Egyptians and it signifieth in our English tongue a people that would be free being compounded of two words wherein the Israelits testifie the hope of their deliuerance that although they were now in thraldome yet they should bee in freedome againe Nahashon or Nachschon the Sonne of Haminadab was also borne in Egypt a little before the departure of the Israelites when hey cryed grieuously to the Lord for their affliction which they endured in Egypt vnder the Taxe-masters and it signifieth a crying or complayning thereby noting in the name of the child that hee was borne in affliction which might put him in minde of his Fathers miserie this man when the children of Israel were gon out of Egypt and pitched their tents in wildernesse of Sinai was by election or appointment of God made the Prince of the whole Tribe Salmon or Shalmon the Sonne of Nachschon was borne after the Israelites were departed from Egypt while they wandered in the desert and were deliuered from the Amalekits and other their enemies and his name signifieth peaceable because they liued then peaceably being freed from the Egyptians and other calamities this man married with the victualer Rachab of Iericho of whoÌ„ he begat Boaz. Boaz signifieth in strength who was born about the time of the deliuerance of y e Iewes from the tyrannie of the Moabites by the hand of lame Ehud by which meanes they got strength and remained a long time in peace Obed signifieth a seruant who was borne as wee see in Ephratha Bethlehem his mother being Ruth the Moabitesse the women gaue him this name because hee shoulde serue for the raysing vp of Elimelechs family the restoring of Naomies life and the comfort of his parents Boaz and Ruth Ischai or Ishai the Sonne of Obed signifieth an oblation and was borne about the daies of Iipthach and it may bee had his name giuen by reason of the vowe of Iipthach when he went against the Hammonites that he would offer the first liuing thing that met him after he returned with y e victorie whervpon his daughter meeting him she liued in perpetuall virginitie Dauid the youngest Sonne of Iischai who no doubt was borne in the time of Heli signifieth beloued because commonly the youngest are best loued or else his name did prophesie that hee should be so loued of God with whom he would establish his couenant concerning Christ and aduance him to the kingdome By which wee may plainely see that this Historie was written after he was chosen from his brethren and anoynted to be king after Saule or else the eldest Sonne of Iischai should haue beene named because the birth-right belonged to him Lastly by this we may gather that the foundation of the Gospell must be searched for in the olde Testament for this Genealogie as all the other of Christ is taken from thence and the Apostle defining the Gospell saith that God had promised it before by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures that is in the olde Testament and therefore it was needfull for Mathew to begin his Gospell with the Genealogie of Christ from Abraham and Dauid who had most liuely promises of his incarnation also Marke and Luke begin with Iohn Baptist who was the promised Eliah and the forerunner of Christ according as before it was prophesied and Iohn fetcheth it from the creation and beginning of the worlde as it appeareth in the entraunce of his Gospell By which we may see the hope of the Fathers for the comming of Christ to be the same with ours and had the liuely promises thereof reuealed in the law and the Prophets Secondly the heauenly agreement that is betweene the olde Testament and the new for there he was promised thence he was proued to be the Messiah all the Prophets giue witnesse vnto him now he is exhibited humbled and aduanced to the highest degree the gouernment heauen and earth sitting at the right hand of God making intercession for his Saints working in the calling of his seruantes with the ministerie of his worde disposing all things to the damnation of the wicked and the saluation of the godly Now let vs giue praise to God FINIS Gen. 1.1 Esay 1.1 Iere. 1.2 Eph. 1.1.2 Math. 2.1 Mar. 1.3.4 Luke 1. â— Iudg. 2.18 21 25 Pro. 20.30 1. Ki. 14.16 16 2.3.4 1 Kin. 18 35 37. Hos 7.14.13 Ier. 44.19 1. Kin. 18 17 1. Kin. 18 15.17 Psa 127.5 Mat. 25.3 Mat. 21.30 Ioh. 15.2 Ioh. 10.14 Ge. 31.34 Pro. 7.22 Mat. 3.10 Reu. 18.4 Num. 16.12.32 Hos 6.1.2 Deut. 28.23.24 Dan. 6.9 Psal 12. â—6 Ps 145.17 2. The. 1.6 Eze 18.26 1. Pe. 4.17 Heb. 12.6 Mat. 25.48 Eze. 5.16 1. Sam. 24 14.15 Ge. 12.10 Gen. 26.1 Ge. 41.30 2. Sam. 21 1. 1. Kin. 18.2 2. King 6.25 Act. 18.28 Am. 8.11 Ios 19.15 Ge. 35.19 Math. 2.1 Chap. 15. 1. Kin. 22 34. Psa 29 6.6.8 Psa 149 8 Psa 113 7 Exo. 10.22 Exod. 11.29 2. Kin. 25 10. Gen. 2.24 Gen. 12. â—1 8. Gen. 26.1 Gen. cap. 42 43.44 1. Tim. 5.8 Gen. 6.1 Pro. 5.18 Psa 37.35 Psal 17.14 Psal 73.4 Ver. 12 Iob. 21.7 Ier. 12.1
biddeth her to trimme and smooth her selfe vp shee warneth her not to come to the man till hee were layd to his rest and finally shee counselleth her to lye downe at his feete Truely in outwarde shewe it seemeth vnlawful yet in substance very honest if we consider euery circumstance First I demaund what is it that seemeth dishonest in this whole discourse some will say first the dressing of herselfe is scant the parte of an honest woman for it is very likely Naomi had this intention by this meanes to drawe the old man in loue with her for she tooke him as it were at aduantage alone in the floore and such sayth Salomon is the parte of whoores I aunswere that them other of Salomon sayth that it is also the point of a wise and a godly womā to watch in the night to be finely appareled to clothe her household and such like Therfore seeing an honest woman may do these thinges Ruth did no dishonestye in this Againe this kinde of dressing in Ruth was needefull because she had to deale with an honorable man and therefore the more carefully and comely shee must appeare in his presence But you will say that Naomi had some such meaning because shee bid her that shee shoulde not let her selfe be knowne till the man were gone to his rest I answere this shee did that they might more freely talke together of the matter of her mariage for if shee had come before hee wente to supper the daye woulde not haue suffised to commune of the cause of her comming niether would the old man haue gone to his loding if he had knowne a woman to bee present Then you will say why did shee not come to his owne house at home and that in the daye time I answere because it was a reproch to Ruth to bee knowne to deale publiquely in her owne marriage which must needes bee knowne if it had beene done in the city or in the daytime and therefore seeing time and place were nowe conuenient the man being alone they tooke opportunity by the fore-lock and prepare themselues for the aduenture of her marriage Why then will some say what moued Naomi to giue such counsell vnto Ruth seeing shee knewe it might bee defamed I aunswere Naomi knewe Boaz to bee an olde man not giuen to such lewde and filthy conditions but especiallye shee knewe him to feare God and Ruth her daughter in lawe to bee a vertuous woman trusting to his age and both their godlines shee is emboldened to giue this aduise And this may suffise any sober mindes from suspition of Naomies counsell Ruthes dishonesty or the religion of Boaz. But some will saye if the matter bee so cleare as you will make it then maye wee also followe the example and doo the like To which I answere if any doo so it is much amisse for wee must not imitate euerye example wee reade of in the scripture as that of Rebeckaes counsell to her sonne Iacob whereby hee got awaye the blessing from Esau There is no cause that can mooue vs as there was Naomi for Ruth must bee married in her kindered we neede not shee was bound to one or twaine but wee are free to manye thousandes shee might challenge in her owne behalfe for the law of God but wee cannot doo so excepte there bee a promise of marriage therefore neyther must wee followe this example nor yet suspecte the actions of either And Ruth Nowe the counsell propounded and the meanes for the execution thereof declared Ruthe approueth her mothers aduise by promise of obedience that first she woulde do it and in the verse 6 she doeth perfourme it Where wee haue a good example in the matter of marriage for all children to depende vppon their godlye and religious parentes If any aske mee whither they bee bounde vppon necessitye so to obeye their parentes that if they offer them husbandes or wiues they cannot refuse them but their parentes maye compell them to whome I answere first if it bee possible hearken to the voice of thy parentes but if thou canst not thy parentes cannot commaund thee against thy minde for they must propounde it conditionallye not absolutelye In thy body concerning thy labour thou must obey them in all thinges because they are the parentes of thy bodye but thy minde or soule which commeth from God is alwaye at libertye so that disobedience to parentes is the refusing of their temporall commaundement but marriage is euerlasting to the death of a man Secondlye children maye refuse because the Lord manye times reuealeth that to the childe which hee shewed not to the parentes as wee may see in the example of Sampson when hee woulde marrye with a philistine woman for his parentes gaine-sayeng it y e scripture sheweth the reason of it because they knew it not to come from the Lord but Sampson did they fore stood in it his parents harkned vnto him in the end got him y t womā for his wife By the which wee gather that no children maye lawfully celebrate their marriage without the parents consent secondly that they must be very circumspect to marry their children thirdly that they cannot in any good conscience deny their consents to their children to keepe them from honest marriage if there bee any equality betweene the partyes or hope of honesty in the time of louing But of this matter wee haue often spoke and therfore this shal suffise for this time Nowe let vs giue prayse to God The end of the eight Lecture The ninth Lecture Chap. 3. ver 7.8.9.10.11.12.13 7. And when Boaz had eaten and drunken and made his heart merry he went and lay down beside the heape of corne she came softly and vncouered the place of his feete and lay downe 8. And at midnight the man was afraid and turned him selfe hither and thither and he hold a woman lay at his feete 9. To whom he said who art thou and shee said I am Ruth thy handmaide spread the wing of thy garment ouer thy handmaide for thou art the kinsman 10. Which sayd blessed be thou of the Lord my daughter for thou hast performed more kindnes at the last then at the first because thou followedst not young men were they poore or rich 11. Now therefore my daughter feare not whatsoeuer thou sayest I will doe vnto thee for euery one within the gates of my people knoweth thee to be a vertuous woman 12. Now indeede it is true that I am thy kinsman yet there is one neerer than I. 13 Sleepe heere this night in the morning if he will do the parte of a kinsman let him but if hee will not do the kinsmans duty I will do the kinsmans dutie as the Lord liueth sleepe vntill the morning NOw it followeth in this scripture to speake of the effect of this counsell and of those thinges that happened after Ruth came downe into the floore and the happy successe she had with
Boaz The words do easily deuide themselues into two parts the first respecteth Boaz the other Ruth The first parte concerning Boaz is that which he did after his worke and before his sleepe verse 7. that he eate and dranke and made his hearte merrye and laye downe beside his corne For that hee did after his sleepe verse 8. first hee feared when hee felte a woman at his feete and secondly hee asketh who shee was After he knewe her hee blessed her verse 10. Secondlye hee comforteth her verse 11. In these wordes feare not my daughter His comforte hath 2. partes first his confession that hee was her kinsman verse 12. Secondly the counsell hee giueth to her verse 13 to tarrie vntill the morning and then he would try her other kinsman if he refused Boaz promiseth by oath to the confirme hir right and do her kinsmans duety and therefore biddeth her to sleepe vntill the morning The second parte which concerneth Ruth is her behauiour after shee came to the place appointed and hath these two branches first that which shee did alone verse 7. That shee came and laye downe at his feete secondlye that which shee did with Boaz first she telleth him her name when shee perceaued the man was afraid secondly she sheweth him her petition desiring him to spreade the wing of his garmente ouer her verse 9. Of these partes let vs speake in order as they lye by the asistance of the spirit of God and permission of the time And when Boaz These wordes concerne Boaz and that which hee did after his worke the daye being ended and his bodye being wearied hee went to his meate eating and drinking refreshing his stomacke and cheering his hearte with those blessings of God which he had presente afterwardes getting him to his lodging at the ende of his corne in sted of a softer bed harboureth vppon the straw Out of the which we obserue these thinges First the blessing of God vppon his creatures that are moderatelye taken for it is saide that hee cheared his hearte after his eating and drinking his bodye was not onely nourished his hunger abated and his stomacke filled but also his hearte was cheered thereby as if the holye Ghost had saide Heere is my blessing vppon meate that is moderatelye receiued that the powers of the soule are refreshed by it therefore wee reade in the preacher that a whole lande is blessed by the moderate receiuing of these benefites in eating and drinking The experience whereof is plainelye proued euerye daye among vs. For what is the fruite of this immoderate deuouring the benefites of God but as Salomon sayth the eyes wounds without cause quarrels and contentions to the woe of manye wherein they that reioyce are voyd of all reason which ought to bee the grounde of all our mirthe but like beastes some from feedinge to sleeping conueye themselues other from eating to gaming turne their bodyes delighting in nought but vanitye being as farre from this cheerefullnes of hearte by their meate and nourishement as Nabal was after his feaste when one worde of Dauids anger stroke his hearte dead But this Boaz was heere alone and none beside him and yet you see that in his solitarye barne voide of companyons hee made himselfe merrye with the fellowshippe of the blessing of God vppon his meate Euen so assuredlye if the handes of many could guide their mouthes their mouthes rule their appetites and both were gouerned with the spirite of God that they receiued for strength to nourishe their weakenes not for gluttony to stuffe vp their stomackes they shoulde with greater comforte sit downe to their meales and exceeding ioyfullye rise vp againe But since our mindes haue as manye deuises as our stomackes receiue morsels wee eate and yet wee are not satisfied wee drinke and yet wee are not merrye but ouercome with the good creatures of God wee seeke after idle songes vaine iesting and vnprofitable fables of falsehood and forged conceiptes in vngodly bookes which drowneth our spiritual ioy and plungeth our mindes in the gulfe of worldly mirth and woefull misery Then let vs learne the wisdome of Christ and looke for ioye which standeth not in laughter but in the inward comfort of the assurance of the spirite being persuaded wee feed in y e presence of God we may haue Christ at our temporall and worldly meales that wee may eate and drinke with him in his euerlasting kingdome Secondly by this wee obserue that our meate after our labours is much more ioyfull to our harts and profitable to our bodyes then if it bee receiued in an idle life for Boaz had wrought hard all this daye and the reward of his labour is the worke of his meate which in the end of all maketh his hart merry In consideration whereof the Lord inflicted this as a punnishment vppon mankind that their meate shoulde be vnprofitable vnlesse it were eaten in the sweate of our browes for as sleepe to a man that hath long watched so is meate to a man that hath long laboured as the coursing of the Hart maketh him to breath for the water springs so labour causeth men to hunger more vehemently to eate more liberally and disgest more effectually their desired morsels We read of Ionothan the sonne of king Saul when he had wearied himselfe in the slaughter of y e Philistines being very hungry did but dippe the toppe of this batte in a hony combe and putting it to his mouth his eyes receiued sight so acceptable are the crummes and drops to them that labour that they restore the life power of the body and for this cause the greatest persons in the first and purest age when the life of man was many hundred years were not exempted from bodily labour On the other side as Salomon saith they which sit long at wine and seeke after strong drinke meanning those which with idlenes followe their bellyes are most noysome to the worlde vnwholesome to themselues and woful for euer for their end will bee as the byting of a serpente and the stinging of a cockatrice teaching vs that labouring mens morsels are most sweet if we should ioyfully recreate our selues in the benefites of God wee must diligentlye prepare our stomackes in some honest trauailes that the basest fare may be acceptable meate vnto vs for the health of the body is preserued by labour as the planted corne by the diligence of the husbandman for hee which tilleth the earth is satisfied with breade but idlenes is nearest kinsman to madens Against this wee haue often spoken heeretofore and let this suffise for this time Thirdly we must note what manner of mirth or cheerfulnes was this of Boaz it could not be in talking for hee was alone nor yet in iesting for the former reason nor yet was it outward in singing for it is saide his heart was cheerefull as if there were a mirth that were not outwarde And truely