surely Naomi had done by Ruth from whose mouth no doubt though not immediately her vertues were sounded in the eares of Boaz. It hath been fully shewed me all Here now followeth a Summarie reckoning up of the worthy Deeds of Ruth which because they have been fully discoursed of in the former Chapter it would be needlesse againe to insist upon them Proceed we therefore to Boaz his Prayer The Lord recompence thee As if he had said Indeed Ruth that courteâ—ie which I afforded thee to gleane upon my Land without any disturbance comes farre short both of thy deserts and my desires All that I wish is this That what I am unable to requite the Lord himselfe would recompence May he give thee a full reward of Graces internall externall eternall here hereafter on Earth in Heaven while thou livest when thou diest in Grace in Glory a full reward Where first we may learne that when we are unable to requite peoples desâ—â—ts of our selves we must make up oâ—r wâ—â—t of workes with good Wishes to God 〈◊〉 them Indeed we must not doe like those in the second of S. Iames verse 16. who onely said to the Poore Depart in peace warme your selâ—es and fill your bellies and yet bestowed nothing upon them We must not both begin and conclude with good Wishes and doe nothing else but we must observe Boaz his method first to begin to doe good to those that being vertuous are in distresse and then where we fall short in requiting them to make the rest up with heartie Wishes to God for them Observation But the maine Observation is this There is a recompence of a full reward upon the good workes of his servants Gen. 15. 1. Moreover by them is thy servant taught and in keeping them there is great reward Psal. 19. 11. Verily there is a Reward for the Righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth the Earth Godlinesse hath the promises of this Life and of the Life to come Vse 1. It may serve to consute such false Spies as rayse wrong Reports of the Land of Canâ—an of the Christian Profâ—ssion saying with the wicked Mal. 3. 14. It is in vaine to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Commandements and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hoâ—sts Slanderous Tongues which one day shall be justly fined in the Starre-Chamber of Heaven Ob scandala magnatum for â—landering of Gods noble servants and their Profession for indeed the Christian Life is most comfortable for we may both take a liberall Portion and have a sanctified use of Gods Creatures besides within we have peace of Conscience and joy in the Holy-Ghost in some measure one Dramme whereof is able to sugar the most wormewood affliction Vse 2. When we begin to feele our selves to lagge in Christianitie let us spurre on our affections with the meditation of that full reward which we shall in due time receive with our Saviour let us looke to the Ioyes which are set before us and with Moses let us have an eye to the recompence of Reward Yet so that though we look at this Reward yet also we must look through it and beyond it This meditaâ—ion of the Reward is a good place for our soules to bait at but a bad place for our soules to lodge in we must mount our mindes higher namely to aime at the glory of God at which all our actions must be directed though there were no Reward propounded unto them Yet since it is Gods goodnesse to propound unto us a Reward over and besides his owne Glory this ought so much the more to incite us to diligence in our Christian calling For if Othniel Iudges 1. behaved himselfe so valiantly against the enemies of Israel in hope to obtaine Achsah Calebs Daughter to Wife how valiantly ought we to demeane our selves against our spirituall enemies knowing that we shall one day be married unto our Saviour in eternall happinesse And this is a full Reward Objection But some may say These termes of Recompence and Reward may seeme to favour the Popish Tenent That our good workes merit at Gods hand Answer Reward and Recompence unto our good workes are not due unto us for any worth of our owne but meerely from Gods free favour and gracious promise For to make a thing truly meritorious of a Reward it is required first that the thing meriting be our owne and not anothers now our best workes are none of ours but Gods Spirit in us secondly it is requisite that we be not bound of dutie to doe it now we are bound to doe all the good deeds which we doe and still remaine but unprofitable servants thirdly there must be a proportion betweene the thing meriting and the Reward merited now there is no proportion betweene our stained and imperfect workes for such are our best and that infinite weight of glory where with God will reward us It remaines therefore that no Reward is given us for our owne inherent worth but meerely for Gods free favour who crownes his owne workes in us Vnder whose wings thou art come to trust A Metaphor it is borrowed from an Hen which with her clocking summons together her stragling Chickens and then out-stretcheth the fanne of her wings to cover them Familiarly it is used in Scripture and amongst other places by our Saviour Math. 23. How oft would I have gathered thee together as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings and ye would not And just it was with God because the foolish Chickens of the Iewes would not come to Christ the Hen calling them to suffer them to be devoured by the Eagle the Imperiall Armie of the Romans Observation Gods love and care over his Children is as great as an Hen's over her Chickens Now the Hen's wings doe the Chickens a double good First they keepe them from the Kite so Gods providence protecteth his servants from that Kite the Devill For as the Kite useth to fetch many Circuits and Circles and long hovers and flutters round about and at length spying her advantage pops downe on the poore Chicken for a prey so the Devill who as it is Iob 1. 7. compasseth the Earth to and fro and walketh through it and at length spying an opportunitie pitcheth and setleth himselfe upon some poore Soule to devoure it if the wings of Gods providence as the Citie of Refuge doe not rescue him from his clutches Secondly the Hen with her Chickens broodes her Chickens and makes them thereby to thrive and grow In Summer her wings are a Canopie to keepe her Chickens from the heat of the scorching Sunne and in Winter they are a Mantle to defend them from the injurie of the pinching cold So Gods providence and protection makes his Children to sprout thrive and prosper under it in Prosperitie Gods providence keepeth them from the heat of Pride in Adversitie it preserveth them from being benummed with frozen Despaire Vse Let us all then
proceed to matters of greater difficulty Lastly They are to pray to God to give his increase to their planting and watering for as Athanasius saith â—t is a divine work to perswade mens souls to believe But as for the using of tortures and of torments thereby to force them we have no such custome nor as yet the Churches of God for though none come to Christ but such as his Father draws by the violence of his effectuall grace yet ought not men to drive or drag any to the proâ—ession of the Faith yet notwithstanding if after long patience and forbearing with them and long instructing them in the points of Religion if still these Pagans continue refractary and obstinate then surely the civill Magistrate who hath the lawfull dominion over them may severely though not cruelly with Iosiah compell them to come to Church and to perform the outward formalities of Gods worship Go then ye bloody Jesuites boast of those many millions of Americanes whom you have converted who were not converted by the sword of the mouth gained by hearing the Gospell but compelled by the mouth of the sword forced by feeling your cruelty witnesse those 70000 which without any catechising in the points of Religion were at once driven to the Font like so many Horses to a watring Trough Indeed I find my Saviour Iohn â— driving the Merchants out of the Temple with a whip of cords but never before did 〈…〉 of any which against their wills drave or instructed Pagans to the â—ont to be baptized Each to her Mothers house Here we see Widows if poor are to be maintained by their Parents if they be able These widows 1 Tim. 5. 16. were not to be burthensome to the Church but â—o be relieved by their own Countrie let Parents therefore take heed how they bestow their Daughters in Marriage for if they match them to Unthrifts and Prodigals will it not be bitternesse in the end the burthen will fall heavie on their backs when their poor Daughters with their Children must be sent again to their Fathers to maintain them House Widows are to contain themselves within the house not like the Harlot Prov. 7. 12. alwaies in the streets but like meek Sarah in the Tent whereby they shal sooner gain the love and esteem of others for let base and beggerly fellows buy that rascal ware which is hung out at the doors and windows of Shops and Stalls whilest men of qualitie and fashion will go into the Shop to cheapen the worth of those merchandise as are therein kept secret and conceal'd And so surely all discreet and grave men will have the highest esteem and bear the best affection to such Women which do not gad abroad to be seen but with Ruth and Orpah being Widows keep themselves in their Mothers house Vers. 8 9. â— The Lord shew favouâ— unto you as ye have done with the dead and with me The Lord grant you that you may finde rest either of you in the house of her Husband NAomi being readie to take her leave of her daughters faine she would leave them something for which they might be the better after her departure But Gold and Silver she had none yet such as she had she freely gave unto them heartie prayers Whence we learne It is the best expression of a gratefull minde to pray to God for the welfare of those at whose hands we have received greater courtesies then we can requite As ye have done Hence we learne God in the rewarding of the good deeds of his servants dealeth with them accordingly as they have done with others Yet farre be it from us to suppose that in our stained and imperfect works there is any meritorious vertue which deserveth that God should proportion a Reward unto them but this freely proceedeth from Gods favour who to encourage us in well-doing will not suffer a Cup of cold water to passe without its reward Doe we desire then to have dutifull Children and faithfull Servants hereafter let us be dutifull to our Pâ—rents faithfull to our Masters On the other side hath God afflicted us with Zibahs to our Servants and with Absalons to our Sonnes let us reflect our eyes on that which is past and call our selves to account whether we formerly have not been unfaithfull to our Masters undutifull to our Parents no doubt we may then take up the Confession of Adoni-bezek As I have dealt with others so the Lord hath done to me With the dead Question Here ariseth a Question How can one shew favour to the dead who being past sense are not capable of kindnesse or crueltie Answer The Papists who leave the soules of most men departing from hence like Absalon's body hanging betwixt Heaven and Hell expound it that these Women did fast and pray for â—he soules of their deceased Husbands that they might be delivered from torments and in due time brought to happinesse in Heaven For the confutation of which erroneous exposition I need say no more then that the Scripture makes no mention of any such middle place wherein the soules of the godly should be detained before they goe into Heaven and in matters of Faith every Christian may safely say Except I see in the Bible the print thereof or can feel it deduced out of it by undenyable consequence I will not believe it It is strange to see what impertinent places are produced by Bellarmine to prove praying for the dead as Iames 5. 16. Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed the effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Then he endevoureth to prove that the dead pray for the living from the Parable of Dives Luke 16. 27. I pray thee therefore Father c. where Dives was charitably sollicitous for the good of his surviving Brethren But let the first place in S. Iames be perused by impartiall Judgements and it obligeth mutually the dead Saints to confesâ—e to us as well as we to them which being impossible directeth us to confine the words onely to reciprocall confessing and praying to and for the living Some will say Bellarmine having sufficiently proved Purgatorie before which necessarily inferreth prayers for the dead he might be the briefer in that subject It is confessed many arguments are alledged by him to that intent though to small purpose as Psalme 66. 22. We went through fire and through water but thou broughtest us out into a wealthie place We answer first the living there speake de praeterito we went not de futuro we shall goe Secondly it was literally meant of the Children of Israel they went through the fire when envassalled to worke in the Egyptian Brick-kills and through water when miraculously they passed through the Red Sea Again they went through fire when preserved from the stinging of the fierie they beheld the Brazen Serpent Thirdly if from fire in this Text any can kindle a Purgatorie others will quench it from
all outward profits and pleasures yet in very deed they are not with us but against us and so must be accounted of Where thou lodgest I will lodge A good Companion saith the Latinâ— Proverb is pro viatico I may adde also pro diversorio Ruth so be it she may enjoy Naomies gracious companie will be content with any Lodging though happily it may be no better then Iaâ—ob had Gen. 28. And yet we see how some have been discouraged even from the company of our Saviour for feare of hard lodging witnesse the Scribe to whom when our Saviour said The Foxes have their holes and the Fowles of the ayre have nests buâ— the sonne of man hath not where to lay his head This cold comfort presently quencht his forward zeale and he never appeared afterward whereas he ought to have said to our Saviour as Ruth to Naomi Where thou lodgest will I lodge Thy people shall be my people Haman being offended with Mordecai as if it had been but leane and weak revenge to spit his spight upon one person hated all the Iewes for Mordecai's sake the mad Beare stung with one Bee would needs throw downe the whole Hive But cleane contrarie Niomi had so graciously demeaned her selfe that Ruth for her sake is fallen in love with all the Iewes Farewell Melchom farewell Chemosh farewell Moab welcome Israel welcome Canaan welcome Bethlehem all of a sudden she will turâ—e Convert she will turne Proselyte Observation The godly carriage of one particular person may beget a love of that Countrey and People whereof he is even in a stranger and forreiner Doe we then desire to gaine credit to our Countrey prayse to our People honour to our Nation reputâ— to our Religion Let us depâ—rt and behave our selves graciously if we live â—mongst strangers On the other side the base and debauched manners of some one man is able to make his Countrey stink in the nostrils of those forreiners amongst whom he lives Ex uno discite omnes in one faithlesse Sinon one may reade the Trecherie of all the Grecians Thy God shall be my God Iehosaphat when he joyned with Ahab 1 Kings 22. said unto him My people is as thy people and my horses are as thy horses that is he would comply with him in a Politike League but Ruth goes further to an unitie in Religion Thy God shall be my God Yea but one may say How came Ruth to know who was the God of Naomi I answer As God said of Abraham I know that Abraham will instruct his children so may one confidently say of Naomi I know that Naomi had catechised and instructed her daughter in law and often taught her that the God of the Israelites was the onely true God who made Heaven and Earth and that all others were but Idols the workes of mens hands Yet as the Samaritans beleeved our Saviour first upon the relation of the woman that came from the Well Iohn 4. 42. but afterwards said unto her Now we beleeve not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know thâ—t this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world So happily Ruth was induced first to the liking of the God of Israel upoâ— the credit of Naomies words but afterwards her love of him proceeded from a more certaine ground the motions of Gods holy Spirit in her heart Where thou diest will I die Here Ruth supposeth two things first that she and her mother in law should both die It is appointed for all once to die secondly that Naomi as the eldest should die first for according to the ordinarie custome of Nature it is most probable and likely that those that are most stricken in yeares should first depart this Life Yet I know not whether the Rule or the Exceptions be more generall and therefore let both young and old prepare for death the first may die soone but the second cannot live long And there will I be buried Where she supposeth two things more First that those that survived her would doe her the favour to burie her which is a common courtesie not to be denyed to any It was an Epitaph written upon the Grave of a Begger Nudus 〈◊〉 vivus 〈◊〉 ecce tegor Secondly she supposeth that they would burie her according to her instructions neere to her mother Naomi Observation As it is good to enjoy the companie of the godly while they are living so it is not amisse if it will stand with conveniencie to be buried with them after death The old Prophets bones escapt a burning by being buried with the other Prophets and the man who was tumbled into the Grave of Eâ—isha was revived by the vertue of his bones And we reade in the Acts and Monuments that the body of Peter Martyr's Wiâ—e was buried in a Dunghill but afterward being taken up in the Reigne of Queene Elizabeth it was hoâ—ourably buried in Oxford in the Grave of one Frideswick a Popish shee-Saint to this end that if Poperie which God forbid should over-spread our Kingdome againe and if the Papists should goe about to unâ—ombe Peter Martyr's Wives boneâ— they should be puzzled to distinguish betwiâ—â— this womans body and the Reliquâ—s of their Saint So good it is sometimes to be buried with those who some doe account pious though perchance in very deed they be not so The Lord doe so to me and more also To ascertaine Naomi of the seriousnessâ— of her intentions herein Ruth backs what formerly she had said with an Oath lined with an execration Observation Whence we may gather it is lawfull for us to sweare upon a just cause but then these three Rules must be warily observed First that we know that the thing whereto we sweare be true if the Oath be assertorie and if it be promissorie that we be sure that it is in our intent and in our power God blessing us to performe that which we promise Secondly that the occasion whereupon we use it be of moment and consequence not trifling and trivial Thirdly that we sweare by God alone and not by any Creature Sweare then neither by the Heaven nor by the Earth nor by Ierusalâ—m nor by the Temple nor by the Gold of the Temple nor by the Altar nor by the Sacrifice on the Altar but by God alone for he onely is able to reward thee if that thou affirmest be true he onely is able to punish thee if that thou avouchest be false Yet this doth no wayes favour the practice of many now adayes who make Oathes their language Our Saviour said to the Iâ—mes Many good workes have I shewed you from the Father for which of them goe you about to stone me So may the Lord say to many riotous Gallants now adayes Many good deeds have I done to thee I created thee of nothing I sent my Sonne to die for thee by my providence I continually protect and preserve thee for which of these deeds doest thou gâ—e about by
stranger of Moab must be left to the adventure of hazard How comes the holy Spirit to use this word Hap Answer Things are said to happen not in respect of God but in respect of us because oftentimes they come to passe not onely without our purpose and fore-cast but even against our intentions and determinations It is lawfull therefore in a sober sense to use these expressions It chanced or It fortuned Luke 10. 30. Nor can any just exception be taken against those words in the Collect Through all Changes and Chances of this mortall life Provided alwayes that in our formes of speech we dreame not of any Heathen Chance It is observed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not used in all the Workes of Homer but sure S. Austine in the first of his Retract complaineth that he had too often used the word Fortuna and therefore in the Pagans sense thereof we ought to abstaine from it Observation Now whereas Ruth by chance lighteth on Boaz his field we may observe Admirable is the providence of God in the ordering of contingent events to his glory and his Childrens good The Scripture swarmeth with Presidents in this behalfe which at this time I surcease to recite and conclude with the Psalmist O Lord how wonderfull are thy workes in wisdome hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy Riches To which I may adde Oh that men would therefore prayse the Name of the Lord and shew forth the wonderfull workes that he doth for the children of men And behold Boaz came unto his Reapers He had a man over them yet himselfe came to over-see them Observation Where note it is the part of a thriving Husband not to trust the carâ— of his affairs to his servants but to over-see them himselfe The Masters eye maketh a fat Horse and one asking what was the bâ—st compost to Manure Land it was answered the dust of the Masters feet meaning his presence to behold his own business Hushai would not councell Absolon to let Achitophel goe with his Armie but advised him Thou shalt goe to battel in thine own person However he herein had a secret intent yet thus farre the proportion holds Things thrive best not when they are committed to Surrogates Deputies Delegates and Substitutes but when men themselves over-see them Let Masters therefore of Families carefully attend on their own businesse and let the Daughters of Sâ—rah whom the meeknesse of their Sex hath priviledged from following without doors affairs imitate the wise woman Proverbs 37. 15. 27. She rises whiles as yet it is night and giveth her meat to her Houshold and their portions to her Maids She looks well to all the wayes of her Houshold and eateth not the bread of idlenesse And such servants which have carelesse Masters let them look better to their Masters estate then their Masters do to their own let them be neither idle nor unfaithfull in their place knowing that though their earthly Master be negligent to eye them yet they have a Master in heaven who both beholds and will punish or reward them according to their deserts And as for the Sons of the Prophets let them feed the Flock over which they are placed and not thinke to shuffle and shift off their care to their Curaâ—es and Readers in their own unnecessary absence and yet how many arâ— there that Preach as seldome as Apollo laughs once in the yeare Indeed Eliah fasted forty dayes and forty nights in the strength of one meale but surely these think that their people can hold out fasâ—ing a twelve-moneth Well let them practise Boaz example as they have Curates so had he one to care for his affairs and yet behold in person he comes forth unto his Reapers And said unto them The Lord be with you Observe Curteous and loving salutations beseeme Christians indeed our Saviour Mat. 10. forbade his Disciples to salute any in the way but his meaning was that they should not lag or delay whereby to be hindred from the service wherein they were imployed and S. Iohn in his second Epistle saith That to some we must not say God speed lest we be made partakers of their evill deeds but that is meant of notorious sinners which have discovered their impious intents It is commonly said that the Small Pox is not infectious untill it be broken out so that before the time one may safely converse eat drinke lie with them but after the Pox is broken out it is very dangerous So we may safely salute and exchange discourse with the most wicked sinners whiles yet they smoother and conceale their bad designes but when once they declare and expresse them then it is dangerous to have any further familiarity with them for such Marsions the first born of the Devill and the eldest Sonne of Satan are salutations good enough Vse Those are justly to be reproved which lately have changed all heaâ—y expressions of love into verball Complements which Elymologie is not to be deduced a completione mentis but a completè mentiri And yet I cannot say that these men lie in their throat for I perswade my selfe their words never came so neare their heart but meerly they lie in their mouths where all their promises Both birth and burial in a breath they have That mouth which is their womb it is their grave Yea those words which S. Paul to the Corinthians thought to be the most affectionate expression of love is now made the word of course commonly bandied betwixt superficial friends at the first encounter YOUR SERVANT worse then these are the ambitious Saluters like Absolon 2 Sam. 15. 4. who at the same time by taking his Fathers Subjects by their hands stole away their hearts and the lower his bodie did couch the higher his mind did aspire Worst of all is the treacherous salutation of Iudas and Ioab who at one instant pretend lip-love and intend heart hatred who both kisse and kill embrace another with their hands and imbrew their hands in his blood whom they embrace And they answered him The Lord blesse thee When one offers us a curtâ—â—ie especially being our superiour it is fitting we should requiâ—e him It is a noble conquest for to be overcome with wrongs but it is a signe of a degenerous nature to be out-vied with courtesies and thereforâ— if one begin a kindnesse to us let us if it lie in our power pledge him in the samâ— nature Vers. 5 6 7. And Boaz said unto the servâ—nt which was appointed over the Reapers Whose is this Maid And the servant which was appointed over the Reapers answered and said This is the Moabitish Maid which came with Naomi from the Countrey of Moab Which came and said Let me gather I pray among the sheaves after the Reapers and so she came and stayed here from morning untill now onely she tarried a little in the house And Boaz said unto the servant which was appointed over the Reapers HEre we
augmentation of their owne Estatâ—s from the diminution of their Masters Bountie Question But some may say Why did not Boaz bestow a quantitie of Corne upon Ruth and so send her home unto her Mother Answer He might have done so but he chose rather to keep her still a working Where we learne that is the best Charitie which so relieves peoples wants as that they are still continued in their Calling For as he who teacheth one to swimme though happily he will take him by the Chinne yet he expecteth that the learner shall nimbly ply the Oares of his hands and â—eet and strive and struggle with all his strength to keepe himselfe above water so those who are beneficiall to poore people may justly require of them that they use both their hands to worke and feet to goe in their Calling and themselves take all due labour that they may not sinke in the Gulfe of Penurie Relieve an Husbandman yet so as that he may still continue in his Husbandry a Trades-man yet so as he may still goe on in his Trade a poore Scholar yet so as he may still proceed in his Studies Hereby the Common-wealth shall be a gainer Drones bring no Honey to the Hive but the painfull hand of each privat man contributes some profit to the publike good Hereby the able poore the more diligent they be the more bountifull men will be to them while their bodies are freed from many diseases their soules from many sinnes whereof Idlenesse is the Mother Lazinesse makes a breach in our Soule where the Devill doth assault us with greatest advantage and when we are most idle in our Vocations then he is most busie in his Temptations A reverend Minister was wont to say that the Devill never tempted him more then on Mondayes when because his former Weekes Taske was newly done and that for the Weeke to come six dayes distant he tooke most libertie to refresh himselfe Since therefore so much good commeth from Industrie I could wish there were a publike Vineyard into which all they should be sent who stand lazing in the Market-place till the eleventh houre of the day Would all poore and impotent were well placed in an Hospitall all poore and able well disposed in a Work-house and the common Stocks of Townes so layd out as they thereby might be imployed So she gleaned in the field untill evening The Night is onely that which must end our labours onely the Evening must beg us a Play to depart out of the School of our Vocation with promise next Morning to returne againe Man goeth out to his labour untill Evening Let such then be blamed who in their working make their Night to come before the Noone each day of their labour being shorter then that of S. Lucy and after a spurt in their Calling for some few houres they relapse againe to lazinesse And she threshed what she had gathered The Materialls of the Temple were so hewed and carved both Stone and Wood before that they were brought unto Hierusalem that there was not so much as thâ— noyse of an Hammer heard in the Temple So Ruth fits all things in a readinesse before the goes home What formerly she gleaned now she threshed that so no noyse might be made at home to disturbe her aged Mother Here we see Gods servants though well descended disdaine not any homely if honest worke for their owne living Sarah kneaded Cakes Reâ—eccab drew Water Rachel fed Sheepe Thamar baked Cakes Suetonius reporteth of Augustus Caesar that he made his Daughters to learne to spinne and Pantaleon relates the same of Charles the Great Yet now-adayes such is the pride of the World people of farre meaner qualitie scorne so base imployments And it was about an Ephah of Barley An Ephah contained ten Omers Exod. 16. 36. An Omer of Mannah was the proportion allowed for a mans one day meat Thus Ruth had gleaned upon the quantitie of a Bushell such was her Industry in diligent bestirring hâ—r selfe Boaz his Bountie in scattering for her to gather and above all God his Blessing who gave so good successe unto her Ruth having now done gleaning did not stay behind in the field as many now-adayes begin their worke when others end if that may be termed worke to filch and steale as if the darke Night would be a Veyle to cover their deedes of Darknesse but home she hasteneth to her Mother as followeth Vers. 18 19. And she tooke it up and went into the Citie and her Mother in law saw what she had gathered also she tooke forth and gave to her that which shâ— had reserved when she was sufficed Then her Mother in law said unto her Where hast thou gleaned to day And where wroughtest thou Blessed be he that knew thee And she shewed her Mother in law with whom she had wrought and said The mans name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. And she tooke it up SEe here the shoulders of Gods Saints are wonted to the bearing of Burthens Little Isaac carryed the Faggot wherewith himselfe was to be sacrificed our Saviour his owne Crosse till his faintnesse craved Simon of Cyrene to be his successor Yet let not Gods Saints be dis-heartened if their Father hath a Bottle wherein he puts the teares which they spend sure he hath a Ballance wherein he weighs the Burthens which they beare he keepes a Note to what weight their Burthens amount and no doubt will accordingly comfort them Those are to be confuted who with the Scribes Math. 23. 4. binde heaviâ— burthens and grievous to be borne and lay them on the backs of others but for their owne part they will not so much as touch them with one of their fingers Yea some are so proud that they will not carry their owne Provender things for their owne sustenance had they been under Ruths Ephah of Barley with David in Sauls Armour they could not have gone under the weight of it because never used unto it And her Mother in law saw what she had gathered Namely Ruth shewed it unto her and then Naomi saw it Children are to present to their Parents view all which they get by their owne labour otherwise doe many Children now-adayes As Ananias and Saphira brought part of the Money and deposed it at the Apostles feet but reserved the rest for themselves so they can be content to shew to their Parents some parcell of their gaines whilest they keepe the remnant secretly to themselves Also she tooke forth and gave to her Learne we from hence Children if able are to cherish and feed their Parents if poore and aged Have our Parents performed the parts of Pelicans to us let us doe the dutie of Storkes to them Would all Children would pay as well for the partie-coloured Coats which their Parents doe give them as Ioseph did for his who maintained his Father and his Brethren in the Famine in Egypt Thinke on thy Mothers sicknesse when thou wast conceived sorrow when
thou wast borne trouble when thou wast nurst She was cold whilest thou wast warme went whilest thou layd'st still waked whilest thou slept'st fasted whilest thou fed'st These are easier to be conceived then express'd easier deserved then requited Say not therefore to thy Father according to the Doctrine of the Pharises Corban it is a gift if thou profitest by me but confesse that it is a true Debt and thy bouâ—den dutie if thou beest able to relieve them so did Ruth to Naomi who was but her Mother in law Which she had reserved when she was sufficed Observation We must not spend all at once but providently reserve some for afterwards we must not speake all at once without Iesuiticall reservation of some things still in our hearts not spend all at once without thriftie reservation of something still in our hands Indeed our Saviour saith Care not for to morrow for to morrow shall care for it selfe but that is not meant of the care of providence which is lawfull and necessarie but of the care of diffidence which is wicked and ungodly Those are to be blamed which as Abishai said to David concerning Saul I will strike him but once and I will strike him no more So many men with one act of Prodigalitie give the bane and mortall wound to their Estates with one excessive Feast one costly Sute of Clothes one wastfull Night of Gaming they smite their Estates under the fifth Rib which alwayes is mortall in Scripture so that it never reviveth againe But let us spare where we may that so we may spend where we should in the seven yeares of Plentie let us provide for the seven yeares of Famine and to make good construction of our Estates let us as well observe the Future as the Present Tense Then her Mother in law said unto her Where hast thou gleaned to day These words were not uttered out of Jealousie as if Naomi suspected that Ruth had dishonestly come by her Corne for Charitie is not suspitious but ever fastens the most favourable Comments upon the actions of those whom it affects but she did it out of a desire to know who had been so bountifull unto her Yet hence may we learne that Parâ—nts after the example of Naomi may and ought to examine their Children how and where they spend their time For hereby they shall prevent a deale of mischiefe whilest their Children will be more watchfull what Companie they keepe as expecting with feare at Night to be examined Neither can such Fathers be excused who never say to their Children as David to Adoniah Why doest thou so But suffer them to rove and range at their owne pleasure Am I say they my sonnes keeper He is old enough let him looke after himselâ—e Now as for those Ioashes whose Iehoiada's are dead those young men whose Friends and Fathers are deceased who now must have Reason for their Ruler or rather Grace for their Guide and Governer Let such know that indeed they have none to aske them as the Angel did Hagar Whence commest thou and whither goest thou None to examine them as Eliab did David Wherefore art thou come downe hither None to question them as Naomi did Ruth Where wroughtest thou to day But now as S. Paul said of the Gentiles that having no Law they were a Law unto themselves so must such young persons endeavour that having no Examiners they may be Examiners to themselves and at Night accordingly as they have spent their time either to condemne or acquit their owne actions Blessed be he that knew thee 1 Kings 22. The man shot an Arrow at unawares yet God directed it to the Chinke of the Armour of guiltie Ahab â—ut Naomi doth here dart and ejaculate out a prayer and that at Rovers aiming at no one particular Marke Blessed be he that knew thee Yet no doubt was it not in vaine but God made it light on the head of bountifull Boaz who deserved it Learne we from hence upon the sight of a good deed to blesse the doer thereof though by Name unknowne unto us And let us take heed that we doe not recant and recall our prayers after that we come to the knowledge of his Name as some doe who when they see a laudable Work willingly commend the doer of it but after they come to know the Authors Name especially if they be prepossessed with a private spleene against him they fall then to derogate and detract from the Action quarrelling with it as done out of ostentation or some other sinister end And she shewed her Mother in law with whom she had wrought Children when demanded are truly to tell their Parents where they have been rather let them hazard the wrath of their earthly Father by telling the Truth then adventure the displeasure of their heavenly Father by feigning a Lye Yet as David when Achish asked him where he had been 1 Sam. 27. 10. told him that he had been against the South of Judah and against the South of the Jerahmeelites and against the South of the Kenites when indeed he had been the cleane contrarie way invading the Geshurites and â—ezrites and the Amalekites So many Children flap their Parents in the mouth with a Lye that they have been in their Studie in their Calling in good Companie or in lawfull Recreations when the truth is they have been in some Drinking-School Taverne or Ale-house mis-spending of their precious time And many serve their Masters as Gehezi did the Prophet who being demanded answered Thy servant went no whither when he had been taking a Bribe of Naaman The mans Name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. We ought to know the Names of such who are our Benefactors Those are counted to be but basely borne who cannot tell the Names of their Parents and surely those are but of a base nature who doe not know the Names of their Patrons and â—enefactors Too blame therefore was that lame man cured by our Saviour Iohn 5. 13. of whom it is said And he that was healed knew not the Name of him that said unto him Take up thy Bed and walke Yet let not this discourage the charitie of any Benefactors because those that receive their courtesies oftentimes doe not remember their Nâ—mes let this comfort them though they are forgotten by the living they are remembred in the Booke of Life The Aâ—henians out of Superstition erected an Altar with this inscription Vnto the unknowne God but we out of true Devotion must erect an Altar of Gratitude to the memorie not of our once unknown but now forgotten Benefactors whose Names we have not been so carefull to preserve as Ruth was the Name of Boaz And the mans Name was Boaz. Vers. 20. And Naomi said unto her Daughter in law Blessed be he of thâ— Lord for he ceaseth not to do good to the living and to the dead Againe Naomi said unto her the man is neere unto us and of our affinitie THese