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
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
who was promised to these Fathers appeared in their flesh satisfied for our sinnes to whome all the Scriptures giue witnesse that he shall be the iudge of Princes and subiects liuing and dead Vnto whom wee must giue reuerence as to his Maiestie appertaineth for euen now he beholdeth with what feare we heare his word with what loue we receiue it with what hunger we desire it and with what conscience we will practise it Oh come let vs kisse the Sonne least he be angrie let vs wash his feete with the teares of our eyes and wipe them with the heares of our head Let vs sue to him for hee is the Iudge wee are the rebels hee the Sauiour and we the slaues Against him onely haue wee sinned by contemning his Maiestie prophaning his Sabbaothes blaspheming his honour disobeying his Gospell and treading the pardon of our soules vnder the feete of our pleasures therefore while we haue time let vs loue his truth receiue his Gospell belieue his word sanctifie his Sabbaothes magnifie his name reuerence his Ministers and repent vs of our sinnes Pharez begat Cheizron Now after the causes of the Genealogies described and the vse of them gathered out of the word of God and godly writers wee must proceede to the speciall persons heere mentioned for whose sake the former hath beene spoken we shewed you in the beginning that these generations were som of them before Boaz and some after him as his children and this we must put you againe in mind of that here is handled the Genealogie of Christ In the which this seemeth doubtful that he beginneth with Pharez what should moue him thereunto seeing as alreadye wee shewed you that this Pharez was an incestuous birth and therefore to common reason it seemeth much more commendable that hee should haue beene vtterly blot out of the note of these Fathers or else the Genealogie should haue beene farther repeated as from Abraham to Noah that so the consideration of his birth might haue bene hindered thorough the companie of other godly Fathers Vnto which I briefely answere that for this cause he beginneth at Pharez for the better vnderstanding of the Prayers of the Elders in the 12. verse which desired that the house of Boaz might be like the house of Pharez whome Thamer beare vnto Iudah wherefore at the end of this Historie the Author annexeth the description of the house of Pharez and of Boaz for whom they prayed vnto the third generation So that in those daies most commendable was the posteritie of Pharez for they were y e chief of the tribe of Iudah because this Pharez was by nature the heire of the birth right of Iudah because he was the Son of Thamar the widdow of Iudah his eldest Son Againe the scripture is not wont to couer the faults of the dearest children of God neither doth the holy Ghost euer conceale the sinnes of the godly It telleth vs of the drunkennesse of Noah the incest of Lot the vnlawfull oath that Ioseph swore to his brethren by the life of Pharao the adulterie of Dauid the distrust of king Asa the fellowship that good king Iehosaphat had with wicked Ahab and Peters deniall At all these the spirit of God neuer standeth but indicteth them of their sinnes though hee giue them their pardon by Christ But wee must know farther that the spirite of God so ruled the pen-writers of the Scriptures that he suffered them not to omit the grieuous sinnes of themselues their fathers and children as for example Leui was the great graund-father of Moses which was the first writer of the Scripture yet he setteth downe the curse that the Lorde pronounced by Iacob against him for the slaughter of the Sichemites Likewise it is held of euerie one that Iob was the writer of his owne Historie yet how doth he lay open his owne corruptions cursing his birth accusing God of iniustice and desiring to pleade with him Moreouer Samuel wrote his owne Historie especially the greatest parte of the first booke yet he layeth out the corruptions of his Sonnes in the gouernment of the people and how wicked they were for whose sake the people were driuen to desire a King the like may bee said of many other whose cursed sinnes are by themselues detected being not ashamed to confesse them as they were not to commit them but thus the godly are their owne iudges to condemne their owne sinnes for they know if they condemne themselues they shall not bee condemned of God They saye with the prodigall Sonne that they haue sinned against heauen against earth and are no more worthy to be called the sonnes of God they say with Paule that they are the greatest of all sinners and therefore haue receiued the greater mercie they say with the man in the Gospell I am not worthy that thou shouldest come into my house and euermore they lay the worst side of their garmentes outward that they might be more vile in their owne eyes more fearefull to sinne more louing to God his mercies more humble in the world and more hunger for righteousnesse Cast away therefore if you be the children of God this shame to acknowledge the infirmities where withall you are infected for he that confesseth not his sinnes euen to his brethren can neuer confesse the mercies of God to himselfe He that commendeth a Physitian telleth what dangerous sicknesse he deliuered him out and hee that will commend Christ the Physitian of our soules must tell what sinnes his soule was sicke of and how his Sauiour hath deliuered him but yet alway remember that no man is bound vpon necessitie to declare his particular sinnes except when his conscience is grieued for them that he 〈◊〉 receiue comfort or when he must satisfie the iniuâ—â—â— he hath done to his neighbours But wee must learn not once to despise any penitent sinners but rather embrace them or lay them in our owne bosomes they are the sheepe which wandered but now is found the groate which was lost but now is recouered and the braunches which were dead and now are greene for the Angels reioyce for them Christ dyed for them heauen is prepared for them and wee must praye for them We haue heard already that this Pharez was the incestuous Sonne of Iudah now if any aske why the Lord would take any part of such vngodly beginnings I answere with Paul that Christ came to saue sinners that is he was incarnated of incestuous progenitours to shew vnto vs that he could saue such of adulterous birthes to shew vnto vs that he could saue the children of adultery of Gentiles such as Ruth Rahab and Bathshebah was that hee might shewe vnto vs hee was the appointed Sauiour of the Gentiles because hee vouchsafed to take his nature from them for thus it be commeth him to fulfill all righteousnesse to destroye the gates of Hell to deliuer his members from the thraldome of Sathan to gather together in one from the
THE REWARD OF RELIGION Deliuered in sundrie Lectures vpon the Booke of Ruth wherein the godly may see their daily and outwarde tryals with the presence of God to assist them and his mercies to recompence them Verie profitable for this present time of dearth wherein manye are most pittifully tormented with want and also worthie to bee considered in this Golden age of the preaching of the word when some vomit vp the loathsomnes therof and others fall away to damnable securitie L v c. 12.32 Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers will to giue you a kingdome Cyprian in the end of the 6. Epist lib. 4. Dearely beloued brethren let this bee rooted in your hearts let this be the preparation of our weapons let this bee your Meditation day and night to set before your eyes and consider with minde and sences the punishments of the wicked with the rewards and deserts of the righteous what penaltie he threatneth to them that denie him and what glorie hee promiseth to them which confesse him Seene and allowed LONDON Printed by Iohn Windet 1596. TO THE RIGHT Honourable vertuous and Christian Lady the Lady Margaret Barronnesse Dacres of the South grace mercie and peace be multiplied in this life present and eternall felicitie in the life to come RIght Honourable Ladie it is reported that the inhabitants of the mountaine Cassius by Seleucia at the third watch of the night doe behold the Globe of the Sunne so that on the one side they see our accustomed darkenesse couering the face of the whole earth on the other side the glistering beames of the shining light displaying the shadow of the nightly darkenes In my opinion this hill doth verie fitly resemble the excellencie of the word of God and the inhabitants thereof the professors of Religion for long since the Sun of righteousnesse the Sonne of God departed from the sight of the world and declined like the Sunne of the firmament hath left the vniuersall Orbe of the whole earth in palpable darknes Yet to vs liuing in this world the beames of his brightnesse the light of his spirit the power of his person and the glorie of his godhead is most euidently manifested by the Scriptures and preaching of his holy word so that there we behold infinite thousands walking in darkenesse and standing on the left hand of God ready for damnation but here wee see a few persons professors of Religion like the men of Cassius liuing in the sight and presence of our Sauiour whom they behold shining in the Scriptures and standing on the right hande waiting for saluation For this cause the voice of the eternall God soundeth so often vnto vs in the Scriptures that wee were vnder the prince of darkenesse that wee were darkned in our cogitation that it was night but now the day starre from on high hath visited vs and therefore we must cast away the deedes of darknesse and put on the armour of light and the Scriptures euery where testifie that the Church of God is in the toppe of the mountaines meaning that the dignitie of our calling as farre excelleth the fancies of the world as the hils arise aboue the vallies of the earth This is the infallible word of life and all the writings of men are but the Apes hereof from hence they heard of their Golden ages their feareful wonders their strange inuentions and their incredible fictions which they haue broched concerning heauen and earth When Ptolomeus Philadelphus king of Egypt builded his famous Librarie and had furnished it with al the writings of the heathen hee also by Ambassadours to the high Priest in Iudah obtained the olde Testament and sixe men of euery Tribe to Translate it out of Hebrewe into Greeke then Demetrius Phalerius one of the Schollers of Theophrastus certified the King that among all the writings of their learned Philosophers they onely were Diuine and the Caelestiall Oracles of the euerlasting God For their truth the secrete nature of euerie hart is forced to confesse for their substance it is altogether occupied on heauenly things for their sinceritie it is established in the promise of him who neuer changeth for their stile neither the principles of Plato the demonstrations of Aristotle the inuentions of Hippocrates the sleights of Carneades the exclamations of Cicero or the conceipts of Seneca were vttered in so plaine eloquence or commendable phrases as the Scriptures of our saluation Also if your Ho. consider the often changes of the lawes of godlesse Gentiles you shall perceiue that they haue had as many Religions as generations but you shall finde that we haue now the Religion of Adam the faith of Enoch the Arke of Noah the sacrifice of Abraham and all the true worship of God as the Church possessed it many thousand yeares agoe and all because the rule hereof the heauenly word of God remaineth for euer Lycurgus the best law-maker that euer was among the Gentiles when he saw his lawes to be amended of the Spartanes for very griefe thereof famished himselfe at Crissa The lawes which Papius Iulius gaue to the Romanes were disanulled by Seuerus the Emperour all the world erreth some one way and some another mutually condemning each others superstition onely the Church of God in euerie age retained one God one faith one Baptisme and one substance of Religion because it followeth one voice of the holye Ghost speaking in the Scriptures It were infinite to set downe all the commoditie we receiue by this heauenly writing By it our manners are mollified our minds instructed our liues blessed and we deliuered from Atheisme Paganisme and Papisme Atheisme denieth all things Paganisme corrupteth all thinges and Papisme confoundeth all things therefore by the word of God wee are freed from doubting the truth deceiuing our owne soules and confounding Religion And because this requireth some proofe I beseech your Ho. to beare with my tediousnesse while I manifest my minde so briefely as I may omitting Atheisme fitter for dogges to beleeue then men to professe I will briefely declare how the Gentiles such as wee were before the worde wrought our calling haue falsified the whole Scripture and corrupted the tradition thereof with the inuentions of their owne Poets and how the Papists are but confounders of Heathenisme heresie and Christianitie First to begin with the Gentiles while reason and nature enforced them to confesse a God which is onely and truely learned in the scriptures they imagined a multitude of goddes and goddesses in the Scripture we finde the mention hereof that euerie nation had a peculiar God The Zidonians and Sirians had Astaroth or as some call him Astartes the Moabites had Chemosh the Ammonites had Milcom or Moloch the Babilonians Bel the Philistins Dagon the Egyptians worshipped many beastes but especially a sheepe among other writers we find that the Athenians had Apollo and Minerua the Boetian Thebes Bacchus and Hercules Carthage had Iuno Cyprus and Paphus Venus Rhodes Apollo Taenarus Neptune
of such impious infidelity What stayeth the Lord from comming to iudgement but the faithfull and elect company what keepeth you in your possessions reuennews and lands but the poore Saincts of God who are hardly admitted to the tables of your seruants who prayeth for the increase of your wealth the prosperitie of your liues the feeding of your bodies and the continuance of your honour but these despised persons who haue entered a couenaunt for your dayly welfare with the king of heauen and earth They are the flocke for whose sake you haue your wooll to clothe you and your milke to feede you they are the bees for whose sake you enioy the hony for your delight and the hony combe for the pleasure of your meate they are the birds which haue builded vp your pallaces and houses of rest for the defense of your weakenesse they are the oxen that bring your corne to your barnes and your store into your garners they are the beasts that beare you out of the daungers in safetye and deliuer your liues from trouble Finally there is not a vsurer but he hath his money for theyr sake there is not a Gentleman but hee hath his landes for theyr sake there is not a Prince but hee hath his Crowne for theyr sake there is not a rich man but hee hath his wealth for theyr sake there is not a Minister but hee preacheth for theyr sake and there shoulde be no peace prosperitye or plentye if it were not for them for the Angels are theyr seruaunts the earth is theyr mayntenaunce and heauen is theyr inheritaunce Be assured therefore beloued if righteous Lot goe out of Sodome or godly Noah into his Arke then fire will fall from heauen and the depthes will open theyr fountaynes of water to burne and destroy the world euen so if the Lord take away the righteous from among vs then euen then presently shall follow the destruction of our countrey the consuming of our kingdome the confusion of the world and the condemning of the reprobate and therefore let vs make much of them in whome we see any hope of religion for they are the right heyres of the world and you that haue their lands are but ouerseers of their fathers testaments and therefore shall giue an accompt of your possessions to them when they come to age and be answerable for euery farthing which you spent not vpon them Secondly another cause of the genealogies or recitall of generations in the Scriptures is for the Chronologies or noting of seuerall times wherein euery worthie thing was done and how the world grewe in yeares and the mercy of God in sparing the wicked liues of so many godlesse men and choosing but one family among all the world with whome hee would establish his couenaunt for this cause in the genealogie of Adam we reade how long he and euerie one of his children liued to shew how long the Lord suffered the wicked before he brought the floud and in what age of the world the same ouerflowed which by the genealogies there set downe appeareth to be in the yeare of the world one thousand sixe hundred fiftie and sixe when Noah was sixe hundred yeares old Againe we reade in the genealogie of Sem by the supputation of the yeares therein mentioned how long after the floud Abraham was called from his countrey and receyued the couenaunt of promise concerning the incarnation of Iesus Christ and the saluation of the world The same may be sayd of the often repetition of the age of Abraham as at his calling at the time of his circumcision at the birth of Izaak and at his death which giueth a great light to euery part of the scripture for thereby the occasions of many excellent histories are taken the darkest places are opened the faithfull are confirmed and the Church of God instructed of her age of her continuance of her members and of her condition which is subiect to many often changes Sometimes her glory is greater as in the first age sometime lesser as in Abrahams time sometime afflicted as the estate of Iacob in Egipt and all his children testifieth sometimes without any knowne and publique ministery or offices as till Aarons dayes sometime without any ciuill or politique gouernement as in the time of all the Patriarks sometime without peace in persecution as in the time of the Iudges wherein these persons heere named liued and sometime in most flourishing estate as vnder Dauid Salomon Asa Iosiah and such like By the which we gather that it neuer standeth in one stay but either increaseth or decreaseth ebbeth or floweth riseth or falleth waxeth or waineth therefore heerein lyeth the great comfort of the godly euen in these troublesome dayes but yet the best that euer are to be looked for in this earth wherein they see the auncient to depart and new men in theyr roome one generation commeth and another goeth iniquitie aduaunced coldnes in religion embraced dissimulation and hipocrisie maintained warres and persecution threatned to the Gospell schismes defended errors inuented the world blinded the truth declined godlines defaced and the Church of God disquieted with a thousand greater calamities this all the fathers suffered before vs and this we their children must also abide onely heerein let vs reioyse that we shall be accompted worthy to suffer for Christ and that our names are written in the kingdome of heauen Thirdly and lastly the especiall cause of this genealogie and of all the fathers and children of Abraham in one kindred was for to shew the naturall discent of Christ from Adam and so foorth vnto the virgin Mary for seeing he was to be incarnated it behoued that his parentage should be described from the beginning of the world for this cause Luke the Euangelist gathered togither the seuerall descriptions of all the genealogies pertaining to Christ throughout all the whole scripture as a necessary ground of the Gospell to declare the kindred of our Sauiour from the beginning of the world whereof these persons mentioned in this place are a part from whence he tooke them into his number Now least any man should thinke that the birth of Christ should be obscure and the taking vpon him the flesh of mankinde should be incertaine as well to conuince all errours that arose about his humanitie as to testifie the nobilitie of his birth and worthines of his parentage the persons of whome he descended are in many bookes of the scripture seuerally named and not without great commendation For this family of Christ had many and speciall blessings which were the armes of the same by which it was distinguished from all other In Adam it had this promise that the seede of the woman should breake the serpents head meaning that Christ which should be borne of a woman should ouercome the force of the deuill In Noah it had this promise that the couenaunt of God should be established with him and his seede meaning
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
scatter the people so we may reade of Bahascha king of Israell and so Salomon prayed at the dedication of the temple when heauen shall be shut and thou giue no rayne bicause they haue sinned against thee c. where hee comprehendeth the chiefe capitall worldly punishementes of sinne as dearth and famine sword pestilence blindnes ignorance which are also the rewards of sin the vnseparable companions of all vnrighteousnes And what saith the Lord by the Prophet Cast froÌ„ you all your sins wherewithall you haue transgressed make you a new hart for why shuld you die oh you house of Israel as if hee had sayde either repent or else be damned for it is a fearefull thing to fall into the handes of the liuing God And may not wee thinke that all these thunderings out of God his iudgements among vs wil stirre vp some rain of punishments vpon vs. Are we not alreadie put into the wine presse to be brused vnder the hand of fearefull destruction How many plagues haue come vppon vs within these fewe yeeres Where is become the remembrance of the late enemies pretended inuasion The rumor whereof amazed the harts of our couragious champions which spend all their daies in pleasure Oh then they cryed if they might be deliuered they would a lot some time of their dayes to the seruice of the Lord Where is the remembrance of the late plague which was scattered almost in euerie place of the lande Oh then wee cryed vnto the Lord in our distresse and he deliuered vs out of all our miseries Oh that men woulde therefore confesse the Lord and declare the wonders hee doth for the children of men But what are we now amended Is the vngodly person turned from his vngodlynesse and not rather strengthned in his iniquitie They which were ignorant are ignorant still and many like Demas who seemed religious haue imbraced this present world As for the prophane both of poore and rich they haue made a league with death a couenant with the graue though a swoord come thorough the land yet saie they it shall not come at them And therefore who can without waterye eyes and bleeding heart tell this present plague of dearth and famine which we now most iustly endure and yet who knoweth how long it shall continue Now as the prophet sayth wee are gathered together and howle vppon our beds for corne and for newe wine that is for the bellye and for the throate but there is a greater leannes in the soule Now wee bite the stone which the Lord hath cast at vs but we looke not at the hand which did sende it and who thinketh it to bee a punishment of sinne that now raigneth among vs The papists say it is for one heresies the popishe atheists say that the world was best when the old religion was for then all things were cheape like the idolatrous Iewes which sayd vnto Ieremy that it was wel with them when they burntincense and made cakes to the host of heauen The russians say to the preachers as Achab said to Eliah Are not you the troublers of Israel when it is themselues and there fathers houses while they haue lefte the commaundement of God and followed their pleasures yea almost the whole Countrey is so vainely addicted that among those multitudes of preachers that are abroad there is not one that saythfully followeth his vocation but they are molested by the basest and contemned by the best So that wee may saye as our sauiour sayth we haue piped vnto you you haue not daunced we haue mourned and you haue not sorrowed yet wisedome is iustified of her children who are not ashamed to plead her cause in the gates of the cities before the face of her enimies the Lord increase the number of them Wee haue long retained the name of Christians that is the annoynted of the Lord and yet our lampes are empty and we deferre our dayes in slumber thinking our selues as good Christians as the best till we be vtterly excluded from the bridechamber we haue promised the Lorde oftentimes to worke in his vineyarde but yet who hath entered we are the vineyarde of the Lord and he hath dressed vs what fruite haue we brone vnto him we are the sheepe of Christ and yet we knowe not his voice as Rahel couered hir fathers idolls with sitting on them and with a lye so we that are the greatest sinners couer our iniquities with hipocrisy and dissembling Such pollution of sabbaothes as neuer was yea euen in this time of dearth and famine drinking and drunkennes dauncing and riot feasting and suâ—fetting chambering and wantonnes swearing foreswearing accompting gaine to bee godlines and godlines to be the burthen of the world with a thousand greater and more greueous calamities as if the bird could sing in the snare or as the fatted oxe that runneth wilfully to the slaughter Then beloued let vs looke about vs euenâ— now is the axe of God his iudgments laid to the root of euery mans heart and he is accursed that feareth it not euen now the Lord is knocking at the doore of our hearts and if euer let vs open vnto him that the king of glory may come in Euen these are the daies wherin iniquity hath gotten the vpper hand and the loue of many is waxen colde Therefore as the Angell warned the godly so must wee still come out from among them my people bee not partakers of their sinnes least you beare a parte of their plagues This is the haruest of the Lord oh let vs that be the Lords seruants gather out the wheat least it bee burned with the tares There is a holye conuocation to the Lord the Lords ministers found out the truÌ„pet if we appeare not the earth will open hir mouth and reuenge our rebellion swallow vs vp aliue Let vs at the length say with the Iewes Come let vs turne vnto the Lord for he hath spoyled vs and he shall heale vs he hath smitten vs and he shall binde vs vp after two dayes he shall giue vs life and the third day he shall raise vs vp and we shall liue before him if with knowledge wee follow him to know the Lord his rising is like the morning and he shal come vppon vs like raine in a drought both the first and the latter raine vpon the earth Let not our righteousnes bee as the deaw before the sunne rising but put on the Lord Iesus Christ and let none call vppon him but such as departe from iniquity Secondly by this we gather that the Lord is as true in his iudgments as in his mercyes for hee threatened by Moses saying if you forsake me fal to worship strange Gods as nowe they did then your heauen shall bee as brasse and your earth as iron and your raine like dust til they were consumed from the face
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
dead Let not the lots of your inheritance deceiue you though their soile bee as fruitfull as this of Iudah and your possessions neuer so great he that in one night destroyed all the fruites of Egypt can also in one houre blast your corne with deawes consume your possession with drought for a fruitful land maketh he barren for the wickednes of them that dwell therein Secondly we note out of these wordes when he tooke his wife and children with him an example of a religious father and a louing husband he might if hee had consulted with flesh and bloud done like our husbands in these dayes which had rather in their wandering shifte about for themselues and leaue wife and children in a sea of troubles to sinke or swimme to some doubtfull releefe But the godly in old time knew that their wiues and children were as themselues and as they were carefull to cherish their owne bodyes so they were mindfull to nourish their owne families This the Lorde at the first mariage that euer was comaunded that for a mans wife he should forsake father and mother and they two shall be one flesh as if hee had sayd parents must not hinder fellowship of wedlocke much lesse pouertye or temporall wants as the barke is ioyned to the tree the fleshe to the bone if one be without the other they both perish so must husband and wife liue and loue togither vnlesse they will be the slaughter slaues of their owne destruction We read of this practise in the scripture when Abraham by reason of a famine went downe into Egypt hee tooke Sara his wife with him when I shak by reason of a famine wēt to Abimelech the king of Gerar he took Rebecea his wife with him How do we read of Iacob how twise he sent into Egipt for al his family the third time hee went down with all his household his sonne Ioseph fed him fiue yeares of famine yea the Apostle sayth that he is worse then an infidel that prouideth not for his own family and Christ going from his disciples asked them if they had wanted any thing and they answered nothing Against this pointe of doctrine there are manye that offend some that are married by their couetous parents who respect nothing but wealth are so matched as if a vine were planted in the flowing of the sea which prospereth best whē the water is lowest euen so these are in sweetest fellowship when one is a thousand miles frō the other Others there are which in theyr marryages please nothing but their eies which as old persons cannot see without spectacles so they cannot find wiues without the spectacle of bewty and these loue as long as bewty eudureth which is till they be sicke for sicknes is the cutthrote of beauty Some take wiues and husbands as fooles find pearles for as they cannot discerne them pebles so these are ignorant of all kind of dutie towards one another From hence proceedeth all the adulteries which are dayly committed here ariseth the fountaine of strife contention debate ielousie also the vnhappy blows which many giue to their wiues hence it cōmeth that so many gentlemen and others are seldome at home but eyther beyond the sea in warres or in trauaile which in their vnmaried estate wanted nothing but vviues but novv being maried vvant all things but vviues Hence it commeth that they termed them by the odious titles of crosses plagues troubles and also as I haue heard some say the causes of their vndoing vvheras they may as vvell accuse the eye of his blindnes as their vviues of their own wilfull miserie and to conclude there is not one breach of loue or kindnes betweene them but it springeth from these corruptions which then were sowed when they intended their mariage But oh beloued let not the godly be drawen away with the crooked conuersation of these contentious persons but let thē be armed vvith the forenamed examples of godly vnitie that as their troubled daies were eased in the ioy of their ovvne loue so let our miseries be releeued which you suffer in wedlock with your comfortable agreement in christian societie for so saith Salomon Let thy fountain be blessed and reioyce with the wise of thy youth and thus much of this second doctrine Thirdly by this we may note that the godly are oppressed vvhen the vvicked haue abundance heere vve see the Israelites vvhich vvere the Church of God had a famine but the Moabits to vvhom this man descended being a cursed generation incestuous gentiles had plentie abundance for els Elimelech vvould not haue gone thither to be relieued This may seeme a strāge thing that the godly shuld be oppressed with famine when worldlings heathens shall wallow in their wealth Of these Dauid speaketh I haue seene the wicked strong spreading himselfe like a bay tree And in another place They are inclosed in their owne fat And againe he saith They haue their portion in this life whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasure their children haue inough leaue the rest of their substance to their children And in another place there are on bands in their death but they are lusty strōg they are not in trouble like other men and a litle after these are the wicked yet prosper they always increase in riches The very like you may heare in Iob in the prophet Ieremy But of the rightous he saith often crieth out of their afflictions their sorrowes nakednes their hūger misery all the day long are they appointed as sheepe to the slaughter yea our sauiour Christ pronounceth himself in his members poore hungry naked harborles thristy and imprisoned the foxes haue holes and the birds of the aire haue nests but the sonne of man hath not where to rest his head And the authour of the epistle to the Hebrues sayth of the godly Some are stoned some cut asunder some slaine with the sworde some wandering abroad in goats skinnes and sheepe skinnes destitute oppressed euill entreated of whom the world was not worthy wandering in deserts in the mountaines in dennes and caues of the earth Iudge now I beseech you betweene the outward estate of the godly and the wicked are they not contrarie That which of the world is condemned is of the Lorde commended yet I beseech you my brethren be not terrified from godlynes but rather strengthened in your profession Then will you say tel vs the cause of all this inequality Our sauiour answereth it very wel You are not sayth he of the world if you were of the world the world would loue his owne and Dauid saith that their portion is onely in this life but Christ sayth our reward shall bee great in heauen and againe you shall weepe and lament but the worlde shall reioyse but your sorrowe shalbe turned to ioy like a woman that reioyseth
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
whom came this godly and wealthy Boaz. In this then we see true the saying of the Apostle that godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of the life to come for in hir selfe she was blessed with an honourable marriage in her posterity with a godly and a wealthy son This my beloued is a notable encouragement to religion for Christ sayth that whosoeuer shal for him forsake father or mother wife or children shall receiue many times so much in this world but eternall saluation in the life to come This answereth and stoppeth the mouthes of the enemyes which call the professors bankeruptes impouerished decayd persons yea as base as beggers in this world which by their religion vndoe themselues and their posterity But on the contrary we affirme that religion bringeth no discommodity euen in worldly things the reason is because it teacheth vs to vse our riches aright If a man had mountaines of money knew not how to employ it what profit could he receiue therby euen so surely without Christ and his Gospell I meane the true knowledge thereof there is no lawful vse of these worldly benefits and except euery one learne to apply them by the word of God hee possesseth his wealth as a thiefe doth the purse of a true man in the presence of God is no better then a violent robber which takeeth away the mony from the lawfull possessors which haue proued and learned the way to vse it and as they haue it without his knowledge euen so they shall vse it without his blessing Therfore be not discouraged my dere brethren come forward in religion it is the deuil that telleth you you must make bread of stones that is you must relye vppon the world and follow the custome thereof there is greater plenty and â—store in the garners of God his word then in all the cornefields of the world He which could feede fiue thousand people with fiue barly loaues and two fishes hath hee not inough for the maintenance of thy family He which fed the host of Israel almost fourty yeares with angells foode are not the heauens his for euermore when almost all the world was in a famine did hee not prouide for his seruant Eliah first commaunding the rauens to bring him bread and meate morning and euening to the brooke Cherith and that being dried vp sustained him with a widdow and her son by a handful of meal a litle oile for a long season Did not our gracious father multiplie the oile of a poore prophets widow into many vessels which before coulde not fill one And what shall I saie more I haue neuer seene the righteous forsaken or their children left destitute And Ruth After the holy Ghost had set downe the description of Boaz as the necessarie occasion to vnderstand that which followeth in the next place he expresseth this of Ruth Wherein he sheweth vs the carefulnesse of Ruth for her mother and her selfe being in a strange place would not in hunger harbor at home but rather aduenture her perill in an honest labour by going abroad to gleane in the fieldes therefore to her mother shee commeth and asketh leaue which beeing granted forth she goeth the prouidence of the Lorde directing her iourney she commeth to the haruest field of Boaz her kinsman Where first of all wee gather what manner of lyfe they lead after they came to Bethlehem namely a very poore base and despised estate not halfe so good to see to as that which they lead and liued among the Moabites insomuch as one may nowe saie vnto mee you tolde vs euen now the golden rewards and precious commoditie of true religion which it bringeth to all them that faithfully receiue it but you see these two godly women as armed examples against your selfe they liued wealthily in Moab but poorely in Iudah with the wicked they found gentle liberalitie but with the godly they indure wofull pouertie What colde intertainment doo they finde at Bethlehem euen in the Church of God for whose sake one forsooke her countrie the other her wealth and both of them their welfare so that the profession of religion looseth our friends denieth our countrie disquieteth our peace ingendereth our trouble consumeth our wealth and decaâ—eth our substance Is this the profit of your profession which promiseth mountaines of securitie and paieth multitude of miseries How shall we bee incouraged to religion when at the first entrie we shall paie so great an in-come and depart from a fine worth all our substance To this I answere that if the beginning bee not so ioyful as you or they wished yet the end answered their expectation I grant you shall first find a little want but in the end you shall possesse a great gaine A man that hath a thousand pounds layde beside him layeth it out vpon a bargaine whereof hee shall receiue no profite in many yeeres but the date expired and the daie of receit come hee receiueth his owne and many thousand pounds for his gaine you will graunt at the first hee emptieth his coffers and bags and leaueth him selfe bare and mony lesse yet you would account him a foole if he would not vpon sure bands of so great aduantage aduenture his owne and giue forth his monie Euen so it is in religion it is a pearle for which we must sel both liuing landes and yet it is worth both and many thousand times more if thou feele not the profit at the first tarry a while thou hast the promise band of the Lorde of hoasts hee is able and willing to performe and paie at the time appointed and if thou canst abide a little want of earthly commodities shortly thou shalt see them rolling vpon thee in excellent aboundance and exceeding quantityes And this teacheth vs with what mind we must embrace religion not for any present commoditye or temporall gaine but with deniall of our liues and riches that they may serue vs as ordinarye expenses in our iourney to euerlasting saluation the kingdome of heauen For they are much deceiued that receiue the truth to increase their wealth making Christianity a gainefull trade for although it hath the promises yet it hath not alway the possession of things in this life but as the right heires are many times put beside their inheritances which are possessed by vnlawfull owners so the godly are the right heires of the whole world although the wicked haue driuen them out of possession for the which the Apostle sayd that godlynesse hath the promises of this life and also of the life to come Againe those promises that the meeke shall possesse the earth and their seede shall inherite the land and especially that the verie same which are the elected heyres of grace are also the appointed inherytours of this worlde But this my beloued must establishe our mindes that as the seed which is cast into the ground seemeth for a long season to be lost
yet in the end it groweth for the comfort of mankind and the great profit of the posessors so although at the first the fruite of religion is peraduenture but sharp in worldly affaires yet if wee waite like the husbandman vntill haruest our consciences shall be plentifull garners of heauenly corne for the present comfort of our liues and the perpetuall benefit of our souls A man dresseth his vineyard all the yeare long and doth nothing but empty his purse and weary his body in the tillage and pruning and digging thereof yet there is but one vintage or time of gathering grapes euen so wee must willingly depart with our wealth and trauaile in diligence for the preparing of our soules to beare fruite to the Lord the end wil be most profitable though y e begining seem most chargeable The like may be said of the marchant which cutteth the seas of the goldsmith that melteth his metal of euery worldly trade which at the first begin with charges but at the last acquite the cost and satisfie the desire and end with the increase of substance which are but carnall and outward things to put vs in minde of inward and spirituall significations for as in none of these wee are discouraged by the costly entrance so more accursed shall we be if we forsake the wel of the water of life the running fountaine of euerlasting health to rake in the puddles of transitory riches for feare the one will giue vs too much ease and for feare the other will withdraw our wealth which is like the Gergesits sin which had rather possesse their heards of swine then enioy the presence and preaching of Iesus Christ Come not to religion for hope of world lye aboundance for nether Abraham or the Israelites or Rachab or Ruth or Zacheus or Cornelius or anye of the faythfull had this intention But the Lorde for our farther strengthning hath giuen two blessings that if the temporall fayle which are but conditionall yet the euerlasting benefits shall neuer deceaue for although the leaues fall yet bodyes of the trees abide continually Therefore let vs stay our mindes vppon this double string which is grounded vppon the credit of him that giueth the promise before whom heauen and earth shal decay and the sun shall loose her light rather then he frustrate the hope of the godly Secondly here wee note a most excellent example of obedience to parents and auoyding of idlenes Ruth was lately come to Bethlehem where it is likely shee might long haue taried before her mother woulde haue entreated her to so base a labour as gathering of barley but seeing her selfe employed in nothing first shee commeth to her mother and after asketh leaue as one desirous of some honest though neuer so simple a calling If shee had departed not acquainting her with it being to labour for their liuing shee might well bee excused but this seemeth much that shee must come vnto her not to tell her shee would go to such a busines but to giue her leaue to gleane in the fields promising she would not go beyond her bounds but onely gather in that place where the owner thereof should grant her license vnto which when the mother had granted foorth shee goeth to the field of Boaz. Where wee see what effect godlines worketh in the hearts of children for Ruth offered her seruice which her mother intreated not she abhorred no labor were is neuer so base she was not ashamed of her pouerty euen in a straunge countrey and all this must bee imputed to her religion For as Ioseph for the feare of God bore with the wrath of his father when hee told him his vision of the sun and the moone the eleuen stars bowing vnto him so did Ruth with the poore estate of her mother in law which had nothing to liue by thus the Apostle teacheth children to obey their parents in all things that is not onely to be willing to performe their commaundements but also to bee alway contented with their estate for this wretchednes of cursed children is worthy to be condemned wherein those which haue wealthy parents will please them till they haue gotten their riches which are like the prodigall sonne in the Gospell other because their parents are poore wil thinke they are bound vnto them in nothing because they haue litle or no wealth to leaue behind them both these kindes of children are heere condemned by the example of Ruth who did not onely forsake her wealth to goe with her mother but also labor with her hands to maintaine her liuing yea to her step-mother which is more commendable then if it were done to her naturall parents The vse of this doctrine is to exhort and stirre vp parents to bee more carefull to teach their children the feare of the Lord then to leaue them mountaines of riches behind them which if they will practise would their countenances be so sorrowfull as often they are would not their naturall oliues I meane their children anoint their faces with the oyle of cheerefulnes if mothers eyther would or could doo as Naomi did for Ruth teach their children the feare of the Lord their hearts should not bee so heauie for their vngracious life But since parents had no care to instruct their children children had no feare to disobey their parents Will they in these dayes acquaint their fathers mothers with their iourneis labors or runne not they headlong to their own vtter vndoing they chuse them masters seruices without fathers consent they marry are married against parents good will do they not take pleasure for profit pastime for godlines thinking thēselues to be born for wantonnesse referring the care of their old age to their gray headed parents neuer considering till beggery catch their bodies damnation their soules Surely as the fruite is sower because it is not grafted so their manners are wicked because they want religion this lieth then in the ouerlouing parents who make such dandlings of their babes while they are young that they care not for their fathers when they be old They consider not that lions are tamed when they are yong that trees are bowed when they are twigges And that Salomon saith Intruct a child when hee is young the way of his life and when he is old he shall not departe from it Their owne ignorance is so palpable that their children learne nothing but folly they themselues so vain that the other are wanton they so obstinate that their feede is rebellious and finally a wilde vine bringeth foorth nothing but wilde grapes and ignorant parents must haue vngracious children Therfore seeing by nature you wold haue obedient and wise children teach them the feare of the Lord for that is the beginning of wisedome and if you would haue your names in your posterity long to endure the prayse of it continueth for euer Thirdly here we may note an example of christian
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
where the holy Ghost dwelleth there abideth this inwarde ioye Which proceedeth from it as a streame from a fountaine or heate from a fire Saul coulde bee merrye when Dauid played on his harpe the king of Babilon was merrye in the middest of his delicates Assuerus was merry among his princes and Nabal was merry in the middest of his reapers but what maketh the godly merry among the wild beastes ioyfull in the dungeons of the earth and sing hartyly when they receiue browne bread nothing but this ioy of Boaz which is the ioye of the holy Ghost This maketh men ioyfull in death merrye in miserye and leaping vnder the yoke of christian troubles which all the princes in the world cannot do vppon their thrones of maiesty this is mixed w t no feare because it proceedeth from so excellent a roote Why do men meruaile that so many godly persons liue so solitarily the birde had rather be in the wildernes alone then with thousandes of her fellowes sitting in a cage the godly are most merry when they are farthest from worldly companye If the godly bee a company together this their ioy must be expressed by singing of psalmes as Iames saith and our sauiour with his disciples practised this at his last supper for wheÌ„ they had done they sung a psalme and went out into the mount of oliues yea euen then when Christ had prophesied of his death and they were sorrowful yet this inwarde and spirituall ioye was not extinguished wherein wee see an excellent commendation of singing after meate that it might bee an outwarde testimonye of our inwarde ioye This striketh downe all foolishe talking for stirring vp of mirth and aunswereth to them that saye if they followe not vaine pastimes they cannot bee merry Truely that pleaseth the fleshe but displeaseth the spirite and let them assure them selues whosoeuer they bee that this temporall and wanton sporting will bring vppon them euerlasting lamenting But some will saye is this singing and mirth at tables commendable seeing the prophete speaketh so against it They sing to the viole and frame to themselues songes like the songes of Dauid c. I answere all curiositye and pleasure in outwarde singing at our feastinges is forbidden by the prophet which hee doeth notablye describe in the same place by these markes First when it is vsed to forget their sinnes and to driue awaye the terrours of their consciences Secondlye when it is added for pleasure and ease Thirdlye that with greedier appetites they might deuour their meate and drinke to drawe awaye their mindes from the remembrance of the Lord. Fourthly such mirth as maketh them forget the afflictions of the church of God If any desire mirthe for these causes the woe of the prophete taketh holde vppon them And surelye heere is condemned all playing on instrumentes and singinge at table when wee eate our meate as a thing against which the prophete much aymeth and is too much vsed among vs in Englande for nothing maketh vs more readily to forget the affliction of Ioseph then that doeth when two occasions of mirth are ioyned together meate and musicke it is like two diuers plaisters layde to one wounde which by their vehemente operation increase the sore In like manner wee are more apte to be made worse then to bee amended by the benefites of God For as too much raine drowneth and ouerfloweth and too much drought chippeth and cleaueth the earth so too much mirth and pleasure ouercommeth the hearte of man This I speake not to discommende musicke which I acknowledge freely with all the godly to bee holy and lawfull but I exhort and admonish that it may not be vsed at the present time of eating but sparingly before or after our feasting And let vs all chuse rather to sing Psalme from a feeling spirite with a grace in our heartes and mindes then to heare a thousande songes vpon instrumentes of pleasant musicke without inward comforte He went to lie downe Nowe we are come to the seconde parte of that which he did alone which in these wordes is declared to be the choise of his lodging at the end or one side of his corne Where we note another vsage or custome of auncient nobilitie in steade of a pallace they had a cottage in steade of attendors and waitors they had the instrumentes of their labours as this Boaz a heape of strawe in steade of a bed of downe such as his toyle and labour was such is his lodging a harde worke a harde bed For hee that is wearied with trauaile or labour can sleepe and quietly take his rest on the grasse And this putteth vs in minde of the estate of all our forefathers many yeares agoe before this softnesse and tendernesse was inuented they were glad wee see though they were greate Lordes yet to bee labourers And although their possessions excelled ours yet they had lesse bodily ease then wee for the richest and highest estate or dignitie is not the quietest life By the which wee are admonished with all kindnesse to harbour the poore and needy though it bee but in a padde of strawe considering they bee the images of the ancient nobilitie who were contented with the like entertainment the poore are exhorted with patience to abide their tedious trauailes and harde lodginges seeing the Lords of the worlde had no better estate they which had most wealth had least ease and wee which haue scant one mans inheritance among twenty do peaceable enioy more worldlye securitye And truelye this maketh vs to feele that euerye commoditye is tempered with some molestation y e Israelites being deliuered from Pharao thought they were well but then they were driuen to goe thorough the bottome of the sea and being come to the land of Canaan they founde many enemies and did not ouercome them all till the raigne of Dauid so that euery pleasure is mingled with some worldlye sorrowe they which vse the sea get much wealth but yet with great danger and they which are on the lande are in safety though not in such wealth And thus must wee frame our mindes that when wee enioye the ende of our desires yet it bringeth with it alway some occasion of dislike therefore it is better to bee contented with hard fare then discontented with dainty cheere to like in harde harbour then dislike in the softeste beds and better is a little thing with a quiet mind then the possession of a kingdome with the trouble thereof And Ruth came Boaz being wearye with his labours and suffiâ—ed with his meate no doubt but beeing quietlye laid a sleepe had soone taken him and Ruth when shee espied a conuenient time came and conueyed her selfe softlye to the place of his feete which at midnight was perceiued by Boaz and not before For shee so layde her selfe as hee being awaked might quickelye espye her whereby wee see the occasion that mooued Naomi to counsell Ruth to come so
one thought for the faythfull prayer of the godly that their prosperous lyfe may bee blessed in wedlocke this they ought to be most careful for and yet not to leaue the other vndone but godly prayers are better then great portions and it is better to haue poore Christ at your weddinges then a thousand thousande of these glistering gallantes Truely in these dayes how doe men and women prouide for mirth not for modestie that their day of marriage may bee ioyfull with worldly disportes not godly with Christian exercises they buy hire musitians to passe the time in pleasant dauncing but neuer entreate or speake one word to the godly to bestow their hearty prayers vpon them Let therefore beloued this bee our direction that as we marry for the Lorde not for the world so we studie for prayer and not for pleasure Secondly by this wee gather that the greattest blessing in marriage is the bearing of children the blessing vpon the vyne is to bring many grapes the blessing vpon the earth is to bee fruitful in bringing and springing much corne and pasture the blessing on the sea is the multiplying of the fish and the blessing of marriage is many children Therefore in this place they pray that Ruth might bee like Rahel and Leah which builded all Israell that is they were the mothers of a greate nation they multiplyed in their posterity to a number like the starres of heauen For this cause the first blessing vpon mankinde after the floode was that they shoulde increase and fill the earth for this cause the fathers desired children so much and the ouerloue of many children encreased the multitude of their wyues for this cause the Apostle saith that women through bearing of children shall bee saued if they continue in fayth and loue and holynesse with modesty For all other blessings may be had without marryage wealth and ryches comfort and frends honour and pleasure quietnesse and rest may be founde in the liues of vnmarried persons onely children must come of a grafted stocke which is a holy and sanctified marriage or wedlocke When Abraham wanted a sonne he prayed for one when Rebecca was barren Isaacke prayed for her and she conceaued When Mauoah wanted children he prayed and the Lorde gaue him Sampson when Amah was barren shee prayed and obtayned Samuell and when Zacharie and Elizabeth had no issue by prayer they obtayned Iohn Baptist So they accompted of their marriage without children as a faire and pleasant garden without fruites and as the one doth fructifie by seasonable showers so the other doth multiply by faythfull supplications Therefore here this people of God pray for Bohaz and Ruth that many pleasant twigges may spring out of their fruitful bodies By the which wee see the ready remedy for barrennesse which are godly and zealous prayers powred forth into the eares of the Almighty that he would remoue his hande from punishing and withdrawe the curse of barrennesse from penitent sinners But in our prayers we must alway take heede that wee appoint not the Lord what he shall giue vs eyther sonnes or daughters but rest vpon the will of God to receyue eyther of both And indeed be it that children are the greatest blessing of marriage yet all things considered it is much happier to bee barren for our miserable dayes adn sinfull liues call for a scourge and once more the saying of Christ shall be fulfilled that there shall be woe to them that are with childe and that giue suck in those daies yea vndoubtedly our posteritie count them happy that are vnborne and themselues shall wish with Iob Ieremy they had neuer seene the sunne Oh who are they that haue any desire of many children Looke vpon the worlde it falleth to Atheisme looke vpon the Church it declineth to errour looke vpon the Gospell it is persecuted by the Deuill and viewe euery degree if corruption groweth not vpon them truely truely as Esau saide the dayes of mourning for my father will shortly come so may all the faithfull say the day of mourning for y e Gospel and knowledge wil one day come and the Lorde knoweth how soone Therefore if you woulde leaue your children to be atheistes your issue to bee heretickes your posterity to bee afflicted and all your ofspring to bee corrupted and miserably punished in this life or eternally plagued in the life to come then desire little children be it you can prouide landes to maintaine them teachers to instruct them learning to defend them honour to aduance thē frends to assist them castels of security to keep them from the hurt of the world yet alas alas into how many thousand aduersities may their soules descend I speake not this to discourage any from desiring children but I admonish from the Lorde that you bee wise in your petitions and thinke as well of your infantes misery as your owne suffering nowe you desire ease without paines but they in all manner of afflictions may sende vp cries to the heauens and not bee heard Oh that all degrees both marryed and vnmarried would haue pitty on their posterity before they be borne then shoulde fewer be vagabondes then now are more be prouided for then nowe can bee then should men and women for their childrens sake amend their loose and desperate behauiour not fit for pagans much lesse for christians left the children shoulde be plauged for the fathers fault Assuredly beloued the Lord hath spoken it that if your children proue wicked they shall suffer and beare the sinnes of all their auncestors yea though they be dead many hundred yeares agoe Thirdely by this prayer of these elders and people we note that for the helping of our weaknes in prayer and releeuing of our wantes we may set before vs the goodnes of God vnto others In this place they pray that Ruth may be as fruitful as Rahel and Leah which were the wiues of Iacob who bare him eight sonnes one daughter expressing their hearty prayer for Bohaz and Ruth by the example of these twaine The like we may reade of the Apostles when they prayed after their deliuerance from the rulers and elders they alleadge Dauid for their helpe as he speaketh in the second Psalme For wee many times know not what to aske as wee ought but the spirite which wrought these giftes in the fathers helpeth our infirmities by the examples of the ancient godly that wee shoulde aske the same graces which they enioyed to leade the same lyues which they liued and obtayne the same crowne wherewith they are all rewarded Yet we must alway remember the rule of the Apostle that this is our assuraunce if wee craue any thing according to his will wee receiue it that is wee must not desire the least thing in worldly affaires but vnder this condition If it bee thy will O God because the Lorde is not bounde to giue vs any thing no more then wee are
shall giue an accompt for vsing and abusing it for to put trust in their wealth is to thinke they may doe with it what they please Thirdly they must distribute willingly liberally and dayly for as they are riche in substance so they must be rich in good workes that is they must excell other in giuing as they doe in possession Fourthly that those men which doe thus bestowe their wealth haue layed the foundation of their saluation and lay hold on eternall life This is the way to keepe wealth after the word of God and who so euer doeth otherwise eyther in mariage or vnmariage doth hoord vp but rust to torment him the canker to consume him the care to molest him and vengeance against the day of vengeāce eternally to condemn him Lastly in departing from his wealth first if hee haue wronged any man he must follow the example of Zacheus restore foure fould and he shall be blamelesse for that spend liberally vpon his family in good sort after the counsell of Salomon for this pinching of seruants and families fauoureth not of God nor of religion nor of humanitie the bruite beasts condemne it but spend nothing in waste for thou art but steward of thy goodes now you know a steward must giue an accompt to his maister Finally that which thou reseruest giue to thy children as Abraham and all the godly did to their posteritie and whosoeuer followeth this counsell shall be guiltlesse for mispending cleare from euill keeping free from wrong getting and acquitted from the dreadfull reckoning which all the worlde shall make one day to the Lord for abusing his benefites Now let vs giue thankes to God The fifteenth Lecture Chap. 4. Vers 12.13.14.15 12 And that thy house be like the house of Pharez whome Thamar bare vnto Iudah of the seede which the Lord shall giue thee of this young woman 13 So Boaz tooke Ruth and she was his wife and when he went in vnto her the Lord gaue that she conceiued and bare a sonne 14 And the women sayde vnto Naomi Blessed bee the Lord which hath not left thee this day without a kinseman and his name shall be continued in Israell 15 And this shall bring thy life agayne and cherish thine old age for thy daughter in law which loueth thee hath borne him which is better to thee then seuen sonnes WE haue shewed you the last sabbaoth that this 12. verse is a part of the prayer of the elders and people at the marriage of Boaz and Ruth for in the first part they prayed for the fruitfulnesse of the woman but in this they commend vnto God the blessing for their posteritie and because we then deuided it we will first of all handle it and then proceede to that which followeth First therefore out of this second part in their prayer we gather another duety of the godly in praying for children which is to desire in some measure the blessings of this world eyther riches or honour vpon them which in this place these Iewes doe vnfainedly pray for the house or posteritye of Boaz when they say and that thy house may be like the house of Pharez who had the birthright of Iudah whose posteritye was the noblest of all the family from whome also descended this Bohaz as appeareth by the end of this Chapter which flourishing estate as it had continued in the progeny of Pharez for sixe generations so they wish it might follow in his posteritye for many more neyther is this speciall in this place but also dispersed thorough all the scripture for wee knowe what promise the Lord made vnto Abraham that vnto his seede hee woulde giue all the land of Canaan as a comfort vnto him to thinke that his posteritye should be so well prouided for whereby they might not onely bee continued but richly aduaunced as the Lordes of the earth The like was it that hee promised to Dauid that hee should alway haue a sonne to sit on his seate not simply a sonne but a sonne to sit on his seate as if the Lord had sayde thou shalt alway haue the kingdome in the possession of thy posteritye and the shall raigne as Kings for euermore So on the contrary it is a curse when the name of houses are put out theyr memory forgotten theyr wealth dispersed their honour abased and their children like vagabonds vppon the earth It was also a speciall promise to the people of the Iewes that if they obserued the statutes of the Lord then should they and their seede be able to lend to other but they should not neede to borrow of any These things considered by the example of these promises of the Lord and the persons of these fathers we haue an excellent way described for the mayntenaunce of our possession in the name of our posteritie which is this to commend it by prayer to the tuition of the eternall God for that which he hath promised may we pray for the same way that maketh barren women to become fruitfull the increase of the earth to multiply the heauens to giue theyr rayne Countreyes to be deliuered from sword famine and pestilence and pulleth downe all the blessings of God vpon vs is also the appointed meanes for the continuance of worldly families But how long how long shall I perswade the world before they beleeue it doe they not spend their dayes in worldly deuises to compasse the earth by multitudes of purchasings which are alwayes trauailing abroade in restlesse iourneyes by many bargaines to augment their substance vsing all lawfull and vnlawfull meanes for to increase their wealth and inlarge their possessions that their posteritie might be honourable when they are dead their children aduaunced by money not by vertue maintained by pride not by humilitie raigne like kings in all manner of pleasure vpon the earth while the fathers are tormented in hell for their wrongfull oppressions thus men pray on the world as the eagles on the altars and the birds on Abrahams sacrifice but not to the Lord as the young rauens that call vpon him who being left of their owne parents are fed by the Lord that his kindnes might be manifested to our children as well as to birds and that their welfare dependeth vpon the blessing of God not the benefite of elders the fauour of our maker not the couetousnes of our fathers Against these it is that the Prophet cryeth and curseth because they ioyne house to house land to land field to field inheritance to inheritance that themselues might raigne alone vpon the earth this is the care of them which are sodainely from the dust to the chayre of wealth aduaunced from slauery to honour from beggery to riches that they might as the Prophet sayth build fayre houses encroch greater compasse of lands that their names might be famous vpon the earth But who is he that maketh any ordinary and dayly prayer vnto the Lord that his substance might
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