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
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
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
at the byrth of her sonne so as a woman in trauaile hath no ease till a sonne is come into the world neither must we looke for any rest till our soules are deliuered out of the wombe of the body into the kingdome of heauen Our sauiour compareth vs to the fruitfull vine which doth not onely abide frost snow storme and heate but also at the gathering time is broken of that the gropes might be reached The gold must be tried in the furnace the siluer fined in the fire the wheate purged in the floore and before it be meate for man is also ground in the mil so must we be proued in afflictiō fined in persecution and crushed to pieces vnder the burthen of our own miseries that we may bee made prepared bread for the Lord his own spending Why then doth the Lord make such large promises to his Church of plenty seeing it endureth continuall pouerty I answere the Church of God must be considered after two sorts the first as it is cleansed in the blood of Christ and washed pure from all outward and notorious offences vnto which estate pertaine all those outward promises of liberality in the scripture The second is the declined estate or corrupted condition of euerie one in the Church euen vnto the worldes end vnto this pertaine all the punishments persecutions and ttibulations which the godly endure which the Lord sendeth vppon them that he might by litle and little scoure vs from our transgressions and weary vs with the miseries of this life that wee might the more ernestly desire the life to come for the Lord doth here scourge vs that we should not be condemned with the world Examples of these are most plentifull in the old testament of the Church of the Iews for as much as this perfectiō of the church being once lost is like broken glasse which can neuer be soldered againe so the Church shall neuer attaine those promises in this life but they are all referred to the life to come where shal be no hunger thirst nakednes pouerty trauaile famine or sorrowe but all teares beeing wiped from the eyes of the faithfull they shall then rest from their laboures and receiue many thousand times for euery afliction which they heere endured eternall felicitie in the presence of Christ when all worldlings shall be burned with vnquenchable fire Fourthly in that they went down to the wicked Moabits there taried we note that it is lawfull for the godly in the time of necessity to craue help or reliefe of the very enimies of God so they bee not polluted with their superstitions For the proofe hereof we haue the former examples of Abraham in Egipt of Isahac in Gerar of Moses in Midian when he fled from Pharao of the spies of Israel which lodged in the house of Rahab So did the Lord commaunde Ioseph in a dreame to take Mary and Christ and to goe into Egipt to saue Christ from Herod So did Christ aske water of the woman of Samaria when he was wearie with infinit other testimonies which the godly may find in the scripture But the vse of this point is that although the Lord hath permitted this libertie yet we must take heede of two things first that we neuer receiue any thing with condicion of religion or dooing the least thing against their owne knowledge for idolaters desire nothing more then to winne mens soules to the deuill Secondly wee may not go vnto such when we may bee eased of the godly for it is free necessitie that constraineth not necessary liberty that permitteth By this we learne what to iudge of them which are dayly at talke and table with the wealthiest papists Atheists and carnall prophane persons who care not for the losse of religion so they may gaine by their friendship Esteeming more the feathers of a rich man though vngodly than the bloud of a poore godly christian they vse them too commonly for wealth commoditie not for need necessitie these are seasoned in the leauen of vnrighteousnes baked in the ouen of hipocrisie and shal one day be burned in the fire of euerlasting destruction for they which for gaine loue their company in this life shalbe partakers of theyr rewards in the life to come Fiftly by this wee note that the Lord doth euer prouide for his faithfull seruaunts in all their miseries We see heere these Iewes satisfied with plenty in Moab that were almost famished with penury at home therefore sayth Dauid The Lord knoweth the dayes of vpright men and their inheritance shall bee perpetuall they shall not be confounded in the perillous time and in the dayes of famine thay shall haue inough Most notable is that speech of Ioseph to his brethren telling them that God sent him before to prouide victualls for them in that seuen yeeres famine So hee stirred vp Obadiah which hid fifty prophets in one caue and fiftie in another feeding them with bread and water during the time of famine Hee prouided for Eliah first by the rauens and after by the widdow of Zarephtha multiplieng her oyle and meale for Eliah her selfe and her sonne So hee sent Elisa to warne the Shunamite woman of the seuen yeares famine that shee should flye for her selfe and liue where shee could I might bee infinite in this pointe to declare the bountifull liberalitie of the Lord who euer prouideth one remedie or other to satisfie the continuall prayers of them that feare him for we may say as Paul sayth Wee are afflicted yet wee are not in distresse in pouerty yet not ouercome of pouerty we are persecuted and yet not forsaken cast down but we perishe not This is the mercifull kindnes of him who giueth foode to the young rauens that call vppon him maketh his sun to rise shine both vppon good bad Yea wee our owne selues haue experience in our owne countrey for we which were wont with our abundaunce to helpe other nations about vs yet now in our want we are succoured by them How should the poore in many places be relieued if it were not for the corne which commeth ouer-sea therefore as the seuen plentifull yeares in Egipt succoured the seauen deare yeares euen so the Lord relieueth the misery of one time by the multitude of another Therefore my brethren let vs not say the Lorde hath forgotten for although our desires be not satisfied yet our bodies are not famished yea the Lord testifieth that he is as vnwilling to punishe our deserts and vtterly to depriue vs of our maintenaunce as we are to departe from our pleasant pastime or dainty belly cheere Poore Lazarus that was not releeued with the rich mans crummes yet was he comforted with the licking of the dogs so much doth the Lord affect liberality and kindnes that he commandeth brute beasts to execute his goodnes vpon his seruants Now let vs proceed to the second part of this
scripture and seeing we haue brought these strangers to their Inne â—t Moab let vs heare their intertainment those things that happened vnto them after they came thither for the parts wee haue in the beginning set downe which I trust you remember and therefore we will to the words And they continued there This is as much to say as they found entertainment answerable to their expectation they had liberty of residence granted and obtained a place for their dwelling in safety Where wee first note the gentlenes or humanity of these heathen Moabits who had learned by nature this pointe of curtesie which is friendlye to succour poore harbourlesse straungers and no doubte but hee that watcheth the descending of sparrowes on the ground directed this iourney to Moab for the accomplishing of his owne counsell and prepared the heartes of these people with fauour to relieue them For as before he guided the iourney of Abrahams seruant to the citie of Machor where Rebecca was framed hir answere according to his praier eueÌ„ so he coÌ„ducted these to Moab where Ruth was and tempered the hearts of the wicked to giue these pilgrims a dwelling place among them By the which we are taught what friendship or loue we owe to strangers which are come among vs yea though we know not the purpose of their harts yet we must doo good vnto them for the proportioÌ„ of their bodies that is because they are men This is not a law written only in the booke of God but imprinted in the verie nature of euery one Wee see these Moabits do it by nature yet they had no religion in them we know how the king of Fgipt gaue commandement for Abraham that none should hurt him or any of his possessions Read but the Acts of the Apostles you shal see how barbarous nations receiued the church with curtesy and some vppon their reporte beleeued the doctrine of Christ What shall we then say to this beastlike behauiour of many among vs who will hardly permit poore Christian straungers to harbour among vs if it were not for that they are men the children of Adam like our selues yet because they call vppon the name of Christ being of the household of sayth let vs doe good vnto them But some will say what shall wee doe vnto them if they will not ioyne with vs in our religion I answere none must bee of Abrahams familye but those which wil be circumcised that is none must dwell with thee but such as wil be of thy profession Yet thou maiest for humanity or curtesy receiue a Turke or a pagan a Iew or an infidell papist or heretike to talke or table for a night or a small time so thou kepe they selfe from his pollutions So did Iacob feast his idolotrous father in law and kinsmen when they pursued him to the mount of Gilead with purpose to hurt him and our sauiour Christ biddeth vs to feede our enimies and to giue them drinke if they thirste So did Elischah to the host of Sirians who being sent to take him yet when he had taken them and lead them to the city he suffered the king to do them no hurt but refreshed them with meat and drinke and sent them away in safety For our outward curteous receuing of infidels is like coales of fire to draw them in loue with our inward religion we know how the Lord commaunded the Iewes to be good vnto strangers because they were strangers in Egipt We know how the Lord commendeth the stranger Samaritan beyond the priest and the leuite beccause he succoured the poore wounded Iewe which had fallen among theeues And truely wee our selues may bee strangers in other Countreies therefore let vs doe good vnto them now that we may receiue the like of them againe for this is the law and the prophets Then Elimelech when they had escaped one daunger they fell into another sorrow when by the mercifull kindnes of the Lord they were ioyntly come togither into Moab and there quietlye seated scaped the arrowes of famine by the hand of God the father of the family the nerest and derest vnto them dieth in plenty Where we note the verie lot of all the godly namely that the end of one sorrow is the beginning of another like the drops of raine distilling from the top of a house when one is gone another followeth like a ship vppon the sea being on the top of one waue presently is cast downe to the foote of another like the seede which being spread by the sower is hanted by the foules beeing greene and past their reache is endaungered by forste and snow being passed the winter â—s hurt by beasts in sommer being rype is cut with the sickle threshed with flaile purged in the floore ground in the mill baked in the ouen chewed in the teeth and consumed in the stomacke This made Dauid say Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth out of all But be not discomforted oh my brethren for thorough many afflictions must we enter into the kingdome of heauen and by affliction we are made like to the sonne of God But to the matter We see here their sweet fellowship is preuented by death which in deed is the end of al worldly friendship This is a good lesson for all worldlings to remember how the Lord disappointeth all their purposes and ouerthroweth their counsells more vainer then vanity The merchant hauing obtained his banke promiseth rest and security to himselfe the husbandman hauing gathered his fruits neuer doubteth but hee shall spend them prouideth for more the Gentleman comming to his landes thinketh his reuenewes and pleasant life will indure alway like the apostles when Christ was transfigured in the mount presently they would builde tabernacles of residence but as the cloude came betwixt them and heauen and bereaued them of their purpose euen so sodainly will death come and depriue you of your profits call the marchant from his banke the husbandman from his farme the Gentleman from his lands the noble man from his honour the prince from his kingdome the Lady from her pleasures as this Elimelech was sodainly from wife and children Secondly by these words we note the goodnes of God toward both the dead man and also wife and children for no doubte but they all desired to bee seiled in some place or other and here the Lord suffereth the husband with wife and family to bee quietly feared before their separation He might haue called him away in his iourney as he was comming then oh how would it haue grieued hoth him and them him to leaue a poore comfortles widdow and children behind without dwelling or maintenance for home again they could not returne by reason of the famine and to goe forth on the iourney without a guide was like as if a ship were set on the sea without a mariner Therefore in suffering them all to
which in this life haue had corporall society in the life to come might enioy eternall felicity Now this condemmeth the carnall behauiour of wretched husbandes who vse their wiues as their seruants and not as themselues who deale with them as men do with nuts first they reach and trauaile for them and hauing gotten them they take out the kernell but they tread the shell vnder their feete so they hauing gotten the wealth the bewtie the health and young yeares of their wiues despise their gray haires which are their greatest credite as the shels wherein the kernel was giuing thē ouer in their weakest daies wherin they want greatest comfort Is this the rest you prouide for your wiues to cause them to weare their bodyes with weary trauailes to consume their minds with dayly griefe to procure their paines by bearing of children and to lay the greatest burthens vppon the smallest beasts for so some most wretchedly terme them Oh looke vnto it this measure will the Lord measure to you againe yee vnnaturall husbands which follow your pleasures and pastimes abroade and neglect your profits and sorrowfull wiues at home To fly ouer the seas with vnnecessarie iourneyes to frequent the company of suspected women to follow the counsel of vaine persons spending their patrimonies bringing thēselues their wiues posterity to woful misery Is this to dwell with your wiues like men of knowledge Is this to giue honor vnto thē as the weaker vessels Is this to account them the heyres of the same grace finally is this to see their praiers be not interrupted Nay rather ther are many thousand husbands which neuer either could or would pray with their wiues that think neither vpō heauē nor hell and haue no knowledge of their duties towards God or their neighbours much lesse to their wiues than brute beasts carnal infidels prophane atheists the murderers of thēselues of their own posterity Oh fearful danger that hangeth ouer your heads whō neither the lawes of God can compel to learne their duties or men instruct them to amend their liues But you my beloued who are guiltles in this point are the blessed of the Lord forsake not your carefulnes alredy begū that you loose not your reward Thirdly by this praier we obserue the duties of wiues or women in families namely that they shuld be peaceable thēselues for if they seeke peace they must ensue peace and if their ioy consist in the quietnes of the family they must be carefull they breake not the vnity If like Ismael their hands be against all the hands of all vvill be against them if they will bee the louing turtles they must not bee the chattering pies if they be the vines their fruit must be grapes out of grapes commeth wine wine reioiceth the hart of man so women must reioyce their husbands and families Some women wil neuer be at rest til they beare rule wil say their husbands loue them not except for their sakes they will displace their seruants fall out with their neighbours enuy their friends and in all things follow their mindes such men giue not peace to their wiues but swoords to slay themselues with all The harkening ouer much to womens counsell old Adam and wee his posterity may for euer lament yet godly men may heare their godly wiues remembring alway themselues to be the head the choise to rest in them eyther to lyke or dislike their counsell And they answered This is the answere of these women to the counsel blessing of their mother in law wherin they refuse to returne promise to go with her to her own people as if they should saye wee are rather bound vnto thee thē to our own mothers for thy sake whose godly conuersatiō we know are we drawn in loue with the whole people so that in these words they testifie their louing affection to their mother their desire to be with her among her people and the cause vndoutedly to be her godly wise conuersation with thē in the land of Moab Wher we note the duty of al the faithful which is so to walke that other by their good example may bee drawne to loue the trueth For surely these women liked wel of the religiō of Naomi but much better of her conuersation as a thing they better vnderstoode then the other For this point the Apostle warneth that wee walke in wisedome because of them that are without And Peter sayth to the dispersed Iewes of his time that they must haue a good conuersation among the gentils insomuch as their enemies might haue no occasion to speake against them And our sauior sayth Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works glorifie your father which is in heauen For as the vnbeleeuing husband may be wonne by the godly behauiour of the beleeuing wife so many infidells carnall persons are sooner drawne to the Lord by the works which they see then by the words which they heare Seeing this is plaine by the word of god where shal I beginne to complaine of this our vnhappy age wherein are but few talkers of God his word but much fewer walkers when the Gospell of Christ is made the cloake of wickednes Oh how grieuously is the Church of God rent in sunder by daily disquietnes insomuch as there is no peace amōg vs. Can the infidells papists say of vs as old Emor said of Iacob his family These men are mē of peace therfore let vs be circumcised with them What peace is ther left in the Church of God Truly we are like vnto a tree we agree all in the body of religiō but as the branches spred themselues an hundred wayes so in our indifferentest pointes of religion there is little or no vnitie There is no care had of giuing offences vnto the weake there is no conscience to staie the slaunder of the Gospell Oh how grieuous is it that many nowe a daies will defende their dissimulation by saying Take heed to our wordes and not to our deedes liue as we saie and not as we do making Christianitie like the profession of pharisies which saie and doo not Esteeming of religion lyke the occupation of a Smith wherein one is discharged by blowing and another by beating so these thinke if they can blowe out any good wordes and bee able to cry the Gospell the Gospell the preachers the preachers and to saie vnto Christ Thou hast prophesied in our streets and we haue eaten in thy presence they are right good christians But the Lord shall saie vnto them Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie I knowe you not Yet let vs bee warned by the examples of the godly the exhortations of the Scripture and the motions of God his spirite in our hearts that seeing Christ is our wisedome let vs walke in wisedome or else we dwell not in Christ seeing Christ is our
your pensioner hangbies and luke warme professors papisticall Atheistes which come to our Churches to sleepe and there dreame who being come vnto you make you beleeue that their dreames were the preachers sermons and you that are apt to beleeue lies beleeue liars But to come to the purpose you accuse vs for condemning good workes when we attribute no merites vnto them this we deny for the reason is like this None will become a papist but hee that hopeth to bee Pope so none will do good workes but hee that hopeth to bee saued or crowned by them If they graunt the latter then they must giue the former which I am assured many honest minded papistes would not bee though they might haue as much as the Popes father the Deuill offered Christ which was all the worlde Therefore as a papist is not a papist because hee woulde be a pope so good workes must not bee done that men might bee crowned by them Euery Catholike which beleeueth as the Church beleeueth must not presently steppe into Peters chayre no more euery one that doth a good worke must by that ascend vp into heauen Good workes haue another vse then to iustifie Because the eye cannot smell shall it therefore bee puld out noe it was created to see and not to smell because good works iustifie not shal no man do them God forbid they were giuen to the faithfull for outwarde testimonies of fayth and of God his spirite that by them they they might assure themselues and others to be sanctified and elected not that they should helpe in their saluation As the tree dyeth without the barke and fire is nothing without heate so workes without faith and faith without workes is cursed and vnprofitable Therefore wee say let euery one that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie eschewe euill and do good feede the hungrie cloath the naked visite the sicke and imprisoned harbour the harbourles prouide for children and widdowes yea and builde Churches and Colledges for the maintenance of God his worship and learning Yet we say we are iustified by faith we haue peace with God through our Lorde Iesus Christ by whome we were brought to this grace through which we stand glorie vnder the hope of y e glorie of God for all the works in the world cannot satisfie for one sin because there is none other name vnder heauen by which wee may bee saued but onely by the name of Christ Out of this first wee gather the goodnesse of God which of his owne promise and owne mercie accepteth that little obedience of faith which wee offer vnto him What can we doe to the fulfilling of the lawe if we keept all and yet fayled in one we had lost all our labour but if we kept one point onely and faulted in the rest it were like to a man that was bounde to pay ten thousand pound and should offer a shilling but we keepe none and yet hee accepteth vs in the death of his Sonne that our righteousnesse might abound to euerlasting life Nowe the vse of the mercy of God is that hereby wee shoulde bee made more fearefull and carefull not to offende him not as some imagine that hereby is giuen the greater libertie to sinne because the Lorde speaketh peace vnto vs in his beloued Christ for this is as the prophet speaketh being escaped out of a ditch to fall into a snare and as a man which is drawne out of a riuer should cast himselfe into the sea But the regenerate must bee more affraide to offend the mercy of God then the vnregenerate at his threatning iudgementes They will not sinne because they loue God the other will abstayne feare of punishmente the promises of the Gospell terrifie them more then all the terrors of the lawe for they find a sweeter comfort in the presence of the spirite then to rest in all the gardens of pleasure when they finde accesse to the throne of grace through the blood of Christ and by him all their infirmities couered their petitions graunted their sinnes remitted they at peace with God like ioyfull men discharged from euerlasting imprisonment they walke in holines and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life Oh that these mercies would sinked deeper into our hard harts that the force of the cogitation of the blood of Christ might both soften and mollifie purge and cleanse them from wauering and doubting wantonnes and presumption and prepare our fallow groundes fit to receiue the Lords owne feed his euerlasting word which is able to saue our soules Secondly by this when he saith vnder whose winges thou art come to trust the dignitie of the faithfull is commended vnto vs for they liue vnder the wings of the Lord Which is a Metaphor or borrowed speech comparing him to a hen which couereth her chickens with her winges shewing vnto vs that then wee are in safetie when wee are couered with the winges of the Lord. This our sauiour noted when hee saide that hee woulde haue gathered the Cittie of Ierusalem as a henne gathereth her chickens This dignitie of the faithfull is by many such speeches manifested in the scripture wherein the Lorde sheweth vs the care hee hath for our safety when he calleth vs the apple of his eye He sheweth his loue when he calleth vs his childrē his brethren and spouse to teach vs our dueties he calleth vs the braunches of a vine which are good for nothing but to bring forth grapes euen so are the godly pleased with nothing which they doe saue onely the worshippe of God This consisteth in the holy fellowship which the faithfull haue with God which Dauid faith bringeth life for euermore with whome is a well of life and the fulnes of all ioy And in another place the Lord saith Behold I stand at the dore and knocke if any man open I will come in and suppe with him and he with me and Iohn saith He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the father and the Son Here is the comfort of the spirit that dwelleth in vs the assurance of faith which ouercommeth all the worlde the euidence of our saluation euen the confession of the Gospel with the mouth and the beleeuing in the hart the hearing of it when it is preached and praying in the assemblies of the faithfull for wheresoeuer are two or three gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them saith the Lord for he dwelleth among his saints the Arke is with his ministers the couenaunt or tabernacle of presence with them that feare him for euermore Oh who will not be drawne to be the member of Christes owne bodie the heauenly Temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in the sincere professor of true religion that they may haue both the Father and the Sonne Who will not open to the Lords knocking that hee may receyue the king of glorie for his guest
his mother that bare him so we by instruction should first teach our childrē the feare of God that gaue them it is farre better for many children that they had neuer bene borne except their parents had more knowledge to till their mindes with the immortall seede of God his holy word then to looke vpō the sunne as the condemned person which commeth out of prison and so goeth to execution in like maner childrē without the knowledge of y e feare of God do come from the womb of their mothers which is their prison to the fire of hell which is y e place of execution Oh my beloued looke vpō your tender childrē and so often as you see them you behold the blessings of God vpon you make much of their soules by praying for their saluation you haue brought thē into the world leaue thē not to the deuill Thirdly seing children are y e gift of God those which haue children haue greater accompt to make then those which haue none for of him to whom much is giuē shal much be required and they to whome y e Lord hath giuen childrē and seruants lands and cattels shal answer for euery one of these to y e Lord therfore parēts must finish their reckning which they must giue to the Lord and let not one farthing of their debt be omitted for he will plague thē as well for not doing their duties to their own children as gracelesse children for contemning of God And this one cōsideration should mitigate y e desire of posterity because if they abuse thē their own damnation shall be the greater if they be vnruly they bring nothing but sorrow to their parents if they be godly the world will hate them and if they be wicked the deuill will haue them Were it not a pitifull sight to see the father burned for murthering his sonne how much more grieuous is it to see both father and sonne mother and daughter husband and wife maister and seruaunt mistresse and maides pastors and people to goe all to damnation together because the former did not guide the later oh would God that the desire to escape this iudgement would sinke into the hearts of all that we might euery one addict our liues to holines our minds to knowledge our bodies to obedience our hearts to vnderstanding our children to instruction our seruants to religion and all our soules to saluation Thirdly by this we gather that it is a greater blessing to be the mother of a sonne then the parent of a daughter if it so please God to send them for in this place the holy Ghost sayth that the Lord gaue her and she conceiued and brought foorth a sonne as if he had said the Lord gaue her her owne desire and the best issue which was a manchild for this cause our Sauiour saith that a woman forgetteth her paines in trauaile so soone as a man child is borne into the world Therefore is it that the Lord promised Abraham a sonne that he gaue Zachary and Elizabeth a sonne and finally therefore the Lord calleth vs all his sonnes as a father reioyseth more for a sonne so the Lord reioyseth in the saluation of all the faithfull By this we are taught to magnify the name of the almighty for euery one his benefits in their degree and if we want any by prayer to craue it at the hands of God alwayes remembring that we leaue the end of our desires to be agreeable to his will And here we see the prayer of the people in the former verse to be in part fulfilled when the Lord did so soone blesse this good old man by giuing him a sonne for it is no doubt but the holy Ghost doth so presently after their prayer adde her conception and his birth that he might stirre vs vp with greater zeale to desire the prayers of the faithfull which are alwayes auaileable in the presence of y e Lord. Come therefore my bretheren and let vs fulfill the desire of the Lord and accompt more of the petitions of the godly then all the possessions of the wealthy by prayer the earth is made fruitefull and the heauens drop downe abundance by prayer famine is remoued warres appeased the wrath of God pacified and the health of the bodye recouered by prayer wisedome is increased faith confirmed remission of sinnes obtained the barren woman made a fruitfull mother of many children the dayes of life lengthened peace of countreys and consciences prolonged and the kingdome of heauen eternally inherited Therefore those which cannot pray abhorre the presence of God are weary of our assemblyes forsake sermons and congregations depart from the fellowship of the faithfull and haue their sinnes sealed vp their liues accursed and their soules euerlastingly condemned And the women Now we must proceede to the second part of this scripture wherein is declared what issue and effect this wrought in other for so soone as the child was borne it did not only bring comfort to the parents but also ioy and gladnes to the godly citizens of Bethlehem among whome these women are reported by the holy Ghost which no doubt were present at the deliuery of Ruth to magnify the name of God for this so great a benefit bestowed vpon the old woman although her childrē were dead yet her name might be recouered by her louing daughter in lawe By this we first of all obserue the duety of all the faithfull which is to reioyse with them that reioyse and to weepe with them that weepe for as there godly Iewish women reioyse with Naomi for the fruitfulnes of Ruth so must we euery one be like affected for the blessings that are powred vpon our bretheren The like vnto this may we reade of the neighbours and kindred of Elizabeth hearing of the wonderfull mercy of God vnto her they reioysed with her This teacheth vs the same duety that the ioy of our brethren should be our reioysing and their sorrow our lamentation for there is no fellowship but there must be a feeling of the same ioyes or miseries not onely in publike affayres which respect their whole common wealth but also in priuate busines the benefit of euery particular person The head is sore when the stomacke is sicke the hand is grieued when the foote is maymed and euery part of the body being in prosperity reioyseth together For this cause Paule biddeth vs to endure all things with the same minde meaning that euery mans minde should be like his brothers eyther in sorrow or reioysing But is this the fellowship that raigneth among vs in these dayes or rather are we not merryest when our neighbours are tormented and doeth it not grieue vs to see other to prosper beside vs yes surely for there is no more hartie and vnfayned friendship among men in our dayes then is betweene the hauke and the bird when either of them is taken the other reioyseth This is the cause that men are no more
accompted after wealth fayleth friendship withdraweth when they stand in most neede and least pitie is in the greatest extremitie Euery tree is greene in the Spring euery bird will sing in sommer and euery false hearted Christian will faune vppon theyr bretheren in prosperitie but bee ashamed of theyr want in aduersitie yea there neuer wanteth priuie repiners and grudgers at the wealth and welfare of euery one for some say it is too much if theyr neighbours corne increase others say it is too little when they are vexed and troubled by losse of their goodes and this maketh many medlers in other mens matters many backbiters for other mens welfare many enuye that any should haue theyr shares as good as themselues like him in the Gospell whose eye was euill because the Lords hand was good and as all the waues of the sea doe beate vpon the shore so all the braines of the world doe breathe against the prosperous Secondly the manner of theyr reioysing must be considered which the holy Ghost hath set downe in these words Blessed be the Lord wherein they testifye perfect ioy both to the Lord by praysing him and giuing thankes and also to Naomi vnto whome nothing could be more acceptable then to heare the name of God to be blessed for her sake To blesse in the scripture whensoeuer it is referred to God signifieth to prayse or to giue thankes as when Zachary sayth Blessed be the Lord God of Israell for he hath visited and redeemed his people that is Praysed be the Lord God of Israell Likewise the Apostle Paule sayth Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of mercyes and the God of all consolation that is praysed be God And in another place he sayth If thou blesse with the spirit how shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen to thy thanksgiuing that is if thou giue thanks with the spirit In this place it is of the first sence as if these women had sayd We prayse thee O God that thou hast looked on the misery of Naomi and hast reserued her a kinseman by whome the name of the dead might be raysed vpon the inheritance and his owne honor continued in Gods people By the which we are taught what manner of ioy the faithfull are to haue for their bretheren namely such as may redound to the prayse of God according to the saying of the Apostle that he which reioyseth must reioyse in the Lord for as bodily exercise profiteth little so carnall ioy profiteth lesse such as is the framing of vayne songs giuing ouer our labours and to reioyse in pastimes and such as is vsed in ringing of bells and the like sort being onely for man and not for God Therefore heere wee haue an excellent manner of reioysing when God is glorifyed by our mirth Thus we reade Moses and Aaron with theyr sister Miriam did after they came out of Aegypt Thus did Deborah and Barach after the victory against Sisera Thus did the women after the victory of Saule and Dauid when they came from the slaughter of the Philistins Thus did Zachary when his tongue was restored vnto him Thus did the children of Ierusalem cry when Christ came riding vpon the Asse Thus doe the faithfull reioyse after the destruction of Rome and Antichrist singing Praysed be God saluation and honour and glory and power to our Lord God And the Lord cryeth out of heauen vnto vs Prayse the Lord all ye his seruants and whosoeuer feare him both small and great Therfore beloued seing it becommeth the iust to be thankefull let vs prayse the Lord both euening and morning and let vs not see a sparrow to light on the ground without some prayse to God by whose prouidence all things are gouerned by whose will all things are ordered for whose glory are all things appointed that we should euermore giue thanks to him that sitteth on the highest heauens and ruleth the mightiest princes appointing the measure for the sea and calling the whole world to iudgement in whose presence is light and life for euermore Thirdly the matter of their thanksgiuing must be considered for they prayse God because he had kept a kinsman aliue for Naomi whose name should be continued in the people of God so that in plaine words they commend the kindnes of God because he had so prouided for this godly Naomi as she might be comforted by his meanes and his name continued by her daughter and all three eased by this one childe By the which we are taught these two profitable lessons first that we must magnify God for the life of our friends so doe these Iewes for the life of Bohaz by whome the Lord brought such great comfort to both these destitute and desolate widdowes for as we are sorry for their death when it is too late so must we be thankefull for their life when yet they are with vs the sonne for the life of his father and the father for the sonne the wife for her husband and the husband for his wife the seruant for his maister the subiects for their prince the people for their teachers and y e daughters for their mother There are few of these but they bring much benefit vnto vs and no small comfort doth arise by their presence which we shall better perceiue when we want them then now we enioy them and for these the Apostle also willeth vs to pray and one cause of these two miracles vpon Lazarus and Dorcas was that their life might bee prolonged with the church of God and more kindnes shewed to their godly frendes Secondly by this all those that are able to bestowe any kindnesse vpon other are taught their duties to their owne kindred that especially they bee carefull for the reliefe of their pouertie the maintaynance of their dignitie the preseruation of their honesty the nourishing of their own flesh for vnto that end hath y e Lord encreased their substance continued their name prolonged their daye and aduanced their seates that they may be more able to do for their poore brethren which are commended to them by the Lorde committed by the worlde compelled by nature which are bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh that they might bee maintayned as your owne selues When Dauid was made king he aduanced his sisters sons his kinsemen when Saule was king he aduanced Abner and other his frends and wee knowe that many of Christes Apostles were his kinsmen vnto the which end Paule exhorteth that poore widdowes be prouided for by their frendes that the Church be not charged with them This condemneth the forgetfulnesse of many in our age which being in wealth will scant acknowledge their poore kindred whereby they shew themselues like vnnaturall beasts as if the Lord were not able to bring thē down to y e footstool in the place of the other y t they
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