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
him in the day of his appearing teaching vs that our spiritual praires are more necessary for them then their temporall benefits are for vs therfore let vs learne to pray aright seeing it is our duty to pray for our frends These painted praiers of many which come from the lips or from wicked harts are such as the praiers of roaguing beggers at euery doore for base reliefe and also the commonest that are among many poore people in these dayes are abhomination in the eyes of the Lord no benefite to them for whome they are vttered and the poyson of those that thus do vse them Therefore beloued learne to acount of them as they are cloudes carried about with euerie winde welles and no water great wordes but no grace in them stoppe your eares at these bread prayers and withdrawe your handes from giuing any reliefe to them that abuse this heauenly blessing Then said Naomi In this verse Naomi repeateth her prayer and addeth a reason of the same because he hath not ceased to do good toward the liuing and toward the dead that is hee did good to my husband and children when they were aliue and nowe to vs their posteritye they being dead for in doing good to vs for their sakes they doe it to them for eyther interpretation will stand For wee must not imagine that this liberality doeth any good to them that are dead because they were in Moab â— these in Inda they were consumed in their graues and vnfit for any benevolence as for their soules they needed no earthlye beneficence for that remaineth true for euer which Salomon sayth the liuing knowe that they shall dye but the dead knowe nothing neyther haue they anye more parte seeing their remembrance is forgotten the thing which they loued the thing which they hated and the thing they desired is now perished with them neither haue they any more part of al the things that are done vnder the sunne By the which we may see the delusion of them which teach vs to buy prayers and pardons for our frends that are dead that their paines may bee eased which nowe they endure for if nothing can profit them that is done vnder the sunne then neither our prayers nor purses can giue them any reliefe But by these words we learne that if we do good to the children and widowes of our deceased friends it is all one as if we did good to their own persons Thus said Naomi in this place and thus Dauid did good to his frend Ionathan being dead when he did kindly entreate Mephibosheth his son being aliue The Lord himselfe protestteth in the scriptures that he did good to the Israelites and Iewes for Abraham Isaack and Iacobs sakes and our sauiour in the Gospell declareth that the good wee do to the least of his bretheren being on earth wee do it to him which raigneth in heauen for this is a duetye of true frendshippe to make much of our frendes when they are departed to be a frend to their frendes and to bee an enemie to their enemies as the Lord promised Abraham Therefore let vs cast awaye this counterfaite kindnes and perfourme this godlye loue wherein others before vs haue walked and as wee were wont louinglye to receiue the parentes being aliue so let vs ioyfullye entertaine the children nowe they are dead for true frendshippe loueth at all tmes and godlye kindenesse must neuer bee remoued As wee wishe that others shoulde vse vs when we are gone so let vs vse others now they are absent Moreouer Naomi said In these wordes shee giueth comfort vnto Ruth shewing her that his beneuolence was not causelesse seeing hee was neere vnto them and of theyre affinitye being an appointed person to redeeme their inheritance For in the lawe of the Lorde hee hath decreed for the poore of the Iewes that if any person had solde his inheritance the nexte of his kindred might redeeme it and restore it to the familye againe which comming into the minde of Naomi shee hopeth that by this meanes they shoulde come to their inheritance againe seeing Bohaz who was one of the nexte of her kindred had so curteously intreated the widdowe and heyre Whereby wee note the great care that the Lorde hath ouer the poore which by a lawe decreed that they should not for euer bee depriued of their inheritance for at the farthest they shoulde come to it againe at the yeere of Iubile And truelye this Iawe being ceased because the Iewes common wealth is ouerthrowen yet the Lorde executeth the same in some measure amongst the gentiles daylye For nowe wee maye see and heare howe he exalteth many from the duste to walke and sit with princes howe hee giueth greate possessions vnto them whose fathers had not one foote of land and casteth many from their vnlawfull titles And euerie day wee heare of some caste down and humbled and other lift vp exalted Who doth this but the hand of the almightye that putteth downe Haman and raiseth vp Mordechai refuseth Saul and chooseth Dauid remooueth Abiathar establisheth Sadoch banisheth Shebnah and aduanceth Eliakim and finally that in fewe ages changeth all things Therefore promotion commeth neither from the east nor from the west nor from the wildernes but from the throne of the Lorde of hosts which openeth and no man shutteth humbleth and no man setteth vp exalteth and no man casteth downe and ruleth the course of all mankind by his vnchangable decree Let not then the mightiest bee proude for their honour and dignity for the Lord destroyed the Anakims greate princes giants before the family of Caleb much more will he do those that are lyfted vp by their wealth that should rather cast them down and let vs do good to these poore bretheren among vs for they shalbe lifted vp vnto riches when the greatest and wealthiest among vs shall be cast downe into pouerty But of this matter wee shall haue more occasion to speake in the fourth chapter But Ruth said In this verse Ruth maketh relation of those things which Boaz had said vnto her and praying for a blessing vppon him because hee vouchsafed to take her into the company of his maidens gaue her leaue to gather to the end of haruest So that in this place by these wordes of Ruth wee haue an example of perfecte thankfulnesse omitting nothing that might serue to commende the kindnes of Boaz and also of womanlike and godlye modestye that concealeth the cause of all this curtesye which was her owne commendation as alreadye wee haue shewed you So that it is no parte or pointe of godlynes to do as our euill conditioned and ingratefull persons doo which omitte that which serueth most for to commend their benefactours and to lay all the prayse vppon their owne desertes But Salomon willed that another mans and not our owne mouth shoulde prayse vs and most vngodlye is it when men will not in so
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
vs from heresie but also a salue or remedie if wee haue been poysoned by falshoode The sting of the Scorpion is cured by applying the Achates stone the grasse Alimos preserueth the famished person from death The Baare hauing eaten Mandragora saueth his life by the little Emmet and the poyson of the Chamelaeon is expelled by a Baye leafe euen so the word of God cureth the heresies of Poperie which are compared to the stinging of the Scorpions in the Scriptures it is the fruite of the tree of life and whosoeuer eateth and disgesteth in shall neuer die it is a preseruatiue against all poyson and the leaues thereof shall cure the nations By this alone the Lord hath wrought the calling of his children the confusion of his enemies the comfort of his Saintes and the replenishing of his kingdome All the Kings of the earth haue beene in armes against it yet the ministers thereof who neuer bore armes against them by their onely preaching haue wonne a glorious fielde All Egypt coulde not resist Moses and Aaron because they came on the Lordes message no more shall all the world ouercome the preachers of peace so long as they faithfully performe their heauenly Ambassage Wordes haue wrought more then weapons the spirite hath pearced more then the Speare the wals of Paper and the ordinaunce of Fathers haue battered downe the stately kingdome of the whoore of Babilon learning hath done better seruice then Launces Gownes haue conquered moe then Gunnes Bookes haue done more good then Bullets and the prayers of the faithfull haue preuailed more then the Pikes of horsemen the stone which the builders refused is become the head of the corner this is the Lordes doing it is maruailous in our eyes the bloude of the dead Martyrs hath giuē greater wounds in this quarrell then the swords of the liuing souldiours But thus I haue too long troubled your Hon. with that which you knewe before and haue presumed on your fauour for the acceptation of these my slender labours vpon one parte of Scripture the booke of Ruth which as the holy Ghost hath vouchsafed to call by the name of a woman to the praise of the whole sexe and euerlasting commendation of her Religion so am I emboldned to Dedicate it to so Honourable a Lady as your selfe whome I know to be a Ruth by Religion though a Noble woman by birth For many witnesses can testifie this also if I should be silent and the ordinarie exercises at Seuenoke will sound your name because your presence and diligence at them hath stirred vp manye meaner persons comforted some godly people thereabout and much euery way countenanced and encouraged the preachers of the same There are many causes which might compell me though vnwilling to commit my labours to the Presse yet willingly to present them to the world vnder the name of your Honour For I am assured of the acceptation of any small thing that shall bee offered in the name of Religion much more of this which comprehendeth the recompence and rewarde of our profession Your Honour knoweth that better is it to see the smoke of ones owne Countrie then the fire of another so I trust my slender studies which are but as smoke being compared with the burning coales of others knowledge such as dayly you heare shall be the better accepted because there I had my being where your Honour hath your dwelling Also I am hereunto moued that I might haue any occasion to testifie my bounden dutie which I owe vnto that Noble and worthie Gentleman Sir Henrie Leonard your Sonne of whome I haue receiued especiall encouragementes in the course of my studies and to whom I must remaine a debtour to the ende of my dayes being no wayes able to recompence his wonted kindnesse but onely by this daylye to praye for the life and prosperitie that hee may be as the heyre of your Honour so an ornament of the Noble house of the Dacres And the God of all peace blesse your owne person with such blessings as you daylye desire that you may still liue to the comfort of the godlye in this present life to the enlarging of your owne Honour to the reioysing of your whole family and to the endlesse saluation of your owne soule with Iesus Christ the Sauiour of all them which haue vnfainedly embraced true religion London this first of October 1596. Your Honours to command in the Lord. Edward Topsell To all them that haue vnfainedly embraced true Religion DEarely beloued in Christe when I consider that comfortable Oracle of the Apostle when he saith that godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of the life to come it commeth into my mind that religion is none of the meanest professions that is laboured for in the worlde for the greatest rewardes are promised to the chiefest exploytes and the worthiest enterprises are Crowned with glorious benefits Ioseph for his wisedome was made the gouernour of Egypt Othniel for his seruice receiued Aisah the daughter of Caleb for his wife Iiphtah for his victorie was made iudge of Israel and Dauid for his Musicke was made one of the Courtiers of Saul In so much as it seemeth an ordinarie practise that euerie knowledge is rewarded with some curtesie whereby wee are certified that it is no maruaile to heare hope for so excellent blessings as are promised to the Religious For they are the house of the Lorde and as hee dwelleth with all maiestie in heauen so he raigneth with all Authoritie in the righteous they are a chosen generation borne of God a Royall and holy priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people the free men of Christ the inheritours of the earth the iudges of the worlde the coheires of Christes kingdome and the Cittizens of heauen If wee looke for their Nobilitie they are the Sonnes of God if for their instruction they are taught of God if for their tuition the heauenly Angels are their seruants if for their degrees they are kings and priestes for the eternal God if for their calling they are Saintes if for their life it is heauenly if for their wealth it is the whole worlde and finally their death is the birth day of all felicitie For this cause Dauid desired rather to bee a doore-keeper in the house of God then a dweller in the stately tents of the wicked as if the meanest condition among the professors of Religion were more excellent then the chiefest estates among the worldlings their Crosses excell the others Crownes their barrenesse the others fruitfulnesse their humilitie the others honour their ignorance the others knowledge their simplicitie the others wisedome their weakenesse the others strength and a little thing that the righteous hath is better then the great possessions of the vngodly When there is famine they are satisfied when ther is warre they are deliuered when there is plague they are without daunger if fire fall from heauen it shall not burne them if the waters arise aboue
of the earth Of all these mistryes you may see in the booke of Iudges Samuel and Kings to which I referre you at your leasure as of Saul Dauid Ieroboam Achab Zidkia others as in this present place where they are oppressed ten yeares together so that heauen and earth may passe but the word of the Lord abideth for euer For this cause the prophets adde to their preaching of iudgmentes Thus sayth the Lorde as if they had said it shall neuer bee altered And if the lawes of heathen men such as the Medes and Persians might not alter much lesse the word of the Lord which is like siluer purified seuen times should haue any drosse or changeable substaunce in it Wee see the law of nature stand inuiolable for euer and shall not the law of him which made nature be also immutable when the fire ceaseth to bee hote and the water to be colde then shall be exception taken against God his iudgments and not before The vse of this doctrine is to cast downe the presumption of notorious sinners who to auoyd the terrors of God his iudgmentes deceiue their owne soules vvyth this that God is mercifull So that in theyr most singular sinnes they will flye to the mercyes of God as if they were the verie bonde of all iniquitie yea and these kinde of people perswade themselues to bee as good Christians as anie in the worlde because they can saie the Lord is mercifull But heare me a little in one word I praie you I am perswaded that I speake to many these people this daie What hurt hath the Lorde done vnto you that you rob him of his iustice Shall the Prophet be found a liar that sayth The Lord is iust in all waâ—es and holy in all his workes Or shall the Apostle speake vntruth that sayth It is a iust thing with God to render affliction to them that afflict you release to you that are afflicted Why shall we then spoile God of his iudgements vnlesse wee wyll depriue our selues of our owne saluation But you will saie this serueth for the wicked as Atheists Turkes Pagans Infidels and such lyke which shall haue no part with Christ I answere what greater wickednes can there be than to depriue God of his iustice Would a mortall man indure to be accounted without honestie and shall the euerlasting king abide to be spoiled of his righteousnesse Nay the iustice of God pertaineth to such as you would be holy persons as well as to anie For what saith the Prophet When the iust man turneth from his righteousnesse to doo iniquitie he shall die in it And Peter sayth that iudgement must begin at the house of God And a father once saide God of his most deere iustice hath decreed the summe of all discipline both in exacting and in defending as if he had sayd there is no correction of the Lord but it proceedeth from his iustice now the children of God are corrected for hee scourgeth euerie child whom he receiueth And therfore the iudgmentes of God must bee thundered out as well for the confirming of the faithfull as the confusion of Infidels But others there are that are so farre past feeling of either mercies or iudgements that as soone the deafe adder wil heare the voice of the charmer as they anie impression of terrour for sinne Hence commeth this custome of sinning which euerie sabboth commit their wonted iniquitie euerie houre vomit out their poison of blasphemies and euerie daie violate the lawes of charitie who through their dayly staring on the sonne of righteousnesse are nowe become starke blinde and with the continuall noise of God his waters are made so deafe that they can heare no goodnesse Vnto both these sortes of people hearken what the Lorde sayth in his Gospell But if that euill seruant shall saie in his heart the Lorde deferreth his comming and shall begin to finite his fellow seruants and to eate and drinke with the dronken The Lord of that seruant shall come in a daie that hee looketh not for and in an houre that hee knoweth not and shall separate him and giue him his parte with vnbeleeuers there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth This shall be the end of secure christians and contemptuous sinners carnall Atheists despisers of wholsome doctrine which haue no part but in this present life with endlesse and fearefull damnation in the world to come Thus much of the first parte the circumstance of time now let vs go to the thing which is the second parte of the occasion There was a famine in the land This was the chiefe cause which moued these persons to trauell the auoiding of the pinching penurie of fearefull death by lingering till the end of this pining famine Of all the punishments of sinne which happen in this life theâ—e is none more vehement than famine Therefore the Lord by the Prophet threatneth to send his arrowes of famine to breake the staffe of bread Where he alludeth to a maine battell signifying vnto vs first as the arrow is the fittest instrument to break the ranke so a famine is the sharpest weapon to dismaye the couragious stomackes of rebellious sinners For as the arrowe is alwaie in sight so a famine euer in sense the arrowe hurteth but not with a speedie death a famine spoileth yet with tedious miserie the arrowe entered doth procure more paine and greater wound at the pulling forth than the falling in euen so abundance of meate sooner dispatcheth a famished person than lingering hunger Therefore Dauid put to his choice of three plagues famine flying and pestilence chose the last as the most sodainest and therefore accompanied with lesse griefe for that disease by the rule of phisicke is most daungerous which is the longest in growing Now wee may reade of many famines in the Scripture one and the first we read of was in the dayes of Abraham another in the daies of Izhak his sonne Seuen yeeres famine was in Egypt where Ioseph by the hand of God succored the Church in his fathers familie And to omit that in Dauids time and that in Ahabs time with those in the dayes of Iehoram and Zidkia with many others VVee reade in the new Testament of a vniuersall famine in the dayes of Claudius Caesar prophesied by Agabus when the Church dyd most notably releeue one another Vnto the which wee may adde that at the destruction of Ierusalem about fortie yeeres after Christe All which are most worthie spectacles of humane miserie and worthy examples of God his iudgementes to terrifie all them which saie in theyr prosperitie they shall neuer be moued There wee may reade of the pittifull death of many thousands which starued in the streetes in the face of theyr dearest friendes and yet were not able to releeue them There wee may see howe men were driuen to eate dogges cats rats mice and horse
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
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 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