Ruth abode still with her 15 And Maomi said behold thy sister in law is gone back vnto her people and vnto her Gods returne thou after thy sister in law NOwe afterwardes here is declared what NAOMIE preuailed by her speeche with her daughters in lawe or rather what befell after she commanded them to returne home ORPAH returned to her mothers house but RVTH taryed with her mother in law Let vs heare what maye bee gathered out of these wordes for our edification After NAOMIE had exhorted them both with many reasons to returne home they wept agayne very much which was a signe of great sorrow which they tooke of thys that they were to part asunder For sorrow bringeth forth tears as bloud springeth out of the body if it be wounded so if the soule be wounded teares break forth Wherefore some do call teares the bloud of the soule As they offended not in weeping so neyther do they at this day which shed teares when they are drawn from their good friends The Stoyckes say that it becommeth not a man of courage to weepe for that it is a signe of a weak effeminate mind But the holy scriptures teach otherwise for in them there are many examples not onely of women but of most valiaunt men who by teares haue testified theyr sorrow and are not yet accounted to haue offended therein IOSEPH wept foure tymes when his brethren came to him into Aegypt to buye corne DAVID who ouercame and slew a Lyon a Bear Gyants when ZIGLAG was destroyed he wept so much that his strength failed him his souldiours also did the like 1. SAM 30. 2. SAM 15. DAVID descending the mount of Oliues wept PETER also wept aboundantly PAVLE and all they whome he had called to Milleâ—um wept ACT. 20. Our sauiour Christ himselfe wept often therefore that Stoicall sencelesnesse is not approued of God Yet as in other thinges so also in weepeing their must be kept a meane neyther must we weepe for euery cause For all kinde of weeping cannot bee excused SENECA although he was a Stoick himselfe yet hee sayth wee may weepe but not howle out But this makes greatlye to our comfort that in this little booke it is written down twise that these pore women wept aboundantly for heereby we do gather that God regardeth the teares euen of them that be very poore DAVID in the PSAL. 56. 8. declareth that God putteth their teares and so the teares of the godly into his bottle and and noteth them in hys regester Good Lorde how fewe daughters in lawe are there at this day who if theyr mothers in law should departe from them into other countries or els out of this lyfe would shed teares for them or if they do shedd any they may bee called Crocadiles teares ORPAH kissed her mother in law kissing was commonly vsed in Palestyne and all Syria and as at this day other nations also do so they entertained their friendes and gesse at their comming and bad them farewell with a kisse in like maner they saluted them whome they met with a kisse Christ in LVKE 7. reprooueth SIMON the Pharasie because he intertained him not with a kisse ORPAH bidding her mother in-law farewel kissed her A kisse is a token of friendship and kindnes and also of reuerence faith and obedience PLVTARCH in the life of CATO VTICENSIS writeth that when he departed out of his prouince the souldiers reuerently kissed his hand the which kinde of honour was at that time onely giuen to Captaines or Emperours and that to very fewe of them POMPEIVS LETVS in his compendium of the Romaine histories writeth thus The Emperours first reached out theyr handes for theyr nobles to kisse after with their own hands they lift them vp to kisse their mouthes DIOCLETIANVS by a decree appointed that all meÌ„ without difference of degree shoulde fall downe and kisse his feete the which he set foorth magnifically adorning his shooes with gold pearles and stones the whiche they doe record was done before by C. CALIGVLA c. this sayth he Afterwardes the Romaine bishops also like vnto those tyrauntes whiche sought to haue done vnto themselues the honours due to God offered to others their feete to be kissed the which SIBILLA CVMANA foretold in the 8. Sermon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is there shall be a king with a hoare head or a helmet hauing a name neere vnto the sea or bridge regarding the world bestowing his giftes with an euil foot for they must thinke that he doth them great honour whome he alloweth to kisse his feete S. PAVLE 1. COR. 16. sayth salute you one another with an holy kisse excluding the sinnes of vnchastitie and hipocrisie and he doth not in these wordes prescribe a lawe that all nations shoulde receaue this custome of kissing one another 2. SAM 20. IOAB kissing AMASA slewe him IVDAS with a kisse betrayed the sonne of God This is too too common at this day that men whome they kisse that is whome they flatter before their face they do secretly backbite It is to be supposed that this ORPAH kissed her mother in law of a sincere mind not as that sonne of whom it is in the fable who faining that hee would kisse his mother when he was led to execution with his mouth bit off her eare It is said that shee returned to her owne If that shee had as it is very probable some taste of true religion shee is a figure of them whome the Lorde in the Gospell calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche for a time professe the true faith but do afterwardes fall backe againe eyther for hope of prosperity or being discouraged for feare of troubles It is not sufficient to lay some foundations of true religion but it must be builded vp vntill that spirituall building be perfected It is not inough to runne except we obtayne to the goale Who so perseuereth to the end saith the Lord he shalbe saued and not he that began well and goeth but a little forward LOTS wife is to vs an example who when she looked backe againe was turned into a piller of Salt If this ORPAH had come into Iudea it doth not seem that she would haue perseuered But whether she perished in her errors or was afterwardes conuerted or repented without the losse of the trueth we know not neither should there concerning this or of others such like be anie questions mooued which tend not to edification RVTH tarried with her mother in law and could not be drawn from her by any perswations there is a like example IOH. 6. of Christes apostles when many fell away from him he asked them whether they would also go away Therfore SIMON PETER aunswered to whome shall we go Lord Thou hast the word of eternal life and we beleeue and know that thou art the Christ the sonne of the lyuing God We must pray to God that he wil suffer vs neither by flattering perswations nor threatnings and terrors to
permitted GOD doth giue vs wine bread flesh fish and other thinges which wee are to vse for meate and drinke PSAL. 104. God doth make the wine to encrease which doth make glad the heart of man and especially if they who labour hard doe reioice at their meate and drinke they are not to be enuied IERE 31. God doth promise his people that they which should returne into their countrye shoulde abound with those thinges whiche pertayne to honest pleasures Yet wee must beware least wee abounding with these giftes of God should forget him but we must giue diligence to vse his gifts well That BOAZ lay all night in the floore and slept by the heape of corne he did so eyther that hee might betimes in the morning returne to his labour or that he might watch the corne least theeues should carry it away It seemeth that the floers or the barnes were in the fieldes and not so fully fensed but that euerie bodie might come in VARRO lib. 1. cap. 51. wryteth that the flooer ought to bee in the fielde in a higher place so that the wind might blow thorow and especially round and in the middle a litle a slope that if it doe rayn the water may not stay c. He doth teache housholders by hys example to haue a care to keepe theyr thinges and to be present with theyr labouring people for oftentimes through theyr owne negligence that is stolne froÌ„ them which they haue gotteÌ„ with great labour In the deepe of the night BOAZ tourned himselfe from one side to another or bowed himself laphath signifieth to bow to apprehend to lye shrunk vp together some expound it to turn from one side to an other When he did turn himselfe and thrust his feet to the foot of the bed hee vnderstoode that something laye there and being afrayd hee boweth himselfe and by feeling to witt by the apparel hee found it to bee a woman therefore hee asked who shee was It was no maruell that hee was afrayd hee might haue suspected some euil spirit which had taken on it a body had lain at his feet AlexaÌ„der of Alexandria in the 2. booke chap. 9. writeth of a certaine spirit that as it seemed puttyng away the bedd clothes lay downe in a bedd where a good man lay and drawing neere as if it would haue embraced him and the other when he was nowe almost dead for feare shranke to the side of the bedd and when it came neerer he droue it away c. Also looke in the 19. chap book 4. I could also bring you many other examples of this kinde And it is not to be doubted but that BOAZ being amased with a sodayn feare commended himselfe vnto the Lorde for godly men were woont to do so in those soddaine terrours when wicked shapes and illusions of shaddowes appeared to them The olde fathers as it is read oft times in theyr writinges doe crosse themselues and so they driue awaye deuils Lactantius writeth of the vertue of the crosse in the 4. booke 27. â—â—ap but we must not think that this ceâ—â—monie of the crosse doth driue away â—â—â—ils of it self but because they beleeâ—â—â— that they were freed by the crosse and benefite of Christ from the power of the deuils RVTH aunswered modestly that shee was his handmaid and desired him that hee woulde couer her with the skirt of hys garment or throwe his winge ouer her Chanaph signifieth a wing or a skirt of a garment also an end and a corner Lira noteth that the man contracting marriage in those dayes layd his winge or the nethermost skirte of his garment on the woman So the meaning is betroth me to thee and marry me according to the lawe of a kinseman or that whiche is better hide me vnder thy wings take me into thy tuition and defend me A metaphor borrowed from birdes who doe couer and defend theyr young ones with theyr winges But in this similitude is by the way set foorth the duetie of husbandes towardes their wiues namely that they shield and defend them feede and proâ—â—uide necessary thinges for them Good Lord howe manie husbandes are there which doe neuer thinke of these things She doth shew the cause wherefore hee ought to take her into his defence because thou art the kinsman Least hee should thinke that she was a bold and vnshamefast woman to come into a mans bed in the night vnknowne shee called to hys minde the law of God of marrying the widowe of the brother or coâ—in departed Let not women abuse this place in the defence of their filthinesse neyther let them come night nor day to any mans bed if he be not married to them especialy if he be wel drunken or otherwise cast themselues rashely into danger for the condition of those times was farre otherwise then at this day it is The. 18. Sermon 10 Then sayd hee Blessed be thou of the Lorde my daughter thou hast shewed more goodnesse in the latter end then in the beginning in asmuch as thou followest not yong men were they poore or riche 11 And now my daughter feare not I will doe to thee all thou requirest for all the Citie of my people doth know that thou art a vertuous woman 12 And now it is true that I am they kinseman howbeit there is a kinseman neerer then I. 13 Tarry to night and when morning is come if hee will do the duetie of a kinseman vnto thee well let him do the kinsemans duty but if heâ— will not do the kinsemans part then will I doe the dutie of a kinseman as the Lord liueth sleepe vntill the morning THE notable woman RVTH asked of BOHAZ here first husbands kinsman that he shuld marry her as it is immediately before Now heÌ„ceforward doth follow what BOAZ aunswered to her Blessed saith he thou art or shalbe of God or froÌ„ god my daughter The septuagintes do translate it eulogemene suto curio theo BOAZ calleth her his daughter who called her selfe his handmayd and he prayeth to god the only giuer of al good things to blesse her both in bodie and soule Or he saith this that she had receiued great giftes of God and was acceptable vnto him That kinde of salutation is other where extant 1. SAM 15. SAVLE meeting SAMVEL saluting him sayed Blessed be thou of the Lord. In the new testament LVK. 1. chapter The Aungell GABRIEL saluting the holy virgen sayd eulogement suen gunaixi that is blessed bee thou amongest women that is thou art in fauour with God it is a great thing to be in fauor with a prince much more with God Thou art that happie and blessed woman whiche God chose out of all womenkinde that the messias might be borne of thee for vnder the name of blessing the Hebrues do vnderstand all kinde of happinesse Hee sayth that her last pietie was greater then the first The first pietie or bountifulnesse was that shee did reuerence her husbande when he was aliue and that shee loued
amongst the Latines from a yoke for that maried folkes are as if it were bound vnder one yoke But though thou doest vnderstand these wordes of PAVLE generally that we must not keepe companie with vnbeleeuers yet hereof it may be inferred that muche rather wee must not marrie with them 1. COR. 7. chap. when the Apostle saith that the faithfull must not forsake the vnfaithfull wife hee doth speake of marriage contracted and not to be contracted Therefore wee must take heede least we marry with the wicked for wealth for power or for other temporall profites Yet at least some regard ought to be had of these Children which comming of vnequall matrimony are commonly badly brought vp In GEN. 6. chap. the sonnes of the holy Fathers did marry wiues of the daughters of CAIN because they were bewtifull and of them they had Giantes that is despisers and contemners of religion Superstitious mothers do corrupt their children with false opinions which they do hold obstinately and that they may doe very easily sith they are dayly conuersant with them and they doe refuse no labor that they may do these things IVDG 3. chap. there is an other example of the Israelites which did marry Idolaters And there may manie newe examples be brought of them who this way haue cast both themselues and theyr children into great daunger of wealth estimation and the soule Therefore let the parentes being mindefull of these daungers beware least they giue theyr sonnes to wicked women much lesse to giue their daughters to wicked husbandes in which there is greatest daunger let not children choose them suche wiues thier parents being against them Although many say that they can turne their wiues to the truth yet they know that they are not wiser then SALOMON who did hope without doubt that he could do the same but by the flatteries of women he forsooke God and so forward Of that that it is sayd that ELIMELECH died and both his sonnes wee must call to mind that all men must die HEB. 9. this is called the way of all flesh in the scriptures in which they may not linger at their pleasure As many as were before vs are dead In the booke of GENESIS the 5. chap. wherein those fathers which liued long are numbred who florished before the floud of euery of them it is said they re dead All other daungers may be auoyded by some meanes but the daunger of death cannot be shunned For he must die whom order doth require whether he will or no if that another woulde dye in his place that would not be graūted Euerie body doth depart sooner for the moste part then they thinke them selues Not onely old men but also young men doe sometime dye sodenly Who woulde thinke that NAOMI should haue out liued her sonnes wee knowe not when where or how we shall dye These thinges ought to stirre vs vp the fatall hower being at hand for who will not willingly die hauing so many companions in this iourney who is so bold to aske of God that he might liue alone If thy friendes dye thou shouldest thinke that they goe before thee that thou shalt followe by and by For there are farre better comfortes in the scriptures but these are not to be despised If thou art troubled with diuers greeuous afflictiōs thou shouldest think that thou shalt dye and that shortly do not therefore lay thy hand vppon thy self but wait for it patiently Next when we heare that we must looke for death let vs furnish our selues with necessarie thinges as men doe when they are going a iourney wee must beware of wickednes we must followe after godlines and innocencie of life They are to be reprooued whiche are troubled when they heare any mention of death For who will hope to haue helpe in war of him who doth feare a sheathed sword in peace daunger is not ouercome by despising And sith NAOMI being compassed with many euils did not despaire wee also being cast of God into greeuous troubles and miseries let vs not dispaire or accuse him A woman for this onely canse or name that shee is a widdow is miserable For the husband in the scripture is called the head of his wife for the body without the head is not a man but a stocke Widowes are often times despised of theyr friends this euill is somewhat mitigated if their husbandes do leaue behinde them sonnes to bee a comfort and helpe to their mother ae widdow But the death of her sonnes followed the death of her husband ELIMELECH so that shee seemed wholy to be destitute of mans ayde To these was added pouerty for the goods that she had were spent by little and little in iourneis and other causes which are not knowne to vs. For what is more despised than a poore widow Adde to these that she was now olde and such cannot well nourishe themselues because they are froward and subiect to many diseases And old age is a disease by it self Olde women as the common people say are vnworthy of life and they are mocked with many reproches To this heape of troubles is added that they were straungers amongest the Moabites a nation noysome cruell to Israelites and superstitious If her husband and children had died in theyr countrey she had her kinsmen and men of affinitie to comfort her if she had bene a straunger amongest people of of her own nation it would haue bene greeuous how muche more amongest these But if as some thinke she went into the land of Moab against the word of God she felt then the bites and stinges of conscience she remembred that those troubles befel to her for her own sinne yet for all these heapes of troubles NAOMI did not dispaire for shee knewe that this is the lotte of the sainctes in this world that they are exercised with many and great afflictions We must thinke in great afflictions that they are not sent vs by chaunce but of God a moste mercifull father to ou◠profite and also that hee will mittigate those troubles and take them away by and by if it be for our profite we must thinke what wee haue deserued by our sinnes for God is wont to cast his own children oftentimes into great troubles that hee may make them reioyce the more afterwardes Furthermore others haue also their burthens Let vs not say that neuerman was so oppressed with so many troubles for as PAVLE sayth wee haue not withstoode as yet to bloud God doth tame vs with great troubles that wee may seeke for eternall life in which we shall be freed from all trobles There are also other endes of troubles which God doth send Sathan doth endeuoure to perswade vs in troubles that God doth hate vs and therefore that it is needefull that wee prouide for our selues but we must patiently looke for helpe from God who also in his good time did mercifully at the length deliuer out of great troubles The 4. Sermon 6 Then
word Mikraeh signyfieth the successe the issue or chance 1. SAM 6. verse 9. of the ark it is sayd if it go to Bethshemesh it is he that did vs al this euill but if not we shall know then that it is not his hand which touched vs but it was a chaunce that happened vs c. If thou doest consider RVTHES will it was by chaunce that she went into that fielde if the purpose of God he led her as it were by the hand those thinges which seem to vs to be done by chauÌ„ce are not done without the prouideÌ„ce of God We may haue an example out of the law where this matter is prooued EXOD. 21. and DEVT. 19. If two men fel trees and the axe slide out of the hand of one of them and kill his neighbour he did this vnwillingly and therefore he was allowed a sanctuary but as concerning God hee deliuered him ouer for certayn causes HIEROM on the 12. chapter of IEREMI saith that nothing falleth out either good or euill by chaunce but by Gods prouidence and iudgement as it is said in the Prouerbs of SALOMON Lots are gouerned of God If a sparrow caÌ„not fall to the ground without Gods wil what can come by fortune in mans affairs which doth not fall out by Gods determinate councell we see how God doth direct and blesse those men which take honest laboures in hand of which we will speake more afterwardes but shee was well accepted of BOHAZ and his familie The 10. Sermon 4 And behold Boaz came from Bethlehem and said vnto the reapers The Lorde be with you and they aunswered him the Lord blesse thee 5 Then said Boaz vnto his seruant that was appointed ouer the reapers whose mayd is this 6 And the seruaunt that was appointed ouer the the reapers answered and sayd it is the Moabitishe mayde that came with Naomi out of the countrey of Moab 7 And she said vnto vs I pray you let me glâ—ane and gather after the reapers among the Sheues so shee came and hath continued from that time in the morning vntill now saue shee taried a little in the house WE haue declared before that RVTH hauing first gotten leaue of her mother in lawe to gather eares after the reapers came by fortune or that I may speake more truely by the prouidence of God into the field of BOAZ her kinsman but what befell to her there the holy Ghost doth diligently set downe in these wordes following In the first place here is shewed howe BOAZ comming from Bethlehem into the field saluted his reapers who aunswered the Lord blesse thee The worde blessing is vsed in diuers places of the holy scriptures and hath diuers significations Sometime it signifieth to prayse giue thankes as when DAVID saith to Abigall in the 1. Booke of SAMVELL the 25. chap. praysed be the Lorde God of Israell which sent thee to meet me this day Sometime it signifieth to pray for good thinges as in the 48. chap. of GENE IACOB the Patriarcke blessed his sonnes that is he did wish wel vnto them GEN. the 37. chap. IACOB both at his comming to the king and at his going away blessed him that is he saluted him bid him farewell he gaue him thanks and wished him well When it is attributed to God it signifieth to doe well for God by his worde doth worke It is sayd in the 10. chap. of the Prouerbes The blessing of god doth make meÌ„ rich that is God doth increase and preserue riches What the simple vse of this word is we must consider by reading the holy scriptures as wheÌ„ they say in this place The Lord blesse thee The meaning is the Lord giue thee a fruitfull haruest and all good thinges as well for the body as for the soule We haue an example in this place of salutation The maner of salutation is not onely olde but moste profitable to reconcile and confirme loue which our sauiour doth diligently commend to all godly men The Aungell saluted GEDION as hee was threshing corne with these wordes The Lorde be with thee thou strong man IVDGES 6. chap. It is reckoned vp amongst the duetie of the Priestes to blesse the children of Israeâ—l There is a solemne blessing set downe in the 6. chap. of numbers Some Anabaptistes will not haue men saluted citing that which Christ in the 10. chap. of LVKE sayd to his seuenty disciples salute no man by the way but he doth meane nothing els then vnder the colour of salutation to suffer themselues to be called from their calling or if thou wilt vnderstand it according to the letter it was a personall and speciall commaundement and not a generall The Aungell saluting the blessed virgin vsed this same forme which BOAZ doth in this place Also Christ saluted his Disciples saying peace be with you The Apostle PAVLE doth begin and ende hys epistles with salutations Hee putteth downe their names whom he saluteth also the names of them which do salute others It is incredible to be spokeÌ„ how much that will auaile to the getting of good will but we must take heede least we doe it with an hypocrites minde It is a poynt both of curtesie and of humanitie to salute others and to pray for them If great and mightie men doe salute poore men they are marueilously affected seeing that they are not despised of them Neither was it to be doubted but that this salutation of BOAZ was moste acceptable to the reapers There are some who doe of enuie and hatred disdaine to salute others who shouide remember that commaundement of Christ that wee must pray for and wish well to our enemies How oft commeth it to passe that many who wil not willingly salute one an other after they haue ben absent asunder would desire nothing more then to liue togither and to vse all dueties of humanitie to eche other Here is an houshold example propounded vnto vs of a good housholder he goeth to his reapers he looketh what is done in the field for the presence of the maister helpeth much in any worke PLINIE in his 8. booke 6. chap. the elders haue said that the eye of the maister is moste fruitfull for the ground ARISTOTELL in his 1. book of gouerning a house doth write of a certaine man who being demaunded what dung was the best aunswered the steppes of the maister Although a man hath good and trustie seruauntes and bayliffes yet the mayster being absent they do all things the more negligently and carelesly TITVS LIVIVS sayth elegaÌ„tly those things doe not prosper which are ouerseene by straungers Read the prouerbes of ERASMVS concerning this matter the forhead is better than the hinder part negligent housholders doe spoyle both themselues and their seruauntes These sayinges may be applied to greater estates as to kings and Bishops that they doe not al things by other mens hands eyes and eares while they doe cocker themselues with pleasures BOAZ asked his seruaunt which hee had set