Two Sermons, Commentary · Chapter 1 · Verse 5
Vers. 7, 8.
And she went out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her, and they went on the way, to returne into the Land of Judah.
And Naomi said to her daughters in law, Goe, returne each of you to her mother.
THese words containe the continuation of Naomies returne; wherein we may observe,
Fi…st, the companie that went with her, her two daughters in law.
Secondly, the discourse she had with this companie, consisting of a Precept in the Text, Goe, returne each of you to her mother: and of a prayer, in the words following.
Now, whereas her daughters in law did not take their farewell of Naomi at the threshold of their house, but went part of the way with her, we gather,
Observation.
That all offices of kindnesses and courtesies ought to be betwixt the mother in law and the daughter in law, I meane her sonnes Wife. And yet looke into the world, and ye shall commonly finde enmitie betwixt them, as saith Terence in Hessera; Neque declinatam mulierem reperias ab aliarum ingenio; ità adeò uno omn…s animo socrus oderunt nurus: And their fallings out chiefely proceed from these two causes:
First, they contend which should have the greatest right & interest in the Man, who is Sonne to the one, Husband to the other. Iudah and Israel contested (2 Sam. 19. 43.) which should have most part in King David; the former claiming it, because he was bone of their bone; the latter pleaded they had eleven parts in him, to Iudahs single share. Thus mother in lawes and daughter in lawes use to fall out; the mother, because her sonne is flesh of her flesh, and bone of her bone, pleades it is right, that he should side and second with her; the daughter in law, because he is her Husband, and therefore one flesh challengeth that he should rather take her part: so betwixt them they fill the Family with all discord.
Secondly, they fall out about the managing of the matters in the Household, after whose mind they should be ordered: but as S. Iames said in another case, Beloved, these things ought not to be so; both these brawles may be easily ended. The first may be taken up by the wisdome and discretion of the sonne in law, who ought so indifferently to poyse his affections betwixt them both, with such dutifulnesse and respect to the one, such love and kindnesse to the other, that neither may have just cause to complaine. And the second controversie may thus be decided: If the mother hath the state still in her hands, good reason it is she should rule the Affaires, and that the daughter in law should wait till her mother in lawes naturall death hath paved the succession to the governing of the Family: but if the old woman hath resigned her estate, and confined her selfe to an yearely pension, then ought she not to intermeddle with those matters, from which she had willingly sequestred her selfe. Were this observed, there would not so many daughters in law rejoyce, when the day of mourning for their mother in law is come; some whereof say as the wicked said of David, O, when will she die, and her name perish?
Now to come to the discourse she had with them:
Goe, returne &c.
Where ariseth a question, Whether Naomi did well, in perswadiug her daughters to goe back unto Moab? For the satisfaction whereof, I will set downe, first, what may be said against; secondly, what may be brought for her defence.
Accusation.
Why Naomi, Why didst thou quench the zeale of thy daughters, which proffered themselves so willingly to goe with thee? Oh, rayne them not backward with disswasions, but rather spurre them forward with exhortations; and strive to bring them out of an Idolatrous Land, to a place where Gods Worship is purely profest: Say unto them, Hearken O daughters, and consider, encline your ears, forget also your Country, and your own Mothers house; so shall the Lord your God have pleasure in you: true it is▪ ye have a Mother in Moab, but what of that; care not for your Mother, but care for your Maker: care not for her that Conceived you, but care for him that Created you: tarry not with them, no not so much as to expresse your last love in performing their Funeralls; rather let the dead bury their dead: those that are dead spiritually, let them bury such as die naturally, and come go ye along with me to the Land of Canaan: Thus Naomi oughtest thou to have said, and then hadst performed the part, done the duty of a Mother; if whilst thou hadst travelled with them on the way, thou hadst travelled with them till God had been formed in them; then shouldst thou shine as a double Sunne in heaven for saving of two souls, whereas now thou art in a manner accessary to their ghostly murther in sending them back to an idolatrous Country.
Defence.
To this accusation Naomi might justly answer; It is my hearts desire and prayer go God, that I may be an instrument of my Daughters in laws conversion; but the wisdome of the Serpent, as well as the innocency of the Dove is to be used in all our actions, least we draw needlesse danger upon our selves. True it is, my Daughters in law proffer to go with me, but here is the question; whether this is done out of courtesie and complement, or out of singlenesse and sinceritye. Now should they through my perswasions, go into the Land of Canaan, and there live in want and penury, they will be ready to raile on me another day. We may thank Naomi for all this, we had plentifull provisions in our own Country, but she must have us hither; she by her restlesse importunitie must wring a constrained consent from us to come into Canaan; all these miseries are befallen upon us through her default. Yea, I am affraid, that finding want, that they again will return into their own Country to my shame, the scandall of our Religion, and the deeper punishment of their own souls. Wherfore without their minds would I do nothing, that their going might not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. To which end I will put them to the touchstone, to see whether their forwardnesse be faithfull or faigned, sound or seeming, cordiall or counterfeit; I will weigh them both in the ballance, hoping that neither shall be found too light.
Upon these Grounds learned men have acquitted Naomi from any fault in managing this matter, she doing it onelyonly with an intent to trie them.
Whence we may observe, That Pagans that proffer themselves to become Converts, are not without proof presently to be received into the Church.
And here we may take occasion to digresse a little, to shew how Christians ought to behave themselves in the converting of Infidels.
First, They must strive in their mutuall conversing with them, to season them with a good opinion of their honesty and upright dealing, otherwise their Doctrine duplicate page duplicate page will never be embraced, whose manners are justly mislik't.
Secondly, Having possessed them with th…s good esteem, they ought as occasion is offered, to instruct them in the Rudiments of Christian Religion; and to begin with such as are plain and evident by the light of nature, and so in due time to proceed to matters of greater difficulty.
Lastly, They are to pray to God to give his increase to their planting and watering: for, as Athanasius saith, …t is a divine work to perswade mens souls to believe.
But as for the using of tortures and of torments thereby to force them, we have no such custome, nor as yet the Churches of God: for though none come to Christ but such as his Father draws by the violence of his effectuall grace; yet ought not men to drive or drag any to the pro…ession of the Faith: yet notwithstanding, if after long patience and forbearing with them, and long instructing them in the points of Religion; if still these Pagans continue refractary and obstinate, then surely the civill Magistrate who hath the lawfull dominion over them, may severely, though not cruelly, with Iosiah, compell them to come to Church, and to perform the outward formalities of Gods worship.
Go then ye bloody Jesuites, boast of those many millions of Americanes whom you have converted, who were not converted by the sword of the mouth, gained by hearing the Gospell, but compelled by the mouth of the sword, forced by feeling your cruelty, witnesse those 70000 which without any catechising in the points of Religion, were at once driven to the Font like so many Horses to a watring Trough. Indeed I find my Saviour, Iohn …. driving the Merchants out of the Temple with a whip of cords, but never before did … of any which against their wills drave or instructed Pagans to the …ont to be baptized.
Each to her Mothers house.
Here we see Widows if poor, are to be maintained by their Parents if they be able. These widows, 1 Tim. 5. 16. were not to be burthensome to the Church, but …o be relieved by their own Countrie, let Parents therefore take heed how they bestow their Daughters in Marriage: for if they match them to Unthrifts and Prodigals, will it not be bitternesse in the end? the burthen will fall heavie on their backs, when their poor Daughters with their Children must be sent again to their Fathers to maintain them.
House.
Widows are to contain themselves within the house, not like the Harlot, Prov. 7. 12. alwaies in the streets; but like meek Sarah in the Tent: whereby they shal sooner gain the love and esteem of others; for let base and beggerly fellows buy that rascal ware which is hung out at the doors and windows of Shops and Stalls, whilest men of qualitie and fashion will go into the Shop to cheapen the worth of those merchandise as are therein kept secret and conceal'd. And so surely all discreet and grave men will have the highest esteem, and bear the best affection to such Women which do not gad abroad to be seen, but with Ruth and Orpah being Widows, keep themselves in their Mothers house.