Two Sermons, Commentary · Chapter 1 · Verse 9
Vers. 15.
And Naomi said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, aud unto her gods; returne thou after thy sister in law.
IN these words, Naomi seekes to perswade Ruth to returne; alledging the example of Orpah, whom she saith was gone ba…k to her people and to her gods.
Observation.
Where first we finde, that all the Heathen, and the Moabites amongst the rest, did not acknowledge one true God, but were the worshippers of many gods; for they made every Attribute of God to be a dis…inct D…itie. Thus in stead of that At…ib…te, the Wi…dome of God, they fained Apollo the god of Wisdome; in stead of the Power of God, they made Mars the god of Power; in stead of that admirable Beautie of God, they had Venus the goddesse of Beautie. …ut no one …ttribute was so much abused as Gods Providence: For the Heathen supposing that the whole World, and all the Creatures therein, was too great a Diocesse to be dayly visited by one and the same Deitie; they therefore assigned sundry gods to severall creatures. Thus Gods Providence, in ruling the raging of the Seas, was counted Neptune; in stilling the roaring Winds, AEolus; in commanding the Powers of Hell, Pluto: yea, Sheepe had their Pan, and Gardens their Pomona: the Heathens then being as fruitfull in faining of gods, as the Papists since in making of Saints.
Doctrine.
Now, because Naomi used the example of Orpah as a Motive, to worke upon Ruth to returne, we gather from thence; Examples of others set before our eyes, are very potent and prevalent arguments to make us follow and imitate them: Whether they be good examples; so the forwardnesse of the Corinthians to relieve the Iews, provoked many: or whether they be bad; so the dissembling of Peter at Anti…ch … Barnaba…, and others, into the same fault. But those examples, of all others, are most forcible with us, which are set by such who are neere to us by kindred, or gracious with us in friendship, of great over us in power.
Vse 1.
Let men in eminent places, as Magistrates, Ministers, Fathers, Masters, and the like, (seeing that others love to dance after their Pipe, to sing after their Tune, to tread after their Tract) endeavour to propound themselves patternes of Pietie and Religion to those that be under them.
Vse 2.
When we see any good example propounded unto us, let us strive with all possible speed to imitate it. What a deale of stirre is there in the World for Civill Precedencie, and Prioritie? Every one desires to march in the Fore-front, and thinkes it a shame to come lagging in the Rere-ward. Oh, that there were such an holy Ambition and heavenly Emulation in our hearts, that as Peter and Iohn ran a Race, which should come first to the Grave of our Saviour; so men would contend, who should first attaine to true Mortification. And when we see a good example set before us, let us imitate it, though it be in one who in outward respects is farre our inferiour. Shall not the Master be ashamed to see that his Man, whose place on Earth is to come behinde him, in Pietie towards Heaven to goe before him? Shall not the Husband blush to see his Wife, which is the weaker Vessel in Nature, to be the stronger Vessel in Grace? Shall not the elder Brother dye his cheekes with the Colour of Vertue, to see his younger Brother, who was last borne, first re-borne by Faith and the Holy-Ghost? Yet let him not therefore envie his Brother, as …ain did Abel; let him not be angry with his Brother, because he is better then himselfe; but let him be angry with himselfe, because he is worse then his Brother; let him turne all his malice into imitation; all his fretting at him, into following of him: Say unto him as Gehazi did of Naaman, As the Lord liveth I will run after him: And though thou ca…st not over-run him, nor as yet over-take him, yet give not over to run with him; follow him, though not as Az…hel did Ab…er, hard at the heeles; yet as Peter did our Saviour, afarre off: that though the more slowly, yet as surely thou mayest come to Heaven: and though thou wert short of him whilest he lived, in the Race, yet thou shalt be even with him when thou art dead, at the Marke.
Vse 3.
When any bad Example is presented unto us, let us decline and detest it, though the men be never so many, or so dear unto us. Imitate Michaiah, 1 Kings 22. to whom when the messengers sent to fetch him, said, Behold now the words of the Prophets declare good to the King with one mouth: let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like to one of them; Michaiah answered, As the Lord liveth, whatsoever the Lord saith unto me, that will I speake. If they be never so deare unto us, we must not follow their …ad practice. So must the sonne please him that begat him, that he doe not displease him that crea…ed him; so must the Wi…e follow him that married her, that she doth not offend him that made her. Wherefore as Samson, though bound with new Co…ds, …apt them asunder as Towe when it feeleth the fire; so rather then we should be led by the lewd examples of those which be neere and deare unto us, let us breake in pieces all Tyes, Engagements, Relations whatsoever.
Question.
Yea but one may say, What if I finde in the Scripture an action recorded, whose doer is knowne to have beene a godly and gracious man; may I not, without any further doubt, or scruple, follow the same?
Answer.
For the better satisfying hereof, I will ranke the actions of godly men, registred in the Scriptures, into nine severall rankes, and will shew how farre forth we may safely proceed in the imitation of them.
1. We fide some actions set downe which are extraordinary, the doers whereof had peculiar strength and dispensation from God to doe them. Thus Samson slew himselfe and the Philistims in the Temple of Dagon; Elias caused fire to descend on the two Captaines, and their …ifties; Elisha cursed the Children of Be…hel. Now these are recorded rather for our instruction, then imitation: For when the sonnes of Thunder would have been the sonnes of Lightning, and have had sire from Heaven to burne the Samaritans, which refused to receive our Saviour, after the example of Elias Christ checked their ill-tempered Zeale, and told them, You know not of what spirit you are of.
2. Some examples are set down which are founded in the Ceremonial Law, as the eating of the Paschall Lamb, the Circumcising of their Children the eight daie: Now the date of these did expire at the death of Christ; the substance being come, the shadows are fled, and therefore they may in no wise still be observed.
3. Such examples as are founded in the Judicial Law, which was onelyonly calculated …or the elevation of the Jewish Commonwealth, as to put Men to death for Adulterie. Now these examples tie us no farther to imitate them, then they agree with the Moral Law, or with those Statutes by which every particular Countrie is Governed.
4. Some there be founded in no Law at all, …ut onelyonly in an ancient custome by God tolerated and connived at, as Polygamie in the Patriarks, Divorces in the Iewes upon every …light occasion; from these also we must in these daies abstaine, as which were never liked or allowed by God, though permitted in some Persons, and Ages, for some speciall reasons.
5. Doubtful examples which may so be termed, because it is difficult to decide whether the Actors of them therein did offend or no; so that should a Jurie of learned Writers be empannelled to passe their verdict upon them, they would be puzled whether to condemn or acquit them, and at length be forced to find it an Ig…oramus, as whether David did well to dissemble himselfe frantick, thereby to escape the crueltie of Achish King of Gath. Now our most advised way herein, is altogether to abstain from the imitation of them, because there is a deal of difficultie and danger▪ and our judgements may easilie be deceived.
6. Mixt examples, which containe in them a double action, the one good, the other bad, both so closely couched together, that it is a very hard thing to sever them: thus in the unjust Steward, there was his wisdome to provide for himselfe, and his wick…dnesse to purloyne from his Master: the first God did commend, we may imitate; the latter he could not but loath, we may not but shun. In the Israelitish Midwives, Exod. 1. there was fides mentis & fallacia mentientis: the faith of their love, and the falsenesse of their lying: the first God rewarded, and we may follow; the latter he could not but dislike, and we must detest. Behold here is wisdome, and let the Man that hath understanding discreetly divide betwixt the Drosse and the Gold, the Chaffe and the Wheat in these mixt examples, that so they may practice the one, eschew and avoid the other.
7. Those which be absolutely bad, that no charitable Comment can be fastened upon them, as the drunkenness of Noah, the incest of Lot, the lying of Abraham, the swearing of Ioseph, the adulterie of David, the denial of Peter: Now God forbid we should imitate these; farre be it from us with King Ahaz, to take a pattern from the Idolatrous Altar of Damascus: the Holy Spirit hath not set these sinnes down with an intent they should be followed; but first to shew the frailtie of his dearest Saints, when he leaves them to themselves; as also to comfort us when we fall into grievous sinnes, when we see that as haynous offences of Gods servants stand upon record in the Scripture.
8. Actions which are only good as they are qualified with such a circumstance, as Davids eating of the Shew…bread, provided for the Pries…s, in a case of absolute necessitie. These we may follow, but then we must have a speciall eye and care that the same qualifying circumstance be in us, for otherwise the deed will be impious and damnable.
9. Examples absolutely good, as the faithfulnesse of Abr…ham, the peaceablenesse of Isaac, the painfulnesse of Iacob, the chastitie of Ioseph, the patience of Moses, the valour of Ioshuah, the sinceritie of D…vid, these it is lawful and laudable with our best endeavours to imitate: follow not the Adulterie of David, but follow the chastitie of Ioseph; follow not the dissembling of Peter, but follow the sincerity of Nathaniel; follow not the testiness of Ionah, but follow the meeknesse Moses; follow not the apostasie of Orpah, but follow the perseverance of Ruth, which cmes in the next Text to be Treated of.