Two Sermons, Commentary · Chapter 1 · Verse 11
Vers. 18.
And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to goe with her, sh… left off speaking unto her.
ORpah and Ruth may be compared to two strong Forts, Naomi to one that b…sieged them, who made three…sore As…ts upon them: The first, in the eighth Verse; which Assault both of them resisted with equall constancie: The second, in the eleventh Verse; to which Orpah basely yeeldeth, and accepteth termes of Composition: The last, in the fifteenth Verse; which Ruth most valiantly defeated, and stood upon termes of Defiance to the mention of any returne. Now as …ouldiers when they have long besieged a Citie with the losse of Time, Money, and Men, being hopelesse to take it, they even sound a Retreat, and retire home, without accomplishing their d…sire: so Naomi perceiving that all her arguments which she used to conquer Ruth, like Water in the Smiths …orge cast on Coales, did more intend the heat of her constancie, gives over in my Text, And when she saw &c.
Which words doe probably perswade what formerly we affirmed, namely, that Naomi disswaded her daughter, onelyonly to search and sound her sinceritie, not with any true desire she should goe back to Moab. For even as it is plaine, that the Replyer in his Disputation aimeth not at the suppressing, but at the advancing of a Truth, who surceaseth and cavills no longer, when he sees the neck of his argument broken with a sufficient answer; so it appeareth that Naomi, what she had said formerly, spake it onelyonly to trie her daughter, because having now had sufficient experience of her constancie, she so willingly desisted. God wrestled with Iacob, with a desire to be conquer'd; so Naomi no doubt opposed Ruth, hoping and wishing that she her selfe might be …o…led.
And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded.
The Hebrew reades it, that she strengthned her selfe; that being their phrase to expresse an Oath.
Observa…ion.
Where we observe, Oaths taken upon just occasion, are excellent Ti…s and Bands to strengthen men in the performance of those things to which they sweare. The greater pittie it is then, that a thing in it selfe so soveraigne, should be so dayly and dangerously abused. Witnesse Herod, who by reason of a rash Oath, cast himselfe into a worse Prison then that wherein he had put the Baptist, m…king that (which being well used might have confirmed in Pietie) to be a meanes to inforce him to Murther.
Vse.
Let this …each us, when we finde our selves to lagge and …aulter in Christianitie, to call to minde that… solemne Vow, Promise, and Profession, which our God-fathers in our Name made for us at our Baptisme, To forsake the Devill and all his workes, the vaine pompes and vanities of this wicked world, and to fight valiantly under Christs Standard. Let us remember from whence we are fallen, and doe our first worke. We need not make a new Vow, but only renew the old, and so settle and establish our selves in the practice of Pietie, as Ruth in my Text by an Oath strengthned her selfe.
She left off speaking unto her.
She saw she had now enough expressed and declared her integritie, and therefore she would not put her to the trouble of any farther tryall.
Observation.
Hence the Doctrine is this: After proofe and tryall made of their fidelitie, we are to trust our Brethren, without any farther suspition. Not to trie before we trust, is want of wisdome; not to trust after we have tryed, is want of charitie. The Goldsmith must purifie the drosse and oare from the Gold, but he must be warie lest he makes waste of good Metall, if overcurious in too often refining. We may search and sound the sinceritie of our Brethren, but after good experience made of their uprightnesse, we must take heed lest by continuall sifting and proving them, we offend a weak Christian. Christ tryed the woman of Syrophaenicia first with silence, then with two sharpe answers; at last finding her to be sound, he dismissed her with granting her request, and commending of her faith. When he had said to Peter the third time, Lovest thou me? he rested satisfied with Peters answer, and troubled him with no more questions.
Vse.
It may confute the jealous and suspitious mindes of such who still thinke that their Brethren are rotten at the heart, hypocritical, dissemblers, though they have made never so manifest proofe of their uprightnesse. Thomas would not take his Masters Resurrection on the Credit of his fellow-Apostles relation; his faith would not follow, except his owne sense was the Usher to lead it the way: so these men are altogether incredulous, and very Infidels in the point of their Brethrens sinceritie, though it be never so surely warranted unto them on the words of those whom they ought to beleeve. Hence oftentimes it comes to passe, that they scandalize and offend many weake Christians, whose Graces are true, though weake; Faith unfained, though feeble: Yea, it maketh weake Saints to be jealous of themselves, to see others so jealous of them. But we must be wonderfull carefull how we give offence to any of Gods little ones. When Esau, Gen. 33. 13. would have perswaded Iacob to drive on faster, Iacob excused himselfe, saying, That the Children were tender, and the Ewes big with young, and if they should be overdriven one day, they would die. Thus if any would perswade us to sift and winnow, and trie the integritie of our Brethren, after long experience of them, we may answer, This is dangerous to be done, because smoaking Flax and bruised Reeds, tender Professors, may utterly be discouraged and dis-heartened by our restlesse pressing and disquieting of them. Wherefore Naomi having now seene the Realitie of Ruths Resolutions, left off from any further molesting of her.