Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 1 · Verse 17
Verſe 17. Where thou dieſt, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord doe ſo to me and more alſo, if ought but death part thee and mee.
RVTH continueth her ſpeech to Naomi, touching her reſolution, which ſhee had begunne to ſhew in the former verſe; and in this confirmeth it with an oath, ſo that Naomi neede not to doubt of her conſtancie.
Where thou dieſt.] Ruth ſpeaketh of her mothers death, and alſo of her owne. It is a principle in nature, to know and to be perſwaded that all ſhall die, Iob 21. 33. Heb. 9. 27. 1. King. 2. 1. Ioſh. 23. 14. 1. Cor. 15. 51. Eccleſ. 7. 2. and 6. 6. for death goeth ouer all, in as much as all hauehave ſinned, Rom. 5. Then let all prepare to die, at one time, or at another: which ſtands in ſeeking reconciliation with God in Chriſt, & in endeuouring to keepe a good conſcience before God & man, Act. 24. 16. vvaiting the time of diſſolution, which the men of pleaſures, as Diues; the vvorldly-minded, as the rich man; the drowſie proteſtant▪ like the fiue fooliſh Virgins, and ſuch as go on ſecurely, as thoſe in the old vvorld, and in Sodom, Mat. 24. 37, 38, 39. doe not. All knovv they muſt die, yet moſt neglect to prepare to die, and to prouide for themſelues a better habitation: vvhichwhich men on earth vvill doe, vvhen they knovv they muſt out of their dwellings: they will not be to ſeeke to the very day, in which they know they ſhalbe put out.
I will die.] I meane to end my daies vvith thee, my mother, I vvill not returne againe into my Countrey, but vvill make my end, in vvhat place ſoeuer thou ſhalt die. The true louelove of the godly one towards another, is a continuing and enduring louelove to death. So vvas the louelove of theſe tvvo, and the louelove of Ionathan and Dauid, becauſe their louelove is2. Sam. 1. 26. not grounded vponupon temporarie & meere vvorldly reſpects, as the louelove of others bee; nor vponupon meere nature, as that of parents and Children; but vponupon ſuch reaſons, as the alteration of outvvard eſtate here cannot diſanull, or make void. They louelove one another for their graces in heauenly reſpects, and therefore by a ſpirituall bond they are vnited in heart, and made one. Thus ſhould vvee louelove, and thus ſettle it, that it may abide to death: and that vvee may ſo louelove, let vsus remember, that vve be Children of one Father, vvee be brethren, vvee be very members of the ſame body, and Chriſt Ieſus our Head, vvee alſo are here ſtrangers; and if vvee louelove not one another, vvho vvill louelove vsus? for the vvorld hateth vsus,Ioh. 15. 19. There be which would be held Chriſtians, and yet cannot louelove ſuch as be ſo indeede. Cain cannot louelove Abel, though his brother; nor Eſau a Iacob. Some profeſſe to louelove the godly, but it is ſiniſterly, not ſimply for their graces and vertues, as Ruth here loued Naomi, for no other cauſe of louelove could there be; for Ruth was young, and Naomi old, and very poore. What power in nature, and worldly reaſon could then leade Ruth thus to louelove Naomi? Other ſome louelove them for their vertues, but their vertues muſt be ſuch, as muſt make their perſons without exception, eueryevery way pleaſing to them, elſe they will fall off from their louelove; they cannot, forſooth, beare with infirmities, all muſt be in perfection. But ſuch doe not looke into themſelues with a ſingle eye, or elſe with too much ſelfe-louelove behold themſelues: for otherwiſe they would louelove a godly Chriſtian, as ſuch a one, though accompanied with ſome infirmities, from which in this life none can bee wholy freed.
And there will I be buried.] Ruth ſpoken before of their death, and now of their buriall together: ſo as neither in life nor death, ſhee would bee ſeparated from her mother. By this it appeareth,
I. That buriall was a duty performed to the dead then, as now, and therefore ſhee ſpeaketh of it, as hoping that it would be performed to them, as mē alwaies hauehave done one for another ſucceſſiuely. Abraham for Sarah; Iſaac and Iſmael for Abraham their father: ſo Eſau and Iacob for Iſaac. Yea wee reade how God himſelfe buryed Moſes: and with what ſolemnities burials were performed, wee may ſee by the embalming of Iacob, and his carrying into Canaan with ſuch troups, and the mourning there made for him diuers daies. The godly would not neglect this to Iohn Baptiſt beheaded, to Chriſt crucified, and to Steuen ſtoned. It is humanity, it is an honeſt and good reſpect vntounto the dead, and done by beleeuers alſo in the hope of the reſurrection. It was eſteemed a mercy to be buried, and the contrary was threatned as a puniſhment, as wee may ſee in 1. King. 13. 14. 2. King. 9. 22. and 22. 20. Deut. 28. 26. Ier. 18. Yet we muſt know, that a Diues may be buried with pompe, and yet go to hel; and a poore Lazarus be exalted to heauen; yea many Saints and Martyrs drowned, torne of beaſts, and burnt to aſhes, yet receiued the crowne of glory: which I ſpeake to ſhew, that although the godly ſhould want buriall, yet that hindeteth not their happineſſe.
II. We may ſee hence, that the godly and louing friends hauehave an affection to bee buried together. Iacob would lye where Abraham was buryed: & the old2. Sam. 19. 37. 1. King. 13. 31. Prophet would hauehave his bones laid by the other Prophet. And it was in former times an honour, to bee buryed in the Sepulchre of their fathers: And therefore the louing affection of ſuch is not to be blamed as altogether idle & fooliſh, which deſire to be buryed by their beloued friends, eſpecially if they were godly and vertuous.
The Lord doe ſo to me, and more alſo.] When Ruth ſaw Naomi ſo earneſt to hauehave her to returne backe, as ſhee thought; for her better ſatisfaction and aſſurance, ſhee thus breaketh forth into this ſpeech, aſcertaining her, that her words came frō a true affection a and conſtant reſolution of her heart. This is a forme of an oath among the Hebrewes: for ſo it is ſaid, that Salomon ſwore, 1. Ki. 2. 23. And thus ſwore Saul, 1. Sam. 14. 44. Ionathan, 1. Sam. 20. 13. & Abner, 2. Sā. 3. 9. & Dauid, 2. Sam. 19. 13. but it is not a bare oath, but an execration withall, 1. Sā. 3. 17. Yet is not the curſe particularly named, but left vntounto God. Hence we learne,
I. That it is lawfull to take an oath, Heb. 6. 13. Reue. 10. 6. it is warranted, Deut. 6. and a part of Gods worſhip which he will giuegive to none other: it is neceſſary ſometime to decide a controuerſie, as Exo. 22. 11. and to giuegive ſatisfaction and aſſurance to the mind of others, in great and neceſſary matters which otherwiſe would not bee credited, as here; Therefore the Anabaptiſts erre, which hold it altogether vnlawfull: for it is lawfull to ſweare, being thereto called before a Magiſtrate; ſo Abraham made his ſeruant to ſweare, Gen. 24. and Aſa made his ſubiects to take an oath, 2. Chro. 15. ſo Ezra, Chap. 10. and Nehemiah, Chap. 13. It is lawfull to ſweare for confirmation of a truth in weightie matters one to another, as the ſpies ſwore to Rahab; Dauid and Ionathan, one to another; Dauid to Bethſheba, Ruth here to Naomi: and Saint Paul did often call God to witneſſe for the glory of God, and the furtherance of the Goſpell. We may therefore lawfully take an oath, ſo it be in truth, not a lye, not with an equiuocation, or mentall reſeruation to deceiue; in righteouſneſſe, that the matter be iuſt, and in iudgement, knowing well the thing, and vponupon mature deliberation and ſettled perſwaſion of the truth. Beware of common and vſuall ſwearing, the cuſtome thereof maketh it worſe, and proclaimeth the man to be vnreformed in his heart, yea though the thing be true, which he ſweareth. A man ſhould be ſo honeſt, and his word in ſuch eſteeme, as his oath ſhould not neede in ordinary matters; And as we muſt take heede of common ſwearing, ſo when we are to ſweare, let it bee in truth, righteouſneſſe and iudgement: take heede of periury, which God wil reuenge, Ezech. 5. Yea he ſweareth to reuenge it, Ezech. 17. 16, 19.
II. That the godly when they ſweare, they ſweare by God: if they doe otherwiſe, it is their fault. When the Angel ſware, Reu. 10. 6. it was by God: ſo was the oath of Dauid, Ionathan, and others: we are taught by God himſelfe, to ſweare by himſelfe, Heb. 6. and this will giuegive ſatisfaction, for that God can beare witneſſe, and the calling of him to witneſſe, worketh a credit in the party to whom another doth ſweare: ſuch is the reuerence of Gods name in mens hearts. Hee can reuenge periury, and it is his will that wee ſhould ſweare onelyonly by him, Deut. 4. & 10. Exo. 23. We are not therefore to ſweare by falſe gods, as did Iezabel by her gods, 1. King 19. Ioſ. 23. 7. Pſal. 16. 4. Zeph. 1. 5. nor by them that are no Gods, Ier. 5. 7. Amos 8. 14. nor by the creatures, Mat. 5. 35, 36. for ſuch ſwearers take Gods honour from him, and make theſe things by which they ſweare, Idols: they breake the Lords Commandement, and prouoke Gods wrath againſt them. Ruth a new Conuert, would not ſweare by the Idols of her countrey: for if ſhee had, it would not hauehave ſatiſfied Naomi, and ſhe had ſhewed, that ſhe had not beene conuerted to the true God; whereas now ſhee declared, that ſhee worſhipped the true God.
III. That eueryevery oath is with an execration, either vnderſtood, or expreſſed, as here in generall tearmes, & elſe where they are conioyned, Neh. 10. 29. for an oath is a calling of God to witneſſe in a matter ſo, as to bleſſe him, if he ſpeake truth; or to plague him, if hee ſpeake the contrary. This ſhould make men take heede how they do ſweare, leſt they bring a curſe vponupon themſelues, as did Zedekiah; and Vladiſlaus, King of Hungarie, and Rodolphus, D. of Sueuia, when he rebelled againſt Henry the Emperour his Lord and maſter, by the inſtigation of Pope Gregory the ſeuenth.
IV. That in imprecations and formes of curſing, it is beſt to paſſe ouer with ſilence the ſpecial kind of the iudgement, and not to name it, but to leaue that to God, as Ruth doth here, and Salomon, 1. King. 2. 23.1. Sam. 14. 44. & 20. 3. and 3. 17. 2. Sam. 3. 9. Saul, Ionathan, Abner, Eli, & others; and not to ſay, as now many will, I pray God I may neuer ſtirre; That I may be hanged; That this bread and drink may neuer goe thorow me; That I may be damned; That the Deuill may fetch mee: and a thouſand of ſuch fearefull wiſhes, too boldly vttered, from a preſumptuous ſpirit, not fearing the terrour of God, eſpecially when wee doe conſider what dreadfull examples there hauehave beene of this kind, that euen as men hauehave wiſhed, ſo hath the iudgement falne out; and therefore let vsus not beSee the booke called the Theater of Gods iudgements. raſh with our mouthes herein, leſt the Lord make vsus examples of his iuſtice.
If ought but death part thee and mee.] This is that which ſhee ſealeth with an oath, euen to be conſtant to death; and this is the praiſe of her action. Many can begin well; but they hold not on to death, as did this Ruth. Of conſtant louelove I hauehave ſpoken before. Note further, that though nothing elſe can, yet death will diuide friends aſunder: therefore Ruth doth not except againſt any thing but death, which cannot be auoided. This will ſeparate Abraham and Sarah, Iacob and Rachel, Aaron and Moſes, Ionathan and Dauid, and this Ruth from Naomi, but nothing elſe ſhall: ſo firmely are faithfull friends vnited, and made one. I will not complaine here of the leuitie of this age, of the inconſtancie of mens hearts, and how for eueryevery trifle, they that ſeemed to be one, become two of a ſuddaine, they will preuent death, and ſeuer themſelues before. But ſo much ſhall ſuffice for this verſe, and the conſtant reſolution of Ruth.