Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 2 · Verse 14
Verſe 14. And Boaz ſaid vntounto her, At meale time come thou hither, and eate of the bread, and dip thy morſell in the vineger. And ſhee ſate beſides the Reapers: and he reached her parched corne, and ſhee did eate, and was ſufficed, and left.
THe laſt words of Boaz in this firſt conference with Ruth, ſtill expreſſing more and more his louelove vntounto her. Firſt, in calling her to their victuals. Then, in giuing her ſome himſelfe, euen ſo much, as was ſufficient for the preſent, and more alſo: for ſhee left thereof. So here Boaz inuiteth her to dine with them; then ſhee ſitteth downe, he welcommeth her, and ſhee eateth and is ſufficed.
And Boaz ſaid vntounto her.] The more thankefull ſhe ſhewed her ſelfe, the more fauour ſhe found: for thankefulneſse and humilitie increaſe fauour, as we ſee here: Which two vertues are ſo louely, as they draw the liking of all men vntounto them: humilitie graceth a mans perſon, and another thinketh himſelfe honoured by a humble carriage towards him, and thankes is the praiſing of his goodneſſe, and an acknowledgement of being beholden, which doe much moue mens hearts vntounto kindneſſe and fauour: very thankefull was Saint Paul, and ſo was Dauid to them which didPhil. 4. 15. 1. Sam. 30. 26. them good: whoſe examples we muſt follow.
At meale time come thou hither.] Boaz knew her to be poore, and therefore he helpeth eueryevery way to ſupply her wants; in the field for the preſent, but he leaueth her to her labour, to prouide for afterwards. And thus the poore are to be ſuſtained in their preſent wants ſo, as they may yet follow their calling, and labour therein. In ſaying at Meale time, it noteth that there were ſet times to eate, & preparatiō made for it. And ſo indeed do good houſholders, as we ſee in the commendations of the good huſwife:Prou. 31. 15. for this argueth a care and louelove to ſeruants, and alſo preuēteth their lingring in their labour, when they need not murmure for their dyet, nor long waite for it. This care ſhould be in the Gouernours of families, which reproueth, Firſt, ſuch as can call vponupon their ſeruants to ſet them to worke, but are too negligent in preparing food for them, wholeſome and ſufficient. Secondly, ſuch as doe prouide, but not in due ſeaſon. Thirdly, ſuch as will prouide in time, but will hardly allow them time to eate, for haſtening them to their worke. But theſe cauſe ſeruants to pocket, to ſteale, to hauehave their ſecret meetings to the great damage of the family, and ſo make good that which Salomon ſaith, There is that with-holdeth Prou. 11. 24.more then is meete, but it tendeth to pouerty. This alſo is contrary to that precept in ſome ſort, Thou ſhalt not muzzell the mouth of the Oxe, which Deut. 25. 4.treadeth out the corne. And it is contrary to the condition of ſuch as be godly: for ſuch a one is mercifull to his beaſt, then much more to his ſeruant.Prou. 12. 10.
And eate of the bread, and dip thy morfell in the vineger.] Here is their houſhold fare and harueſt mens feeding: they had bread of wheat, but the1. King. 5. 11. vſuall was of barly, being moſt commonly mentioned, Iudg. 7. 13. 2. King. 4. 42. Ioſu. 6. 9. as the ordinary bread. Vineger was vſed in hot countreyes, both to ſtirre vp appetite, and to quench thirſt; they vſed alſo oyle, 1. King. 5. 11. In ItalyLauater in hunc locum. they vſed in harueſt to mingle vineger and wine and water together; this fare, prouided for Boaz family, he allowed Ruth to eate of. For a mercifull man will not onelyonly relieue the poore abroad, but ſometimes at home with the food of his family, as Iob Iob 31. 17, 18. Nehe. 5. 18.did. He limits not his goodneſſe, but is ready to helpe as he ſeeth occaſion, and as the poore ſhall ſtand in need. Let the rich then this wayLuk. 14. 13, 14. 1. Sam. 25. 11. relieue the poore, (and not play the Nabals part) if reaſon ſo require. Note againe here, what homely and plaine fare the godly in former times were contented to liue with vſually. See this in Abraham his intertainement, Bread, Butter, Milke and Veale; he runneth to fetch the Calfe himſelfe; Sarah bakes the Cakes, and the man dreſſeth the Calfe, for which the ſtrangers ſtay. Poore2. King. 4. 38. feeding had the Prophets; though Eliſha bade ſet on the great pot, it was but homely fare. They were not ſo dainty-toothed as now men be, which can eate nothing but what is finely cookt. The firſt ſweet tooth that in Scripture I doe reade of,Gen. 27. 4. was old Iſaac; hee loued ſauourie meate, which Eſau prouided for him; in whom hee tooke ſuch pleaſure for his veniſon and ſweet meates, that he would hauehave turned the bleſſing due to Iacob, vponupon him, which that prophane Eſau had formerly ſold for a meſſe of pottage, in the ſale of his birth-right. The godly ſhould not eate for the palate, and to pleaſe appetite, but to preſerue nature, which is contented with a little, and wholeſome, though it want the daintie cooking. Hungrie ſtomacks, and bodies well laboured, will not much care for ſawce; this daintineſſe ariſeth of idleneſſe, and too much plentie, which doe breed diſeaſes, and ſhorten life in many. Let theſe nice ſtomakes know, that Eſau; who no doubt fed daintily, that could prouide ſo well for his father; yet when he came once home hungrie, could bee glad of hunters fare, and ſup vp a meſſe a pottage: ſuch a delicate Cooke is Hunger, which can ſeaſon and make ſauourie very homely cheere. They that deſpiſe plaine feeding, and louelove to fare delicately eueryevery day, muſt remember, that it was theLuk. 16. 1. practice of him that went to hell, he fared deliciouſly eueryevery day. This hardens the heart of ſuch, not to regard the poore, as it did his. This is chargeable, and bringeth vntounto pouertie, andProu. 21. 16. with-holdeth men from doing good works: for three things hauehave deſtroyed charitie among vsus in rich men and Gentlemen, as they be called, to wit, coſtly buildings, coſtly rayment, and coſtly fare. Laſtly, this engendreth luſt, whence follow many enormities in them which follow idleneſſe, one of the ſinnes of Sodom. This moderate feeding,Ezech. 16. and homely wholeſome fare, which formerly men were content to feed vponupon, may reprooue the daintineſſe of ſeruants, which now adayes will hardly bee content with ſuch fare in their Maſters ſeruice, as when after comming to their owne hand, they would bee glad of the worſt bit thereof: but thus it is when men know not when they be well, neither vnderſtand what it is to bee maintained of others, till they come to find themſelues.
And ſhe ſate beſides the reapers.] She did not impudently thruſt in her ſelfe amongſt them, but modeſtly tooke place ſomewhere beſides them. Whoſe example teacheth, that free fauours are to be modeſtly receiued of the poore. It is ciuilitie, it is a vertue praiſe worthy. And therefore let the poore learne modeſty, learne to carry themſelues as they ought, they ſhall procure more fauour then the impudent, & the vnmannerly beggers.
And he reached her parched corne:] That is, corne ſteept and dryed, and made for to eate; this wee reade of elſewhere alſo, as a common food,Ioſh. 5. 11. 1. Sam. 17. 17. and 2. Sam. 17. 28. Leuit. 23. 14. This was of the beſt food at the table; this kind2. Sam. 17. 28. of food was preſented to Dauid and his followers;1. Sam. 17. 17. and the ſame carried by him from his father to his brethren, an Ephah of it: ſo Abigail 1. Sam. 25. 18.brought to Dauid fiue meaſures hereof, and of this Boaz giueth to Ruth, noting his kind courteſie to her: for it is a note of reſpect, when the Maſter of the table reacheth of that which is before him vntounto 1. Sam. 1. 4.others. So did Elkanah to Hannah, whom he ſpecially loued; yea, ſometime thus did our SauiourLuk. 24. 30. Ioh. 21. 30. to his Diſciples, which men doe now follow, but oftner therein ſhewing their owne good manners, as it is accounted, then making it the token of louelove; which by theſe things now in this complementing age cannot bee diſcerned. Obſerue hence further, that a godly rich man can be content, that the godly poore taſte of the beſt of that which is before him: for ſuch he knoweth are neere to him in Chriſt, and deare to God his Father. He gaue not to Ruth what hee would hauehave giuen to his dogs, or what is hardly fit for dogs, or good for none but for dogs. Many indeed giuegive to their dogs what might be fit for the poore: (an euill ſin vnderunder the Sunne, which may cauſe them or theirs to want:) and other giuegive onelyonly to the poore, what elſe they would giuegive their dogs, by a too baſe eſtimation of their poore brethren; ſuch gifts are not eſteemed of God, though hee ſay, that what is giuen to them, is lent to him: but it muſt bee an Almes beſeeming them, and fit for a Chriſtian to giuegive to a man, and not vntounto a dog.
And ſhe did eat, and was ſatisfied, and left.] As ſhe ſate downe to eate, being bidden, ſo ſhe did eate as much as did ſuffice, and left. Which ſheweth, firſt, her plentie, which is a bleſsing of God, to hauehave Deut. 11. 15. Leuit. 25. 5. Pſal. 37. 3.enough to ſuffice nature; for ſo God promiſeth to his. Now, this bleſſing ſtands in three things; firſt, in health with a good ſtomake, that nature may receiue food for nouriſhment: ſecondly, in competencie of food, and wholeſome withall: thirdly, in Gods bleſsing of the ſame receiued, that it may ſtrengthen vsus: none of theſe can bee wanting to the neceſſarie preſeruation of life: for ſtomake without food, food without health and ſtomake, and both without Gods bleſſing, are not able to ſaue life; where therefore they concurre, men hauehave cauſe to bleſſe God: ſo much for the plentie. In the next is ſhewed her moderation: ſhee ate not to ſatietie, but what was ſufficient: for moderate feeders eate only to content nature; and that is ſufficient which refreſheth the body, and keepeth it apt for labour, and not that which ſatisfieth the vnruly appetite, but ouer-chargeth nature. This teacheth vsus to eate what may ſuffice, and be thankfull to God; two extremes are to be auoided: the one is ſuch abſtinence, whereby ſufficient food is not receiued to ſuſtaine life; either of a fooliſh deuotion, as ſome formerly hauehave done; or elſe of a deſperate neglect of life, which is the murthering of a mans ſelfe. The other is exceſſe, which is the ſinne of gluttony, ouercharging nature, which ſinne is forbidden in Scripture: it breedeth ſecuritie in the heart, andLuk. 21. 34. Rom. 13. 13. Phil. 3. diſeaſes in the body, and ſo ſhortneth life. Such a one as is ſo giuen to this ſinne, is a belly-god; he is like the Horſe-leech, which ſucks till it can draw blood no longer, but is ready to burſt: He is like the Fiſh called Onos, or the Aſſe-fiſh, which hath the heart in the belly; ſo is this man ſet all on his panch. Hee is like the beaſt called Gulon, a name anſwerable to his nature, whichGeſner. eateth that which hee preyeth vponupon, if it bee a horſe, till all be deuoured, euer filling his belly, and then emptying it, and then falling to it againe, till all bee conſumed: ſuch a delight hath he in his appetite. And ſuch beaſt-like men there hauehave been, who hauing filled their belly, hauehave for the greedy deſire and vnſatiableneſſe of their appetite, in variety of diſhes and delicacies, wiſhed their backe a belly. Such Gulons may from this beaſt behold themſelues, now like him they bee; but I may ſay, how worſe they bee; for he is a beaſt, and doth but like himſelfe; but theſe bee men hauing reaſon to guide, and ſhould hauehave Religion to bridle their deuouring nature, and brutiſh appetite. Laſtly, note that Ruth left of that which was giuen her, which ſhe alſo reſerued to giuegive vntounto her Mother in law, as it followes after in verſ. 18.