Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 1 · Verse 12
Verſe 12. Turne againe, my daughters, goe your way, for I am too old to hauehave an husband: if I ſhould ſay, I hauehave hope, if I ſhould hauehave an husband alſo to night, and ſhould alſo beare ſonnes:
NAomies third motion to hauehave them to returne, vſing ſtill the ſame exhortation, with the like kind tearmes of louelove, and adding another reaſon to moue them to returne.
Turne againe, my daughters, goe your way.] Naomi ceaſeth not to vrge them ſtill, to try them to the vtmoſt, not in want of zeale to gaine them to God, but in a godly iealouſie fearing their conſtancie, if they ſhould goe on with her; of this before at large, and therefore here I omit the inſtructions.
For I am too old to hauehave an husband.] This reaſon is a preuenting of an obiection to her former reaſon: for they might ſay, Though, mother, you be not with child now, yet you may marry and hauehave children; to this Naomi anſwereth, that ſhee is too old to hauehave an husband. From this we learne, that there is a time when women are too old to marry, by the opinion of godly Naomi. Now if any aske when that is? I anſwer, as I ſuppoſe, when a woman is aboue ſixtie yeeres of age; and therefore Saint Paul alloweth ſuch a one for a widow, but not vnderunder, giuing leaue to others to marry: for vnderunder ſixtie women hauehave had children, but none aboue, but Sarahs extraordinary bleſſing. And it is fit for women after ſixtie, to follow the praiſe of bleſſed Annah, Luk. 1. 37. We read not in the Scripture of the marriage of ſuch: and if they be poore among vsus, and doe marry, we diſlike it, and ſpeake againſt it: if they alledge the ends of marriage, they are eaſily anſwered: For the firſt is for procreation of children, which in thē is paſt; the other is to auoid fornication, which they ſhould be farre from; ſeeing the body is dead, the heart ſhould not grow ranke with filthy luſt: the lecherous old perſon is hated of God. If they alledge to marry for mutuall comfort: I aske, With whom will ſhee marry for ſuch comfort? If with a yong man, ſhee may perhaps comfort her ſelfe in him, but not he himſelfe with her: for yong men marry old womens goods and lands, but not their perſons; there is in nature no accord between them, her wanton heart may ſeeke her pleaſure in matching with him, but he will take no contentment in her, but for what ſhee hath. If with an old man: where is comfort, when two froward old perſons meet together? old age, all know, is hard to pleaſe, and therefore old perſons can hardly afford kind comforts one to another. Laſtly, marriage bringeth cares and troubles, 1. Cor. 7. ſaith Saint Paul. Now it is time for old women to lay aſide the cares of this world, and to giuegive themſelues to faſting and prayer, and to doe good workes, and ſo to ſhew their care for the world to come. And therefore let ſuch widowes continue widowes, & betake themſelues to God and his diuine worſhip, as beſt befitteth them.
If I ſhould ſay, I hauehave hope:] to wit, to hauehave children, and ſo might take an husband; implying thus much, that while a womā hath hope of children, ſhee may marry; for the firſt and chiefeſt end of marriage ſuch a one is not depriued of: And therefore let child-bearing women vſe their libertie and marry, if they cannot abſtaine, 1. Cor. 7. 1. Tim. 5. 28. yea though they be poore, neither may any be offended thereat.
If I ſhould hauehave an husband alſo to night.] This circumſtance of time is noted, that theſe women had gone nigh one dayes iourney with Naomi at the leaſt. So they ſhewed herein great kindneſſe to trauell ſo farre with her, or that it was farre on the day before they came forth, if this was the firſt night: or elſe ſhee ſpeaketh thus, for that marriage was conſummated at night. Here ſome may aske, why needed Naomi thus to ſpeake of her hauing an husband and bearing of children, ſeeing ſhee knew that the next kinſman was to doe the office for the dead? Chap. 3. 1, 2. Shee might hauehave ſaid, Your husbands hauehave kinſmen, which by our Law are to marry you, if you will goe with me, though I hauehave no ſonnes my ſelfe. Naomi knew this well enough, as it appeareth afterwards, but firſt ſhee will not draw them to the Lords people with ſuch carnall reaſons; againe, ſhee knew not, perhaps, now, whether ſuch were dead or aliue; if aliue, yet they might be marryed, and ſo could not take them for wiues: if vnmarryed, ſhee yet knew not whether they would ſubmit to the Law in that caſe. For we ſee that what God commanded, was not euer obeyed, and the Story telleth vsus that one kinſman, Chap. 4. refuſed her; and why not another? And therefore, becauſe ſhee could not ſpeake any thing of certainty on which they might depend, ſhee mentioneth no ſuch thing: ſhewing this, that the wiſe will not make promiſes raſhly for others, nor perſwade to more then they well know, leſt they be deceiued, and ſo alſo deceiue others relying vponupon their word. This reproueth all raſh vndertakers for others, though reaſon and Religion ſhould bind thoſe, for whom they ſo vndertake, to performe the ſame.
And ſhould alſo beare ſonnes.] Naomi ſpeaketh firſt of hauing a husband, and then of bearing children; for childbirth is to be the fruit of lawfull marriage onelyonly. God firſt ioyned man and woman, and made them man and wife, and then ſaid, Increaſe and multiply. Naomi was not of that mind to make her ſelfe a mother out of marriage, as many wantons and Light-skirts doe; making themſelues whores, and their children baſtards, and all for ſatisfying the rage of preſent luſt, though after they repent with griefe and ſhame.