Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 1 · Verse 16
Verſe 16. And Ruth ſaid, Intreat me not to leaue thee, or to returne from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will goe, and where thou lodgeſt, I will lodge: thy people ſhall be my people, and thy God, my God.
RVths anſwer vntounto Naomi: wherein is her requeſt vntounto her, and a reaſon expreſſing her full reſolution, partly in this verſe, and partly in the next verſe following.
And Ruth ſaid.] In this anſwer following, Ruth ſheweth moſt plainely that ſhee was of a very conſtant reſolution, and not a whit moued with the ſcandall of her ſiſter in lawes departure, and leauing of her alone. For the well ſettled ſoules are not to be remoued from their reſolution to good, for any lets, which Satan and his inſtruments may caſt before them, and in their way. The wrath of Nebuchadnezzar cannot make the three Children ſtart backe; the Plots of Princes againſt Daniel cannot make his heart to faint, neither to neglect to pray vntounto his God three times a day. Neither foure hundred flatterers, nor feare of Achabs wrath can make Michaiah diſſemble, nor hault in the meſſage of the Lord. A world of wicked ones cannot make a righteous Noah the worſe, nor corrupt righteous Lot in the midſt of Sodom: They may vexe him, but neuer gaine him to their wickedneſſe. What can afflictions worke vponupon Saint Paul? Surely nothing: they may draw him neerer to God, but neuer pull ſuch a one from God. Laſtly, let back-ſlyders reuolt; will Orphaes example moue Ruth? will the falling away of ſome from Chriſt, make the Diſciples to leaue him? No, no; they are built on the Rock, and not on the ſand. Therefore we are not to feare their fall; they make God their ſtrength, and he vpholdeth them, ſo as none can pluck them out ofIoh. 10. 27, 28. his hands.
Intreat me not to leaue thee.] Theſe words mayTrem. Iunius, Montan. So in the margent of the new Tranſlation. be read two wayes: firſt thus, Be not againſt me: and ſo reading, we learne, that they are againſt vsus, who vſe reaſons, or doe exhort vsus to turne backe from well-doing; therefore Chriſt called Peter, Satan, that is, Aduerſarie, one that was againſt him, when he gaue him counſell to doe otherwiſe then his Father had appointed, and otherwiſe then according to the end he came for: and ſo ſhould Eue hauehave thought of the Serpents counſell; and Iſrael of Ieroboams: for ſuch with-hold men from pleaſing God, from the comfort of conſcience, which is onelyonly gotten by well-doing, and from the hope of the bleſſed reward which is promiſed to well-doing. Let vsus then hold ſuch for our Aduerſaries; and not thinke as the men of the world do, who hold all their kind friends which any way pleaſure the body, though they be Aduerſaries to their ſoules, in hindering them in the way to life and ſaluation, by perſwading them to pleaſures vnlawful, to vniuſt gaine, to a falſe religion & idolatrous worſhip, as Popery is: But in theſe harme, things, becauſe they be blind and ſee not their harme, they therefore thinke not that ſuch be againſt thē, when yet there be no greater Aduerſaries then theſe. The ſecond reading is as it is tranſlated, Intreat me not to leaue thee. And thus taking the words, we learne from this godly yong woman, that the godly hauehave a deſire not to be hindred in a good courſe. Ruth was going from Idolaters to the Church of God, and was in louelove with Naomi, whom ſhe would accompany thither, and would not be intreated to forſake her; no more would Eliſha leaue Eliah. The godly are like to Ahimaaz, who would not be let for running to Dauid: for, indeed, they ſet their hearts on the Lords wayes, and hauehave a full reſolution to doe well, by Gods helpe, and doe reioyce in the way of well-doing; and finding therein comfort, like Abrahams ſeruant, will not be ſtayed, but doe haſten home to their Heauenly Country. This grace let vsus labour for, to hauehave a deſire not to be hindred in a good courſe, nor to be withdrawne from good purpoſes, but ſtand faſt in our honeſt reſolutions; which if indeed we doe, then will we ſhew it: will pray to God to further vsus, and to remoue all lets that may hinder; we will check ſuch as are againſtMat. 16. 23. vsus; we will preuent all hinderances, and betimes auoid the occaſions which might draw vsus backe, as did Saint Paul; we will withſtand theGal. 1. 15. letts, as Paul alſo did: and as Dauid did when heAct. 21. 13. had a mind to encounter Goliah, his brethrens contempt of himſelf, the Iſraelites feare of Goliah, the words of Saul, nor the Philiſtims greatneſſe nor brags, could hinder him, he would follow his reſolution: ſo ſhould we in all good things.
Or to turne from following after thee.] As if ſhee had ſaid, Vſe no more words to hinder my honeſt intendement, but goe on that I may follow thee: let my ſiſter in law goe to her people and gods too; her example moueth me not one whit, I will goe with thee to thy people and to thy God: I hauehave taſted by thee of true Religion, the power whereof and thy vertues ſo bind me, as I can leaue all, countrey, kindred, & friends, and old acquaintance, to follow thee, my mother. See here,
I. How Religion and grace maketh ſuch as be of ſeuerall nations, to louelove one another; to louelove forrainers being religious, better then friends, kindred and old acquaintance not religious. Ruth is in louelove with Naomi a Iew, and eſteemeth not of Orpha her countrey woman; for, indeed, Religion maketh a more ſure coniunction, in a more bleſſed kindred then nature, hauing God for our Father, the Church for our Mother, the Saints for our Brethren, the Spirit of God for the bond of our vnion, which maketh vsus to deſire to liue and die together. Labour for this louelove, the louelove of the brethren, before naturall louelove of friends not religious; for this is a true ſigne of our eternall ſaluation, and that we1. Iohn 3. be tranſlated from death to life.
II. A heart truely in louelove with the godly, will not eaſily be remoued to forſake them, by the falling away of others; as we may ſee by this example: By Ionathans cleauing to Dauid, and the Diſciples continuingIohn 6. with Chriſt, though others forſooke him. And this is, becauſe their louelove is well grounded: for they know the godly to be in their perſons honorable; how baſely ſoeuer the ſlaues of Satan eſteeme of them, they know them to be Kings, and Prieſts vntounto God. They diſcerne of their graces, and are in louelove with them for the ſame, yea, they hauing the ſame Spirit, doe by the force thereof knit themſelues to them: and doe knowPſal. 37. 37. that their end is happineſſe, whatſoeuer their preſent eſtate be in this vale of miſerie. Let vsus cleaue then to theſe, though others doe fall away; and that we may ſo doe, let vsus not take offence at their weakeneſſes and frailties, but conſider of their louelove with God, of their excellent graces, and how that holy Spirit of God dwelleth in them, that they be ſuch as be Coheires with Chriſt, and ſhall reigne with him in glory.
For whither thou goeſt, I will goe, and where thou lodgeſt, I will lodge.] This is the reaſon of Ruths requeſt to Naomi from her reſolution, which is, not to forſake her company, but to goe with her, and to lodge with her, whereſoeuer ſhee ſhall lodge; this is her reſolution, which made her continue with Ruth, and not ſtart backe. Whence note, That the putting on of a ſtrong reſolution, will make one withſtand all oppoſitions and hinderances, which may lie in the way, to be lets from well-doing. This made Michaiah to doe faithfully the Lords meſſage, 2. Kin. 22. This made S. Paul to go on to Ieruſalem without daunt of Spirit, Acts 20. 24. with 21. 31. for a grounded reſolution is ſuch a ſettling of thy heart, as it cannot eaſily be remoued. Let vsus therefore put on this reſolution, in making an onſet to goodneſſe, and in eueryevery good action, ſeeing there may be many hinderances in the way: and to doe this, that our hearts ſtart not backe, wee muſt make our reſolution ſtrong by theſe things; wee muſt ſee that the thing wee take in hand, be good & lawfull; then, whether lawfull to vsus, and what calling we hauehave thereto: thirdly, to weigh the circumſtances of time and place, ſo that it may bee done ſeaſonably and fitly. This is prudence, which will much commend the deede. Fourthly, note with our ſelues the end, Gods glory, publike good, diſcharge of our duety, and beware of ſiniſter reſpects. Laſtly, forecaſt all rubbes which may happen in the way; for ſuch foreſight fore-warneth, and hee which is fore-warned, is halfe armed, and will not repent with an Had I wiſt; neither will be moued with ſuch lets, Acts 20. 24. Note againe from hence, that Ruth excepteth not againſt any condition which may befall Naomi; but will goe with her, and take ſuch part as ſhee taketh, whether the lodging be good or bad; whether the place be comfortable, or otherwiſe, whither Naomi ſhall goe. Which example telleth vsus, that ſuch as truly louelove the godly, both can and will giuegive themſelues to them, to accompany them in eueryevery eſtate, not onelyonly in proſperity, but in aduerſitie, as did Moſes, becauſe they know that God is with them, Zach. 8. 23. they account themſelues one, and are of one heart, & hauing giuen themſelues to the Lord, they cannot but giuegive themſelues to his people, 2. Cor. 8. 5. And therefore if wee doe louelove the godly, keepe them company, and forſake them not in their aduerſity.
Thy people ſhall bee my people.] Shee loueth a good woman, her mother in law Naomi; and thereby giueth her ſelfe to the louelove of all Gods people: for they that louelove one godly perſon for godlineſſe ſake, cannot but affect all the Lords flocke: for there is the like reaſon to all, as to one in that reſpect: and the ſame Spirit that vniteth the heart of one godly perſon to another, vniteth the ſame to all the reſt, as being together members of Chriſts myſticall body. This may trie our true louelove to eueryevery godly perſon, by our true louelove vponupon the ſome ground to all the reſt: for elſe that particular louelove will not be found to be other then ſiniſter. Dauids delight was not in one Saint, but in the Saints, that dwell vponupon the earth. True it is, that by a priuate familiarity, and particular acquaintance with one more than another, the louelove may more ſhew it ſelfe, as in reaſon it muſt and will: yet ſuch a louelove vponupon occaſion will truly ſhew it ſelfe to all others, which are vnited in the profeſſion of the ſame truth, and will be ready to doe them good when ſuch are knowne, as it euer doth wiſh you well, before there be any acquaintance at all. And if one godly perſon by a vertuous life may not onelyonly procure louelove to him or her ſelfe, but alſo to all other of Gods people, this ſhould make vsus ſo to demeane our ſelues eueryevery one of vsus, as wee may ſo winne others to vsus, as alſo the ſame perſons vntounto the reſt which feare God, for the encreaſe of Gods Kingdome, and ſo the haſtening of Chriſts appearing.
And thy God, my God.] As ſhee leaueth her owne people being Idolaters, for Gods people, ſo ſhee renounceth her Idols for the true God: for they which truly for godlineſſe ſake embrace Gods people, cannot but then intertaine the true God, and leaue their Idols, 1. Theſ. 1. 6, 9. As Ruth did here, and Rahab alſo: becauſe the louelove of godlineſſe in men, ariſeth from the louelove of God himſelfe, the Author of that goodneſſe in his people. The Corinthians gaue firſt themſelues to the Lord,2. Cor. 8. 5. Zach. 8. 23. then to his Seruants: and Zacharie foretelleth that the Heathen hauing heard of the Lord to be among the Iewes, they will then come and deſire to be with them. Trie our louelove to the godly by a ſound intertainement of their Religion, elſe the louelove is but carnall, worldly, or counterfeit; for in2. Cor. 6. 14. differing religions, there neither is nor can be any true concord: and therefore let vsus not thinke that either Idolaters, Atheiſts, or irreligious perſons can be any faithfull louers of the truth. Note againe, that godly perſons may by their godlines draw Mat. 5. 16. 1. Pet. 3. 1. and 2. 11.others vntounto the embracing of the true God; either by inſtruction, or by a holy conuerſation, or rather both together; And therefore let vsus labour by our godlineſſe in doctrine and life, ſo to ſet foorth the Lords praiſes, as wee may gaine others vntounto him. This is our duty, Mat. 5. 16. this is Chriſtian-like carriage, which becommeth well the Saints; this will winne ſoules to God, and ſo couer the multitude of ſinnes, bee an aduancement to the Lords name, and bring comfort to our owne ſoules in the Day of Ieſus Chriſt. It may be, ſome will aske, Whether for meere louelove to the perſon of any, if one intertaine Religion, he may be iuſtified in ſo doing? Surely no: One may occaſion another, or be a motiue thereto, and ſo performe a good office on his part; but Religion is to bee beloued and imbraced for it ſelfe, and not for mans ſake; the perſon on whom a man relieth, may die, or turne backe from the truth, and become ſuch a ground as the ſand, on which an houſe being built, ſoone decayeth, and the fall thereof is great.