Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 1 · Verse 20
Verſe 20. And ſhee ſaid vntounto them, Call mee not Naomi; call me Marah: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
THis is Naomi her anſwer vntounto the multitude, flocking about her, calling her Naomi, continuing a diſſwaſion for ſo calling her, and ſhewing what name they ſhould giuegive her, with the reaſon thereof, drawne from her preſent poore eſtate; which ſhee ſetteth out partly in this verſe, and partly in the next.
And ſhee ſaid vntounto them, Call mee not Naomi.] This name ſignifieth pleaſant and merry, which in her aduerſity ſhee thought did not befit her, and therefore ſhe did not reioyce in it. Aduerſitie maketh the afflicted nothing to regard worldly names and titles of a better condition and eſtate; while they be in miſerie, and hauehave loſt their former outward comforts, if they be wiſe and truely humbled; for ſuch as be humbled indeed, are not vainely in louelove with goodly names and titles, to which their eſtate is not anſwerable. Which checketh the fooliſh pride of ſuch, as being in a baſe beggerly condition, liuing almoſt of almes, hanging vponupon this and that friend, yet forſooth, will brag of their name, their houſe, and Gentility, or rather indeed, to call it, as they make it, Gentiliſme, through their lewd and vaine conuerſation.
Call me Marah.] That is, bitter, one in a heauie and diſtreſſed eſtate. The truely humbled deſire to be accounted as they be, and not as they be not; as Naomi here is willing to be called Marah, becauſe her eſtate was anſwerable. Shee was not proud, ſhee ſubmitted her ſelfe to Gods hand, and therefore ſhee refuſed not a name according to the nature of her preſent condition. Whoſe humility may checke the pride of ſuch as would hauehave better names then they deſerue, ſeeking the name of Goodman, when goodneſſe is farre from them; of Maſter, when their Gentlemanſhip did hardly creepe out of a dunghill; of worſhipfull Eſquire, right worſhipfull, & many ſuch vaine titles, which eueryevery Vpſtart now in theſe dayes doe eagerly affect, not for any deſert of vertue, but for that they hauehave gottē ſome money to put to vſurie, or procured ſome office baſely by their money, or a little better outward eſtate by illiberall and baſe ſcraping, pinching, and niggardly ſparing, or by depending vponupon ſome perſon in authority, by whoſe countenance they may domineere ouer their poore neighbours, or by ſome ſuch way and meanes, whereof this now preſent age affordeth inſtances enow; yet are ſuch farre enough off from the true cauſes of Gentrie, worſhip, and due honor. This good womans humility and patience, may alſo checke the pride and impatiencie of ſuch as cannot endure a name like their nature; they can be content to be Vſurers, but not ſo to be called; they can liue as Miſers, but will not ſo be accounted; the denomination from their ſinnefull practices is worſe to them, then the ſinnes which they doe commit; for that they more are touched with the ſhame of the euill before men, then with the offence thereby committed againſt God. Here it may be demanded, Whether any may be called by any other name then formerly they hauehave beene called by? We ſee here that Naomi would be called Marah; Iacob was after called Iſrael; Abram, Abraham; Sarah Sarai; and many ſuch inſtances in Scripture; as Saul called after Paul, & Ioſeph called Barſabas: Act. 1. 23.which may be to expreſſe ſome grace in them, for which they be praiſe-worthy; as Iacob being called Iſrael, becauſe he wraſtled and preuailed with God, ſo Ioſes called Barnabas, the ſonne ofAct. 4. 36. conſolation, for his rare louelove to the Church, and for giuing ſuch an example thereof to the Apoſtles: Simon muſt be called Peter for his conſtancie. So to expreſſe ſome notorious euill, on the otherAct. 13. 6, 8. Ier. 20. 3. ſide Barieſus was called Elymas, and Paſhur muſt be named Magor-Miſſabib. And we ſee by ancient practice, for greater honour men were calledAs with the Romanes: Cato Cenſorinus, Scipio africanus, Aenilius Macedonicus, Antoninus Pius, &c. by other names, then from their fathers families, which they purchaſed as a title of their honour, & for the reward of vertue, to encourage men to noble atchiuements worthy of honour, being by others put vponupon them for the praiſe of their vertues, without flatterie and vaineglory; and ſome names alſo were inuented for diſgrace of vice, in ſuch as deſerued the ſame, but they alſo without ſcorne, deriſion, malice, and euill will to the party, otherwiſe then to beate him out from his ſinne, which may not be for ſuch ſinne as he committeth of infirmitie, but for open and notorious enormities, and from which he will not be hardly reclaymed without ſome note of infamy.
For the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.] The reaſon why ſhee would be called Marah, becauſe of her bitter affliction which the Lord Almighty hath laid vponupon her. Whence we may learne theſe leſſons,
I. That the Lord is Almighty, Gen. 17. 1. for he can doe what he will in heauen and in earth, Pſa. 115. 3. This ſhould worke confidence in his Word, for what he ſaith, he will doe, he can doe, his power can effect it. This muſt make vsus humble our ſelues vnderunder his mightie hand, 1. Pet. 5. 6. he is able to deſtroy and caſt into Hell, Mat. 10. 28. By this let vsus be encouraged to doe what he commandeth: for he can beare vsus out in it, and can ſupply our wants, 2. Cor. 9. 7, 8. Hence may we gather comfort againſt all that riſe vp againſt vsus for the Lords cauſe: for he is greater then all, Iohn 10. 29. And we may, to conclude, learne to hope well of others, though they hauehave long gone aſtray: for God is able to ſaue them, Rom. 11. 23.
II. That the Almighty can alter an eſtate into the cleane contrarie; as Naomi into Marah, mirth into mourning, ſweet into ſowre, honor into diſhonor; and contrarily, heauineſſe into ioy, diſgrace into high eſteeme, and ſo forth; as we may ſee in Iobs downefall, and alſo raiſing vp againe; in Hamans honour, into extreme contempt; in Mordecai…s baſe eſtate, into great dignitie; ſo in Ioſephs exaltation likewiſe and in many others: for eueryevery mans eſtate is in the Lords hand to alter it at his will, 1. Sā. 2. 7, 8. Let none be proud in their proſperity, for God can caſt thē downe. See it in Haman, Nebuchadnezer, Balthaſar, and Herod, whom God made ſpectacles of his diſpleaſure for abuſing their proſperitie, as we hauehave examples of late among our ſelues. And as proſperity ſhould not make vsus proud, becauſe God can caſt vsus downe: ſo aduerſity ſhould not make vsus deſpaire, becauſe God can raiſe vsus vp, as he did Iob, Ioſeph, and Mordecai.
III. That the godly feele a bitter taſte in their afflictiōs, they are diſtaſtfull vntounto thē; for no affliction1. Pet. 1. 7. Heb. 12. 11. is ioyous for the preſent, which maketh infirmities appeare in the beſt in time of their troubles, as we may ſee in Iob, Ieremie, & Hannah. For none,Ier. 20. 12, 14, 15. 1. Sam. 1. euen of the Saints of God, are perfit in faith, louelove, patience, & other vertues, which might make vsus endure afflictions quietly: And therefore we are not to maruell when we heare words of impatiencie come from weake men, nor ſit downe and cenſure them, but to iudge charitably, though they cannot beare afflictions altogether with chearefulneſſe, quietly and without ſtrugling: For though the Spirit be willing, yet fleſh and bloud are weake, and euen the beſt manifeſt their weakeneſſe, and the bitter taſte which they hauehave of affliction.