Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 1 · Verse 5
Verſe 5. And Mahlon and Chilion dyed alſo both of them, and the woman was left of her two ſonnes, and of her husband.
THis verſe ſheweth a further griefe which befell good Naomi, which was the death of both her ſonnes, and ſo to be left a heauie ſoule in ſolitarineſſe in a ſtrange countrey, where ſhe could hauehave no ſpirituall comfort, and where now ſhe had loſt her chiefeſt corporall comfort.
And Mahlon and Chilion dyed alſo both of them.] Theſe inioyed their yong wiues for ſome ſpace, and had time to hauehave returned home to the Lords people, but they for bodily maintenance, & new friends gotten by their marriages, would not; the Lord therefore tooke them away in this ſtrange Land. Many things may be noted.
I. That the Lord gaue them time to marry, and to enioy their marriage for ſome ſpace, though they made no better vſe of their fathers death: thus good and patient is God vntounto men, for their bettering, if it would be, for which praiſe him.
II. That when God hath proued men in patience, and they will not make right vſe thereof; then will he take them away; for he will not alwaies ſtriue in merciemercy: here the abuſers of Gods goodneſſe may learne to take heed.
III. That God can and will cut off ſometime yong men in the flowre of their youth. Thus he tooke away Nadab and Abihu, Hophni and Phinees, Amnon & Abſalom, two gallant yong Princes: ſo here theſe two, though ſome by violent death, and other by naturall death. And this is ſometime a puniſhment for ſinne, Pſalme 55. 23. 1. Sa. 2. 31. but not euer: for God in merciemercy will take ſome from the euils of the world, as he did Ioſias. Let none becauſe of youth put farre off the day of death. Death reſpecteth no age, no ſtrength, no beauty: Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth, Eccleſiaſtes 12. 1. Thy owne ſinne may cut thee off in youth, as it did Abſalom, and ſo the reſt: or thy fathers ſinne, as Dauids child was taken away, 2. Sam. 12. 14. and the tenne1. King. 11. 12. and 21. 6. Tribes from Rehoboam, and the ſonnes of Saul.
And the woman was left of her two ſons, & her huſband.] This is added, to aggrauate the affliction of Naomi; and doth teach, that neither few nor light afflictions ſometime befall the godly. Naomi loſt her husband, then not one, but both her ſonnes, and left their widowes without children, ſo as Naomi had none of his bloud remaining in Moab. And as ſhee was thus afflicted, ſo was Dauid, who had proud and ſcornefull brethren, a bloudily-minded father in law, a mocking Michal to his wife, lewd and vnnaturall children; beſides many other great trialls. What ſhall I ſpeake of Iobs trialls, Ieremies troubles, and Pauls perſecutions? Yet God thus ſuffers his to be tried, to make them know themſelues, to ſhew them their graces, and their imperfections, which in affliction they will manifeſt; to weane them from the world, to the louelove of a better life, to whip them from their ſinnes, and to make our vile natures tame, to ſubmit to his yoke. Let vsus looke therefore for them, let vsus be contented and patient vnderunder them, and conſider the troubles of others of old, and in the primitiue Church, and of later times. Let vsus not thinke our condition the worſe before God, but rather the better, if inſtruction be with correction; for God loueth vsus then. It is a fault to murmure at him, it is an error to thinke our eſtate to be euill before God, becauſe of ſundry and great croſſes; for many are the afflictions of the righteous: he ſaith not, of the wicked, yet then righteous, when they be afflicted: this is comfort againſt deſpaire.
Note againe, that he ſaith, the woman was left: he ſaith not now, Naomi, as before & after, to expreſſe her deiected condition; for a widow, poore, alone, without friends, and in a ſtrange country, is in an afflicted eſtate, & contemptible: it is the, not Naomi, but the woman in diſtreſſe and miſerie. And laſtly obſerue, that when death calleth, friends muſt part, and one leaue another, husbands their wiues, children their parents, & parents their children; as here, no band of louelove can keepe them then together, death muſt be welcome, and vntounto deareſt friends we muſt bid farewell.