Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 2 · Verse 10
Verſe 10. Then ſhe fell on her face, and bowed her ſelfe to the ground, and ſaid vntounto him, Why hauehave I found grace in thine eyes, that thou ſhouldest take knowledge of me, ſeeing I am a ſtranger?
RVths thankfulneſſe to Boaz ſet out by action and ſpeech: the action was a moſt humble and lowly geſture; the ſpeech was an acknowledgement of fauour with admiration, with a reaſon thereof, for that ſhe was a woman of another nation.
Then ſhe fell on her face, and bowed her ſelfe to the ground.] Thus Ruth beginneth to ſhew her thankfulneſſe in a moſt reſpectiue faſhion; which commendeth to vsus her good manners to ſo great a perſon. This manner of behauiour was much vſed in thoſe Eaſterne parts; as we may ſee in Iacob to Eſau; Abraham to the Hittites; Dauid to Ionathan; Gen. 33. 3. and 23. 7. 12. 1. Sam. 20. 41. Matth. 18. 26.Abigail to Dauid; and the ſeruant to his Lord. The Scripture often noteth the ciuill geſture and comely behauiour of his Seruants, as worthy imitation, and as a iuſt reproofe to the rude and vnciuill. But yet here is a caueat firſt to them which vſe ſuch outward courteſies, that the ſame be done in humility of heart; that it be not a fooliſh affection, an apiſh imitation, or meere courtly complementing, being but all ſhadowes of humility, and yet indeed nothing leſſe, as appeareth in the liuely colours and publike Enſignes of pride in ſuch perſons, if they be obſerued aright: Then next, that ſuch as hauehave theſe reuerent geſtures giuen them, doe conſider whether they deſerue them, for their place and perſon; if they doe not, receiue them not; if they doe, yet not to waxe proud in heart thereby.
It may bee, ſome will here make ſome queſtions; as firſt, Whether it be lawfull to giuegive honour thus vntounto man, in ſuch an adoring manner? This is anſwered before: for the holy Ghoſt recordeth it as commendable. Secondly, then what difference betweene this which is done to men, and that which is done to God Almighty? Surely, in reſpect of the outward act, no difference is there at all, but of the minde, which doth conceiue of God herein as God, and ſo this outward humiliation becommeth diuine adoration; and of man, but as man, worthy of reuerence and honour for his place, his age and gifts, and ſo the worſhip and reuerence done him, is onelyonly ciuill. Thirdly, ſome perhaps will aske, Whether this may be giuen vntounto wicked men? Yes without doubt, as we ſee Iacobs reuerence to profane Eſau; Dauids, to wicked Saul; and Abrahams bowing of himſelfe to the idolatrous Hittites: for men and their places are to be diſtinguiſhed. True it is, that Eliſha ſhewed little reſpect vntounto Iehoram; and Mordecai would doe no reuerence to proud Haman: but theſe had (no doubt) ſome extraordinary warrant ſo to doe, and are not therefore for ordinary imitation; the reaſons alleaged for Mordecai are knowne, and therefore I will not trouble here the Reader with them, becauſe they bee but weake coniectures.
Why hauehave I found grace in thine eyes, that thou ſhouldest take knowledge of me, ſeeing I am a ſtranger?] This humble ſoule wondreth at his ſo great kindneſſe, though it was but to hauehave leaue to gleane, and to drinke water out of the veſſels: She thought it ſtrange, that ſo great a perſonage ſhould ſpeake thus reſpectiuely to her that was but a ſtranger. From hence may we obſerue, firſt, that the vertuous and thankefull perſons take moſt kindly ſuch fauours as bee ſhewed them, and doe wonder rather thereat, then make light thereof, though but in common and meane things, eſpecially if the fauours bee done with cheerefulneſſe, as this vertuous woman Ruth doth here; for ſuch doe looke into themſelues, and their vnworthineſſe, thinking with themſelues what might rather withdraw mens affections from them, than win them to them. They alſo looke vp to God, and doe behold him in the Giuer, ſhe being as Gods hand offering his mercies to them. Theſe things make them to bee very thankfull, and to expreſſe it fully. This example of thankfulneſſe is to be imitated of eueryevery one beholden vntounto others, and iuſtly reproueth the vngratefull; of which there be theſe ſorts, Firſt, ſuch as receiue fauours, & will not acknowledge them like the nine Lepers. Secondly, ſuch as ſcornefullyLuk. 17. 18. refuſe kindneſſes offered, as they that will not be beholden vntounto others, becauſe they thinke they can liue of themſelues. Thirdly, which will not requite a good turne done them, but rather churliſhly reproach the partie, as Nabal did Dauid. Fourthly, which will not helpe in need ſuch as put their very liues in their hands for them and for others; thus dealt the men of Sucoth with Gideon. Fifthly, which in proſperity forget their friends, and what pleaſure was done them in theirGen. 40. 23. aduerſity; as did Pharaoes Cup-bearer. Sixtly,Eccleſ. 9. 15. which recompence euill for good; as Ioaſh did to Iehoiada his ſonne; Hanun to Dauids Meſſengers;2. Sam. 10. 4. or which louelove a man leſſe, becauſe of his louelove to them: and ſo the Corinthians to Paul; the more2. Cor. 12. 15. he loued them, the leſſe was he beloued. All theſe are ingratefull. Now, ingratitude is a foule ſinne, it is a ſtoppage to all fauours, and drieth vp the affection of mens hearts; and God puniſhed it in2. Chro. 24. 25. Iudge. 9. 16, 20, 56, 57. Ioaſh, and reuenged it vponupon the Sechemites: and therefore let vsus not be guiltie of a ſinne ſo hatefull to God and man. II. We learne, that it is a great fauour and grace for a rich Inhabitant, to take knowledge of one poore & a ſtranger too. This Ruth in her words here confeſſeth and admireth. For indeed, nothing but goodneſſe in a man maketh him kind to ſtrangers, eſpecially poore ones: it is not nature, nor worldly reaſon. And therefore when ſtrangers find fauour where they come, let them acknowledge it a great kindneſſe, and a mercy of God, and a worke of his grace. III. That a godly man, as Boaz, will be good vntounto the godly poore, though a ſtranger. And ſo ſhould wee; as the Apoſtle commendeth it to vsus; and our Sauiour in theHeb. 13. 2. Parable of the Samaritane: And we muſt conſider, that we may come into ſtrange places our ſelues, and need fauour; remembring moreouer this, that if ſuch ſtrangers be Chriſtians, they be our brethren and ſiſters in Chriſt, for in him thereCol. 3. 11. Gal. 3. 28. is neither Iew nor Greeke, but we are all one. Which condemneth the ill diſpoſition of ſuch as cannot abide that ſtrangers ſhould come among them, and that not ſuch as Ruth, of another nation, but ſuch as be borne in the ſame kingdome, yea in the ſame countrey, if they feare any charge to come to them thereby. Oh how would they take on in our vncharitable dayes, if a poore Naomi ſhould, after many yeeres, returne to the place of her former abode, and bring a poore woman with her, to charge the pariſh! Well, good Boaz did not ſo, neither the Inhabitants of Bethlehem. IV. Note, how ſhamefaſtneſſe, wiſedome and humilitie are excellent ornaments of praiſe in a woman, as they are here in Ruth; ſhee caſt downe her eyes, not looking impudently vponupon him, ſhee bowed to the ground, and ſhewed humilitie, and her words were effectuall and few, and therein was her wiſedome. Theſe three, ſhamefaſt countenance, humble geſture, and fewneſſe of words, doe grace a woman highly, and doe winne her honour, though neuer ſo poore. And therefore let women labour for them, more then for a faire face, gay clothes, and a great portion; theſe make them ſaleable with wantons and worldlings: but the other with the wiſe and vertuous. This reproueth ſuch as be of a proud and hawtie carriage,Eſai. 3. 18. which are coſtly Dames, commanding Miſtreſſes, but hardly obedient wiues: ſuch alſo as be great talkers, reproued by the Apoſtle: theſe be1. Tim. 5. 13. ſhrewd Dames, often they breed contention abroad, & ſome diſquietneſſe at home, for want of the gouernemēt of the tongue; ſuch women as be bold without bluſhing, impudent Dames, which will not couer their faces with Rebecca for modeſtie ſake, but will goe naked ſo farre as modeſtie cryeth ſhame vponupon. But they which hauehave to ſell, thinke they may be allowed to ſet open their ſhop-windowes. But chaſte mindes ſeeing the deformity thereof, will frame themſelues to a more decent and modeſt behauiour: ſuch as would hold the name of the vertuous, will not ſo much labour in the outward ſhew, neither goe after the faſhion of vaine perſons. Chaſte Penelope, a Heathen, will ſtand couered before her Suters. And will Chriſtian women ſhew themſelues ſo naked, as ſome doe, to the view of all? O impudencie! O immodeſt ſhew of lightneſſe and vanitie!