Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 2 · Verse 11
Verſe 11. And Boaz anſwered and ſaid vntounto her, It hath fully beene ſhewed me, all that thou haſt done vntounto thy mother in law, ſince the death of thine huſband; and how thou haſt left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy natiuity, and art come vntounto a people, which thou kneweſt not heretofore.
BOaz his reply vntounto Ruth, giuing her the reaſons of his kindneſſe towards her a ſtranger; which was by relation made to him before this, of her vertues ſhewed in her louelove to her mother in law, and in her grace and godlineſſe, leauing her own country, to come and dwell amongſt Gods people, though vnknowne to her aforetime.
And Boaz anſwered and ſaid vntounto her, It hath fully beene ſhewed mee, all that thou haſt done. A good report, and that to the full, was ſpred abroad of Ruth: of which Boaz had taken notice, and for which he was ſo kind to her, as hee here acknowledgeth. Whence note, I. That vertue ſhall not want Trumpeters to ſound out her praiſes to the full, Pſal. 37. 6. Ruth was made renowned among all the people, & Ioſeph at length throughout all the land of Egypt: which is Gods mercy for encouragement to vertue; and this will thoſe doe which louelove vertue in others. Therefore let ſuch as would be renowned, ſtriue to be vertuous: It is the worthieſt matter of praiſe and commendation. It procureth louelove, and that true louelove of ſuch as neuer ſee vsus, as did Salomons fame, and ſo Chriſts; It cauſeth an honorable remembrance—Viuit poſt funera virtus. Bias, Omnia mea mecum porto. after death: It is ſuch goods as cannot bee loſt; but beauty may with ſickneſſe and age bee defaced, ſtrength alſo may decay: So Haman may loſe his honour, and Iob may be diſpoſſeſſed of all his riches in a moment, but vertue abideth for euer. Laſtly, this is pleaſing to God, to all good men, yea and makes the Angels to attend vponupon vsus, as the Lord hath put the charge vponupon them. And yet the praiſe hereof is leaſt reſpected, but men ſeeke praiſes which be after mans wiſdome, earthly and ſenſuall: as Abſaloms for beauty; Hamans for fauour with a King; Achitophels for worldly policy; others for riches and authority ouer their brethren; which yet they are no laſtingPro. 4. 18. praiſes, ſoone loſt, and neuer afford true louelove in the hearts of men, as vertue doth: which may miniſter comfort to ſuch as bee vertuous, who deſerue true praiſes, & they ſhall not want them; they ſhall not neede to bragge, as the proud hypocriticall Phariſe, of their well-doing. Grant that many now will not giuegive them their due, ſome of pride, other through enuie, and a third ſort of ill will cannot ſpeake well: yet when they be dead, euen ſuch as did diſpraiſe them, will then praiſe them: but howſoeuer, they ſhall at the laſt Day receiue praiſes of Ieſus Chriſt before the Angels & all the world, and be euerlaſtingly rewarded for the ſame. II. That well-doing procureth fauour to the poore, though ſtrangers, at the hands of the vertuous: for this was the cauſe of Boaz louelove to Ruth, as here he acknowledgeth: and this is true godlineſſe, to louelove others for their goodnes. Would you poore find fauour? Labour to be vertuous: for God will procure the liking of others, and moue them to doe you good, as God did Boaz heart towards Ruth. This is the way to doe you good, and not to liue idlely, levvdly, and by flatterie and talebearing, to think to proſper, vvhichwhich is the trade of too many poore ones. With ſome for a vvhile they may find fauour, but in the meane ſpace they procure hatred of ſome others, and at length vvill be abhorred of all. And here let the rich learne vponupon whom to beſtow freely their kindneſſe, and whom to louelove and reſpect, euen the godly poore, ſuch as beeGal. 6. 10. Mat. 25. & 10. of the houſhold of faith, for in them Chriſt is relieued, and ſuch ſhall not loſe their reward. If you aske, Who are theſe godly poore? I anſwer, Euen ſuch as Ruth, which get a good name by their vertuous liues, their duty done to their betters, their painefulneſſe in labour; their conſcience of Religion: Theſe be the godly poore, and not the ſtubborne, the idle, the irreligious, ſwearing, fighting, railing, drunken poore, who are more worthy of puniſhment, than reliefe.
VntoUnto thy mother in law ſince the death of thine husband.] Thus Boaz beginneth to particularize her vertues; and the firſt here is her louing carriage, and praiſe-worthy behauiour vntounto her mother in law, not onelyonly while her husband liued, but euer after, not ceaſing to louelove becauſe he was dead, for whoſe ſake ſhee firſt was occaſioned to louelove her. Due prayſes can be ſhewed in particular vertues. See it in the praiſes of Iob, Cornelius, theIob. 1. Act. 10. 2. Reu. 2. 1, 2. Angell of Epheſus. And therefore in praiſing any, wee muſt bee able to inſtance in thoſe things which deſerue ſuch praiſes, elſe it is ſottiſh ignorance, or groſſe flatterie, or both. Againe note, That whom we louelove for our friends ſake being aliue, if louelove be vnfaigned, it will appeare, when they be dead. This is Ruths louelove vntounto Naomi, Dauids to Mephiboſheth for Ionathans ſake. True louelove is a fountaine that neuer can be drawne drie. This reproueth the looſe louelove of many, who can louelove, and lightly turne it into hatred of the ſame perſon vponupon ſmall occaſions; ſuch alſo as can louelove their friend for his time, but when he is dead, will neglect all reſpect to eueryevery one of his, whom in his dayes they pretended to louelove.
And how thou haſt left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy natiuity, and art come vntounto a people which thou kneweſt not heretofore. This was rare louelove, and a very great meaſure of grace, for Religon ſake, to forſake naturall parents; for a mother in Law, her owne country, for a ſtrange nation and people: ſhee muſt needs bee endued with a ſtrong faith, and an extraordinary meaſure of louelove to Religion, and the worſhip of the true God. By which wee ſee, that faith and feruent louelove ouercome all difficulties; euen nature it ſelfe, as here in her, ſo in Abraham, when leauing hisHeb. 11. Gen. 12. Gen. 22. & 21. Gal. 1. 10. countrey, he trauelled hee knew not whither, and did offer vp Iſaac at Gods bidding, and put away Iſmael, and al three without gainſaying, cherefully. Theſe ouercame carnall reaſon, and this deſire of pleaſing God, made Saint Paul a zealous Profeſſor. Faith made Gideon to leaue thouſandsIud. 7. 7, 12. & 8. 10. 13 5000. Ioſh. 6. behind him, and to bee content to enter the battaile whith 300. againſt many thouſands; ſo did Ioſhua by Gods direction command ſeuen Prieſts to goe ſeuen times about the walls of Iericho, to beate them downe with ſound of Rammes hornes. This faith & louelove made many proſelytes and Heathen to become Chriſtians, and Chriſtians in the time of bloody perſecutions, to forſake all for Chriſts ſake, and his Goſpell, as the Apoſtles ſpake of themſelues vntounto Chriſt. This faith and louelove of God will vanquiſh the world,1. Ioh. 5. 4, 5. and will make … leaue the Court of Pharaoh, to bee with Gods people in affliction, and will make Amaziah to ſeparate himſelfe from the2. Chro. 25. 6, 9, 10. wicked, and make light of an 100. talents of ſiluer; Yea ſo powerfull is faith and louelove of God, as they will ouercome our ſelues, euen to make light of our ſelues, and our liues, for the Lords ſake, as we ſee in the bleſſed Martyrs, ſuffering cruell torments for the truth ſake; for the power of faith and ſpirituall louelove is ſupernaturall, and is wrought and ſo aſſiſted by Gods Spirit, as no worldly, or fleſhly impediments can hinder them in the way to eternall life. Therefore muſt we labour for theſe graces aboue all things, if wee would be maſters ouer our ſelues; if wee would preuaile againſt all hinderances of our ſaluation. Theſe will bridle luſts, contemne vaine honours, reſiſt Satan and his temptations: and ſeeing they are ſo powerfull, hence may we ſee whether wee hauehave this faith and true louelove, if we can ouercome our corrupt nature, carnall reaſon, and this euill world: but if theſe ouermaſter vsus, then want wee this faith and louelove, from which thoſe be farre off, who are led like beaſts by nature, like ſenſuall men by luſts, corrupt reaſon, and by this vnconſtant world, and the vanities thereof. Though they doe beare the name of Chriſtians, yet Chriſts power is farre from them. Note further hence, why hee ſpeaketh thus to Ruth: euen to giuegive her to know the true cauſe of his kindneſſe, and good reſpect towards her, euen her godlineſſe and grace; which may teach, That vertue and grace are the greateſt motiues to incite great men, which be alſo good men, vntounto the workes of mercy and bounty to the poore: as we here ſee by Boaz ſpeeches; for vertue is louely to them which are vertuous, though the parties be neuer ſo poore. Let thē the poore labour for grace and godlineſſe, that they may find mercy at the hands of the wealthy, for if they feare God, he wil be their ſpokes-man, hee will moue the hearts of others to doe them good. Though this bee the way to procure fauour, yet commonly we ſee the poore idle, and too lewd of life; and yet they murmure, curſe, and rage, if they be not relieued: for they thinke they ought to be relieued, euen becauſe they bee poore, though neuer ſo wicked, though they will hardly labour to take any paines to liue, when of ſuch the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, that they ſhould not be relieued. Hee that will not labour, let him not eate, 2. Theſ. 3.ſaith the Apoſtle. As this is for inſtruction to the poore: ſo the rich from Boaz may learne, on whom to beſtow their fauours, and workes of mercy, euen vponupon the godly, the houſhold ofGal. 6. 10. Mat. 25 & 10. Pro. 19. 17. Pſal. 41. 1, 2, 3. faith: for in them Chriſt is relieued, in them they doe lend vntounto the Lord, who vvill repay them to the full, and greatly reward them. But of this a little before in the beginning of this verſe.