Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 2 · Verse 12
Verſe 12. The Lord recompence thy worke, and a full reward be giuen thee of the Lord God of Iſrael, vnderunder whoſe wings thou art come to truſt.
THeſe words are a prayer and bleſſing pronounced out of the mouth of Boaz vponupon poore Ruth. which doth maruailouſly ſet out the pietie of this man. Here may be noted, who makes this requeſt, to whom, for what, for whom, and why.
The Lord recompence thy worke.] This rich Boaz prayeth for poore Ruth. Whence note, I. That there is a recompence of reward from God, euen to the poore for well-doing: this the prayer of Boaz ſheweth, who elſe would not hauehave begged it at Gods hand; and we muſt know, that the Lord in promiſing to reward well-doing, excepts againſt none, rich nor poore, but will recōpence the weldoer, be he whoſoeuer; with him is no reſpect of perſons, but he that worketh righteouſneſſe, is acceptedAct. 10. of him; and godlineſſe (in whomſoeuer it be) hath the Promiſe of this life and of the life to1. Tim. 4. 8. come. Let this comfort the poore in their welldoing, and in their works of vertue and godlineſſe.
Queſt. Here it may be demanded, what good workes can the poore doe, to expect reward from God, ſeeing they hauehave no riches?
Anſw. A good worke is not, nor ſtands not onelyonly in giuing almes, and ſuch like things, for then ſhould onelyonly the rich be doers of good workes: but many other things are good workes, and approued of God, and which he will recompence, which the poore, that hauehave not one peny, may doe; as to doe the duety of louelove and obedience to their parents, or to others to whom they owe it; to forſake idolatrie for the true worſhip of God; to leaue their countrey for the Lords ſake and for his people; to forſake their old heatheniſh acquaintance and kindred. All which Ruth did: and theſe may the poore doe, which workes God will recompence; and all other dueties which one oweth to another, in any ſort, being done in faith, in louelove, and in obedience to God, they are good workes, and the Lord will rewardCol. 3. 24. the ſame; euen the honeſt and painefull ſeruice of a poore ſeruant, as the Apoſtle teacheth. Wee ſee then, that the pooreſt may doe good workes, though not ſuch, as commonly are ſo called, to the doing whereof the worlds wealth is required; and yet herein a poore ſoules two mites are more acceptable to God, then the ſuperfluities of the rich. II. The rich, from the example of Boaz, may not thinke ſcorne to pray, and that very heartily for the poore. It is a very rare example to ſee ſo mighty a man of wealth, and ſo high in authoritie, to be ſo much taken vp in his affection, in conſidering the poore womans vertue, as to breake forth into ſo vehement a prayer as this was, as appeareth by the doubling of the words: and yet this ought rich men to doe, if they thinke that the poore are not excluded out of the communion of Saints, and that they be the children of God with them, as they are taught in the Lords Prayer. This would ſhew a great meaſure of grace, this would encourage much the poore to goe on in well-doing. But, alas, this comes not once into the thought of a rich man; he thinks the poore bound to pray for him, but himſelfe not at all, vponupon any occaſion for them, becauſe he thinkes he can pleaſure them, but they can no way pleaſure him; ſo he conſidereth onelyonly outward and perſonall benefit, and not the excellencie of vertue, and fruit thereof to them and others, as Boaz did.
And a full reward be giuen thee.] A good man thinkes his mercies and kindneſſe are not enough to recompence and reward the vertue, and workes of welldoint in others: for he valueth vertue aboue wealth, and aboue the price of all theſe tranſitorie things. Againe note, that there is to be expected a full reward for a good worke; I ſay, firſt a reward, yet ſo, that it be looked for in mercy, and not in merit; for God hath promiſed a reward, and that in many places of Scripture; and then it ſhall be a full reward, which Boaz prayeth for here, to be giuen to Ruth: which ſhall be certainely accompliſhed in the life to come, & here ſometime in a great meaſure, as it was to Ruth, in giuing her Boaz for an husband, which he little thought of in this prayer, that he ſhould be the reward of her godlineſſe and grace. This is an excellent incouragement to vertue and good workes.
Of the Lord God of Iſrael.] Iſrael was Iacobs name, and now applied to all his poſterity the people of God: Thus was the true God called, by the name of God, noting the perſons in the Trinity; and of Lord, noting his ſubſtance, and being of himſelfe, as the originall words to the Learned doe ſhew; and he is the Lord God of Iſrael, becauſeDeut. 7. 6. he choſe the Iſraelites to be his people before all other nations of the Earth, a type of the Elect number, called The Iſrael of God. To thisGal. 6. true and euerliuing God, doth Boaz make requeſt for a full and perfect reward, ſhewing, that it is not in man, but it muſt be God that can make a full payment to godlineſſe; the full reward is to be giuen of him, and therefore from him it is to be expected, who hath the recompence in his hand, in full perfection.
VnderUnder whoſe wings.] A figuratiue ſpeech vſuall in Pſalmes to expreſſe the louelove of God, and thePſal. 17. 8. and 57. & 36. 7. & 61 protection of ſuch as be his; for as a Hen nouriſheth and defendeth her young ones vnderunder her wings, from the Kite and other rauenous birds: ſo doth the Lord care for his people, to keepe them in ſafety from dangers. They are ſafely protected, Deut. 33. 29.who come to the Lord and trust in him: forPſalm. 91. God hath vndertaken to protect ſuch, and he isZach. 2. 8. able to deſend them, and he will doe it, becauſe he loueth them. Oh then, let vsus labour to be of the Lords people, to goe vntounto him, and to truſt in him! Men being in danger here, get into great mens ſeruice for protection; and we being in greater danger, yea in ſuch dangers eueryevery day, on the right and left hand, from which none can deliuer vsus, but God, ſhould not we ſeeke his ſeruice for protection? And being in it, let vsus be comforted, as ſure of his aide; let vsus truſt in him, as did Dauid; for he ſaueth all them that put theirPſal. 61 4. Pſal. 17. 7 & 57. 1. Pſal. 17. 8. and 119. 94. Pſal. 63. 7. Pſal. 34. & 91. Iob. 1. truſt in him. Let vsus in neede runne to him for aid, as did Dauid, and deſired to be ſaued by him, and let vsus reioyce vnderunder the ſhadow of his wings: for his Angels ſhall guard vsus, and pitch their Tents about vsus: he will make a hedge about vsus alſo: and if this will not be defence enough, thenZach. 2. 5. will he be a wall of fire, ſo ſure and ſafe ſhall we be from all our enemies.
Thou art come to trust.] Boaz taketh it for granted, that ſhee had faith: for they that come toHeb. 11. God, muſt beleeue that he is. This draweth vsus to God, this keepeth vsus with him, when we be come vntounto him. Now, that we may know what is here meant by faith, we muſt vnderſtand that there be degrees hereof: as to beleeue there is a God, againſt all the Atheiſts, which deny this principle in nature. II. That that which we beleeue to be God, be the true God, euen God by nature, and none other, and that he is not many, but one God onelyonly, againſt all Idolaters and worſhippers of falſe gods. III. That hee be ſuch a one as hee reuealeth himſelfe in his Word, and ſo conceiued of, and no otherwiſe, a Spirit, True, Iuſt, Mercifull, Almighty and ſo forth, againſt all carnall conceits and fleſhly apprehenſions of God, as is in the ignorant multitude, & the blind Papiſts our Aduerſaries. IV. That we hauehave ſure confidence in him, wholy relying vponupon him, and commending our ſelues ſo to his protection, as vntounto a ſafe place, where we thinke to be ſure: and ſo theforeign recepit ſe in locum, vbi ſit tectus ab iniuria. word in the originall is here vſed. The knowledge hereof ſhould make vsus to examine our faith, whether we thus truſt in him, and hauehave the ſauing faith, which maketh not aſhamed. Such a faith is, Firſt, without hypocriſie, being faith1. Tim. 1. 5. Gal. 3. 14. Rom. 5. 1. Heb. 4. Ephe. 3. 12. vnfained. Secondly, It is accompanied with the Spirit of God. Thirdly, Where it is, there is inward peace of conſcience, and freedome to draw nigh to God with boldneſſe. Fourthly, It ſhewethAct. 15. 9. 1. Tim. 1. 5. Gal. 5. 6. Iam. 2. 7. it ſelfe in a godly conuerſation; for the heart is purged, and pure, and a good conſcience is ioyned with it: it worketh alſo by louelove, and ſheweth it ſelfe by workes, and ſo cauſeth obedience to the good pleaſure and will of God, as we may ſee in Noah building the Arke, and in Abraham offeringHeb. 11. Act. 13. 48. & 4. 32. vp Iſaac. Fifthly, and laſtly, it maketh vsus to reioyce in the meanes of ſaluation, and to bee of one heart and ſoule with the Beleeuers, and ſuch as wee perceiue to feare God. By all which, our faith may be examined; and by theſe may we know how little there is in men in theſe dayes, where and when there is ſuch hypocriſie, ſo little true louelove of the Word, or of them that louelove it, and ſo much wickedneſſe and lewdneſſe▪ they make open proclamation, that this grace of true ſauing faith was neuer grafted in their hearts.