Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 2 · Verse 17
Verſ. 17. So ſhe gleaned in the field vntill euen, and beat out that ſhe had gleaned; and it was about an Epha of Barley.
THis ſheweth the continuance of Ruth in her labour, till the end of the day: then, her beating out the corne, and what it by meaſure came vntounto: the ſcope to ſet out Gods bleſſing, her painefull trauell, and Boaz furtherance thereof, as is noted in the former verſes, by allowing her to gleane amongſt the ſheaues, and commanding his ſeruants to let fall handfuls for her to gather vp.
So ſhee gleaned in the field vntill Euen.] Ruth abode in that ſame field, as Boaz aduiſed; there ſhe found kindneſſe. It is good abiding there, where we doe well. It is wantonneſſe to bee remouing from thence, and not being in want, as many light ſeruants doe, who as rolling ſtones, which can neuer gather moſſe, feele want ere they be aware. Ruth kept her ſelfe there where ſhe was well; and ſo ſhould others doe, and reape the fruit of wiſedome and conſtancie: both which appeared in Ruth herein. Note againe from her example of ſedulitie, that ſuch as louelove labour, take paines ſo long as they may; all the day till night: for the day is the time of labour till the euening, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh; Man goeth out to his labour vntill the Euening. Ruth reſted not till the time of reſt: for they that louelove labour, doe ſtrengthen themſelues to it, as Salomon ſpeakethProu. 31. 17. of the good houſ-wife. And this ſtrengthening is thus; when they labour to come with a good will to worke; when they force their owne conſciences thereto from the Commandement of God to labour; when they doe conſider labour as the ordinarie meanes appointed, both to get an outward eſtate, and to preſerue the ſame: and laſtly, when they ioy inProu. 31. 18. the fruit of their labour, and reape the profit of their hands. Thus ſhould wee ſtrengthen our ſelues to take paines, as Ruth here did. So ſhall we eate the bread of our owne hands, as the1. Theſ. 4. 11. Apoſtle exhorteth: which, as before I hauehave noted,2. Theſ. 3. 12. Pſalm. 128. 1. Prou. 31. 27. is a bleſſed thing, and we ſhall not eate the bread of idleneſſe, the bread which the good woman would not taſte of: it is vnſauorie to all that truely feare God, and walke as they ſhould, in an honeſt calling. This diligence and conſtant labour of Ruth, checketh thoſe which will not worke on the day, to hauehave the ſweet labouring mans reſt in the night; not in health, to relieue themſelues in ſickeneſſe; not in youth, to maintaine old age; not in ſummer, for heat; not in winter, for cold: but rather as Droanes deſire to liue vponupon the ſweat of other mens browes, not vponupon the labour of their owne hands, as God ſpake to Adam. They alſo are here reproued,Gen. 3. which will not be conſtant in labour, but worke onelyonly by fits to ſupply preſent wants, and to hauehave money to ſpend, not ſetting hand to labour while they hauehave one penny, neuer prouiding for the time to come, but doe reſt vponupon their preſent ſtrength, to labour for ſupply of preſent wants, and no farther; whereby it commeth to paſſe, that in ſickeneſſe and old age they muſt either bee relieued of others, or periſh for hunger.
And beate out that ſhee had gleaned.] Shee was both the Gleaner and the Threſher. Corne was beat out ſometime by oxen, or horſes treading, or by a wheele running vponupon it, or by a ſtaffe, as here, or by the flaile, as now eueryevery where with vsus. It was a meane courſe to gleane, but a meaner for her ſelfe to ſit downe to beate out what ſhee had gleaned; & yet this ſhe did: before ſhe went home to her mother in law, whoſe houſe ſhee would not cumber, nor trouble her old head with the noyſe of the beating, ſhee would bring home all ready with her. Shee laboured more like a ſeruant then a daughter in law, and yet ſhe in louelove was more then a daughter in law; her ſeruice was beyond a ſeruant in labour and trauel, with diligence and faithfulneſſe, and her louelove ſurpaſſed and exceeded the louelove of many naturall children. The thing principally here to be noted is, that the godly, which indeed be truely humble, and painefull, refuſe no honest kind of labour. Abel will keepe ſheep; Iacob will doe the like; Sarah will bake cakes, euen ordinary bread, not like the Apothecarie ſtuffe, ſuch as our Ladies perhaps will put their hands vntounto, if their fingers be yet not too fine; Rebecca will take a pitcher and fetch water, yea more, will draw for the Camels of a ſtranger out of courteſie; Yea, Gideon will thraſh; Boaz will lie by his corne heape; Ruth will beate out her corne; and the honorable woman will put her hand to the diſtaffe. The reaſons are, becauſe ſuch hauehave put on humilitie, which will refuſe to doe nothing that is honeſt and lawfull; they know no diſhoneſtie therein, and that it was held a vertue aforetimes to labour in ſuch things, as the pride of our times iudge baſe & contemptible, and themſelues diſgraced therein. By noVide Mar. Buc. de Regno Christi. lib. 2. cap. 48, 49. meanes many in our age will labour, vponupon any occaſion in any common thing: they hauehave (forſooth) their reaſons: They alledge birth. But who better borne then Gain and Abel the ſonnes of the ſole Monarch of the whole world? Chriſt Ieſus by birth, as man, deſcended of Kings, and the King of Iudah, yet was a Carpenter: hee hadMark. 6. 3. birth to hauehave boaſted on, and he had power diuine to hauehave exempted him from labour, yet he would not doe ſo. King Alpho…ſus doing ſomething with his hands, and labouring ſo, as ſome which beheld him found fault, ſmiled and ſaid, Hath God giuen hands to Kings in vaine? Yea the Grand Segnior by his law, as I take it, is toThe great Lord of the Turkiſh Empire. doe daily ſome bodily worke with his owne hands, and that law they doe obſerue, to grace labour, and that labouring men ſhould not become contemptible. They will alledge, I meane our Gentlemen Idlers, that they hauehave rich parents to maintaine them, that they need not worke. Yes, if not for maintenance, yet to preuent a world of wickedneſſe which commeth by their idle life. For who ſet out the enſignes of pride in apparell, but theſe? Who proue ſo prodigal? Who liue ſo much in filthy luſts of vncleanneſſe? Who maintain play, and play-houſes? Who are the Tabacconiſts, the drunkards, the ryotous perſons? Who of the roaring boyes, and damned crue, but commonly theſe? Behold, you rich parents, the goodly fruit of the idle education of your children! But graunt they proue not euer ſuch as be here named: may they yet liue without callings, and onelyonly liue idly, and do nothing, becauſe their parents can maintaine them? Did rich Abraham ſo bring vp Iſaac, or he ſo Iacob; and this man ſo his children; or did leſse thus traine vp Dauid? If he had, ſurely he had neuer beene King of Iſrael: for God neuer made choiſe of any man to aduance him, but ſuch as were in their callings. God calleth Moſes keepingSee what Dauid was when he yet kept ſheep. 1. Sam. 16. 12, 18, …9. and 17. 40, 42. ſheep; ſo Dauid; and Gideon when he was threſhing; and Eliſha when he was plowing; Amos when he was with his cattel. What ſhall I ſpeake of the Apoſtles when Chriſt did call them? Was not ſome mending their nets, other fiſhing, another ſitting at the receipt of cuſtome? none idle or out of a calling. So long as the prodigall ſonne liued out of a calling, yea till he kept ſwine, as baſe as it was, he neuer came to himſelfe, he neuer had grace to repent. Theſe Idlers and looſe liuers yet ſay for themſelues, that it is a diſgrace for them to mind ſo meane things, as the men of old time did. Diſgrace! Who can hold that to be a diſgrace, which better mē hauehave done? Better for pietie to God, better before men, for nobleneſſe of birth, for greatneſſe of ſtate, and for name of renowne in the world. Againe, who doe make that a diſgrace now, which God in his Word ſheweth to hauehave beene their praiſe? This conceit of diſgrace ariſeth from the ſpirit of pride and vanitie, in the ſonnes of Belial. But if conceit of diſgrace make them auoid labour in ſome calling, whether of the mind or body; then would I faine know, why they auoid not thoſe things wherein diſgrace is indeed? and why they ſhame not to liue idly, prodigally, laſciuiouſly, in ryot and exceſſe, in fooliſh pride, and vanitie, and lewd courſes vnbeſeeming the name of Chriſtianity? Laſtly, theſe vnprofitable members will ſay, they hauehave better beene brought vp, than to take paines. What is this better bringing vp? It is to follow faſhions, or to drinke and whiffe the Tabacco pipe, or to congie and complement, or to hunt and hawke, and then curſe and ſweare as the furies of Hell; or elſe to handle a weapon to ſtrike and ſtab, and vponupon a word to challenge, and ſo into the field to play the Deuils companion, or to play at dice and cards, or to read amorous bookes, to court a Curtiſan, I ſhould ſay a Gentlewoman or a yong Gallant, to vanitie and wantonneſſe. How much more commendable were it, and profitable to be imployed in ſome good literature, as in the knowledge of tongues, and arts? And will their bringing vp allow them to liue idly? Was not Paul brought vp at the feet of Gam…liel a great Stateſman among the Iewes, and yet he laboured with his hands, and neuer liued out of a particular calling? And was not Moſes brought vp in Pharaoes Court, and in all the learning of the Egyptians? Yet did he liue in a calling, and would be a Shepheard, rather then liue idly, or in Pharaoes Court wickedly: he pleaded not his birth, his gentrie, his better education, as theſe doe. It is enough to be a Gentleman, as they ſpeake now adayes, to countenance him in ſinne, in ſloth, in brauerie, in contempt of a ſtrict life, to liue out of a calling, ſauing the calling of a Gentleman, a profeſſion ſo abuſed to aduance ſinne and Satans kingdome, as nothing more: yet neuer read I, nor heard I of in holy Writ, or elſewhere, that the title and name of a Gentleman ſhould be a calling, to exempt men from all callings, from all honeſt labours, and to leaue them looſe, as wild Colts without bit or bridle, to their owne luſts and licentious libertie, and finally, to their ruine and deſtruction. This is not Gentrie, but rather Gentiliſme, to be hated of a Chriſtian. The practice whereof was odious euen in the Common-wealths of Heathen men.
And it was about an Epha of Barley.] Thus muchExod. 16. 36. her daies labour came vntounto, which was almoſt a buſhell after our meaſure. An Epha was tenne times as much as an Omer, which was the meaſure for gathering Mannah; and this was as muchExod. 16. 16. as would ſerue one man bread for a day. So Ruth had gathered ſo much in one day, as might ſerue her many dayes: thus the Lord bleſſed her labour. Whence we may learne this, that the Lord can and will giuegive ſometime a plentifull bleſsing to the diligent hand. Thus he bleſſed Iacob in his painefull ſeruice ſo, as hee was able to giuegive to Eſau aGen. 32. 13, 14. preſent of fiue hundred fiftie head of beaſts, and cattell, of one ſort and other; for all things are in his hand, and at his diſpoſing. How ſoone did hee enrich againe Iob? It is nothing with the Lord to make a poore man rich. And therefore in our labours let vsus hauehave recourſe vntounto God, becauſeDeut. 8. 18. hee giueth power to get wealth; withoutPſal. 127. 2. Haggai 1. 6. his bleſſing our labour is in vaine; but with his bleſſing our labour ſhall take good effect.Iohn 21. 6.