Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 2 · Verse 2
Verſe 2. And Ruth the Moabiteſſe ſaid vntounto Naomi, Let me now goe to the field, and gleane eares of corne after him, in whoſe ſight I ſhall find grace. And ſhee ſaid vntounto her, Goe, my daughter.
THis verſe is a requeſt made, and ſheweth, firſt, of whom it is made: then, to whom, and for what, with the graunt thereunto, as is apparent by the words: The ſcope is to ſhew how great things come to paſſe by poore and vnlikely beginnings; as we may ſee in this of Ruth, of Ioſeph cōming to be a Prince in Egypt: the like may be ſeen in Moſes, yea in the glorious aduancement of Chriſts Goſpel. By all which Gods power and wiſedome is ſhewed, mans wiſedome caſt downe, & our ſelues incouraged to hauehave faith and confidence in God.
And Ruth the Moabiteſse ſaid vntounto Naomi.] When Ruth was come into Iudah, ſhee and Naomi dwelt together, but yet in poore eſtate, and now time ſeruing to helpe themſelues by labour, Ruth bethinketh her ſelfe what to do in this caſe; ſhee murmureth not againſt the God of Iſrael, as his owne people the Iſraelites did in the wilderneſſe, and were ready to returne into Egypt; ſhee minded not Moab; ſhee was not offended with Naomi her pouertie, nor with the reſt for not affording her plenty; but ſhee reſolueth to vſe her owne labour for her helpe, while the time did ſerue. From which we may learne, That honeſt hearts truely intertaining Religion, doe not forſake it or the godly for worldly wants. Ruth could not for theſe things be made to ſtart backe; nor Saint Paul for all his afflictions; for ſincere hearts louelove Religion for it ſelfe, and the godly for their vertues, not for their outward eſtate; they alſo doe know a reward of eternall happineſſe to be in the life to come, which they ſet before them, and therefore do not take offence from the outward things of this life, which they leaſt eſteeme of, and looke to hauehave the leaſt ſhare in them; which reproueth thoſe that for the wants of the world bid farewell to the Word, like Demaſſes: but the Apoſtles for Chriſt forſooke all; and Moſes choſe the poore eſtate of the godly to liue religiouſly, before the Court of Pharaoh to liue viciouſly. Let this checke alſo thoſe which vponupon eueryevery want murmur againſt God, and are ready with the rebellious company in the Wilderneſſe, to returne into Egyptian bondage of ſinne & Satan, for to inioy ſome outward & worldly contentment.
Let me now goe to the field.] Though it was honeſt, good, and neceſſary which Ruth intended, yet would ſhee not goe abroad without her mother in lawes leaue and good liking: For godly children hold themſelues bound to be at the diſpoſing of their parents, yea in all lawfull and neceſſary things, though their pareuts alſo be poore; becauſe ſuch children make conſcience of the Commandement of honouring their parents. Let children follow this example: Ruth was but a daughter in law, yet ſee her grace and humility, which the Lord rewarded vntounto her. Which iuſtly condemneth the ſawcineſſe of children in law in theſe dayes, who thinke no duety to be due to father or mother in law, eſpecially if they be poore, as was Naomi here. But what ſpeake I of children in law? I wiſh that a iuſt complaint might not be taken vp againſt ſuch as by nature owe themſelues vntounto their parents. Are there not Dinah-like daughters, which will follow their delights till they returne home with ſhame? Doe not many marry as their luſt doth leade, without any reſpect to their parents, like the wanton ſonnes before the floud? I wiſh theGen. 6. ſeed of Eſaus were not among vsus, which vexe their parents. Children will ſeeke to be nouriſhed of their parents when they are yong, or when they be in need: But if parents hauehave need of them, Ah how vnnaturall be they! Will they like a Ruth willingly labour for them? Or will they not rather deſpiſe them, and get from them, and labour for others? A ſtrange Maſters commandement ſhall be obeyed, when a word from poore parents will make ſtubborne children the more diſobedient: But let children know and remember the Law againſt a ſtubborne ſonne, Deut. 21. 18. and the curſe which is threatned againſt ſuch as deſpiſeDeut. 27. 16. Pro. 30. 17. their parents, that they may feare and tremble, and doe no more ſo wickedly.
And gleane eares of corne after him.] Ruth asketh not leaue to runne abroad to ſee others, or to be ſeene, to ſee the countrey, to get acquaintance, to goe to Wakes, Reuels, May-games, Morrisdauncings, and ſuch heatheniſh vanities practiſed too commonly heere, but not knowne among the ancient people of God. No, no, Ruth deſireth to goe to labour for her liuing, and to helpe alſo her poore old mother in law, yea ſhee was not aſhamed to goe to gleane; though ſhee had beene the wife of one ſo well deſcended, ſhee ſcorneth not honeſt labour: For honeſt minds will ſtoupe to baſe meanes (in proud perſons conceits) ſo they be honeſt to relieue their wants in their poore eſtate. Moſes will not ſtand vponupon his education, the gifts of his mind, and ſingular learning in all the wiſedome of the Egyptians, but will be content to keepe Iethroes ſheep in his need; ſo will Paul worke with his hands, and make tents to maintaine himſelfe, though he was brought vp as a Scholler vnderunder learned Gamaliel. The humilitie of theſe is to be followed, as praiſe-worthy for their vertue and pietie herein. It is no ſhame to labour when men are brought low, whatſoeuer they be by birth, as they call it, and by their firſt education: The godly neuer ſtood vponupon theſe tearmes, as many now doe, who brag of their Gentrie, and yet are not aſhamed to goe a begging, or hang vponupon their richer kindred, till they be weary of them, or will runne into diſhoneſt courſes, and all this forſooth becauſe they hold labour a diſgrace; worke they cannot, they will not; but it is no ſhame for them to liue diſhoneſtly, and idlely, contrary to nature, contrary to Gods iniunction, that men ſhould labour, contrary to the practice of all the godly, and the example of Chriſt himſelfe, who wrought in a handie-craft, as may be gathered by the words out of the Euangeliſt, and in that itMark. 6. was ſaid, He went home & was obedient vntounto his parents. Note further how the truly-religious will not liue idly. This we may ſee in Ruth here, & in Iacob, and others; for they make conſcience of the loſſe of time. Let him or they whoſoeuer, which thinke themſelues religious indeed, make conſcience to take paines in ſome calling, and beware of liuing idlely. What if they can ſay, they hauehave outward meanes enough for themſelues to liue vponupon? Yet they are not to liue idlely, becauſe idleneſſe is a great ſinne, the nurſe of all vice, as we ſee in thoſe that liue idlely, they are made the deuils inſtruments to all villanie; neither is it enough that a man can maintaine himſelfe, & be chargeable to none, but he muſt liue to doe goodEphe. 4. 28. to others, as the Apoſtle teacheth.
Laſtly, obſerue that gleaning, as now, ſo then,Leuit. 19 9. and 23. 22. Deut. 24. 19. was a lawfull meanes for the poore to get corne for food; as we may read in the Bookes of Moſes. And thus the Lord ſhewed his care for the poore, and alſo taught the rich in the midſt of Gods mercy, and bounty toward them, to be mindfull of the needie brethren, and not to forget them. The rich therefore muſt giuegive the poore leaue to gleane;Leuit. 19. 9. they may not driue them out of the field, neither may they gleane vp their lands themſelues, and ſo rob the poore of their due, which is the ſcatterings of Gods mercy towards them. And here let the poore honeſtly take this libertie to gleane, but firſt let them aske leaue of the owner, as Ruth did, verſe 7. then alſo to acknowledge it a fauour, as ſhee did. Thirdly, to gather the ſcattered eares, and not to cut off the eares of ſtanding corne, norDeut. 23. 24, 25. to ſteale whole ſheaues, or out of ſhockes, as many theeuiſh people doe, to the hurt of their owne ſoules, and the hardening of mens hearts againſt themſelues, and other poore people more honeſt then they.
In whoſe ſight I ſhall find fauour.] So ſhe went, but as vnacquainted: Shee had libertie to gleane by Law; yet ſhee ſpeaketh as one that would gleane with leaue, and as ſhee that had hope to find fauour ſomewhere, though ſhee knew not of whom to expect it in particular. Thus ſhee goeth, as we ſay, at random, or at aduenture, but God, as he had decreed, ſo he directed her by the hand of his prouidence, whither ſhee ſhould goe.
One thing note here, that the godly, in vſing lawfull meanes to liue, hope to find fauour with one or other for their reliefe; this Ruths words here doe ſhew as much. For they truſt in God, who hath the hearts of men in his hand to encline them, as he pleaſeth, as he did Boaz towards Ruth, & who alſo hath promiſed his helpe to thoſe, which vſingPſal. 37. 3. lawfull meanes, do depend vponupon him. And therefore in doing our part, and vſing the meanes, let vsus in our wants hope well: let vsus not doubt, but that he will bleſſe our labours.
And ſhee ſaid vntounto her, Goe, my daughter.] See here how meekely and louingly this good old Naomi anſwereth: no doubt but it reioyced her heart, to ſee her ſo willing to take paines, whom ſhee, perhaps, would hauehave beene loth to hauehave preſſed to ſuch a meane buſineſſe. We may note, that requeſts are to be graunted of parents, vntounto children, when they be lawfull and fit. As Iob did to his children to feaſt together; Dauid to Amnon his requeſt2. Sam. 13. to hauehave Tamar ſent to dreſſe meate for him, though yet villanie was in Amnons heart; but the requeſt was reſonable, and therefore yeelded vntounto of Dauid: ſo was Abſaloms deſiring to goe to Hebron (as he pretended) to pay his vow, which he had made vntounto God. Caleb alſo graunted hisIoſ. 15. 19. daughter her requeſt; and Naomi Ruths here; which is to be followed of louing parents; but yet withall with deliberate conſideration of the reaſons, vponupon which the requeſt is made; leſt a Dauid be deluded, and wickedneſſe be committed, by an outragious Amnon. Another thing may bee obſerued, which is this, that a meeke and louing ſpirit giueth a meeke and a louing anſwere. Naomi ſaith not, Goe, as a ſturdy ſpeech; but, Goe, my Daughter, for ſhee was not of a ſturdy, proud and impatient ſpirit, of which a rough and churliſh ſpeech is a ſigne. And therfore let vsus learne to anſwere meekely and louingly, that we may not be iuſtly cenſured for churliſh natures, proud and impatient: good ſpeech is very gracefull to others, and procureth louelove to our ſelues, as the contrary doth prouoke vntounto wrath, as we ſee Nabals anſwere did vntounto Dauid.