Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 2 · Verse 22 – Verse 23
Verſe 22. And Naomi ſaid vntounto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou goe out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in another field.
NAomi her good counſell, with the reaſon drawne from perill and danger, if Ruth ſhould not follow it.
And Naomi ſaid vntounto Ruth her daughter in law.] Here note once for all, that plainely the Writer of this Hiſtorie ſetteth downe this conference, repeating againe and againe Naomi, and mother in law, and Ruth the Moabiteſſe, and daughter in law, which I note to taxe curious eares in theſe times, who can away neither with ſpeech nor writing, except all be very ſententious, briefe, without repetitions, or one word more then they conceit to be needfull. Gods Spirit the authour of eueryevery good gift, be it neuer ſo excellent, taught not this Pen-man to be ſo curious, not that he would hauehave holy things careleſly and rudely ſet downe, as men cenſure it, but to humble proudAlbeit what humane eloquence could euer attain to the ſublimitie of stile vſed in the Propheticall Bookes of ſacred Scripture▪ as in Eſay, Ieremie, & other…? wits, giuen ouer to a light eſteeme of holy Writ, not caring to reade therein for the plainneſſe of ſtyle, that ſo through their owne pride they might periſh, as, alas, many of our high wits doe, who cannot in the hautines of their owne hearts deſcend to ſo low a pitch; nor vouchſafe to ſpend any time in ſuch homely Hiſtories as be in the Scripture becauſe, as they prophanely iudge, the ſtile is not ſtately enough for their carnall hearts. And as this taxeth theſe proud and prophane perſons, ſo alſo doth it ſuch as doe deſpiſe or careleſly neglect many good mens labours, onelyonly for the plaineneſſe of the ſpeech, as if all writings were weake, which are voyd of ſtrong lines. Theſe daintie palates can away with nothing but what is finely cookt, becauſe they come not with hunger after good things, but are carried away more with the manner than with the matter, and ſo more with ſhadowes, than ſubſtances, as in likelyhood it would appeare, if they ſhould come to the triall of Religion, and ſuffering for the name of Chriſt.
It is good, my daughter, that thou goe out with his maidens.] This is Naomi her aduice to Ruth. From whence note, I. That Parents are not to be wanting in giuing good counſell to their children; as here a mother in law to Ruth; and Iethro a father inExod. 18. 1. King. 2. 1. Sam. 2. 23, 24, 25. law to Moſes; Dauid to Salomon; and Eli to his ſonnes: It is their duety ſo to doe, and the yonger yeeres need it, wanting the experience of the aged. Let parents performe then this duety, ſhewing their children what is good, what dueties they owe to God and man, and how they ſhould demeane themſelues well eueryevery way. Contrary to theſe doe they, which take no care to aduiſe their children, but doe let them follow their owne ſwinge. Such alſo as counſell for the body, as the Heathen may doe; but not for the ſoule,Ephe. 6. 4. Deut. 6. 7. as Chriſtians ſhould doe. Thirdly, thoſe wicked parents which counſell their children not to doe well, but to doe ill, to lie, ſweare, ſteale, as many poore doe; or to dice, card, drinke, or to doe worſe, as men deſiring to be counted of another ranke, wickedly teach their children by their lewd examples, to their ſhame, and their childrens ruine, the infecting of the Cōmon-wealth, and the deſtruction of their houſe many times. Whereas ſuch parents as doe aduiſe well their children,Titus 2. 3, 4. do diſcharge their duety towards God, and their countrey, and acquite their ſoules from the bloud of their children. II. That it is good for women going abroad, to aſsociate themſelues to thoſe of their owne ſexe: For they are ſubiect to be tempted, to be deceiued, and abuſed, being weake in temptation, and eaſily ouercome. Let women learne here of Naomi her aduice to Ruth, and follow it; let them beware of being alone as Dinah, or in ſuſpected places with lewd women, or in light and wanton company. It is no good ſigne of a maidens chaſtitie, to ſeek to be in mens company, as many doe, till ſhame come vponupon them.
That they meet thee not in another field:] meaning ſome lewd and luſtfull men, whom Naomi will not ſo much as make mention of: though Ruth named in verſe 21. yong men, yet her mother in law will not name them; ſhee auoids the mentioning of men to her, as teaching her, and ſo all others, that women ſhould auoid in their priuate conferences, vnneceſsary talke of men. Note moreouer, that it is wiſedome to preuent dangers, and Num. 14. 42, 43.not expoſe our ſelues into perill, when we may auoid it. Naomi knew the danger of thoſe times, and how wickedly many were bent, and ready to abuſe a poore yong woman, and a ſtranger, and therefore ſhee teacheth Ruth to be wiſe to preuent the ſame: for if we vnneceſſarily caſt our ſelues into danger, we doe tempt God, which we may notMat. 4. 7. Deut. 6. 16. Pſal. 91. 11. Num. 14. 42, 45. 2. Chron. 35. 22, 23. doe: It is not our way: and therefore we hauehave no promiſe of protection, and God hath puniſhed his owne people for ſo doing, as we may ſee in the Iſraelites, and in good Ioſias, who eſcaped not correction. And therefore let vsus learne to be wiſe to preuent dangers, and not careleſly expoſe our ſelues thereinto. Nature teacheth this to beaſts, much more reaſon ſhould perſwade man vntounto it, and Religion alloweth it, and commendeth that prudent man, that ſeeth the euill, andProu. 22. 3. auoids it, when they hauehave no iuſt cauſe to the contrary; I meane the euils of trouble, croſſes, and ſuch like: for the euill of ſin is euer to be auoided, of which it may be Salomon doth ſpeake; yet is it wiſedome to auoid vnneceſſary croſſes, and troubles of this life, and ſuch dangers as may procure our hurt, as Iehoram did by the aduice of2. King. 6. Eliſha, diſcouering the armies of the Syrians vntounto him, that he might not be indangered by them. If here any obiect the certaine danger that Micaiah willingly did runne into, when he went to propheſie before Achab who hated him, and ſuch like: I anſwer, that men caſt themſelues into danger two wayes, firſt, by the vertue of their calling, either ordinary, or extraordinary, as did Micaiah, which men may not forſake for any trouble or danger whatſoeuer. The other is without a calling; ſuch foole-hardineſſe hath no aſſurance of a bleſſing; if they eſcape the perill, it is Gods great mercy, and not their deſeruing, and if trouble come vponupon them, they can hauehave no comfort in it, but muſt take is as a Rod of correction, to teach them to be more wiſe afterwards.
Verſe 23. So ſhee kept faſt by the maidens of Boaz to gleane, vntounto the end of Barley harueſt and of Wheat haruest, and dwelt with her mother in law.
THe obedience of Ruth, in following Naomi her aduice, and her conſtant louelove vntounto her, in not departing from her.
So ſhee kept faſt by the maidens of Boaz to gleane.] Concerning Ruth here we may learne, that Children are to take the good counſell of their parents, and to follow the ſame: as Ruth doth here, and as did Iacob, yea Moſes the aduice of Iethro. It is the noteProu. 13. 1. and 1. 8, 9. & 23. 22. of a wiſe child, and a childs duety, if the counſell be who leſome and good. And it is a reproofe to rebellious children, which will not learne nor obey, like the ſonnes of Eli, and of Samuel: but they paid for it, as euer ſuch ſhall doe.
VntoUnto the end of Barley haruest and of Wheat haruest.] All this time Ruth applied her ſelfe for profit, as being the time of gathering food for winter: ſhe plaied the Ant, and not the Graſhopper:Prou. 6. 8. For it is good thrift, not to ſtack the time of our profit, which God in mercy affordeth to vsus: this may we learne of the Ant, to which the Lord ſendeth the Sluggard: for riches are not for euer, nor the likeProu. 27. 24. time to get them, and therefore muſt we take the ſeaſon offered, eſpecially in harueſt which calleth forth eueryevery one to take paines, to gather in Gods bleſſings for their life and maintenance. Perhaps ſome will ſay, That Chriſt willeth vsus not to takeMat. 6. 31, 34. care. But doth he will euer any man not to labour? The care which Chriſt ſpeaketh of, is immoderate care, care without faith, or care full ofVerſe …0. doubting, and little faith, and that which is without care of Religion, the minde being taken vpVerſe 33. wholy with the world; elſe men may, yea and ought to labour for the things of this life, to be prouident for the time to come, and frugall in expences for the time preſent.
And ſhe dwelt with her mother in law.] That is, all that time of harueſt & after. This is noted, to ſhew Ruths louelove and conſtant affection towards Naomi, that no fauour abroad or gaine reaped by the labour of her hands, could make her forſake her mother in law. Hence riſeth a good leſſon, that childrens fauour abroad and good gettings ſhould not draw them from their poore parents, ſo long as they ſtand in need of their helpe. For how can children euer ſhew themſelues thankefull better than in ſuch a caſe, where what they get, they can willingly beſtowe it vponupon their poore parents, ſo maintaining them, who were the authours of their being, and inſtruments of God for their education? But, alas, the caſe is otherwiſe now. This Ruth the Moabiteſſe a heathen by birth, may riſe vp in iudgement againſt ſuch as ſhuld be naturall children, who hauing gotten from vnderunder their Parents, when they ſee they can liue of themſelues, they make no reckoning of them, being altogether vnwilling to liue with them, and moſt of all to relieue them.
CHAP. III.
IN this Chapter is Naomi her care, to prouide a match for Ruth, to requite her labour and louelove towards her: wherein may be obſerued her aduice, the execution thereof, and the good euent of the ſame.