Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 3 · Verse 11
Verſe 11. And now, my daughter, feare not, I will doe to thee all thou requireſt: for all the Citie of my people doth know, that thou art a vertuous woman.
BOaz gaue her before due commendation, here is now his conſolation, and comforting of her, firſt, by a dehortation, willing her not to feare, then by a faithfull promiſe to ſatisfie her requeſt, yeelding a reaſon of the ſame.
And now, my daughter.] Boaz ſtill vſeth this terme, both for that he loued her, and deſired to comfort her. We may here ſee in Boaz, that a louing and mercifull heart is not rough in tearmes; as an vnlouing and mercileſſe Nabal is. This we may ſee to bee ſo betweene louing Parents and children,Gen. 22. 7, 8. in Abraham and Iſaac; betweene kind married couples, as in Iſaac and Rebecca, Elkanah and1. Sam. 1. 8. Hannah; and betweene louing friends, and godly diſpoſed, as in Elizabeth and Marie, S. Paul Luke 1. 43.and other Chriſtians, or Labourers with him in the Goſpell, and alſo in Eli and Samuel: for louing natures, whether they bee high and honourable, ſpeaking to meane perſons, as Boaz to Ruth heere; or old and in authoritie, to ſuch as bee young, as Eli to Samuel; or ſuch as ſit in iudgement,1. Sam. 3. 16. ſpeaking to Malefactors, as Ioſhua to Achan; Ioſ. 7. 19.or a Maſter vntounto his ſeruants, as Iob to his; or oneIob 31. 13. Chap. 2. 8. giuing an almes to the poore, as Boaz to Ruth: it is all one, they are not rough nor churliſh; for they be neither proud nor impatient. And therfore, if we would be held louing and mercifull, let vsus vſe louing and kind ſpeeches. Note againe, that louing and kind ſpeeches of great and rich perſons, Chap. 2. 13.are comfortable vntounto the poore, as Ruth before confeſſeth; and therefore Boaz doth heere vſe them, to cheere vp the ſpirit of this poore woman: for kind words witneſſe a kind heart, if the ſpeakers be not diſſemblers. Now, the apprehenſion of hearty louelove in the mighty, gladdeth much the heart of ſuch as be poore, and in a low eſtate. Let therfore the mighty and rich learne to ſhew forth kindneſſe, and to ſpeake louingly. By it Dauid ſo ſpeaking to Amaſa, paſſing by his fault with Abſalom, bowed the heart of the Tribe of Iudah, 2. Sam. 19. 13, 14.as one man. How did Abſalom win the hearts of the people? was it not by louing ſpeeches, and courteous behauiour, which bee of an attractiue vertue to gaine mens affections? How ſingularly beloued was our late Queene Elizabeth of moſt bleſſed memorie, for this vertue, of all her true ſubiects, in that ſhe was ſo affable, & full of louing ſpeeches, and of a gracious carriage towards them? The contrary wee may ſee in Rehoboam, who by rough and contemptible ſpeeches alienated the hearts of ten Tribes from him for euer. The mightie therefore ſhall doe wiſely to ſpeake with mildneſſe, to vſe termes of louelove and reſpect; whereby they ſhall procure louelove, reputation and due honour vntounto themſelues.
Feare not.] That is, feare not to bee deceiued of thy hope: though thou be poore, and I rich, let no ſuch thought trouble thee, that I ſhould therefore make light account of thee: for I am well diſpoſed in my affection to thee; therfore feare not: thus Boaz ſpeaketh vntounto Ruth. For he knew, and ſo doe we, that it is a common thing to feare the iſſue, where earneſt deſire is to obtaine the thing; eſpecially where it may in ſome reſpects ſeeme vnlikely to come to paſſe, as Ruth might here ſo conceiue, when ſhee ſhould conſider what they two were, and the great difference betweene them. For in ſuch a caſe there cannot be a full perſwaſion of the euent; the poorer and meaner party may iuſtly feare contempt, and vſually ſuch a one feareth the alterabilitie of mans nature, though hapely good words may paſſe betweene them for the preſent. And therefore in ſuch a caſe it is good and fitting for the partie, of whom kindnes is expected, to giuegive to the other ſome tokens of aſſurance, not to doubt, nor feare, as Boaz doth in this place, and in the words following.
I will doe thee all that thou requireſt. By this Boaz taketh away her feare and doubt, in that he promiſeth her marriage. For, where a godly and honeſt man maketh a promiſe, there is no feare of performance; becauſe hee maketh conſcience of his word, and knoweth himſelfe in equitie bound to the performance of the ſame. And therefore may wee reſt vponupon an honeſt mans word, though in theſe dayes many would bee held honeſt, which make no conſcience of breach of promiſe. In that Boaz here maketh her a promiſe of marriage, and ſo contracteth himſelf vntounto her, but yet de futur…, as it is ſaid, & conditionally, as the two next verſes ſhew, we may note, that it is lawfull to betroth Exod. 21. 9. Deut. 20. 7. Mat. 1. 18.and contract our ſelues one to another before marriage. It was an vſuall thing among Gods people in former times; which betrothing is either lawfull or vnlawfull: lawfull, which is made by parties that may lawfully marry, which be free in their choiſe, of yeeres of diſctetion to make their choiſe: and therefore contracts made of ſuch as bee within degrees forbidden, of contrary religions, betrothed already to others, or defectiue in nature, or wanting iudgement what they doe, or being vnderunder gouernment of Parents and not free, are not to bee allowed. Now further, this lawfull contracting is either conditionall, or abſolute, and the ſame de praeſenti, or de futuro, I take thee, or I will take thee to be my wife. If conditionall, then it bindeth no farther then the obſeruing of the condition bindeth; for if that be not kept, the parties bee free, vnleſſe they giuegive their bodies in the meane ſpace one to another. If it bee abſolutely made, and by ſuch as may ſo contract themſelues, they be man and wife before God, and may not be ſundred one from another. Theſe things are to be therfore conſidered of in contracts, vſed before marriage, for the parties better ſettling of their affections one vponupon another, for the better acquainting themſelues with the conditions and qualities of each other, and to fit themſelues for houſe-keeping, and more conuenient liuing together, hauing made ſome honeſt prouiſion before hand.
For all the citie of my people doth know, that thou art a vertuous woman.] The reaſon why hee yeeldeth to take her to wife: her portion was her vertues, for which ſhe was generally commended of all. This reaſon did the more confirme her, and eaſily remoued away feare, when ſhe might perceiue vponupon what ground he was induced to marrie with her. Hence may ariſe many leſſons: firſt, that vertue maketh euen the poore and ſtrangers too to become famous, as may appeare in this poore widdow a Moabiteſſe woman. So it made Dauid famous in the dayes of Saul, though hee ſought to obſcure his name; and likewiſe Barnabas in the Primitiue Church: for vertue will not bee hid, neither can it. And therefore ſuch as deſire renowne, labour for vertue. Is not Abigail famous for her wiſedome? Ioſeph for his chaſtitie? Moſes for his meekeneſſe? Samuel for his iuſtice? Dauid for his zeale? Ehud, Gideon, and Iephte for their fortitude, and ſo the ſeuen and thirtie Worthies of Dauid for their valiant acts? Eſter for her humility? the ſinfull woman for her penitencie? the ſonnes of Ionadab the ſon of Rechab for their temperance? This is the way, and the beſt way to get ſame and true honour for euer; and yet few tread aright in this path, but rather they will make themſelues ſo notorious by villany, that all may know them to be vicious perſons, without ſhame, without bluſhing, like thoſe which Eſai &Iſai. 3. 9. Ier. 6. 15. Ieremy ſpeake of, which would not hide their ſins, neither bee aſhamed for them. Secondly, that the godly and vertuous will take notice of ſuch as bee vertuous among them: for ſo doe here all the people of Bethlehem, the people of God; becauſe they louelove vertue, hauing it in themſelues, they deſire to encourage others that be ſo, and reioyce therein, and therefore doe they ſpeake thereof, and ſpread abroad the name of it, to make the parties which be vertuous, to be honoured. This is comfort to ſuch as liue well, though they doe not, nor may thereby ſeeke praiſes, yet ſhall they be taken notice of. And by this may men conſider of themſelues whether they be vertuous, if they will take notice of graces in others, and reioycingly ſpeak thereof, to the honour and praiſe of the vertuous. Thirdly, that a godly man will take a wife for her vertues, as Boaz doth here Ruth; ſo did Dauid for her vertues chuſe Abigail: for aPro. 31. 10, 11. vertuous woman is louely, and her price, as Salomon ſaith, is farre aboue the Rubies: the heart of her husband may ſafely truſt in her, ſo that hee ſhall hauehave no need of ſpoile. Let men therefore in marrying make this choiſe; for ſuch a womanProu. 12. 4. and 11. 16. is a crowne to her husband, and ſhe retaineth honour. And yet this is the leaſt reckoned of in theſe dayes: but now beauty, wealth, honour and friends, are the motiues to make marriages. Fourthly, that a good report for vertue in a woman, is a good portion, and a meanes of preferment: Thus came poore Ruth to ſo honourable and rich an husband, hauing neither wealth, nor friends. For ſuch a woman hath the beſt and moſt durable helpe of true louelove, euen vertue; ſhe hath the Lord to ſpeake for her, and to procure her fauour, and to cauſe her to bee beloued. This ſhould make women to ſtriue for vertue, and to get a good name from it, and not for beautie and braue attyre: for a good name is better then riches, thenEccleſ. 7. 1. Prou. 22. 1. precious oyntment, and rather to bee choſen then great riches. Let Parents hence learne to bring vp their daughters vertuouſly, it is a good portion and meanes of preferment. This may comfort poore maidens which bee vertuous, and want friends and goods, by a good report yet may they match well; let them ſtriue therefore, though they want goods, yet to get grace and good conditions, as pietie and Religion in heart; and modeſtie in countenance, apparell, and geſture; let them preſerue chaſtitie, and not bee giuen to youthfull company; let them bee skilfull in good huſwifrie, painfull alſo and induſtrious, & hauing power to gouerne the tongue; if thus they be beautified and enriched, they hauehave a better portion then many pounds, and faire enough to the wiſe in heart, ſo as they will giuegive a good man contentment: for beauty is fading,Prou. 31. 30. and fauour deceitfull and vaine, but a woman that feareth the Lord, ſhall be praiſed.