Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 3 · Verse 18
Verſe 18. Then ſaid ſhee, Sit ſtill, my daughter, vntill thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not bee in rest, vntill hee hauehave finiſhed the thing this day.
NAomi her laſt words to Ruth, noted in this Story, being an exhortation: in which is to bee obſerued, to what, how long, and the reaſon why.
Then ſaid ſhee, Sit ſtill, my daughter.] Naomi hauing heard and ſeene ſuch teſtimony of Boaz his louelove, and knowing his honeſt nature and true affection, ſhee exhorteth Ruth to ſit ſtill, that is, to bee of a quiet mind, waiting with patience the iſſue. The words are figuratiue, and tranſlated from the action of the body, to the action of the mind. By this that Naomi willeth her to bee quiet in mind, and without feare, and reſtleſneſſe of ſpirit; wee may learne, that there is an vnquietneſse of minde in eueryevery one naturally to hauehave that affected, which the heart longeth after, as may be ſeene in Boaz, as before is noted; ſo in Iacob to ſeeGen. 45. 4, 28. Ioſeph, when he heard that hee was aliue; in Abrahams Gen. 24. 12, 56.ſeruant, in procuring and bringing home a wife to Iſaac; in the Iſraelites, ſeeking to puniſhIud. 20. 1, 18. 19, 24, 28. the Gibeonites, for the villanie committed vponupon the Leuites wife: and as in good, ſo alſo is the heart reſtles in ſeeking to bring euill to paſſe: for the wicked cannot reſt, till they hauehave done euill. See this in Delilah, in hope of money, to betrayIudg. 16. Samſon into the hands of the Philiſtims; and in Iudas, to deliuer Chriſt to his Enemies; and in Abſalom, to get the Kingdome from his father. Which earneſtneſſe ariſeth ſometime of feare, as Ruths here fearing to faile of her deſire; ſometime of couetouſneſſe and deſire of gaine, as in Iudas and Delilah; of malice and deſire of reuenge, as in the Scribes and Phariſes, Enemies of Chriſt; of ioy and gladneſſe, as in Abrahams ſeruant; of an aſpyring and vaine-glorious humour, as in Abſalom; of louelove and affection to one, as in Sichem to Dinah. By this then may wee ſee, whence it is that men purſue their pleaſures, profits, honors, and their deſires in that which they goe about ſo eagerly, euen becauſe they hauehave their hearts fixed thereupon: and on the contrary, why people ſo little follow after godlineſſe, ſo much neglect it, euen for that their hearts are farre from it. Thus may wee learne to iudge of our ſelues, and thus wee lay open our ſelues to be iudged of others.
Vntill thou know how the matter will fall.] As if ſhee had ſaid, Thou haſt done thy part, the iſſue is in Gods hands, which thou muſt waite for with patience: for when wee hauehave done, what on our behalfe is to be done, then are we to rest in the expectation of the iſsue, as Naomi aduiſeth Ruth heere. So muſt we waite on God, truſt in him, and commitEſai. 28. 16. Pſal. 37. …. our wayes vntounto him, as we bee exhorted: but yet in well-doing, and in the exerciſe of Prayer, asPſal. 37. 3. Iſaac did for good ſucceſſe to his fathers ſeruant,Gen. 24. when hee went to get a wife for him; and as Moſes did for the victory, when the IſraelitesExo. 17. 11, 12. fought againſt the Amalekites.
For the man will not be in rest, till he hauehave finiſhed the thing.] Naomi her reaſon to perſwade Ruth to reſt, and not to let her thoughts trouble her, nor to feare by delay to bee deceiued of her expectation; becauſe Boaz would not reſt, till hee himſelfe had done what ſhe deſireth. An approued truth of a man in one thing, may make certaine the truth of his word in another. It is equitie and charity to hope well, where wee hauehave good proofe of a mans faithfulneſſe: and this is true credit, when a mans word is become of that force and validitie, as it maketh another to beleeue him without doubting. Such was Boaz his credit with Naomi: and this is it which likewiſe ſhee would, and doth perſwade Ruth vntounto. This is the credit which wee muſt labour for, and which wee may attaine vntounto, if wee feare God, and be faithfull to him (for falſe to God, will proue faithleſſe to man) if we bee diſcreet and wiſe in our words, to know what wee promiſe, before wee make it; if wee care to keepe euer our word in the leaſt thing; if we hate lying, and ſuch as doe make lies, we ſhall procure credit to our word. And heere let ſuch as find men carefull of their word, be like Naomi, in truſting and not wronging them, by calling their word into queſtion without cauſe at any time, when they are knowne to hauehave euer approued thēſelues for honeſt men: for what greater iniury can be offred to an honeſt man euer meaning well, and carefull to keepe his word, then to bee ſuſpected of the breach of his word vniuſtly? A true-hearted man taketh that iniurie very tenderly: and therefore let men beware of giuing offence in this kind, by entertaining vniuſt and vncharitable thoughts towards ſuch as deſerue it not.
CHAP. IIII.
THis Chapter is the laſt of the Booke, and the laſt part of the Hiſtorie: for the firſt ſheweth how Ruth came to Bethlehem; the ſecond, how ſhe behaued herſelfe when ſhe came there: the third, her contract with Boaz. And this, the ſolemnization of the marriage: where is declared what went before, and how it was effected; then the marriage it ſelfe, and the great applauſe of the people and Elders thereto. Thirdly, the happy iſſue thereof in the conception and birth of Obed. And laſtly, a Genealogie from Pharez vntounto Dauid, the King and Prophet of Iſrael, and the type of Ieſus Chriſt, who according to the fleſh ſprung from his loynes.