Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 3 · Verse 2
Verſe 2. And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whoſe maidens thou waſt? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threſhing-floore.
NAomi propoundeth to Ruth, the party whom ſhe deſireth to match her with; giuing a reaſon, and ſhewing the opportunitie of time and place where to breake the matter vntounto him.
As Naomi affected to doe Ruth good, ſo ſhee deuiſed the meanes; for, A true friend is not in ſhew onelyonly, or in wel-wiſhes, but in deuiſing how to bring to paſse what they deſire, and to effect what truly they doe affect. Ionathan wiſhed well to Dauid, and1. Sam. 19. 2, 3. and 20. 12, 13 he deuiſed meanes for his ſafetie. Abraham wiſhedGen. 14. well to Lot, and therefore endeauoured to doe him good, and to recouer him, when he was led away captiue. Where we then wiſh well, let vsus ſhew it, in counſell, in helpe, in countenance, and not be as ſuch, which will not aduiſe their friends of their owne accord, nor helpe them in aduerſitie, hardly countenance them, when any of note frowne vponupon them. Some are friends like Peter, in the time of his weakeneſſe, who followed his Maſter in trouble affare off. Some like Pauls friends, who forſooke him wholly in perill. Some like Iehoſaphat, who can ſpeake well a word or two for a Michaiah, but not ſtand out for him, when he is ſent by Achab to priſon moſt vniuſtly. Many friends there be, but yet few friends indeed.
And now is not Boaz of our kindred?] How a kin to them, ſee chap. 1. 1. and 2. 1. This kindred ſhe nameth, becauſe of the Law in Deut. 25. 5, 6. of which afterwards in chap. 4. Here wee doe ſee what ground ſhe had to ſeek this match for Ruth, euen the Law of God, as ſhee thought. Her ground in thus making choiſe was from God, and therefore there was more hope to ſpeed, though in mans reaſon moſt vnlikely. Note, that Godly Parents ſeeke to match their children where God alloweth. Abraham will not match with theGen. 24. Canaanites, but ſends into his owne countrie, and thither Iſaac and Rebecca ſend Iacob; for as in other things, ſo in this they ſet God before them, looking to his liking and approbation, that they may expect his bleſſing. Therefore let ſuch as intend to marry, marrie in the Lord, hauehave his conſent,1. Cor. 7. 36. and pray for his preſence at the marriagemaking, at which he will be, if it be after his will; that is, when parties marry lawfully, and in the feare of his Name. Other marriages he will not countenance, as theſe; firſt, ſuch as bee made within degrees forbidden, though allowed by the vſurped authoritie of the Popes forged Vicarſhip. Secondly, with Infidels, as did the Iewes,Neh. 13. 25, 26. 1. King. 11. 1. and into which ſinne fell Salomon. Thirdly, with Idolaters, though they profeſſe the true God, and yet worſhip Idols, as did Achab; and therefore Iehoſaphat his marrying of Iehoram his ſonne with Athaliah, was vnlawfull, and puniſhed heauily by God: ſuch is the marriage of a Proteſtant with a Papiſt. Fourthly, with wretched worldlings, and1. Cor. 5. 10, 11. ſuch as be without Religion in truth and ſinceritie; for if we hauehave not ordinary familiaritie with the wicked, with ſuch as bee fornicators, couetous,1. Cor. 5. 11. 2. Theſ. 3. 6, 14. extortioners, railers, drunkards, inordinate liuers, idle without callings, and diſobedient to the Word, blaſphemers, vngodly, deſpiſers of2. Tim. 3. 2. thoſe that be good, louers of pleaſures more then louers of God, and ſuch like; if, I ſay, wee may not keepe familiar company with ſuch, then certainely we may not marry with them; their birth, wealth, and conceited hope to win them, cannot make way for ſuch marriages to them which feare God, and louelove their owne ſoules. Fifthly, with ſuch as bee vniuſtly diuorced: for that is to marry another mans wife, and to commit adulterie. Theſe marriages are made after the fleſh, where the diuell danceth, but God is diſpleaſed, and good Angels, and good men offended.
With whoſe maidens thou waſt.] Theſe words are added, to ſhew what Boaz ſhe meant, and alſo to giuegive Ruth ſome hope of good ſucceſſe. For Ruth might obiect three things, which Naomi in this verſe preuenteth. She might hauehave ſaid: Alas, I am poore, what hope of one ſo rich? To which Naomi anſwereth, He is thy Kinſman, and therefore by law bound to marry with thee; though herein ſhe did ſomewhat erre. Againe, if Ruth had ſaid, I am not knowne well to him, and I feare his diſlike: Naomi here putteth her in mind with whom ſhee had been, euen with Boaz, who had taken notice of her, and had been kind to her, and had ſpoken well of her; yea, in this ſhe calleth a particular kindneſſe of Boaz to her remembrance, who willed her to abide with his maidens. Thirdly, if Ruth had obiected the want of opportunitie and fit occaſion to ſpeake to him; Behold (ſaith Naomi) hee winnoweth this night barley in the threſhing-floore. So then note, That warrant from God, experience of the louelove of man, and fit occaſion to effect a matter, are ſtrong inducements to attempt the ſame. Theſe made Eſter to aduenture to goe vntounto Ahaſuerus, her calling from God, her experience of former fauour, and the preſent cauſe requiring, and occaſion offered to make triall. And where theſe concurre, let vsus boldly doe our indeuour, with hope to effect what wee goe about.
Behold.] That is, See and conſider the prouidence of God, it is as one would wiſh, it falleth out opportunely, as if God had decreed to bring it to paſſe: ſo Naomi obſerued Gods prouidence plainely: for it appeareth manifeſtly, where and when hee decreeth to bring things to paſſe, ſo as we may ſay, Behold, the hand of the Lord! And this either for good, as in preuenting Mordecaies Eſter 6. 1, 3.deſtruction, the Widow of Sarepta her famiſhment,1. King. 17. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. 1. Sam. 23. 27. Exod 2. 5. Gen. 37. 24, 28. Dauid from the hand of Saul, Moſes from drowning, and Ioſeph from periſhing in the pit: or for euill, to bring iudgement vponupon the wicked; as vponupon Iezabel and Iehoram, as God had2. King 9. 15, 21, 25, 30, 36. threatned, catching them as it were in a trap, the one in the portion of Naboth, and the other in Iezreel. For the Lord ſeeth all things, and hisIob 28. 24. & 3…. 21. eyes are vponupon the wayes of men, to bring his decree to paſſe by his power and prouidence.
Let vsus then caſt our eyes about vsus, and obſerue Gods prouidence: for ſo ſhall wee ſee both his mercy and iuſtice to praiſe him; it will make vsus patient and contented vnderunder eueryevery croſſe, and carefully to relye vponupon him, when we ſee how his prouidence waiteth vponupon his promiſe, good will and pleaſure. Yea, this will comfort vsus, and make vsus not to feare what man can doe vntounto vsus, ſeeing his hand is ready to helpe.
Hee winnoweth barley to night in the threſhing floore.] For the threſhing floores in thoſe times,Iudg. 6. 37. Gen. 50. 10. Numb. 18. 30. 2. Sam. 6. 6. and 24. 16. 1. Ch…o. 21. 24. it ſcemeth, from the firſt of Samuel, chap. 23. and other places, that they were abroad in the fields, as the wine-preſſes were: and this place ſheweth, that Ruth went out of the citie thither. In ſuch a place, Dauid built an Altar to the Lord in the2. Chron. 3. 1. threſhing floore of Ornan. Of the manner how it was made, is not expreſſed in the Scripture. It may alſo ſeeme, that the winnowing was towards the euening in thoſe hot countries, when the wind did ariſe, called, The wind of the day; or as in Geneſis it is tranſlated, the coole of the day. Boaz, Gen. 3. 8.though he winnowed not himſelfe in perſon, yet he may be ſo ſaid to doe, in commanding his ſeruants, hee there being a diligent ouer-ſeer, and a helper forward of the worke with his preſence. Howſoeuer, this may we learne, that It is no vnſeemelineſſe for men of birth, of place and wealth, ſometime to follow in their owne perſons meane labours of their calling: as hee doth here winnowing of corne, Gideon his threſhing, Iudah his ſheepſhearing, Eliſha his plough. This they did not of baſe niggardlineſſe, as loth to keepe ſeruants to doe it, but to exerciſe themſelues in labour, which is healthfull, to preuent idleneſſe and ill fruits thereof, to be an example to others, as was Iulius Sueton.Caeſar, who would goe bare-headed, and on foote, both in hot Sun-ſhine, and in foule weather often before his Souldiers; and as the Lord Lacie, Iriſh. Chron.chiefe Iuſtice in Ireland, who tooke vp ſtones to beare them to the building hee had in hand, to prouoke the lazie Iriſh to take paines. Which reproueth thoſe which doe condemne them that ſo take paines, being perſons of worth, as if it were diſcredit to them, and to bee baſely accounted of for ſo doing; when yet wee ſee out of the Scripture, men (as theſe proud fellowes hold them) of meane callings, choſen to high places; as Moſes from keeping ſheep, to be Ruler of Gods people; ſo Dauid to be King; Gideon from threſhing, to be Captaine ouer the hoaſt of Iſrael; Eliſha from the plough, to be the Lords Prophet; ſo Amos from the herd; Peter from a poore fiſher-mans eſtate, to be an Apoſtle: and the like we find in heathen hiſtorie of one L. Q. Cincinnatus, who was fetchedEutrop. Val. Max. from the plow, to be made Dictator in Rome, and after returned to husbandry againe. Thus we ſee how great men did ſet themſelues to callings, (now held baſe and meane by proud and riotous ſpirits) and alſo many highly aduanced from meane places and low eſtate of life, for their worthineſſe and vertuous induſtry for which they were honoured, how meane ſoeuer by birth or education: ſuch were theſe Emperours, Pertinax an Artificers ſonne; Diocleſian a Scriueners ſone; Valentian the ſonne of a Shoomaker and of a Gardiner came Pro…us. Let our lazie and lewd Royſters, vpſtart Gentrie, or ſuch as come of worthy Anceſtours, yet hauing no worthineſſe in themſelues, behold theſe, and learne to doe as Maximinus Senior did, who when he was Generall did take ſuch paines in meane matters, as others found fault with him. But he anſwered them, The greater I am, the greater paines willQuò maior ſue…o, tantò plus laborabo. I take. If our Yongſters would thinke hereof, they would not ſcorne to take paines as they doe, and yet ſcorne not to liue in a more baſe courſe, vnworthy their Gentilitie of which they ſo much ſtand, and moſt vnworthy their Chriſtianity, which they too little regard. Whatſoeuer mens birth and eſtate be, yet ought they to labour in a calling, becauſe God ſo commandeth, to auoidGen. 3. 19. idleneſſe, to preuent much euill, which cōmeth from idleneſſe, to liue not as Caterpillers, but as profitable members in the Common-wealth, to be an example of wel-doing to others, and to be the better able to maintaine their eſtate and place, both to themſelues and to their ſucceeding poſterity alſo.