Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 3 · Verse 7
Verſe 7. And when Boaz had eaten and drunken, and his heart was merry, he went to lye downe at the end of the heape of corne: and ſhee came ſoftly, and vncouered his feet, and laid her downe.
THis verſe ſheweth how ſhee did as her mother bade her, both for the time when, and the manner how.
And when Boaz had eaten and drunke;] meaning largely and freely, as the words following intimate, which it may ſeeme they vſed at ſuch times as this. Wee may note, that it is lawfull to eate and drinke more largely at one time than at another; as in times of feaſting, which the Iſraelites kept in old time, in reaping the fruits of the2. Sam. 13. 1. Sam. 25. Gen. 21. Nehe. 8. Gen. 29. 22. Iud. 14. 10. Mat. 22. 2. Iohn 2. 1. King. 3. 15. Eſte… 9. Gen. 26. 30. & 43. 34. Iob 1. Earth, as here; ſo at ſheep-ſhearing they feaſted, at the weaning of children, as we at chriſt'nings, at ſolemne times of reioicing, at mariages, at ſuch times as God beſtowed bleſſings and ſpeciall fauours, or did graciouſly deliuer his people; at the intertainment of friends, and louing meetings of brethren and kindred; at ſuch times and vponupon ſuch occaſions may we eate and drinke, and reioyce our hearts. But yet with theſe Ca…eats: Firſt, to take heed of exceſſe, by falling either into gluttony or drunkenneſſe, or wanton ſongs, or wanton behauiour, or by fooliſh ieſting and mocking of the godly, as the Philiſtims didIud. 16. 25. Samſon. Secondly, to keep ſuch feaſting ſeaſonably, not in time of Gods iudgements, nor in the time of the affliction of the Church; for thenEſai. 22. 13, 14, 15. it befitteth vsus rather to faſt then to feaſt. Thirdly,Amos 6. 6. that wee behaue our ſelues Chriſtian-like. Firſt,1. Cor. 10. 31. to praiſe and bleſſe the Lord and glorifie him: And here is worth the remembrance, the behauiour of the ancient Chriſtians in their feaſtingsTertul. apol. cha. 36. together: they ſate not downe before thankſgiuing, they ate and dranke moderately, ſo as they would not hinder their deuotion to God afterwards; their communication ſuch, as they that knew they ſpake in the Lords hearing: when they had ſufficed themſelues, they prouoked one another to ſpeake ſomewhat out of the Scripture, or otherwiſe good things to the praiſe of God; by which was triall made how much eueryevery one had drunke; and finally they ended their meeting with prayer; this was a religious and Chriſtian feaſting. Secondly, in all our myrth to remember, and not forget, as Dauid ſaith, Ieruſalem,Pſal. 137. 5, 6. Neh. 8. 11. the Church of God. Thirdly, to remember the poore which want: wee muſt not bee Nabal-like, to feaſt like a King, and bee without mercy to Dauid and his company needing our reliefe; nor as the rich Diues, faring diliciouſly, and ſuffering the poore to periſh at our gates. Theſe caueats obſerued, wee may eate and bee merry.
And his heart was merry.] Eating and drinking Pſa. 104. 14, 15.make the heart merry. Thus were Ioſephs brethrenGen. 43. 34. made merry; for the ſpirits of men hereby are refreſhed, and let looſe, as it were, from cares; and this benefit we may hauehave by the Lords creatures,Prou. 31. 6, 7. and praiſe God for the ſame, ſo wee keepe a moderation, and vſe ſobrietie, as Boaz here, and not become as drunken ſots, like Nabal.
Hee went to lye downe at the end of the heape of corne.] After his labour and repaſt, he went to take his reſt, not in any dainty bedding, but euen in the floore, at the end of the heape: and this did hee for the ſafetie of Gods bleſſings, and the better keeping of the corne winnowed, from pilfering. Note hence, I. That painefull labour maketh man not curious of his lodging. Boaz here can lye hard; Iacob a Princes ſonne, brought vp daintily at his mothers lap, can take a ſtone and lay it vnderunder his head for a pillow, and ſleep ſoundly, being wearied with trauell, which maketh reſt and hard lodging very pleaſant to him: and howſoeuer Iacob might lye better before, yet did he neuer reſt more bleſſedly than in this hard bed: for now the Lord ſpake to him, and he ſaw Gods Angels aſcending and deſcending vponupon him: for it falleth out, the more the body is pampered, the leſſe ſpirituall comfort; and the leſſe the body is cehriſhed, the more is the ſoule made glad, and the nigher wee be to God. Would we therefore not be nice, nor curious of our lying. Let vsus labour our bodies till we be wearie, and we ſhall take hard lodging without diſlike, hunger maketh poore fare ſweet; ſo doth labour make hard lying pleaſant. II. That it is good husbandrie to Prou. 27. 23.ſeeke to ſaue, as well as to get. Boaz was noble, wiſe, rich, and alſo thriuing, yet mercifull, and therefore not baſe, but yet would, as need required, ſee to his owne eſtate and Gods bleſſings beſtowed vponupon him, that they might not be diminiſhed by purloining hands. This honeſt care of this great man, and good man too, checketh ſuch ſpendthrifts, as doe waſte Gods bleſſings; they bee theeues to themſelues, and ſuch as depend vponupon them; they worke their owne ouerthrow and deſtruction, and in aduerſitie they ſhall be without comfort: for their conſciences will tell them, that they hauehave iuſtly brought vponupon themſelues that euill.
And ſhe came ſoftly and vncouered his feet, and laid her downe.] A great ſhew of euil: for ſhe went to a wrong man, it was alſo in the night, and alone, to him alone, and after his feaſting too; a too bold aduenture, vponupon her mothers weake aduice in this manner of doing. True it is, the ſucceſſe was good; but this more of Gods mercy, then the fact deſerued. Boaz alſo commended her, verſ. 10. but it was not for thus comming, not for the manner, but for the thing intended, to wit, to match with him, ſhee following the rule of the Word, and not luſt to ſeeke to young men, whether poore or rich. Here we ſee what Naomi contriued, ſhe did with as much cunning; as care, act it; for it is ſaid, ſhee came ſoftly, ſecretly, and without any ſtirre or noiſe to awake him, and ſo laid her down at his feet, waiting when he ſhould of his owne accord awake. We warily act a thing, where wee be loth to offend; and there are wee contented to waite patiently, where we feare to doe amiſſe, as Ruth doth here. This wiſedome can we ſhew in attaining our deſires in things of the world; Oh that we thus could behaue our ſelues towards God! and that we might ſay with the Prophet, My ſoule doth waite for the Lord, and in his Word doe I hope, Pſal. 13 1. 5, 6.