Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 3 · Verse 8
Verſe 8. And it came to paſſe at mid-night, that the man was afraid, and turned himſelfe; and behold, a woman lay at his feet.
THe euent of Ruths thus ſecretly comming in, and lying at Boaz feete vnawares to him. Where note the time when; the euent it ſelfe; the effect of it; and the occaſion of both in the laſt words.
And it came to paſſe at mid-night.] Thus long Boaz ſlept after his labour and paines-taking, before hee did awake. Note, that the wearied body Eccleſ. 5. 12.and quiet mind ſleepes ſoundly: (ſo Salomon telleth vsus) eate he little or much. If therefore we would ſoundly ſleepe, being in bodily health, let vsus labour our bodies; wearineſſe is the beſt phyſicke to caſt any one aſleepe: the idle cannot ſleepe, they be troubled with dreames, and fooliſh fantaſies: Wee muſt alſo get a quiet ſpirit, ſo ſhall we ſleepe without feare: and this is to bee gotten, firſt, by ſeeking reconciliation with God in Chriſt, ſo may we lye downe in peace with Dauid, Pſal. 4. 8. & 3. 5 Iob 11. 14, 19. Acts 12.and not bee afraid: this made Peter ſleepe ſoundly in great bodily danger; and the Martyrs, ſome of them, the night before they went to execution. Secondly, by ſhaking off the cares of the world, which maketh the worldling that hee cannotEccleſ. 5. 12. reſt. Thirdly, by ſuffering no euill to reigne in our hearts, as enuie, malice, luſt, couetouſneſſe: for theſe things will not ſuffer vsus to take reſt.Prou. 4. 16. Fourthly, to keepe euer a good conſcience towards God and man; this is a continuall feaſt, and giueth vsus reſt.
That the man was afraid.] The beſt are ſubiect to feare, vponupon conceit of perill, and that ſuddenly: So was Gideon afraid, and the Apoſtles on a ſudden; and likewiſe Boaz here, and that vponupon theſe reaſons: Firſt, his naturall frailtie and weakeneſſe of faith, which alſo is in eueryevery one. Secondly, his ignorance, not knowing what it was, becauſe ſhe came in vnknowne to him, when he was aſleepe: and in ſuch caſes we be more apt to conceit euill towards vsus, men good, becauſe our hearts tell vsus, that wee bee wicked by nature, and deſerue euill. Thirdly, the darke and dead time of the night, which is to man fearefull: the Pſalmiſt ſpeakethPſal. 91. 5. of the terror of the night. We all by experience know, how eaſily mans heart is made fearefull in the darke; except in the ſonnes of Belial, and the children of the kingdome of darkeneſſe, hardned in euill, and which make the night the time of their lewde practices; yet euen theſe alſo will ſoone bee ſtrucken into ſudden feare. Fourthly, this feare may more ſuddenly poſſeſſe one in the night, as here it did Boaz being alone: for that Spirits hauehave taken at ſuch times bodily ſhapes vponupon them, and ſhewed themſelues: for the night is their time chiefly, as may be ſeene in their comming then moſt commonly to Witches, knowne by their owne confeſſion. Let vsus therefore hence take notice of this weakeneſſe, which ſo ſheweth it ſelfe from the louelove we beare to our bodies ſafetie, and naturall life. Now, if wee feare ſo much for this cauſe bodily dangers, Oh how much more ſhould we feare to commit ſinne, and the wrath of God for ſinne, which bring deſtruction to body and ſoule, without timely repentance!
And turned himſelfe.] Hee gathered himſelfe together ſhrinking, as the manner is of ſuch as in bed being in ſleepe, fall into a ſudden feare, and turne to and fro; ſuch a forcible operation hath this feare vponupon the whole body, for to decline from, and auoid the danger conceiued, nature ſeeking to ſaue it ſelfe, in apprehenſion of perill, and that of a ſudden. This naturall feare is more quicke and ſudden to ſeaze vponupon the heart, then the ſpirituall feare to auoide ſinne, or the diſpleaſure of God, and ſo the danger of the ruine of our ſoules: for this danger is not ſo ſoone apprehended; here is required the grace of illumination, and of faith, before this can bee wrought in vsus.
And behold, a woman lay at his feet.] The feare poſſeſſed him without cauſe. And thus it falleth out often, Man often feareth without iuſt cauſe: theMatth. 8. 26. godly through the weakeneſſe of their faith, reprooued by Chriſt: the wicked by their accuſingProu. 28. 1. conſcience, which maketh them to flie, when none purſue them; they thinke that euill dothIob 15. 21. haunt them, and perill ſoundeth in their eares. Therefore let the godly labour for ſtrength of faith, and the wicked repent, and ſeeke for the peace of a good conſcience, that they need not to feare.