Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 4 · Verse 16
Verſe 16. And Naomi tooke the child, and laid it in her boſome, and became nurſe vntounto it.
THis verſe ſheweth the education of the child: by whom, and how.
And Naomi tooke the child.] This the old woman did voluntarily out of her true louelove both to the mother and the child. She was in the houſe of Boaz that great rich man, we here ſee, and ſo well prouided for in her old age, yet would ſhee take paines, and not be idle. So wee ſee, that the godly, though old, and well prouided for, yet will ſet themſelues to labour, and doe ſomething: for they make conſcience of their time, not to ſpend their dayes in idleneſſe, which they know to be a foule ſinne, and the nurſe of many. They will labour to be an… example vntounto others, and to ſpurre the younger on to take paines. Though they liue of themſelues, yet they owe a duety to God, to be doing what they may; & if they liue vponupon others, herein they ſhew their good will▪ to be as little chargeable as they may, and to be thankefull after their ſtrength and power. Now, this holy woman is herein to bee imitated; and let none thinke that they may be excuſed to liue idly, either for age, ſo long as they can take paines; or for that they hauehave enough to liue vponupon, becauſe God giueth none riches to liue a lazie life; but ſuch, euen old perſons▪ ſhould liue either in labour, as Saint1. Tim. 5. 4. Tit. 2. 3, 4. Paul willeth the widow of threeſcore yeeres old, or in teaching and inſtructing others: a bleſſed exerciſe for old folke, which will giuegive them comfort in the end of their dayes.
And laid it in her boſome.] This ſheweth her louelove, and with what tender affection ſhee tooke him into her hands. Foure things might moue Naomi thus affectionatly to louelove the Babe: Firſt, her louelove to the mother, who ſo exceedingly▪ loued her. Secondly, her louelove to Boaz the father, who had ſo mercifully dealt with her. Thirdly, her louelove to her husband Elimelech departed, whoſe name was raiſed vp againe by this child, vponupon his inheritance. Fourthly, her great hope of ioy and comfort from the child it ſelfe, as the women foretell in the former verſe. Howſoeuer it was, here we may ſee, that Parents carry a heartie affection towards their children: they be in their hearts and boſome: for if this louelove was in Naomi a mother in law, wee may well conclude it in naturall mothers: which may appeare many waies in their great paines and care in nurſing them, and in bringing them vp; in their▪ griefe and ſorrow, when their children are any way diſeaſed,Marke 9 24. & 7. 25. Mat. 15. 22. as we may ſee by the teares of the father, and cry of the mother, which Marke and Matthew make mention of. In their kind imbracing of them, as here, and as did the father of the prodigall ſonne. In their great ioy to heare of their well-fare, as Iacob did reioyce to heare of Ioſeph. Gen. 45. 27, 28In their eaſie natures ſoone reconciled to their children, when they humble themſelues before them, as wee ſee in Dauid to Abſalom, and the father of the prodigall ſonne. Laſtly, in their great lamentation at the death of their children, as Dauid did for Abſalom, though a moſt vnnaturall ſonne; and the widdow which followed her ſonne to the Graue, which Chriſt raiſed vp to life againe. No other reaſon can bee giuen, but that naturall and inbred louelove to children in parents, elſe ſome children are ſo hard-fauoured, and ill conditioned, as parents could not ſo louelove them, but onelyonly for that they bee their children. Let children hence learne to bee thankefull to God and their parents, and ſhew louelove to them againe in all obedience.
And became his Nurſe.] That is, a helpe in the mothers nurſing of it, as by holding it, lulling of it aſleepe, giuing of it meat, warming of it, and ſuch like helps for the nouriſhing of the life of the Babe, and not giuing it ſucke, for ſhee was too old to doe this. Wee may find in Scripture two ſorts of Nurſes: dry Nurſes: ſuch a one was Rebeccaes, to helpe to attend on the childe, andGen. 24. 59. to eaſe the mother ſomewhat, as Naomi doth here; and in helping to nouriſh and bring vp a child; in this ſenſe a father is called a Nurſe. The other ſort are milch-Nurſes, ſuch as giuegive ſuckNum. 11. 12. vntounto children, as in Scripture we find onelyonly thoſe to be their mothers, euen them that bare them, to bring them vp alſo, that as they afforded them the Wombe to beare them, ſo the breſts likewiſe to giuegive their children ſucke. And this is the mothers duety, if poſsibly ſhee be able: not birth, wealth, nicety, nor idleneſſe can exempt them from this duety; as it doth a number of wanton Dames, that they may be fitter to follow their luſts. That mothers are to giuegive their owne children ſucke: it is apparent by theſe reaſons: the naturall inſtinct in beaſts, teacheth eueryevery other Creature hauing paps, to giuegive ſucke; yea, the Sea-monſters draw out their breſts, and giuegive ſucke to their youngLamen. 4. 3. ones, ſaith Ieremie: and therefore ſuch as neglect this duety, are worſe then theſe beaſts; which we hold vnkind, if they let not their young ones ſucke. It is the principall vſe and end of breſts in women, when God ſendeth them children, though too many now make them onelyonly ſtales and bawdes of luſt. The Workemanſhip of God ſhould make them doe this: Firſt, in placing them ſo high, as in no other creature, euen neighbouring vponupon the heart, the Shop of heat, to conuey the bloud ſooner into the breſts; ſo as the heart workes for the Infant, to teach mothers to hauehave affection to this worke. Secondly, ſo placing placing them, as the mother is taught in nature to embrace the Infant, to lay it to her breſt, the more to worke louelove betweene the mother and the Babe. Thirdly, in making them to hauehave this facultie, to turne bloud into milke. And laſtly, Gods prouiding, as ſoone as the Infant is perfect for birth, milke in the breſt for the Infant: ſo as God and Nature call them to this duety, except any will ſay that God hath done all this in vaine, and might hauehave ſpared this Workemanſhip. The very name of a breſt, Mamma, ſhould put them in mind hereof, the firſt ſyllable whereof is that which an Infant doth ſooneſt ſpeake, calling the mother Mam; as if nature had giuen this firſt to the Babe, ſo eaſily to frame to vtter this word, to put the mother in mind of her duety, and to giuegive it her breſt. Againe, God in the worke of nature hath not onelyonly giuen breſts, but heads or nipples for the Infant to ſucke the milke out of the breſts; and to helpe it, hath made the ſkin about the nipples more rugous and rough for the childs tongue to hold by. The HeathenAriſt. & Plutarch. Philoſophers, endued but with the light of nature, teach this, and affirme, that the mothers milke implants in children the louelove of mothers; yea, mothers louelove commonly thoſe children better, which they nurſe, than the reſt: and reaſon may bee giuen, becauſe the mother giueth, and the child receiueth, by ſucking her breſts, more of her ſubſtance, than they which doe not. Children louelove their Nurſes, we ſee by experience, and better then their mothers that bare them, ſo long as they be without iudgemēt to diſcerne, & onelyonly follow nature, for the nouriſhmēt of life. It is not ſo naturall, ſay alſo theſe Heathen, to be nurſed of another, as of the mother, in whom it is conceiued: for differing bodies hauehave differing temperature, and therefore the taking away of the Infant ſo ſoone from the accuſtomed nouriſhment in the mother, muſt needs breed an alteration. A learned man thinkes this to be the cauſeKick. in his Oecono. of the degenerating ſo much of Great mens ſonnes, and of their ſo little louelove to their mothers. It is a token of no great louelove to children, when their mothers put them ouer to ſtrangers, it is iuſt with God, if mothers after find their children ouer-ſtrange to them, being but ratherNote this, you vnnaturall mothers. halfe than whole mothers, mothers of neceſſitie, & not of good will: for perforce they bring forth: but it is true louelove which maketh a mother to giuegive ſucke: ſafety to themſelues diſereth the former, or elſe to dye with it in the Wombe; but louelove onelyonly to the Infant, procureth this latter at their hands. Beſides all theſe reaſons, the examples of all the godly women in Scripture teach mothers now this duety. That right honourable Sarah, Gen. 21. 7.the wife of a moſt honorable man, and mightie in ſubſtance and power, nurſed her ſonne Iſaac. Princely Iob was nouriſhed by the breſts of herIob 3. 12. Cant. 8. 1. whoſe wombe did beare him. Queene Bathſhebah nurſed Salomon. What ſhall I ſpeake of holy Hannah, the mother alſo of Moſes, of Samſons 1. Sam. 2. 23. Exod. 1. Iudg. 13. 42.mother, and others? The mother of Ieſus our Lord and Sauiour, whom all doe honour, ſhee did giuegive her bleſſed Babe ſucke: all women call her bleſſed, becauſe ſhee bare Chriſt: And was ſhee not as bleſſed in giuing him her breſts toLuk. 11. 27. ſucke? Yes verily. Some good Ladies at this day diſdaine not this duety. And what ſhould hinder them? Such perſons may giuegive ſucke, and then may deliuer the child ouer to a dry Nurſe to attend it, in all other things, which helpe the poore cannot hauehave. Laſtly, as there is a bleſſingGen. 49. 25. of the Wombe to bring forth, ſo of the breſts toHoſea 9. 14. giuegive ſucke: and the dry breſts and barren wombe hauehave beene taken for a curſe. Let mothers therefore take knowledge of theſe things, to preſſe them to this duety of nurſing their owne bowels, that in giuing ſtill of their owne ſubſtance, they might the more worke louelove in their children towards them. Their excuſes are idle, & are of no force againſt theſe reaſons: for true motherly louelove is ſeene in nurſing: for luſt brings to conceiue, neceſſity forceth to bring forth, but onelyonly true and naturall louelove cauſeth a mother to nurſe her child.