Ruths Recompense, Title page – Dedication
Ruths Recompence: OR A COMMENTARIE VPONUPON THE BOOKE OF RVTH: WHEREIN IS SHEWED HER HAPPY CALLING OVT OF HER OWNE Country and People, into the fellowſhip and ſociety of the Lords Inheritance: HER VERTVOVS LIFE AND holy Carriage amongſt them: AND THEN, HER REWARD IN GODS mercy, being by an honourable Marriage made a Mother in Iſrael: Deliuered in ſeuerall Sermons, the briefe ſumme whereof is now publiſhed for the benefit of the Church of God.
By Richard Bernard, Preacher of Gods Word at Batcombe in Sommerſet-ſhire.
LONDON Printed by Felix Kyngston, and are to be ſold by Simon Waterſon. 1628.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND VERY VERTVOVS LADY, the Lady FRANCIS, Counteſſe of Warwick, Dowager, the increaſe of all ſauing Graces, and the fruition of that eternall bliſſe with the Saints in glory, is heartily wiſhed.
Right Honourable Lady,
THough a Woman was the Mother of all mans miſerie; yet of a Woman came ſaluation, to bring vsus out of that eſtate vntounto Grace and Glory, and for womens comfort, God of his mercy hath beene pleaſed to make their Sexe renowned in many examples. To ſome he hath giuen ſupernaturall knowledge, by enduing them with the Spirit of Prophecie, as Miriam, Deborah, Huldah a… Annah. VponUpon other ſome he hath beſtow…d ſingular wiſedome, as vponupon the woman of …ekoah, and h…w ſe woman of Abel, in Bethmaacah. Rare was the faith of many, as the faith of Sarah, of Rahab, of the widdow of Sarepta, and of the Canaanitiſh woman; who hauehave put on better reſolutions, and greater courage for the Church in the time of perill, then ſome men hauehave done. Did not Deborah encourage Barak to the warres, aduenturing her ſelfe with him, when otherwiſe he without her was afraid to go? Did not Iael, the wife of Heber, kill the great Captaine and Generall Siſera? And who more reſolued to icopard her life for Gods people, then beautifull Eſter, with her If I periſh, I periſh?
HaueHave there not been of them famous in many other things? For attention to the Word, as the Virgin Marie and Lydia. For going farre for knowledge, as the Queene of Sheba to heare the wiſedome of Salomon. For workes of charitie, as Dorcas. For workes of piety, helping forward the building of theExod. 35. 21, 22, 29. Tabernacle, as were many women. For feruency in prayer, as Hannah. For daily deuotion in faſting and prayer, as Anna. For entertainement of Gods Meſſengers, as the Shunamite, as Lydia, and one Mary. For the feare of God, as the Mid wiues ofRom. 16. 6. Egypt. For courteſie to a meere ſtranger, as Rebecca. For humilitie and patience, as old Naomi. Who can out-ſtrip Ruth in louelove? Are there not recorded not meane ones onelyonly, but alſo honourable perſonages for Religion and Grace? as wee may reade in the Acts 17. 4, 12. Will a Dionyſius become a beleeuer in an Vniuerſitie, from among the Athenians? You ſhall finde a Damaris to ſecond him.
In what hauehave men been renowned, wherein ſome women (according, yea, and beyond the nature of their Sex) hauehave not been remarkable? in Wiſedome, Faith, Charitie, louelove of the Word, louelove to Gods Meſſengers, feruent affection, and deſire of heauenly things? If men hauehave ſuffered impriſonment, cruell perſecution, and Bands for Chriſt, were women behind? No verily, Acts 8. 3. & 9. 2.
Nay, hauehave they not in ſomewhat excelled men ſometimes? Who entertained Chriſt ſo much, and ſo often as Martha and Mary? Who are noted to contribute to Chriſts neceſsities, but women? Luk. 8. 3. Who (ſauing Iohn the Apoſtle) followed Chriſt to his Croſſe, lamenting and weeping, but women? Who ofLuke 24. 24. all the ordinary followers of Chriſt obſerued where Chriſt was buried, but women? Who firſt went to hisMark. 16. 1, 2. Sepulcher with ſweet ſpices to anoint Chriſts body, but women? We may reade of a Congregation of women,Acts 16. 13. to whom Saint Paul preached, being gathered together to the accuſtomed place of prayer, as more forward, as it may ſeeme at that time, then men.
It would be tedious to repeate by name all the notable women in the holy Scriptures, and their excellent graces; yet can I not let paſſe Priſcilla her knowledge with her husband A quila in the miniſterie of the Goſpell, able to teach an eloquent A pollos; nor Loys and Eunice, Trayners vp of the famous Euangelist Timothie in the holy Scriptures; nor Perſis, whichPhil. 4. 3. laboured much in the Lord, as many other women did. Not to ſtand vponupon more inſtances, one thing for their more worthy praiſes, is to be obſerued, and not to bee forgotten; I hauehave read of men well eſteemed of to hauehave been Apoſtates, as Demas, Alexander, Phyletus, and others; but of neuer a woman by name, once reckoned among the Saints in all the new Teſtament; this is ſingular glorie.
But the Lord hath not thought it enough to honor women thus, by endowing them with excellent gifts, and by their praiſe-worthy works, but alſo hee hath graced them otherwiſe. To whom did Chriſt firſt manifeſt himſelf after his reſurrection, but vntounto women? Of what act did euer Chriſt ſo ſpeake, to make it perpetually famous, as that of the woman, that powred vponuponMat. 26. 7, 17. him an Alabaſter box of oyntment, promiſing that whereſoeuer the Goſpell ſhould bee preached in the whole world, there ſhould her worke bee remembred? Hath not alſo the Lord directed his Penmen, and by name his beloued Apoſtle, to write an Epiſtle vntounto an Elect Lady? And are there not whole books of Scripture dedicated to their names, as this of Ruth, and the other of Eſter, for an eternall remembrance of them?
I hope (Right Honourable Lady) therefore, that I may bee bold to preſent your Honour with this my Commentary vponupon Ruth, which you may challenge of right before all others, for your bountifull and liberall contribution towards my maintenance in the Vniuerſitie of Cambridge, by the which I am now that I am; and for which, as alſo for your Honours euer-continuing fauours to mee and mine, I remaine euerlaſtingly a debtor.
Accept therefore, I humbly beſeech your Honour, this my beſt teſtimonie of all dutifull ſeruices, and of the acknowledgement of my moſt thankfull remembrance of the ſame. And my hearty and daily prayer is, that the Lord would bleſſe your Honor, that as both you hauehave intended, and alſo begun good works, ſo you may goe on with encreaſe therein to the end; it beeing the greateſt honour before God and men, to bee great and rich in good works, for which you ſhall hauehave, for the preſent, many peoples prayers; for the time to come, of mindfull poſterities, alſo great praiſes; and with all in heauen (which is the beſt of all) reward with God; who euer preſerue your Honour in all happy peace and proſperitie.
Your Honours euer bounden to be commanded, Richard Bernard. Batcombe, March 22.