The book of Ruth expounded in twenty eight sermons, by Levves Lauaterus of Tygurine, and by hym published in Latine, and now translated into Englishe by Ephraim Pagitt, a childe of eleuen yeares of age

The 7. Sermon.

16 And Ruth aunswered entreate me not to leaue thee, nor to depart from thee, for whether thou goest I will goe: and where thou dwellest I will dwell: thy people shalbe my people and thy God my God.

17 Where thou diest I will die, and there will I be buried, the Lord doe so to me and more al∣so, if ought but death depart me and thee.

18 When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to goe with her, she left speaking vnto her.

RVTH coulde not be perswa∣ded by any meanes to leaue her mother in law: but as hot lime wherupon colde water is poured, shee by disswasion becomes more earnest and forward: and in many wordes she declared that she would not depart from her, but that she was ready to suffer all estates with her, and that she would embrace the Israelites religion, and auoyd the superstition of the Gen∣••••es: as it appeareth by her wordes. Entreat me not to leaue thee &c: or set not against me nor trouble me with thy

disswasions, neither hinder me from go∣ing with thee. Whether thou goest I wil goe. I am ready to suffer all troubles with thee: and because she had said OR∣PAH was going to her countrey and her Gods, she addeth thy people my people (vnderstand is or shalbe) Thy God my God. I will acknowledge no other God nor other people but that God of Israel whome thou doest worshippe and in whome thou doest hope and beleeue: neyther will I hereafter worshippe BAAL PEOR or CHEMOS the Gods of my nations, or of any other nations. Where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried. This is the affection of men that they woulde be buried in the graues of them whome they loue dear∣lie, and not be seperated from them after they were dead. It it read. In GENESIS. that ABRAHAM bought ground of EPHRON the HITTITE wher∣in there was a Caue whiche he conu••••∣ted to a buriall place for him and his: first he was buried there, then ISAAKE, then IACOB would not be buried in

Aegipt but bound IOSEPH by an othe, that when he was dead hee would bury him in the land of CANAAN in the Se∣pulcher of his fathers. GEN. 47. 49. TO∣••IAS said vnto his sonne, I shall die, bu∣ry me honourably, and honour thy mo∣ther, and also bury her honourably by me in my sepulcher.

MEZENTIVS although hee was a wicked man yet in Virg: in the end of the 10. Aeneid he entreateth Aeneas that he might be buried in the sepulcher of his sonne LANSVS, It is accounted as a cursse to lacke the honor of buriall, and not to be buried in the Sepulchers of their fathers, contrariwise it is accoun∣ted as a blessing to be buried honoura∣bly. But true Religion being decayed, superstitious men did thinke that pom∣pous burials profited the soules depar∣ted. &c.

RVTH addeth an othe by the whiche she confirmeth that shee will not leaue her mother in-law. The Lord doe so to me and more also, if ought but death depart mee and thee. Shee doth not simplye sweare

but curseth her selfe if she keepe not her promise. This kinde of swearing is often times vsed in the scriptures.

The Lord doe so to me and more al∣so. But it is not expressed what euils they do wish for themselues which vse those words, or to what vengeance they yeeld themselues if they falsifie their faith: For the holy Ghost by these Aposiopeses would teach vs, that we must deale wa∣rily in swearing, and beware least that our toong runne before our minde, for here that saying ought especially to haue place: Toong whether doest thou goe? It is to be obserued that godly men of∣tentimes vsed swearinges in the old and newe Testament. Not in all causes but onely in graue and waightie matters. And the maner which they vsed is no∣ted, for all othes are not of one sorte. This maner which RVTH vsed, shew∣eth that all they should at length perish, who prophane the name of God by vio∣lating their othe, moreouer the sainctes doe performe in deede, those thinges which they promised by othe, as RVTH

also did. There are some who do enter∣pret these words conditionally. The Lord doe so to me: and so forward: if God giue me power and abilitie as hee hath done hitherto I will be constant: and so for∣ward. But the first sence, that it should be the forme of an othe is more playne and simple.

Here is a notable example in RVTH propounded to vs, first her conuersion to God, and confession of her faith, de∣nying her own nation and religion. She doth confesse that she will ioyne her self to the true God and his people. RAHAR made the like confession In IOSVA. 2. cap. for the Lord himselfe is your God and so forward.

Next here is an example of loue to God and our neighbour. Because with∣out doubt she had learned of her father in law, of her mother in lawe, and hus∣band, and especially by the inspiration of the holy Ghost: the God of Israell to be the true God, and leauing BAAL P••OR and other Gods, and Goddesses of the nations, she hasteneth her selfe to

that land, where the true God is wor∣shipped, neyther doth shee suffer her selfe to be hindered by any pleasures of this life.

She might haue liued more pleasant∣ly amongest her friendes, and as it see∣med haue gotten her a husband more easily. Yet she had rather (as it is sayd of MOSES in the Epistle to the Hebrues) to suffer trobles with the people of god, then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season, esteeming the reproche of Christ to be greater riches than the treasures of MOAB: If she had bin with∣out fayth shee woulde haue returned home to the Idolaters, for euery imagi∣nation of a better marriage, of riches, and such other commodities. She dyd heare the word of God with profite, and therefore she might be compared to the tree well planted, and the house buil∣ded on a rocke. MATT. 7. cap.

Here we haue also an example of loue towardes our neighbour, hee is our neighbour who wanteth our helpe, or wealth or counsell. LVKE. 10. NAOMIE

being striken in age and care, did lacke the helpe of others. Therefore RVTH would not go away from her, who had not receaued small giftes from her, and though she also was destitute of neces∣sary thinges yet shee trusting in Gods goodnes, would not forsake her mother in law, whom shee esteemed as her own mother. Good Lord how few are there at this day, I say not daughters in-lawe which will shew such friendship to their mothers inlaw: but how fewe children are there which will shew suche friend∣ship to their mothers inlaw or affection to their parentes being olde? Many can∣not be perswaded by any reasons be they neuer so great to be present, and to serue their parents when they are disea∣sed.

But when their parents are in good e∣state they abhorre theyr company, if they be somewhat seuere. They are ve∣ry rare who thinke that they cannot be∣stowe so many benefites vpon their Pa∣rents as they haue receiued from them: yea they do oftentimes forsake them in

greatest daungers: and the cause of this matter is, because they are destitute of fayth and loue. In that that RVTH deni∣ed her countrie religion, and embraced the Israelites religion, the vocation of the Gentiles is prefigured, who leauing their superstitions, turned to the God of ISRAEL.

At last NAOMIE seeing her daughter in law fully purposed to go with her, she would trouble her no more: but when shee had sufficiently seene and tried her constancy, shee willingly tooke her as a companion of her iourney, she did wish also the other to bee conuerted to true religion. Without doubt shee reioyced and did thanke God that he had proui∣ded her (being afflicted so many wayes) so faithfull a daughter. For it should haue bene a troblesome & a hard iourny to her, to trauel so farre without a trusty companion.

Shee doth teach vs by her example that we must not be troblesome to thē, who doe propound to themselues, to do good things, we ought rather with∣stand

thē who do deuise wicked things, that we may keep them back from their purposes, and although they be verie stubborne, yet we must at no hand giue place vnto them.

Let men that are poore and afflicted ga∣ther this comfort also, that God can stir vp men to helpe and feede them. And when they seeme moste forsaken, yet let them not be driuen to desperati∣on by the enemy of mankinde.