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 25. Sermon.

13 So Boaz ••ooke Ruth, and she was his wife, and when he went in vnto her, the Lord gaue, that she conceaued and bare a sonne.

THe holy Ghost at length, cō∣meth to that point, wherfore this booke is especially writ∣ten: namely that BOAZ took RVTH to wife, and begate of her a sonn called OBED, DAVIDS grandfather▪ For the scope of this booke is to shew what Patriarcks there were which came from IVDAH, to whome the Schilo was pro∣mised euen vntil DAVID, to whome the promise was renued: But the holy ghost doth comprehend many things in these few wordes, according to his custome. He sayth BOAZ married RVTH; and shee was his wife. When the other kinsman

had giuen him leaue to marry RVTH, he did not deferre their marriages. For af∣ter they are betrothed, it is not good to diferre it long. For Sathan in the meane season can sowe tares, and turne agree∣mentes into disagreementes. This also is to be praised in him, that he doth not vse the marriage acte before, but after a lawfull contract and approoued marri∣age.

But out of this, that the holy Ghost was not ashamed in this place to report of BOAZ, and other where of other holy men which married wiues: of RVTH & otherwhere of other matrons: likewise of conceiuing, bearing, midwifes, nurses and bringing of children, we doe gather the married life doth not displease god. And therare other things which do cō∣mend vnto vs marriages as not inuen∣ted by men, but first instituted by God himselfe in paradise, before the fall of ADAM and EVE our first parentes. And that God ioyned them togither, and blessed them, and there are many pla∣ces in the holy scriptures which declare

that God doth alow of mariages which are diligently to be noted and obserued of Gods people. Marriages are defēded by the law of God, thou shalt not com∣mit adultery. Christ our sauiour would be borne of a married woman in Cana of Galilie, hee adorned matrimonie by his owne presence, and by the miracle of turning water into wine, he also pre∣scribed by his Apostles, the proper du∣ties of married folkes, and by the loue betweene him and his spouse, he doth propound and set foorth to vs an image to be followed in Matrimonie. These and such other of the like kind are to be opposed against the iudgement of those men which doe condemne, or forbid marriage. For Sathan settes himselfe a∣gainst marriage in all ages. Before the Apostles departed out of this life, hee stirred vppe the Nicolaitans who vsed women as in common, of whome men∣tion is made in the reuelation. After∣wardes the Tatians and the Eucratians arose, affirming, that whoredome doth nothing differ from marriage, and they

take no man that is married to their sect. At length the Monkes, and Nunnes & Priestes, arose vpp, which vowed a per∣petuall sole life, and fayned that thereby they deserued remission of sinnes. They extolled virginitie with woonderfull prayses, as if these prayses belong to those filthie men. They did so speake of marriage that many forsaking theyr cal∣ling and marriage in theyr olde age, tooke vpon them the habite of Monkes and Nunnes. Howe many haters are there at this day of marriage, which fol∣lowe their wandring lustes? Therefore those thinges are diligently to be ob∣serued, which the scriptures doe note of the dignitie of marriage, and in all the troubles of marriages our mindes are to be comforted, with the consideration of this, that God doth allow & approue of marriages.

Next it is to bee obserued, that the Scripture sayth, he went in vnto her, for he had to doe with her: hee doth note with modestie, and shamefaste wordes, that which is done honestly in lawfull

marriage. So it is sayd Gen. 16. ABRA∣HAM went in vnto AGAR. 29. IACOB wēt in vnto his wiues: MVNSTER noteth vp∣on the 23. chap. DEVT. out of the He∣brue commentaries, that the Hebrue toong is therefore called holy, because there are no proper names found in it, which signifie the secrets of man or wo∣man, of generation, or excrements, and such others, but those thinges that are lothsome or filthy are spoken by some honest or comely periphrases for the word lying together, is vsed the worde of knowing or sleeping, &c. SAMVEL 24▪ It is said SAVLE went in to couer hys feete, that is to emptie his belly.

These phrases teach vs that Aischro∣logian or filthinesse in wordes is to be a∣uoyded, if thou speakest of wanton matters or of other thinges. PAVL•• tea∣cheth vs the very same. Ephes. 4. 6. cap. Colo. 3. Those men were woont com∣monly, which had incestious mouthes to be called merry companions. But euē the Cinikes were euill spokē of amongst the Gentiles because they spake lothe∣somely

and filthily. Stobeus doth re∣port these wordes amongest others of Charondus Cataneus in the promise of the lawes: let no man speake filthily least he defile his soule with filthy deeds and fill his minde with impudencie and wickednesse. For wee call those thinges whiche are honest and deare vnto vs, with fit names written in the lawe, and those things which we hate, we abho••re euen the naming of them for filthinesse sake. Therefore it is also filthy to speake a filthy thinge: Also there is a warning 23. SIRAC that we shuld not accustome our selues to fi••thie and lothsome talke, for from thence euill thoughtes may a∣rise. Tender mindes are oft offended greeuously by such kinde of talke, as the Apostle witnesseth who sayth. Cor. 25. cap. Euill talke doth corrupt good man∣ners. S. Chrisostomus doth call filthie talke, the chariot of whoredome, which doth carry men vnto it. Those thinges that are spoken of speeche, are to be re∣ferred to filthy rimes and songes: wee must alwayes remember that wee must

yeeld an account to God for euery idle worde, and then much rather for lothe∣some & fil thie talke, the scriptures doth oftentimes vse lothsome and filthie words, as 23. Ezech. where by the simili∣tude of two women he doeth describe the vnfaithfulnes of both the kingdōes, namely of Israel•• and Iudah, but to a good ende, according to the maner of the Phisitians, who doe sometimes pre∣scribe remedies, in filthie words against filthie diseases.

It is not simplie said, that RVTH con∣ceiued and bare a sonne, but the Lorde gaue this sonne to him, for children are the gift of God, and therefore they are to be religiously brought vp, that they may be aproued of him, Gen. 33. IACOB aunswered his brother ESAV, as king of his children, they are the childrē which the Lord hath giuen to thy seruant. IO∣SEPH answered IACOB his father, asking what two yong men those were which stood by the bed, my sonnes which the Lord hath giuen mee, in this place, hee sayth not which I haue begotten, or

which my wife had borne me. &c. The Bethlehemites prayed before, that the Lord would make BOHAZ•••• wife fruit∣full, for amongst other•• Gods 〈◊〉〈◊〉 works this is also commended ••13. Psalm. that God doth make the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fruitfull, 1. Sam. 2. cap. HANNA in her hym••e sayth, that the Lorde hath made that the bar∣ren, hath born 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sons, which is not to be vnderstood; of those onely which were altogether barren, as SARAH when shee conceiued IZHAK of ABRAM. Gen. 17. ELIZABETH also was aged and bar∣ren, Luk. 1. As 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ISAAKS wife was in the beginning, Gen. 25. And RA∣HEL the wife of IABOB. 30. chap. HAN∣NA the mother of SAMVEL the Prophet. Also the hostes of ELISHA the Prophet obtayned a sonne by his prayer, who being dead he raysed vppe vnto lyfe. 2. KING. 4. but of those also, whiche are fruitfull by nature: for God is the Au∣thour of all thinges, who hath his rea∣sons wherfore he doth make some fruit∣full, some barren.

It is sayd she bare a sonne, if shee had

borne a daughter it woulde haue bene great ioy to theyr parentes, but their ioy is the great•••• because they haue a sonne to be the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of theyr familie. And be∣cause the Messias was promised to be of the tribe of IVD••••, it is not to be doub∣ted but that tho••e parents thought that that he should in time be borne of that sonne as indeeds it came to passe.

She bare but not by and by, but as it is sayd other where, when the ••••ne was accomplished. ARISTOTLE in historia animalium, lib. 7. cap. 4. doth write that woman onely hath diuers times, wher∣in she doth bring forth, for shee may be deliuered in the 7. month or 8. 9. but most commonly in the tenth.

It is sayd before that the Bethlemites prayed for the prosperitie of those new married folkes, nowe it appeareth that those prayers were not in vayne, for BOAZ and RVTH obtayned those things which they prayed for. Also God doth heare our vowes and prayers. If thou wouldest say that it shoulde haue bene, although they had not prayed: we aun∣swere

although all thinges are done by the order of Gods prouidence, & most thinges fall out by the course of nature: yet prayers are not in vayne: neither are praiers disanulled by the order of gods prouidence: for by them oft times the order and course of thinges is altered. The women of whome we speake a litle before, desirous of a childe, by theyr prayers, obtayned of God that they be∣came fruitfull.