Two sermons the first, Comfort in calamitie, teaching to live well, the other, The grand assizes, minding to dye well / by Thomas Fuller ...
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Title
Two sermons the first, Comfort in calamitie, teaching to live well, the other, The grand assizes, minding to dye well / by Thomas Fuller ...
Author
Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.
Publication
London :: Printed for G. and H. Eversden ...,
1654.
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Subject terms
Bible. -- O.T. -- Ruth -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Christian life.
Sermons, English -- 17th century.
Cite this Item
"Two sermons the first, Comfort in calamitie, teaching to live well, the other, The grand assizes, minding to dye well / by Thomas Fuller ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A40658.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 4, 2024.
Pages
descriptionPage 43
Vers. 7, 8.
And she went out of the place where
she was, and her two daughters in
law with her, and they went on
the way, to returne into the Land
of Judah.
And Naomi said to her daughters in
law, Goe, returne each of you to
her mother.
THese words containe the continuati∣on
of Naomies returne; wherein we
may observe,
Fi••st, the companie that went with her,
her two daughters in law.
Secondly, the discourse she had with
this companie, consisting of a Precept in
the Text, Goe, returne each of you to her
mother: and of a prayer, in the words
following.
Now, whereas her daughters in law did
not take their farewell of Naomi at the
threshold of their house, but went part of
the way with her, we gather,
descriptionPage 44
Observation.
That all offices of kindnesses and cour∣tesies
ought to be betwixt the mother in
law and the daughter in law, I meane her
sonnes Wife. And yet looke into the
world, and ye shall commonly finde enmi∣tie
betwixt them, as saith Terence in Hes∣sera;
Neque declinatam mulierem reperias ab
aliarum ingenio; ità adeò uno omn••s animo
socrus oderunt nurus: And their fallings
out chiefely proceed from these two
causes:
First, they contend which should have
the greatest right & interest in the Man,
who is Sonne to the one, Husband to the
other. Iudah and Israel contested (2 Sam.
19. 43.) which should have most part in
King David; the former claiming it, be∣cause
he was bone of their bone; the lat∣ter
pleaded they had eleven parts in him,
to Iudahs single share. Thus mother in
lawes and daughter in lawes use to fall
out; the mother, because her sonne is flesh
of her flesh, and bone of her bone, pleades
it is right, that he should side and second
with her; the daughter in law, because he
is her Husband, and therefore one flesh
descriptionPage 45
challengeth that he should rather take her
part: so betwixt them they fill the Family
with all discord.
Secondly, they fall out about the ma∣naging
of the matters in the Household,
after whose mind they should be ordered:
but as S. Iames said in another case, Belo∣ved,
these things ought not to be so; both
these brawles may be easily ended. The
first may be taken up by the wisdome and
discretion of the sonne in law, who ought
so indifferently to poyse his affections be∣twixt
them both, with such dutifulnesse
and respect to the one, such love and kind∣nesse
to the other, that neither may have
just cause to complaine. And the second
controversie may thus be decided: If the
mother hath the state still in her hands,
good reason it is she should rule the Af∣faires,
and that the daughter in law should
wait till her mother in lawes naturall
death hath paved the succession to the
governing of the Family: but if the old
woman hath resigned her estate, and con∣fined
her selfe to an yearely pension, then
ought she not to intermeddle with those
matters, from which she had willingly se∣questred
descriptionPage 46
her selfe. Were this observed,
there would not so many daughters in
law rejoyce, when the day of mourning
for their mother in law is come; some
whereof say as the wicked said of Da∣vid,
O, when will she die, and her name
perish?
Now to come to the discourse she had
with them:
Goe, returne &c.
Where ariseth a question, Whether
Naomi did well, in perswadiug her daugh∣ters
to goe back unto Moab? For the sa∣tisfaction
whereof, I will set downe, first,
what may be said against; secondly, what
may be brought for her defence.
Accusation.
Why Naomi, Why didst thou quench
the zeale of thy daughters, which proffe∣red
themselves so willingly to goe with
thee? Oh, rayne them not backward with
disswasions, but rather spurre them for∣ward
with exhortations; and strive to
bring them out of an Idolatrous Land, to
a place where Gods Worship is purely
profest: Say unto them, Hearken O
descriptionPage 47
daughters, and consider, encline your
ears, forget also your Country, and your
own Mothers house; so shall the Lord
your God have pleasure in you: true it is▪
ye have a Mother in Moab, but what of
that; care not for your Mother, but care
for your Maker: care not for her that
Conceived you, but care for him that Cre∣ated
you: tarry not with them, no not
so much as to expresse your last love in
performing their Funeralls; rather let the
dead bury their dead: those that are dead
spiritually, let them bury such as die na∣turally,
and come go ye along with me to
the Land of Canaan: Thus Naomi ough∣test
thou to have said, and then hadst per∣formed
the part, done the duty of a Mo∣ther;
if whilst thou hadst travelled with
them on the way, thou hadst travelled
with them till God had been formed in
them; then shouldst thou shine as a double
Sunne in heaven for saving of two souls,
whereas now thou art in a manner acces∣sary
to their ghostly murther in sending
them back to an idolatrous Country.
descriptionPage 48
Defence.
To this accusation Naomi might justly
answer; It is my hearts desire and prayer
go God, that I may be an instrument of my
Daughters in laws conversion; but the
wisdome of the Serpent, as well as the
innocency of the Dove is to be used in
all our actions, least we draw needlesse
danger upon our selves. True it is, my
Daughters in law proffer to go with me,
but here is the question; whether this is
done out of courtesie and complement,
or out of singlenesse and sinceritye. Now
should they through my perswasions, go
into the Land of Canaan, and there live
in want and penury, they will be ready
to raile on me another day. We may
thank Naomi for all this, we had plentifull
provisions in our own Country, but she
must have us hither; she by her restlesse
importunitie must wring a constrained
consent from us to come into Canaan; all
these miseries are befallen upon us
through her default. Yea, I am affraid,
that finding want, that they again will re∣turn
into their own Country to my shame,
descriptionPage 49
the scandall of our Religion, and the dee∣per
punishment of their own souls. Wher∣fore
without their minds would I do no∣thing,
that their going might not be as it
were of necessity, but willingly. To
which end I will put them to the touch∣stone,
to see whether their forwardnesse
be faithfull or faigned, sound or seeming,
cordiall or counterfeit; I will weigh them
both in the ballance, hoping that neither
shall be found too light.
Upon these Grounds learned men have
acquitted Naomi from any fault in mana∣ging
this matter, she doing it onely with
an intent to trie them.
Whence we may observe, That Pagans
that proffer themselves to become Con∣verts,
are not without proof presently to
be received into the Church.
And here we may take occasion to di∣gresse
a little, to shew how Christians
ought to behave themselves in the con∣verting
of Infidels.
First, They must strive in their mutu∣all
conversing with them, to season them
with a good opinion of their honesty and
upright dealing, otherwise their Doctrine
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will never be embraced, whose manners
are justly mislik't.
Secondly, Having possessed them with
th••s good esteem, they ought as occasion
is offered, to instruct them in the Rudi∣ments
of Christian Religion; and to be∣gin
with such as are plain and evident by
the light of nature, and so in due time to
proceed to matters of greater difficulty.
Lastly, They are to pray to God to
give his increase to their planting and wa∣tering:
for, as Athanasius saith, ••t is a di∣vine
work to perswade mens souls to believe.
But as for the using of tortures and of
torments thereby to force them, we have
no such custome, nor as yet the Churches
of God: for though none come to Christ
but such as his Father draws by the vio∣lence
of his effectuall grace; yet ought
not men to drive or drag any to the pro∣••ession
of the Faith: yet notwithstand∣ing,
if after long patience and forbearing
with them, and long instructing them in
the points of Religion; if still these Pa∣gans
continue refractary and obstinate,
then surely the civill Magistrate who hath
the lawfull dominion over them, may se∣verely,
descriptionPage 51
though not cruelly, with Iosiah,
compell them to come to Church, and to
perform the outward formalities of Gods
worship.
Go then ye bloody Jesuites, boast of
those many millions of Americanes whom
you have converted, who were not con∣verted
by the sword of the mouth, gained
by hearing the Gospell, but compelled by
the mouth of the sword, forced by feel∣ing
your cruelty, witnesse those 70000
which without any catechising in the
points of Religion, were at once driven to
the Font like so many Horses to a watring
Trough. Indeed I find my Saviour, Iohn••. driving the Merchants out of the Tem∣ple
with a whip of cords, but never be∣fore
did 〈…〉〈…〉 of any which against their
wills drave or instructed Pagans to the
••ont to be baptized.
Each to her Mothers house.
Here we see Widows if poor, are to be
maintained by their Parents if they be
able. These widows, 1 Tim. 5. 16. were
not to be burthensome to the Church, but
••o be relieved by their own Countrie, let
descriptionPage 52
Parents therefore take heed how they
bestow their Daughters in Marriage: for
if they match them to Unthrifts and Pro∣digals,
will it not be bitternesse in the
end? the burthen will fall heavie on their
backs, when their poor Daughters with
their Children must be sent again to their
Fathers to maintain them.
House.
Widows are to contain themselves with∣in
the house, not like the Harlot, Prov. 7. 12.
alwaies in the streets; but like meek Sarah
in the Tent: whereby they shal sooner gain
the love and esteem of others; for let base
and beggerly fellows buy that rascal ware
which is hung out at the doors and win∣dows
of Shops and Stalls, whilest men of
qualitie and fashion will go into the Shop
to cheapen the worth of those merchan∣dise
as are therein kept secret and con∣ceal'd.
And so surely all discreet and grave
men will have the highest esteem, and
bear the best affection to such Women
which do not gad abroad to be seen, but
with Ruth and Orpah being Widows, keep
themselves in their Mothers house.
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