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 11. Sermon.

8 Then sayd Bohaz vnto Ruth, hearest thou my daughter? go to none other field to gather, nei∣ther goe from hence, but abyde heere with my maydens.

9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reape, and go thou after the Maidens. Haue I not charged the seruauntes that they touch thee not? moreouer when thou art a thirst, go vnto the vessels and drinks of that which the ser∣uauntes haue drawne.

10 Then shee fell on her face and bowed her selfe to the ground, and sayd vnto him, how haue I found fauoure in thine eyes, that thou shouldest know me seeing I am a stranger?

HOW BOHAZ did talke with RVTH, and how shee behaued herselfe towardes him is heere declared. BOHAZ talketh with her friendly, according to his age and estate, hee calleth her daughter, for hee was olde and one of the elders and go∣uerners. Where the scripture commaun∣deth sonnes and daughters to reuerence their parents, it meaneth amongest o∣thers, them that are yong, whose duety

it is to reuerence the elders and especy∣ally the magistrates. Next he commaun∣deth her that shee go not into an other field to gather eares. For peraduenture least she should be troublesome to him, shee would not onely gleane in his field but in others also: but hee vnderstan∣ding that she was a notable woman, was willing to do her a good turne, hee doth not send her ouer to others, as some vse to doe, which when they colde easilye and ought to helpe their poor kinsmen, cast this care from them. He doth com∣maund her that she goe not out of that place wherein she was to another, but accompanye his maydens and followe them: partly least shee should haue any wrōng being alone in any of his groūds, from the which his seruaunts might ea∣sily defend her: partly if shee were with those his seruauntes: shee might gather eares with lesse trouble, which did with∣out doubt passe the time by pleasaunt talke, sportes and songes. For it is profi∣table that men, that are sad and troubled be conuersant and talk with others, and

as muche as they can, let them auoyde solitarines. Hearest thou my daughter? to wit, that which I haue commaunded thee, doe not gather in any other mans field then mine. The Germaines do also say, hast du es ghort? when as they do ear∣nestly commaund or giue any thing in charge to others. Further he promiseth her defence against his seruaunts, is not this (saith he) most certain, I haue com∣maunded my seruaunts that they touch thee not? The Hebrues doe vtter by an interrogation that which they woulde vehemently affirme. Afterward, cap. 3. vers. 5. My daughter doe not I seeke thy rest that it may be well with thee? 1. SA∣MVEL. 10. chap. Is not the matter so as I told thee, that god hath annointed thee to be gouernour ouer his inheritance? 1. SAM. 23. The Ziphians, the traytors sayd vnto SAVL, doth not DAVID dwel with vs in the fortes and wood? So I vn∣derstand that saying of the woman of IOHN. 4. is not this the Christ? certainly it is Christ.

In haruest and vintage great libertie

or rather licence is giuen to workemen, for the ease of their labours, but some∣time they doe abuse theyr libertie, they doe handle many shamefast and chaste virgines very filthily, and doe many thinges insolently: his seruauntes might haue done the same, therefore hee doth promise her that he wil admonish them that they doe not hurt her. But it is the duetie of housholders that they do not onely preserue the chastitie of their own maydes, but also of others, that no fil∣thines be spoken, whereby they might be prouoked to lewdnes, let him shewe them how filthie a thing whordome is, and how harlots are defamed with pub∣like infamie. Let him call them backe from all thinges, which may prouoke them to lewdnes, especially if he see thē gamesome or wāton, as from lewd talk, from keeping companie with suspitious men, from filthy shewes and daunsings &c. There are some who say that it is but in vaine to keepe them straightly, but youthes doe oft amisse for want of vn∣derstanding. But howe wicked are they

who offer their maydens (whose chasti∣ty they ought to preserue, and be to thē in stead of parentes) to others, or defile them themselues? He ought also to be∣ware, least the body, fame, or goods, of his neighbours or any others be hurt by his seruauntes.

He must not onely keepe in order his houshold seruauntes, but also his beasts that they be not hurtfull to others, as dogges, horses, oxen &c. It is said in the law. If an oxe wer wont to strike in time past, and it hath bene tolde his maister and he hath not kept him in, and after he killeth a man or a woman, the oxe shalbe stoned and his owner shall dye also, &c. Also if the fire breake forth and burne corne, and take into the stackes standing in the fieldes, hee shall restore the losse, that did kindle the fire. If any man shall digge a pitt and shall not co∣uer it, the owner shall restore the losse of the cattell: The Lorde commaundeth that those houses which are flatt should be battelled least any man shoulde fall downe.

He doth adde this, that if shee were a thirst, she should goe to the vessels and drinke of the water, which the seruants haue drawne. There is great scarsitie of water in those places, PALESTINE hath her floudes riuers and springes, but yet in many places the springes are dried vp with those great heates, so that some∣time they fetched water a great way. The which also befell in our country of Heluetia (which aboundeth with ••••a∣ters in many places) in the yeare 1540. In the 26. chap. of GEN••: ISAACKS ser∣uauntes digged pits which for quietnes sake he yeelded to others. In EXOD. the 2. chap. Moses did helpe the daughters of IETHRO which drew water for theyr flockes, when the shepheardes with∣stoode them, because there were no o∣ther welles in those places. Therefore it is a great benefite, that hee doth bid her goe to take drinke out of the vessels, that is flaggons or bottels.

As the latines doe vse very largely this word arma (that I may note this by the way) namely for instrumentes, for

euery arte, as armour for warre, for schollers and for cookes &c. So KELIM which is amongest the Hebrues vessels, doth signifie instrumentes, weapons, or∣namentes, houshold-stuffe, and apparel. This seemeth to haue some force that he sayth, whiche my seruauntes haue drawne: namely not without labour: Although they say they haue drawne it by theyr labour, & driue thee away: yet I will that thou drinke, no man shall re∣sist thee: afterward he doth commaund her to eate meate together with the rea∣pers.

Here is set foorth to vs a notable ex∣ample of humanitie and kindnesse to∣wardes the poore, widowes, straungers, and especially towardes them that are newly conuerted to the truth, and how they are to be handled, looke in the E∣pistle to the ROMAINES the 14. and 15. chap. BOAZ first did talke with RVTH friendly, hee doth not looke that shee should aske any thing of him, hee doth promise her defence and drink, he doth graunt her more than she durst ask him,

and that with a good will. But what was the cause of this humanitie and good will towardes RVTH, when hee did not know that he should be coupled in mar∣riage vnto her? Because shee had the fa∣uour of God by faith, shee also had the good will of men. God doth moue the heartes of the enemies towardes those whome he doth loue, as SALOMON saith in hys prouerbes the 16. chap. Then hee vnderstood by the speech of his Baylife, that shee was indued with notable ver∣tues, and therefore that she was worthy of fauour and good will. If hee had spo∣ken euill of her, peraduenture he would haue conceiued some euill against her. Furthermore she was indued with faith which is the spring of good workes, and he saw with his eyes the diligence of the woman in gathering of eares.

This courtesie of BOHAZ is to be fol∣lowed of vs: the poore and straungers are to be nourished and intreated friend∣ly: Nouices in the faith are to be defen∣ded against those iniuries which they are in daunger of. Next if we will haue

men kinde and friendly, we must especi∣ally seeke to please God.

Secondly here is shewed how RVTH behaued her selfe towardes him. First she fell on her face, and bowed her selfe to the ground. She sheweth her selfe as one vnworthie, that BOAZ a noble man should vse so courteously, shicah to bow, to submit or fall downe in the forme hithpaal hishtaueh to cast downe her self to bow the head or the rest of the bodie to fall downe at any mans feete. The Grecians doe render it proscunein And the latines expound it by the worde a∣doration: EXOD. 20. in the second com∣maundement which speaketh against Images and Idols, it is said thou shalt not adore them. The idolaters say that they doe not worshippe them, and that they are iniuried if these thinges be re∣ported of them, but truely they knowe not or rather will not knowe what it is to adore. The Hebrue worde signifieth to bow and lie downe before th••m, but will they deny that they doe this? Ther∣fore they cannot be excused from Ido∣latrie.

Amongest the latines also to a∣dore, doth signifie to bow the knees, and to honor by falling downe &c. it was the cōmon maner that they would fall downe at the feete of them whome they would honour, but wee doe not bow our knees vnlesse we come before Princes, before whome wee suppliently fall on our knees.

Next shee doth wonder and make great accompt of his courtesie, when she being a straunger was so well accep∣ted of him, for the moste part banni∣shed men and poore men are despised of the rich and mightie.

We haue a notable example in RVTH of humilitie thankefulnes and shame∣fastnesse. She doth shew her humilitie, partly by her outward behauior, name∣ly by the gesture of the body, that is by bowing & submission, partly by words, for shee saith, Wherefore haue I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest know me, or that thou doest knowe me? For it signifieth (as MARTINVS BOR∣RAVS the diligent and learned expoun∣der

of gods word) no light acquaintāce ••ut to acknowledge louingly and to haue a regard of anie. She doth confesse that shee is vnworthy of his benefites. HVMILITIE is a notable vertue, where∣unto pride is opposite.

She doth declare her thankefulnesse in this, that she doth not despise nor ex∣tenuate this benefite bestowed vppon her, shee doth not say, what is this that thou doest bid me to gather eares? doth not the lawe of God graunt this to the poore? what is this that thou doest offer me drinke when I am a thirst? water is commonly to be vsed, wherefore doest not thou giue me some notable gift sith I am poore and thou riche? Truely the benefite was not so great of it self, which he did giue her, but because it came frō a notable man and from a good will, she made great accompt of it. The pro∣uerbe sayth, gifte of a friend is best, She by her thankefulnes did prouoke BOAZ to be more ready and prompt to relieue her pouertie. Let them diligently ob∣serue this which doe want the helpe of

others: let them not be vnpatient if they haue not all by and by which they de∣sire: let them not despise those thinges that are bestowed on them let them, not threaten that they wil wreast anie thing by force. But let them rather think that others haue theyr burdens, and that they by their importunitie do hurt both themselues and others. For vnthankful∣nesse stoppeth vpp the welspring of be∣nefites.

The shamefastnesse of this woman appeareth in this that she fell downe to the ground, and did not impudently look on BOAZ, shamefastnes is the grea∣test prayse of women, for shamfastnes (as CICERO saith) is the keeper of al vertue, auoydeth vncomelinesse, and getteth great prayse. Therefore this caused her not to looke wantonly on BOAZ, nor to speake long with him: both these vices the Gentiles doe condemne in women as the Satyrric̄all Poet saith. Shee is so bolde that she can keepe company with men. And she can talke with armed cap∣taines in the presence of her husband

without a blushing face and with stret∣ched out brestes. The prouerbe sayth scilence doth adorne a woman, as it is in this verse of Sophocles. gunaiza cosmon è sige pherei Women which are desirous to talke with men whome they do not know, bring themselues into suspition.