[onttmplations. LIB. ::XI. NAoMiand R VTH. Etwixt the raigneoftbe Judges, Ifraelw>S plagued with tyranny and whiles fome of them rai11ned, with famine. Seluome did that rebellions people w2nt fomewh2t to humble thorn. One rod is nor enough for • llubborne childe : The famine mull necdes A be great, that makes the inhabit2nts to runge theit Countrey. The name of home is fo fweer, that wee cannot leave it for a hmc. ll o ld, that l2nd which had wont to fi01v with milke and honey, now •bounds with want and penuty: and Bethleem in. fiead of an houfe of bread B is an houfe of famine. A fruitful! land doth God make barren, for the wic: kedneffe of them that dwell therein. The earth beares not for it felfe, but,. for us; ·God is not angry with it, but with men. For our fakes, is was fir I! curfed to thornes and thi!llcs,afrerthat to moillure,and knee that(not fcldomc)to drought; and by all thdc to barrenneffe. VJe m•y nor looke alwayes for plenty. It is a wonder, whiles there is fuch fuperfiuiry ofwickedneffe, that our earth is no more (paring of her fruits .· Thewhole earth isrheLords,andinhim ours. Iris lawful! forthe owners to change their houfes at ploafurc. Why fhould we nor m2ke free ufe of any parr of our own<: poffdlions ? Elimelech and his family remove from Berhlccm Juda unto Moab. Nothing bur neceffiry can difpenfe with a locall relinquifhing of Gods c Church ; Nor pleafure, nor profit, not curiofity. Thofe which are &mifhed our, God cals, yea, dnvcs from thence. The Creator and polfelfour ofthe earrh,h2th not confined anyman to his necelfary dellruClion. . It was l•wfull for elimelech to make ufe ofPagans,aod Idolaters, for the fupply ofall needfull helps. There cannot be a better imploymcnt ofMoabites, than to bi: the treafurers and purveyors ofGods childrcn:Wherforc ferve they,but togather forthe true owners ? It is too much nicenelfe in th~m, which forbeare the oenefit theymight make of the faculties ofprofane, or heriticall perfons; Thoy confider not that they have more right to the good fuch men can doe, than they that doe it, and challenge that good for their owne. But I cannot fee ;how it could be lawfull for his fonncs tomatchwith the daugh- D ters ofMoab.Had thefe men heard how farre,and under h01~ folemnunoath their father .Ahral,am fent fora wife of hisowne Tribe, for his fonne Ifaac? Had they beard rheearr.cfl charee of holy Ifaac, to the fonne he bleffed, Thou fl•alt not take a wtfeoftlu daughters-ofCanaanl Had they forgotten the plagues of Ifrael for but a fhort converfationwith the Moabitifh women ? If they plead remotenelfe from their ON ne people; Did they not remember how &r ].coli walked to Padan- .(\.ram? vVas it further from Moabto Bethleem,than fmm Bethleem to Moab?and ifthe qrc ofthcmfelvcs led them from Bethleem toMoab;fhould not their careof obedience to God, haveaswellcarried them back from Moab to Bethleem? Yet if theirwiveswouhl have left their Idolatry with their maiden-head; the match had beene more fafe; but now, even atthe !all fare•vell, 'l{aqmi can fay of Orpah, that E fhe is returned ro her gods. Thefe men have finned in their choyce, 0nd it fpcedes with them accordingly. V.'here did ever one of thefe unequall match<s profper? The two fmir.c> of Elimtlul> are fwept away childlelfe in rh• prime oftheir age,and I in !leadof their feed, they leave their·carkaffes in Moab, their wives widaowes, I tbeir mother childleffe, and helpleffe amongll Infidels, in that age which moll ·needed comfort. H01v miferable doe we now find poore Naorni ? which is left del llitute of her country,her husband, her childreo,her friends; and turned lo?li.e, and · f~htary to the mercy oftheworld :yet even outofthefe hopeleffe rumes w•ll God 1raifecomfort to his fervant. The firll good newcs is,that God bath vifired his peo1 piewtth bread; now therefore, fince her husband and fonnes were unrecoverable, . • · · lhe
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