Lin.XI. BoAz and Rv TB. \995 ~~--~--~~~--~~~~--~~~--~ A e.rthly things,whereofone houre may ftripus? What man canfay of the years ro come,Thus r will be? How juftly doe we conremne thts uncertainty, and looke up ro rbofe riches that cannot bur indure, when heaven and earth are ddfolveJ? BoAz and RvTH. ~~~~~ 1-!iles Elimelecb Chifred to Moab to avoid the famine,Bo.<z abode !I ill at €)ifiif',ifl® Bethlecm, and continuedTich and powerful! : He flaidat home, and «•:!> w., ~ found that whichEiimelecfJ wenttofeek,and miffed. The judgement B q~'5/f'1~ of faminedorh not lightly extend it fdfe to all: Peflilence and the Sword fpare none; but dearth commonly plaguerh the meaner fort, aAd balketh the mighry. •When Boaz his flore-houfewas cmpry,his fields were full, and maintained the name ofBethleem. I do not heare Rutb !land upon the terms of her better education, or wealthy Parentage ; but now, that God bath called her to want, lhe fcornes not to lay her hand unto all homely Cervices ; and thinks it no difparagcment to find her bread in other mens fidds:tliere is no harder Jelfon to a gc· nerous mind,nor that more befeems 1t, than e1d1er to bcarc want, or to preveot it; Bafe fpirits give rhemfelves over to iJlenelfc, and mifery, and becaufc they arc crolfed,~>i!l fullcnly perilh . That good woman bath not been for nothing in the fchoole ofpatience;Chc hath C learned obedience to a poore fiep-mother; Che was nowa widmv, pall reach ofany danae~ ofcorreCtion; betides,thac penury might feeme to difpenfe with awe.Even chiidre~ doe e~lily learne to conremne the poverty oftheir 01vne parents;Yet harh fhe inured her felfe to obedience,that lhewil nor {omuchas go forth iiJto the field to gleane, without the ' leave of her mother in law, and is no Je!fe obfequwus to <..Marab, than Chewas toN,aomi. What fhall we fay to rhofe children, that in the. maine actions of their life, forget they have natural! Parents ? It is a Chame to fee, that in meane families, want of fubftance caufcrh waur of duty; and that children rhould think themfclves priviledged for usreverence, becaufe the Parent is poore. Lmle doe we know•yhen we~o forth m the mommg,,~hat God meanes ro do with us ere mght: Therets a prov1<,lence that attends on us mall ourwates, and guids us D inlcntibly ro his own ends ; That aivinc hand leads Rt<th blind-fold ro the field of Boa~ : That Che meets with his reapers,and fals upon his Iandamongftall the fields ofBethlecm,it was no ptaife to her eleClion,but the gracious difpolitionofhim,in whomwe move;His thoughts are above ours,and-doe fo order our aCHons,as we, if we had knowne, fhould have wifhed. No fooner is 1hecomei~ro the field, but the reapers arc friendly to her;no fooner isBoazcome into his fie!d,buthe invits her to more bounty tll'n Che couklbave dcfired; now, Godbegins to repay into her bofeme her lo1·e and duty to her mother in law. Reverence and loving refpech to Parents, never yet went away unrecompenced ; God IVlll furely ratfe up friends amongfl ftrangcrs to rhofe that havebeen officious at home. ltwas worth Ruths journey from Moab,romeetwirh fuch a man as Buz,whom E :ove find tlmfty,rdigious, charitable; Though he were rich, yet he was not careJelfe ; he comes into the ficl,{ to over-fee his reapers. Even the bell dbte requires carefull ma1ug.ing of the owner; He wanted no officers to rake charge of his hufbandry, yet he haJ whcr be his 01~ne witnelfe: After a I! the truft of others, the Ma(lers eye feed, the horle. The MJ1\cr ofthe great hou010lcl ofrhe world, gives us atl example of this care, whofeeye IS m e1cry corner of his larae poffellion; Noronl1ty onely,but Reliaio?binds us to good husbandry; We0 are all ficwarJs;and what account can ~e gl\•e to o~r ~aO:cr, if we ne\·er looke after our efiate ? I doubt \-Yhcthcr Bo.1:. ha.J 6een fo nch, 1f he had not been fo frugal!: yet 1vas he not more · hrifry than religtous : He comes-not to his reapers, our with a blclling, tn his mouth: The Lord ~e Pp pp 2 wi f,
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