LIB. XI. B o A z and R v T H. l997 A firme chdlity of her daughter in la~y, together with her perfwafion of the religious gravity of B,.z, made herthtRke that defigne fafe, wbtch to others had beene perilous, if notdefperate. But belides that, holdmg Buz next of blood to £/irneleeh, lhee made account of him as the lawful!_ husband of Ruth; fo as there wanted nothing but a cha!lcnge, and confumiUatwn. Nothmg was abated, but Come outward folemnities which (though expedt~nt for the fatisfl<lion ot others ; yet were not effentiall to marriage : And if there were not there colours for a projed: fo fufpitious, it woufd not follow, t:hat the ad:ion were warrantable, becaufe 'J{_aomies. V/hy lbould her example be more f.1fe in this, than in matching her Sonnes with Iofidels ; than in fending backe o,pha to her fathers gods? If every aCt of an holy, perfon lbould be our rule, \Ye lbonld B have crookea lives: Every aetion that is reported, is not araight wayes allowed. Our courfes wer,e very uncertaine, if God had not given us rules, whereby we may examine the examples of the he a Saints, and as well cenfure, as follow them, Let them that aumble at the boldneffe of RutiJ, imitate the continence of Bo,z. • Thefe times were not delicate. This man (though great in Bethleem) l<yes him down to rea upon a pallat,in the floor ofhis barne;when he awakes at midnight,no mane! if he were amazed to find bimfelfe accompaoi•d; yet,though his heart were ehcared withwine,the place folitary,the night lilcnt,the perfon comly,the invitation plaulible, could he not be drawne to a ralh act of lua;HJS appemc c'allld·not get thevittory of reafon, thou ab it had wine and opportunity to helJ"e it. Herein Boa::. 0 lbewed himfclfa great mafter ofhis alte&ions,that he was able tQ relia a fit tentation.It is no thank tomany,rhat they are free offame evils;perhaps they wanted not will, butconvenience. But if a maa1,when be is fined with all helps to his fin, can repell the.pleafure oflin, Ollt ofwnfcience;this is true fortitude. Tn fiead oftouchiog lleras a wanton,he bleffes heras a father,inco1trageth her as a friend,promifeth her as a kinfman,re'Wards )Jer'as ~ patron,and f.;nds her away lade.n with hopes,aud gifts;no leff'echaae,morehappy thanlbe came.O admirable temperance 1vorthy the proginitor ofhim,in whofe lips and heart was no guile ! If Bo.u. had been the next kinfman, themarriage had nee<led no protrattion, but now that his confcience toldhim,that Ru111 was ~be _n~ht0f aAother,it had HOt been more fenfuality than injuaice,to have touchedhiS kmtwoman.Jt was norany bodily D impotcncv.. but bn,~a~. & _....... ~~ ......... ~ '". 1JaL rc~rameu_.n"AI~;for the very next night me concc•vea oy ntm;tllatgoodman wtlhed hJS marnage bed holy, & dura not lie downe inthe doubt ofa linne. Many a man is l10nea out ofnecellity,and affeCfs the praife ofthat, which he could not avoid; bur that mans nunde isllill an adulterer · m the forced continence ofhis body. N o,attion~an give us true comfort but tha; which we doe out ofthe grounds of ob.:dience. ' Thofc which are fearcfull of linning,are careful oottobe thou~ht to fin. Boaz, though he knew h1mfelftobe clcare,weouldnot have occalion offufpition given r.o othc;,rs; (Let no m~n know that a woman came mto thejloort:)A good heart is no Jeffc afraid ofa fcanuall, than of a fin; wherc:as thofe that arc refolved not to make any fcruple offin, defpife others con!l:rud:i?ns, not caringwhorn they offend, fo that E they '?aypleafe themfelves. Thar Naom." mtght fee her aaughter in lawwas not Cent back m dtfllke,fhe comes home bdenwtth corn; Ruth bath gleaned more this night than in,halfe the haeve(\. The care of B•az.was, that f11e would not returne to he; motj1e1' empty : Love wJ1crefoe1'er it i~,cannot be niggardly. 'vVe meafurc the love of God by his gifts; How f11all-hc abide to fend us away empty from thofe rrcafures of goodncffe ! . Bo•z is rcaleffe in the prpfecution ofthis fuit; and hies htm from his ihrefbina1\o'ore, to the gate, and there convents the neet:er kinfman before the Elders of rife cupvhatwas it rhat madeBoaz fo ready to entertam,fo forward to urge this match ? Wealth ihehad none, notfomuch ~bread, but what lbe gleaned out ofthe field: Friends lbee,had noae , and thofc lhee had elfcwhere ,• Moabites ,: Beauty thee ---..,___ Pp p p ~ could
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