A godly and learned exposition or commentary upon the three first chapters of the…A godly and learned exposition or commentarie vpon the three first chapters of the…

III. point. The practise of our love must be squared by this rule, The love of our selves, as we wish our own good heartily, so we must wish our neighbours good. This is the law of Nature, To do as a man would be done unto: And it is the law of God, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. Example: A man of some trade is to make a bargain, and if he will lye, or use false weights and measures, he may advantage himself. This the devil and his own corruption will suggest unto him, while he is about the bargain: he therefore must call to mind this rule of love, and examine his own heart, whether he would have another man to deceive him by lying, by false weights, &c. The same thing must men do, when they are tempted to oppression or cruelty, let them think whether they would have others to wrong or oppress them; and so show forth love by this rule, doing as they would be done unto. It were to be wished, that our Church might have the deserved praise of this virtue of love: But Christ foretold of these our days, That love should wax cold, Matth. 24.12. And ^(a)that men should be lovers of themselves. And so it is: for every man now is for himself, no man seeks another's good. Go through towns, markets, and fairs, and rare it is to find a man that in his affairs seeketh the common good, as well as his own. For this is the common rule, May I not make of mine own what I will? But he that hath the grace of love, Seeketh not his own only, but the good of others also, 1. Corinth. 13.5.

III. point. The practise of our loue must be squared by this rule, The loue of our selues, as wee wish our owne good heartely, so we must wish our neighbours good. This is the law of Nature, To doe as a man would be done vnto: And it is the law of God, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe. Example: A man of some trade is to make a bargaine, and if hee will lye, or vse false weights and measures, he may aduantage himselfe. This the deuill and his owne corruption will suggest vnto him, while hee is about the bargaine: he therefore must call to mind this rule of loue, and examine his owne heart, whether hee would haue another man to deceiue him by lying, by false weights, &c. The same thing must men doe, when they are tempted to oppression or crueltie, let them thinke whether they would haue others to wrong or oppresse them; and so shew forth loue by this rule, doing as they would bee done vnto. It were to bee wished, that our Church might haue the deserued prayse of this vertue of loue: But Christ foretold of these our dayes, That loue should waxe cold,