The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…

And have you so quickly forgotten that rule and principal of nature to love your neighbour as your self, to do to him as you would be done by? Could you have found words to have spoken for your self, and are dumb for an other, where is your love, where your goodwill, what mind now bear you to his good name? Here now one must needs confess in his heart that he wanted that good affection to his neighbours reputation that he should have had, for if the disgrace of our neighbour would hinder him from doing that good that he might otherwise do in his calling, and so darken Gods graces that are in him, and diminish the fruit that might proceed ⟨p. 96⟩of them, a man is bound in such case to stand as earnestly and as stiffly for his neighbour, as for himself. Thus we may try our heart by a second rule, if we can find a tongue to maintain his name against backbiters, and do not for slavishness or fear or any respect suffer him to be disgraced without gainsaying.

And haue you so quickly forgotten that rule and principall of nature to loue your neighbour as your selfe, to doe to him as you would be done by? Could you haue found words to haue spoken for your selfe, and are dumbe for an other, where is your loue, where your goodwill, what mind now beare you to his good name? Here now one must needes confesse in his heart that he wanted that good affection to his neighbours reputation that he should haue had, for if the disgrace of our neighbour would hinder him from doing that good that he might otherwise doe in his calling, and so darken Gods graces that are in him, and diminish the fruit that might proceede ⟨p. 96⟩of them, a man is bound in such case to stand as earnestly and as stifly for his neighbour, as for himselfe. Thus we may trie our heart by a second rule, if we can find a tongue to maintaine his name against backebiters, and doe not for slauishnesse or feare or any respect suffer him to be disgraced without gainsaying.

Thirdly, we shall easily discern what affection we bear to our brothers credit, by our grief and sorrow which we conceive when we hear a true report made of any fault or sin that hath indeed blotted him and ruinated his good account. If one be aggrieved and sorrowful for his neighbours faults, whereby he hath deserved discredit and diminished his reputation, then it is sure he was well persuaded of him, so far as was lawful and had that good desire that is here commanded. Thus Ezra showed how dear the names of Gods people were unto him, for he having heard of that foul and reproachful sin that they had taken strange wives and mingled the holy seed with the profane, he wept and mourned, he hangs down his head, and confesseth that he was ashamed and could not lift up his head towards heaven. But what had he done, he was clear, one would have thought he had no cause to be ashamed, he had not offended in this point, a natural man would rather have said, you be rude people and base, you be a company of naughty persons what are not you ashamed to forget God thus? and to go clean contrary to his commandment in this sort? and so fallen straight to rating and reviling them, no he was not of that mind he loved his neighbours name better then so, and therefore he pitied them, and was careful to heal their fault, as he would have been dealt with all in the like case.