§. Sect. 7 The meanes of louing our neighbours, namely, as our selues.
The manner of our loue towards our neighbours is, that we loue them as our selues. In which, the loue of our owne persons is necessarily im∣plied; for if the loue of our selues be the rule of our loue towards our neighbours, then must our charity begin at home, and from it, as from the fountaine, the streames of brotherly loue must spring and flow. And howsoeuer we haue in the Scriptures no direct precept, inioyning vs to loue our selues, yet it is necessarily implied. First, when we are cōmanded to loue God; for seeing loue vniteth vs vnto him, who is the chiefe Good and fountaine of all happinesse, we chiefly loue our selues in louing him, in whose fruition consisteth all blessednesse and felicity. Secondly, in all those Commandements which require of vs that we seeke our owne good and preseruation, both in respect of our soules, bodies, and states, tempo∣rall and eternall, both by auoyding all sinne which would hurt vs, as selfe-murther, vncleannesse, prodigality, exposing of our fame and good name to slanders and imputations, and by imbracing all vertues, and practising all good duties which may further our euerlasting saluation. Besides, where our Sauiour saith, that whosoeuer loueth his owne life better then him, is not worthy of him, he implyeth that wee ought to loue our selues, but with such a loue as is subordinate to the loue of him, who hath loued vs better then his owne life. And the Apostle, in pressing a mans loue to∣wards his wife, which ought to exceed all other naturall loue, because of that neere vnion betweene them whereby they become one flesh, vseth this as a reason, that no man euer hated his owne flesh; implying thereby, that seeing man and wife are both one, therefore we should loue our wiues as our selues, and consequently our selues first, according to which rule we are to loue them.