The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

Secondly, he requireth a sincere & pure love of godliness, & of the true worshipping and service of God, that is to say, that forsaking all manner of things that are repugnant and contrary unto Gods will, we do give our hearts unto him, and all the whole strength of our bodies and souls, according to that which is written in the law: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy ¹heart, with all thy soul, & with all thy strength. Here therefore nothing is left unto us, that we may give unto the world, and unto the lusts of the flesh. For sith that the heart is the fountain of all our works, as many as do with their whole heart turn unto the Lord, do live unto him only. Neither do they yet repent truly, that halting ²on both sides, do otherwhiles obey god, but by & by do think, that laying him aside, it is lawful for them to serve the world & the flesh. And because that we are letted by the natural corruption of our own flesh, & the wicked affections of the same, he doeth bid us also to return with fasting, not thereby understanding a superstitious abstinence and choosing of meats: but a true discipline or taming of the flesh, whereby the ⟨p. 516⟩nourishments of filthy lusts, and of stubborn contumacy and pride, may be withdrawn and plucked away from it. Whereunto he doth add weeping and mourning, which do contain an outward profession of repentance, which is very needful & necessary, that so we may partly set forth the righteousness of God, when by such means we do testify that we deserved punishments at his hands, and partly stop the offence that was openly given unto the weak. This did David see, who being not content to have be wept and be wailed his sins privately, ³would publicly in his Psalms declare and set forth the righteousness of God, in punishing sin, and also stay them that mought have abused his example to sin the more boldly. Therefore they are farthest from true repentance, that will not confess and acknowledge their sins, nor yet bewail them, but rather do most ungodly glory and rejoice in them. Now least any man should think that repentance doeth consist in outward weeping and mourning only, he doth rehearse that wherein the chief of the whole matter doth lye, when he saith: Rent your hearts,