Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and…

¹Howbeit we must otherwise consider & understand this precept: Thou shalt have none other gods in my sight. Thou, it saith, with all that thou art, but especially it requireth all thine heart, ⟨p. 395⟩soul and strength. It speaketh not of the tongue, not of the hand, not of the knees, but of the whole man, what soever thou art and hast. That no other God may be worshipped of me, it shall be necessary that I have the true and only God in mine heart, that is, I must love him from mine heart, so that I do always depend on on him, trust in him, repose my hope in him, have my pleasure, love and joy in him, and daily remember him. Even as otherwise, if we take pleasure of any thing, we say, it doth me good inwardly at the heart. And if any speaketh or laugheth, and doth it not in good earnest, neither from his heart, we are wont to say: Thou laughest in deed, but it cometh not from thine heart. The love of the heart in the Scriptures signifieth a vehement & special love, which we ought to bear toward God. They which serve God with mouth, hands, and knees only, are hypocrites, neither hath God any care of them. For God will not have part, but the whole. The Jews did outwardly abstain from idolatry, and served God alone in mouth, but their heart was far removed from him, being full of diffidence and unbelief. Outward they seemed to be very earnest in serving God, but within they were full of idolatry. Whereupon the Lord said unto them Matth. 23: Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like unto painted sepulchres, which appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead mens bones, and of all filthiness. So are ye also: For outward ye appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

¹Howbeit we must otherwise consider & vnderstād this precept: Thou shalt haue none other gods in my sight. Thou, it sayth, with all that thou art, but especially it requireth all thine heart, ⟨p. 395⟩soule and strength. It speaketh not of the toung, not of the hand, not of the knees, but of the whole man, what soeuer thou art and hast. That no other God may be worshipped of me, it shalbe necessary that I haue the true and only God in myne heart, that is, I must loue him frō myne heart, so that I do alwayes depend on on him, trust in him, repose my hope in him, haue my pleasure, loue and ioy in him, and daily remember him. Euen as otherwise, if we take pleasure of any thinge, we say, it doth me good inwardly at the heart. And if any speaketh or laugheth, and doth it not in good earnest, neither from his heart, we are wont to say: Thou laughest in deede, but it cōmeth not from thine heart. The loue of the heart in the Scriptures signifieth a vehement & speciall loue, which we ought to beare toward God. They which serue God with mouth, hands, and knees onely, are hypocrites, neither hath God any care of them. For God will not haue part, but the whole. The Iewes did outwardly abstaine from idolatrie, and serued God alone in mouth, but their heart was farre remoued from him, being full of diffidence and vnbeleefe. Outward they seemed to be verie earnest in seruing God, but within they were full of idolatrie. Whereupon the Lord said vnto them