Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Now as concerning these words, Soul, Mind, and Strength: the Jews did misunderstand them. Their saying is, that Thou shalt love God with all thy soul, is as much to say as thou shalt not spare thy life for the love of thy God, but thou shalt set so much store by his glory, that in comparison thereof thou shalt not esteem thine own life, so as if need require that thou shouldest die to show the love which thou bearest unto God: thou shouldest do it. Again Thou shalt love thy God with all thy mind or Heart, betokeneth with them but as it were a comparison, so as a man should prefer GOD above all other things. And finally, Thou shalt love God with all thy strength, importeth among them, that thou must love him with all thy substance and with all thy goods, so as if the case required that thou shouldest be impoverished, thou shouldest rather give over thy worldly goods, than forsake thy God. But this exposition is too strait laced, and attaineth not to the very meaning of Moses. For proof whereof there needeth now no long discourse. For what better expounder of the Law is there to be found, than our Lord Jesus Christ, by whose spirit it was given? For it was at his hand and by his authority, that Moses received the Law which we hold of him. So then, we must fetch the exposition thereof at his mouth, and we must receive it without gainsaying. And for the same cause do the three Evangelists S. Matthew,¹ in the 22. S. Mark in the 12. and S. Luke in the 10. set down this loving of God to be the whole sum of the well keeping of the law. True it is that he addeth, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. Howbeit, in answering he sayeth, thou shalt love thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. Our Lord Jesus Christ addeth there one word more: not to make a new sense, but to assure us the better of the same thing that Moses meant by the words Soul and Heart. So then he setteth down Soul, Heart, and Mind, as if he should say, The man that intendeth to keep Gods Law well, must yield himself wholly and throughly to the obeying and loving of God. Now we see that in our souls, first there is the power of thinking, when we conceive things to judge and discern of them. That is the first power of the soul:

Now as concerning these words, Soule, Minde, and Strength: the Iewes did misunderstād them. Their saying is, that Thou shalt loue God with all thy soule, is as much to say as thou shalt not spare thy life for the loue of thy God, but thou shalt set so much store by his glorie, that in comparison thereof thou shalt not esteeme thine owne lyfe, so as if neede require that thou shouldest die to shewe the loue which thou bearest vnto God: thou shouldest doe it. Againe Thou shalt loue thy God with all thy minde or Heart, betokeneth with them but as it were a comparison, so as a man shoulde preferre GOD aboue all other things. And finally, Thou shalt loue God with all thy strength, importeth among them, that thou must loue him with all thy substance and with all thy goods, so as if the case required that thou shouldest bee impouerished, thou shouldest rather giue ouer thy worldely goods, than forsake thy God. But this exposition is too straite laced, and attaineth not to the verie meaning of Moses. For proofe whereof there needeth nowe no long discourse. For what better expounder of the Lawe is there to bee found, than our Lorde Iesus Christ, by whose spirit it was giuen? For it was at his hand and by his authoritie, that Moses receiued the Lawe which wee holde of him. So then, we must fetch the exposition thereof at his mouth, and we must receiue it without gainsaying. And for the same cause doe the three Euangelists S. Matthew,