When inward piety is low, then the externals of religion are frequently made much of. The Pharisees, who were furthest from God, were the most bitter advocates of ritualism and formalism. They would not even have a man healed on the Sabbath day or allow the hungry to rub a few ears of corn out of the husks.
It is not always so, but yet too often: "The nearer the church, the further from God."
The more of religious display, the less of genuine grace. The more visible religiosity, the less of heart holiness. The more of religious machinery, the less of true godliness.
Beloved, let us not only have Christ in the head, but Christ in the heart. Know all we can about Him, for everything we learn about Jesus, ought to be another argument for affection to Him. How I loved Him when I only knew myself as a sinner, and Jesus as a Savior. But oh, I love Him more as I see my greater sinfulness, and his greater mercy and grace!
Oh, to get more knowledge, and then to have our hearts enlarged that we may love Him more and more! You can love other things too much; but not your Lord. Embrace Him. Cry in the language of Solomon's Song, "Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth!" The unsaved do not understand this Song: they say it is a mere love-ditty. They never will understand it until the Lord Jesus is precious to their hearts; and when He is once there as their joy and their all, then they will need just such golden speech as Solomon's Song.
[Charles H. Spurgeon]
Song of Solomon 1:2 ... Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
✫❤•°*”˜˜”*°•❤✫...•°*”˜˜”*°•.❤✫...•°*”˜˜”*°•.❤✫
