If you would know what your root is, consider how your virtues are in exercise towards God. Our abhor the imputation of ingratitude; the meaning is, you would not have the world think that you are ungrateful; for, perhaps, you have not one spark of gratitude to your great Benefactor, your God and Father. You would not be false to the marriage-bed; but where is your fidelity to Jesus, the Lord and Husband of every Christian? And as to the point of justice, a most sacred virtue, and very high in your esteem, why must every creature have its due from you, and not God? And why do you think so little of what is his due? You honor the command of a man like yourself; but why are so many of God’s commands slighted? (Thomas Adam, Private Thoughts on Religion)
“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
The very provocative thought by Adam above should open our hearts to us. While we may not want to think of ourselves in such an unkind (in appearance) and truthful light, the light that shines is true. Perhaps the very essence of the point above is that proud man thinks of all things in reference to himself rather than God. Man hates it when he does something for others and they won’t even say “thank you” or some other nicety, but the God of all mercies pours out kindnesses and mercy moment by moment and the same man who hates the ingratitude of others is quite ungrateful to God. If man is judged as he has judged others, then man will stand before the bar of true justice quite stripped of all righteousness. Oh how men will rail against others as being ungrateful, but how they will not look to their own hearts and realize just how ungrateful they are to God.
A man or woman can be very true to the marriage-bed and yet be a serial adulterer in the heart, but even more that person can be a monster of spiritual adultery against Christ even more. The Scriptures depict the nation of Israel as whores and prostitutes (see Hosea) because of their unfaithfulness to Him and the New Testament tells the Church that Christ is Her Husband. How men and women will be faithful to the outer commandments while their hearts are full of adultery. If coveting is theft in the heart and coveting a woman is the same as adultery, so coveting is also a sign of how unfaithful the heart is to Christ. Yet in the modern day the external things of obedience can be practiced without a thought given to the heart which is the seat of true Christianity.
The third point by Adam is that men want other men to treat them justly and they are incensed when even a little is not given to them. Men will also think it is important to treat other men with perfect justice, yet when it comes to God that is basically ignored. It is just to bow to God with the whole heart, mind, soul and strength and anything less is to treat God unjustly. It is true that man cannot do this in his own strength, yet he should at least seek this. It is also true that God does not give grace to perfect man in this life, yet it is true justice for man to seek to love God with all of his being.
It is so interesting how the hearts of men are so idolatrous in thinking more highly of themselves and others than of God. What man will be appalled to do or for others to do to other men they have no compunction to do it against God. Oh how blind men are to their own hearts and the things of God. It is so easy for men to be satisfied with the externals of religion as the Pharisees were. They are satisfied with outward morality and an outward religion, but true Christianity is of an inward holiness and an inward love for God. The proud and wicked hearts of men settle for so little and that is so sinful, yet true Christianity is of the life of God in the soul of man and it is far, far better than all the things men can come up with. But the proud hearts of men will simply refuse to see that.
God Loves... Himself 
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