IT has occurred to me lately with comfort that though weak indeed is the moral effort we make in the service of Christ, yet service by a believer in this world is the sublimest moral sight in the creation; for angels serve with a consenting will, a consenting nature, and in a consenting system; we serve against all within and all around, the flesh and the world; and I cease to wonder that the church is called therefore into such dignity and such nearness to the throne in the kingdom. Yes; and let me ask, is there not a solemn warning to us in the history of Amaziah in 2 Chronicles 25 to watch the state of our affections towards the Lord, and not be satisfied by the mere performance of duties or services without a heart engaged for Him in the midst of them? For we read of Amaziah that he did what was right, but not with a perfect heart; that is, as I suppose, not heartily as unto the Lord. He did what he did, perhaps, through fear of the law, or to keep good account with his own conscience; but in his doings he had no care about the Lord, or His pleasure, or His glory, and was indifferent to the state of his affections towards Him. Terrible indeed, and more than we could have easily believed-he gets a victory over the children of Edom (in this and his previous acts, such as avenging the death of his father, and in dismissing the army of Israel, he had done right according to the letter of the commandment, the voice of the prophet), but his victory became the occasion of manifesting how hollow everything may be where there is not “a perfect heart,” no reference to God in our doings, no affection for Christ, and no concern about the coldness or barrenness of our poor hearts towards Him. But to return to Amaziah: he gets a victory, but his heart not being already possessed by the Lord, his victory gets possession of it, becomes the master of it, and seats itself there supreme. Accordingly he is lifted up, he boasts, and is proud, and the victory he got over Edom becomes the victor, is the master of his heart, because that heart was empty, not filled with the Lord. He therefore, as full of his victory, boasts, challenges the king of Israel, and suffers loss and dishonor in the battle; but even more, the gods of the conquered Edom become the gods of his heart, he worships them, he adopts the spoils, the captives of his own hand in war, as the deities to whom he bows down. Monstrous folly! Is this not written that we may learn to what a length of blindness and stupidity, as well as to what a length of madness and self-destruction, the heart may be hurried that does not what it does in reference to the Lord? Whatever is done should be done heartily as unto the Lord.