hearts always needed the removal and replacement that Ezekiel spoke of, so that the divine inscription of the principles of the Decalogue would be a delight rather than bondage, but the only means by which that was ever achieved and the only guarantee that it will continue in the people of God is in the mediator of the new covenant. Its newness and superiority lie in him. Far from expressing hostility towards the law or commanding a blunt assertion that the law is obsolete, he confirms that the laws inscribed in stone do not pass away.From the Finger of God, 318
Believing, repenting, and the like, are the product of the new nature; and can never be produced by the old corrupt nature. The heart is shut against Christ: man cannot open it, only God can do it by his grace.
They do not love the law that are always full of excuses, and pretend occasions to neglect the service of God; excuses are always a sign of a naughty heart.
Conversion is not the smooth, easy-going process some men seem to think.... It is wounding work, of course, this breaking of the hearts, but without wounding there is no saving.... Where there is grafting there is a cutting, the scion must be let in with a wound; to stick it on to the outside or to tie it on with a string would be of no use. Heart must be set to heart and back to back, or there will be no sap from root to branch, and this I say, must be done by a wound.
if the heart is not engaged in worship bodily exercise is of little advantage, that being only the form without the power of godliness; yea vain is such worship where the heart is far removed from God.https://www.monergism.com/worship-god-or-practical-religion-ebook
if we sing his praise, it should be with melody in our hearts to the Lord; herein lies powerful godliness; and godliness is the ground-work of internal worship, and without which there can be no worshipping God aright, and therefore it deserves our first consideration.https://www.monergism.com/worship-god-or-practical-religion-ebook
Spiritual things truly satisfy! The more that heaven is in us—the less earth that will content us. He who has once tasted the love of God, his thirst is much quenched towards earthly things. The joys of God's Spirit are heart-filling and heart-cheering joys; he who has these, has heaven begun in him!https://gracegems.org/Watson/art_of_divine_contentment2.htm