Here is a piece that I read a few weeks ago that made a terrific impact on me. Take your time reading it.
"I have, by long experience, observed many holy and precious souls, who have clearly and wholly given themselves to Christ, to be saved by him his own way; and who, at their first conversion, as also at times of disertion, have made an entire and immediate close with Christ alone for their justification; who yet, in their ordinary course and way of their spirits, have been too much carried away with the rudiments of Christ in their own hearts, and not after Christ himself....
And although the use of our own graces, by way of sign and evidence of Christ in us, be allowed us by God, and is no way derogatory from Christ, if subordinated to faith, as so as that the heart be not too inordinate and immoderate in poring too long or too much on them, to fetch their comfort from them, unto a neglect of Christ, yet, as pleasures that are lawful are unlawfully used, when our thoughts and intentions are too long, or too frequent, or too vehement in them, so as to deaden the heart, either to the present delighting of God or pursuing after him...
And yet, the minds of so many are so wholly taken up with their own hearts, that, Christ is scarce in all their thoughts. But let these consider what a dishonor this must needs be unto Christ, that his train and favorites, our graces, should have a fuller court and more frequent attendance from our hearts than himself, who is the King of glory."
--excerpt from the introduction from "Christ Set Forth" by Thomas Goodwin.
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