Supreme love to an object is a state, and not a mere act of the mind. By state, I mean a voluntary state of mind. Nothing short of this can be acceptable to God. Unless devotion be a habit, or state of mind, unless the whole being be an offering to God, he must have a rival in our hearts. Nothing short of this can be the result of evangelical faith.
Evangelical faith is that state of mind in which eternal things are apprehended as realities.
A departure from this state is heart apostasy. He is no longer in the service of God, but is serving the object upon which his heart is set, and that is the object of his devotion, i.e. it is his God. I am to notice several mistakes commonly made upon this subject. Many imagine that there is a real distinction between devotion and other duties, as if a man could be doing his duty in that which is not devotion to God, the duties of devotion are generally supposed to be closet and family prayer, reading the scriptures, together with singing and praying in the public exercises of God's house. These are called the devotional parts of worship, while the preaching and hearing are called less devotional.