Isaiah 58:7

God is far more interested in how we treat other people than in how many religious ceremonies we go through. He prefers mercy to sacrifice. He places practical morality above ritual. It might seem strange to read that God doesn't desire sacrifice, because it was He who instituted the sacrificial system in the first place. But there is no contradiction. While it is true that He ordered the people to bring sacrifices and offerings, He never intended these to take the place of justice and...

We have here a command. He that spake from Sinai, saying, " Thou shalt not covet," speaketh now from the cross, saying, " Rejoice.' He that finds Christ, finds this command. It is not a matter of choice with him whether he will be a rejoicing Christian, or a downcast Christian. He has no more right to neglect the fulfillment of this duty, than to forget his duty to his neighbor. In fact, this command is so inextricably interwoven with other obligations, that he who does not obey it, exposes...