The Meditation for Wednesday Evening.

Upon a firm purpose of Amendment, and a new life.

In Chrift Jefus neither circumcifion availeth any thing nor uncircumcifion, but a new creature: therefore we fhould walk in newness of life. Gal. vi. 15. Rom. vi. 4.

I.

SEEIN

EEING now, O my Soul that we have taken all the fteps for a reconciliation with a provoked God, and by this Sacrament and repentance hope to make him a loving father; let us then in the next place, stedfaftly purpose to lead a now life* for the time to come: I mean that we refolve in good earneft to amend in all particulars wherein we have found ourfelves, upon examination, faulty. This is the most essential part of a fincere repentance, and the chief condition of finding mercy with God. For,

II. The preceding parts of repentance, on which we have meditated in this courfe of our devotions must be esteemed only as a preparative to this. That which must complete and finifh the work of a true convert, is to become a new creature, to turn from our evil ways, and to break off our fins by righteouf nefs. This certainly must be our defire and intention, if ever we hope or expect any be- ' nefit

See the last exhortation in the Communion Service in the common Prayer Book.

nefit or advantage from this folemn rite or covenant, instituted by Chrift himself; for he that comes with a defign or intention of continuing in his former fins, may most properly be compared to Judas, who came and received, and at the fame time continued his refolution of betraying his master.

III. If then, my Soul, we refolve to live in the conftant and habitual practice of any known fin, without the leaft defire or intention of amendment, we fhall be unfit to receive the holy Sacrament; and our approach to the holy Table, no doubt will be to eat and drink our own damnation, fince it is a plain mocking of God, and a great contempt and abufe of his divine authority. We must therefore (by the help and affiftance of God's grace) refolve to lead a new life, following the commandments of God; for thus we read in the word of God: he that covereth his fins fhall not profper, but whofo confeffeth, and forfaketh them, fhall have mercy. Let the wicked man forfake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy ùpon him, and to our God, and he will abundantly pardon.

IV. If any man, fays the Apostle, be in Chrift, he is a new creature; *and on the contrary if we still continue in our finful ways if we ftill join with wicked company, and are

* 2 Cor. v. 17.

as

as yet delighted with immodeft objects, and irreligious books, or difcourfe, we may be fure that our former examinations were but flight and fuperficial, our fight and fenfe of fin trivial and indifferent, our forrow and contrition of fpirit forced and hypocritical, and our confeffion formal and odious in the fight of God.

V. Remember then the directions of the holy Apofte* and let me refolve as he advifes, faying, Let him that stole steal no more: if I have been guilty of lying, flandering, swearing, blafphemy, drunkenness, intemperance, or impurity, I will henceforward ftudy to speak the truth, and to avoid those fins, and all occafions of falling into them, and be continually upon my guard against all the prevailing and ufual temptations to them.

The Hymn for Wednesday Evening.

The character of a Worthy Communicant, who
has made reftitution in order to a new life.
E fhall afcend thy heav'nly place,

H Great God! and dwell before thy face,
Who minds thy pure Religion now,
And humbly walks with God below;
Whofe hands are juft, whofe heart is clean,
Whofe lips ftill fpeak the thing they mean;
No flanders dwell upon his tongue;

He hates to do his neighbour wrong.

* Ephef. iv. 28.

Scarce

Scarce will he trust an ill report,
Nor vent it to his neighbour's hurt:
Sinners of ftate he can defpife,
But Saints have honour in his eyes.

Firm to his word he ever stood,
And always makes his promise good;
Nor dares to change the thing he fwears,
Whatever pain or lofs he bears.

He never deals in bribing gold,

And mourns that justice should be fold:
While others gripe and grind the poor,
Sweet charity attends his door.

He loves his enemy and prays,

For those that curfe him to his face:
And doth to all men ftill the fame

That he would hope or wish from them.*
Yet, when his holieft works are done,
His foul depends on grace alone.
This is the man thy face fhall fee:
And dwell for ever, Lord, with thee,

The Prayer on Wednesday Evening.

For a full purpofe of Amendment, and to lead a new life.

God! the great creator, gracious preferver, and wife governor of the world, I, thy unworthy fervant, falling down before

thec

* Matt. vii. 12.

Luke vi. 31.

thee, at this time to prefent my prayers and fupplications before the throne of grace, admire and adore the incomprehensive perfections of thy nature, and gratefully acknowledge thy marvellous and undeferved goodness to me and all thy creatures.

I have nothing, O Lord! but what I have received from thee; thou gaveft me my being, and didft make me in a capacity to know, and ferve and enjoy thee for ever; and out of the fame infinite bounty and goodness, thou hast continued, to me the being which thou at first gaveft me: haft delivered me from a multitude of evils, which might have justly befallen me, and beftowed mercies and favours both on my Soul and Body, more than I can number.

O Lord, I do now not only with great fhame and confufion of face, confefs and bewail the finfulnefs and vanity of my whole life, but stedfastly refolve and purpose (through the affiftance of thy grace and holy fpirit directing me) to "renounce the devil and all his "works, the pomps and vanities of this wick"ed world, and all the finful lufts of the "flefh." Be pleafed, O Lord, to strengthen and confirm thefe good refolutions in me. And I heartily thank thee, O heavenly Fa ther, for calling me to the state of falvation through Jesus Christ my Saviour who died for my fins, and rofe again for my juftification;

and