You lifted me out of the depths Psalm 30:1

• DAY 6 MORNING PSALM 29-31

• DAY 6 EVENING PSALM 32-34

We come now to the climax both of Wesley’s quest for spiritual reality, and of his preparation at God’s hands for his supreme work as an evangelist. 1738 was the decisive year of his life, and 24th May the day of his conversion. Everything had been leading up to this Aldersgate Street experience as the crisis and turning –point of his career. It was what happened on the 24th May, 1738 which made Wesley an evangelist. It released him for his true vocation. Wesley came into a place of saving faith. In his Journal entry for Wednesday 24 May 1738, he says 'In the afternoon I was asked to go to St Paul’s. The anthem was•De profundis based on Psalm 130 : ( which reads)

1. Out of the depths, I cry to you Lord;

2. O Lord hear my voice, Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

3. If you O Lord kept a record of sins, O Lord who could stand?

4. But with you there is forgiveness, therefore you are feared.

5. I wait for the Lord my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

6. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

7. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

8. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins .

John Wesley was deeply touched by the music and by the words – a seed was planted . Later that day he met with a group of friends who were reading from the book of Romans While meeting with these friends he heard Luther’s ‘Preface to Romans’ which reads….‘God judges what is in the depths of the heart. Therefore his law also makes demands on the depths of the heart and doesn't let the heart rest content in works; rather it punishes as hypocrisy and lies all works done apart from the depths of the heart.’ Wesley suddenly saw that despite having been to church, despite having been a missionary – he saw for the very first time the extent of his sin and the extent to which God by grace and by grace alone saves us 'out of the depths.' Wesley famously says in his Journal. 'About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed.'

• Lord you were attentive to John Wesley’s cry for mercy, you heard his cry, you saved him out of the depths, you revealed to him his inability to save himself and the full extent of your grace and through him you sparked a fire of revival that blazed throughout our land. I cry to you from the depths of my heart… save me and save my nation. Be attentive to my cry for mercy. I wait for you Lord. I put my hope in you Lord, for with you there is unfailing love…. with you there is full redemption. Lord hear my cry!

REFERENCES

Skevington-Wood, A. The burning heart John Wesley: Evangelist,Cliff College Publishing, 59

Wesley, J. Journal, 103

Luther, M. Preface to Romans http://www.ccel.org/l/luther/romans/pref_romans.html