Reform.—He who reforms himself, has done more toward reforming the public, than a crowd of noisy, impotent patriots.—Lavater.
He that has energy enough in his constitution to root out a vice should go a little further, and try to plant a virtue in its place; otherwise he will have his labor to renew. A strong soil that has produced weeds may be made to produce wheat with far less difficulty than it would cost to make it produce nothing.—Colton.
Time yet serves, wherein you may redeem your tarnished honors, and restore yourselves into the good thoughts of the world again.—Shakespeare.
Each year one vicious habit rooted out, in time might make the worst man good.—Franklin.
Reform, like charity, must begin at home.—Carlyle.
Whatever you dislike in another person take care to correct in yourself.—Sprat.
He who reforms, God assists.—Cervantes.
Regeneration.—Content not thyself with a bare forbearance of sin, so long as thy heart is not changed, nor thy will changed, nor thy affections changed; but strive to become a new man, to be transformed by the renewing of thy mind, to hate sin, to love God, to wrestle against thy secret corruptions, to take delight in holy duties, to subdue thine understanding, and will, and affections, to the obedience of faith and godliness.—Bp. Sanderson.
He that is once "born of God shall overcome the world," and the prince of this world too, by the power of God in him. Holiness is no solitary, neglected thing; it hath stronger confederacies, greater alliances, than sin and wickedness. It is in league with God and the universe; the whole creation smiles upon it; there is something of God in it, and therefore it must needs be a victorious and triumphant thing.—Cudworth.
Regeneration is the ransacking of the soul, the turning of a man out of himself, the crumbling to pieces of the old man, and the new moulding of it into another shape; it is the turning of stones into children, and a drawing of the lively portraiture of Jesus Christ upon that very table that before represented only the very image of the devil.... Art thou thus changed? Are all old things done away, and all things in thee become new? Hast thou a new heart and renewed affections? And dost thou serve God in newness of life and conversation? If not,—what hast thou to do with hopes of heaven? Thou art yet without Christ, and so consequently without hope.—Bishop Hopkins.