J.C. RYle (111)
Tell me not of your justification, unless you have also some marks of sanctification.
J.C. Ryle
Holiness, Ch312.2K
Let us beware of supposing that any hope is good which is not founded on Christ. All other hopes are built on sand. They may look well in the summer time of health and prosperity, but they will fail in the day of sickness and hour of death.Old Paths, 48
The election which is not "unto sanctification" is not of God, but of the devil. The hope that does not make a man holy is no hope at all.
Without justification it is impossible to have real peace.Old Paths, Chapter 8
We live in an age where there is a false glare on the things of time, and a great mist over the things of eternity.Old Paths, 22
I take occasion to make the general remark that the great thing I always desired to find was a woman who was a real Christian, who was a real lady, and who was not a fool.AutoBiography (73)
A regeneration that a man can have, and yet live carelessly in sin or worldliness, is a regeneration invented by uninspired theologians, but never mentioned in scripture. Holiness (Chapter 2)
the abuse and perversion of a truth must never be allowed to rob us of the use of it. When all has been said that can be said against fanaticism and enthusiasm, it is still undeniable that religious feelings are plainly spoken of and described in Scripture.
When I turn to the map of the world I must say the same thing. It matters not what quarter I examine: I find men's hearts are everywhere the same, and everywhere wicked. Sin is the family disease of all the children of Adam.Old Paths, Ch 7
Let us settle in our minds that the Christian fight is a good fight-really good, truly good, emphatically good. We see only part of it as yet. We see the struggle, but not the end; we see the campaign, but not the reward; we see the cross, but not the crown. We see a few humble, broken-spirited, penitent, praying people, enduring hardships and despised by the world; but we see not the hand of God over them, the face of God smiling on them, the kingdom of glory prepared for them. Holiness (Chapter 4)
I know well that many do not believe what I am saying, because they think there is an immense quantity of death-bed repentance. They flatter themselves that multitudes who do not live religious lives will yet die religious deaths. They take comfort in the thought that vast numbers of persons turn to God in their last illness and are saved in the eleventh hour. I will only remind such persons that all the experience of ministers is utterly against the theory. People generally die just as they have lived. True repentance is never too late:- but repentance deferred to the last hours of life is seldom true.Old Paths, 40
Let us beware of despising preaching. In every age of the Church, it has been God's principal instrument for the awakening of sinners and the edifying of saints. The days when there has been little or no preaching have been days when there has been little or no good done in the Church. Let us hear sermons in a prayerful and reverent frame of mind, and remember that they are the principal engines which Christ Himself employed when He was upon earth. Not least, let us pray daily for a continual supply of faithful preachers of God's Word. According to the state of the pulpit will always be the state of a congregation and of a Church.Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke volume 1, (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1986) 128, 129
If you and sin are friends, you and God are not yet reconciled.Old Paths, Chapter 7
Forgiven souls hate sin.Old Paths, Chapter 7
Oh, let us beware of self-righteousness! Open sin kills its thousands of souls. Self-righteousness kills its tens of thousands.
Cling to Christ I say: and make use of His atoning blood every day. Go to Him every morning as your morning sacrifice, and confess your need of His salvation. Go to Him every night, after the bustle of the day, and plead for fresh absolution. Wash in the great Fountain every evening, after all the defilement of contact with the worldOld Paths, Ch 6
In the matter of justification before God, faith, I repeat emphatically, stands entirely alone. Faith is the hand that lays hold on Christ. Faith begins, faith carries on, faith keeps up the claim which the sinner makes on the Saviour. By faith we are justified. By faith we bathe our souls in the great Fountain for sin. By faith we go on obtaining fresh supplies of pardoning mercy all through our journey. By faith we live, and by faith we stand.Old Paths, Ch 6
Time is short, and is passing quickly away: yet a few years, and we shall be all dead and gone. The trees perhaps are cut down out of which our coffins will be made: the winding-sheets perhaps are woven which will surround our bodies; the spades perhaps are made that will dig our graves. Eternity draws near. There ought to be no trifling. "What, what is your hope about your soul?"Old Paths, Chapter 4
The Bible alone gives a true and faithful account of man. It does not flatter him as novels and romances do; it does not conceal his faults and exaggerate his goodness; it paints him just as he is. It describes him as a fallen creature, of his own nature inclined to evil, - a creature needing not only a pardon, but a new heart, to make him fit for heaven.
Guard your thoughts, and there will be little fear about your actions.
If friends will not walk in the narrow way with us, we must not walk in the broad way to please them. Health is not infectious but disease is.
if you would train your children rightly, train them in the way they should go and not in the way that they desire. Remember children are born with a decided bias towards evil and therefore if you let them choose for themselves, they are certain to choose wrong.The Duties of Parents
True sanctification then does not consist in talk about religion. This is a point that ought never to be forgotten. The vast increase of education and preaching in these latter days makes it absolutely necessary to raise a warning voice. Holiness (Chapter 2)
Years are slipping away and time is flying. Graveyards are filling up and families are thinning. Death and judgement are getting nearer to us all. And yet you live like one asleep about your soul! What madness! What folly! What suicide can be worse than this? Awake before it is too late; awake, and arise from the dead, and live to God. Turn to Him who is sitting at the right hand of God, to be your Saviour and Friend. Turn to Christ, and cry mightily to Him about your soul. Holiness (Chapter 6)
There are hundreds of places of worship, in this day, in which there is everything almost except the cross. There is carved oak, and sculptured stone; there is stained glass, and brilliant painting; there are solemn services, and a constant round of ordinances; but the real cross of Christ is not there. Jesus crucified is not proclaimed in the pulpit. The Lamb of God is not lifted up, and salvation by faith in Him is not freely proclaimed.Old Paths, Ch IX
Doctrine is useless if it is not accompanied by a holy life. It is worse than useless; it does positive harm. Something of "the image of Christ" must be seen and observed by others in our private life, and habits, and character, and doings.
Beware that you do not help Satan by becoming an unjust accuser of yourself, and an unbeliever in the reality of God's work of grace. I advise you to pray for more knowledge of your own heart, of the fulness of Jesus, and of the devices of the devil. Let doubts and fears drive you to the throne of grace, stir you up to more prayer, send you frequently to Christ. But do not let doubts and fears rob you of your peace.Old Paths, Chapter 8
peace with God is a calm, intelligent sense of friendship with the Lord of heaven and earth. He that has it, feels as if there was no barrier and separation between himself and his holy Maker. He can think of himself as under the eye of an all-seeing Being, and yet not feel afraid.
Come to the Lord Jesus Christ, if you would have life. He will not cast you out. He has gifts, even for the rebellious. The moment the dead man touched the body of Elisha, he revived and stood upon his feet. (2 Kings xiii. 21.) - The moment you touch the Lord Jesus with the hand of faith, you are alive unto God, as well as forgiven all trespasses. Come, and your soul shall live.Old Paths, Ch. 5
It is not in churchyards alone where the dead are to be found; there are only too many inside our churches, and close to our pulpits, - too many on the benches, and too many in the pews.Old Paths, Chapter 5
I am convinced that there are myriads of people in England who do not even know the A B C of Christianity, and are nothing better than baptized heathen. I have heard of a man, in his last days, whose only hope was "that he had always kept his Church, and voted for the Blues"... If this be the condition of any reader of this paper, I can only say, May God convert you! May God awaken you! May God open your eyes before it is too late!Old Paths, Chapter 4
There are some in this day who fancy they have a good hope because they like hearing the Gospel. They are fond of hearing good sermons. They will go miles to listen to some favourite preacher, and will even weep and be much affected by his words. To see them in church one would think, "Surely these are the disciples of Christ, surely these are excellent Christians!" - And yet these very people can plunge into every folly and gaiety of the world. Night after night they can go with their whole heart to the opera, the theatre, or the ball.Old Paths, Chapter 4, 51
The dying words of Mr. Ash, the Puritan, are well-deserving of notice. He said, "When I consider my best duties, I sink, I die, I despair. But when I think of Christ, I have enough. He is all and in all.
Better to confess Christ 1000 times now and be despised by men, than be disowned by Christ before God on the day of Judgment.
There are no lessons so useful as those learned in the school of affliction.
A humble and prayerful person will find a thousand things in the Bible, which the proud student will utterly fail to discern.
Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer.
The nature of true repentance is clearly and unmistakably laid down in holy Scripture.
It begins with knowledge of sin.
It goes on to work sorrow for sin.
It leads to confession of sin before God.
It shows itself before man, by a thorough breaking off from sin.
It results in producing a habit of deep hatred for all sin.
Above all, it is inseparably connected with lively faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance like this is the characteristic of all true Christians.Gospel of Luke Commentary
Few are ever saved on their death-beds. One thief on the cross was saved that none should despair; but only one, that none should presume.
Sickness, and losses, and crosses, and anxieties, and disappointments seem absolutely needful to keep us humble, watchful, and spiritual minded. Holiness (Chapter 6)
I was dying in my sins, hopeless, helpless, and on the brink of eternal fire. It was Jesus Christ who delivered me with the hand of His grace, and plucked me from everlasting burnings. It was Jesus Christ who placed me, a poor sinful worm, near the heart of His love. Stranger, that is the reason why I talk of Jesus Christ and make much of Him. I am not ashamed of it, because I love Him. Holiness (Chapter 15)
Oh, you who want unfailing comfort, I commend you to Christ! In Him alone there is no failure. Rich men are disappointed in their treasures. Learned men are disappointed in their books. Husbands are disappointed in their wives. Wives are disappointed in their husbands. Parents are disappointed in their children. Statesmen are disappointed when, after many a struggle, they attain place and power. They find out, to their cost, that it is more pain than pleasure-that it is disappointment, annoyance, incessant trouble, worry, vanity, and vexation of spirit. But no man was ever disappointed in Christ. Holiness (Chapter 20)
All the simplicity in the world can do no good, unless you preach the simple gospel of Jesus Christ so fully and clearly that everybody can understand it. If 'Christ crucified' has not His rightful place in your sermons, and sin is not exposed as it should be, and your people are not plainly told what they ought to believe, and be, and do - your preaching is of no use! Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke volume 1, (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1986), 128, 129
Can he who finds no pleasure in the company of spiritually-minded persons, or even sneers at them as saints,-can he be said to "have the Spirit"? Judge for yourself.Old Paths, Chapter X
the Holy Ghost generally works on the heart of man through the use of means. The Word of God, preached or read, is generally employed by Him as an instrument in the conversion of a soul. He applies that Word to the conscience: He brings that Word home to the mind. This is His general course of procedure.Old Paths, Chapter X
We cannot explain how and in what way the Almighty Spirit comes into man, and operates upon him; but neither also can we explain a thousand things which are continually taking place in the natural world.Old Paths, Chapter X
Take away the cross of Christ, and the Bible is a dark book. It is like the Egyptian hieroglyphics without the key that interprets their meaning, -curious and wonderful, but of no real use.Old Paths, Ch IX
the cross of Christ, -the death of Christ on the cross to make atonement for sinners, -is the centre truth in the whole Bible.Old Paths, Ch IX
Seek Christ, and wait for nothing. Wait not till you feel you have repented enough. Wait not till your knowledge is increased. Wait not till you have been sufficiently humbled because of your sins. Wait not till you have no ravelled tangle of doubts and darkness and unbelief all over your heart. Seek Christ just as you are. You will never be better by keeping away from Him.Old Paths, Chapter 8
No doctrine can be imagined so beautifully simple as justification by faith. It is not a dark mysterious truth, intelligible to none but the great, the rich, and the learned. It places eternal life within the reach of the most unlearned, and the poorest in the land. It must be of God.Old Paths, Chapter 8
Lord Nithsdale who was sentenced to death for a great political crime. He was closely confined in prison after his trial. The day of his execution was fixed. There seemed no chance of escape. And yet before the sentence was carried into effect, he contrived to escape through the skill and affection of his wife. She visited him in prison, and exchanged clothes with him. Dressed in his wife's clothes he walked out of prison and escaped, and neither guards nor keepers detected him, while his wife remained behind in his place. In short, she risked her own life to save the life of her husband. Who would not admire the skill and the love of such a wife as this? But we read in Gospel history of a display of love, compared to which the love of Lady Nithsdale is nothing. We read of Jesus, the Son of God, coming down to a world of lost sinners...Old Paths, Chapter 8
Christ has stood in the place of the true Christian. He has become his Surety and his Substitute. He undertook to bear all that was to be borne, and to do all that was to be done, and what He undertook He performed. Hence the true Christian is a justified man.Old Paths, Chapter 8
I have read of earthly Kings who knew not how to show mercy; of Henry the Eighth of England who spared neither man nor woman, - of James the Fifth of Scotland, who would never show favour to a Douglas. The King of kings is not like them. He calls on men to come to Him, and be pardoned.Old Paths, Chapter 7
If you have a good hope be zealous and watchful over it. Beware that Satan does not steal it away for a season, as he did from David and Peter. Beware that you do not lose sight of it by giving way to inconsistencies, and by conformity to the world. Examine it often, and make sure that it is not becoming dimOld Paths, Chapter 4
Look at that man who goes to the Bank of England on dividend day, and asks to be paid a large sum of money. Is his name down among the list of people to be paid? No! - Has he any title or right to claim payment? No: he has none! - He only knows that other people are receiving money, and that he would like to receive some too. You know well that you would call the man "out of his mind:" you would say he was nothing better than a madman. But stop! Take care what you are saying! You are the real madman, if you mean to claim heaven at last, when you have no title, no warrant, no ground of hope to show. Once more, I say, May God open your eyes!Old Paths, Chapter 4
Is the Bible the Word of God? Then mind that you do not neglect it. Read it: read it! Begin to read it this very day. What greater insult to God can a man be guilty of than to refuse to read the letter God sends him from heaven? Oh, be sure, if you will not read your Bible, you are in fearful danger of losing your soul! You are in danger, because God will reckon with you for your neglect of the Bible in the day of judgement.Old Paths, 17
Which are the cities on earth where the fewest soldiers and police are required to keep order? London, Manchester, Liverpool, New York, Philadelphia, - cities where Bibles abound.- Which are the countries in Europe where there are the fewest murders and illegitimate births? The Protestant countries, where the Bible is freely read.Old Paths, 9
To talk of comparing the Bible with other "sacred books" so-called, such as the Koran, the Shasters, or the book of Mormon, is positively absurd. You might as well compare the sun with a rushlight, - or Skiddaw with a mole hill, - or St. Paul's with an Irish hovel, or the Portland vase with a garden pot, - or the Koh-i-noor diamond with a bit of glass.Old Paths, 7
The mother cannot tell what her tender infant may grow up to be, tall, short, weak, or strong, wise or foolish: he may be any of these or not, it is all uncertain. But one thing the mother can say with certainty: he will have a corrupt and sinful heart.
Follow Christ for His own sake, if you follow Him at all. Be thorough, be real, be honest, be sound, be whole-hearted. If you have any religion at all, let your religion be real. See that you do not sin the sin of Lot's wife.
The early Christians made it a part of their religion to look for his return. They looked backward to the cross and the atonement for sin, and rejoiced in Christ crucified. They looked upward to Christ at the right hand of God, and rejoiced in Christ interceding. They looked forward to the promised return of their Master, and rejoiced in the thought that they would see him again. And we ought to do the same
Never make an intimate friend of anyone who is not a friend of God.
We live in an age when there is a false glare on the things of time and a great mist over the things of eternity.
Hearken, my believing reader. What is the cause of your weakness? Is it not because the fountain of life is little used? Is it not because you are resting on old experiences, and not daily gathering new manna—daily drawing new strength from Christ?
Love should be the silver thread that runs through all your conduct. Kindness, gentleness, long suffering, forbearance, patience, sympathy, a willingness to enter into childish troubles, a readiness to take part in childish joys, - these are the cords by which a child may be led most easily, - these are the clues you must follow if you would find the way to his heart.
Young man, be of good courage. Care not for what the world says or thinks: you will not be with the world always. Can man save your soul? No. Will man be your judge in the great and dreadful day of account? No. Can man give you a good conscience in life, a good hope in death, a good answer in the morning of resurrection? No! no! no! Man can do nothing of the sort. Then "fear not the reproach of men, neither be afraid of their revilings: for the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool" (Isa. 51:7,8). Call to your mind the saying of good Colonel Gardiner: "I fear God, and therefore I have none else to fear." Go and be like him.
Young men, I beseech you earnestly, beware of pride. Two things are said to be very rare sights in the world— one is a young man that is humble, and the other is an old man that is content. I fear that this is only too true.
Another real danger to young men is thoughtlessness and lack of consideration. Lack of thought is one simple reason why thousands of souls are cast away forever. Men will not consider,-will not look forward,-will not look around them,-will not reflect on the end of their present course, and the sure consequences of their present ways,-and awake at last to find they are damned for lack of thinking.
Let us never measure our religion by that of others, and think we are doing enough if we have gone beyond our neighbors.
One single soul saved shall outlive and outweigh all the kingdoms of the
world.
I entreat my readers, besides the Bible and the Articles, to read history.
Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of agreeing in God's judgment, hating what He hates, loving what He loves, and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word.
Fear not because your prayer is stammering, your words feeble, and your language poor. Jesus can understand you.
Hell is truth known too late.
Beware of manufacturing a God of your own: a God who is all mercy, but not just; a God who is all love, but not holy; a God who has a heaven for every body, but a hell for none; a God who can allow good and bad to be side by side in time, but will make no distinction between good and broad in eternity. Such a God is an idol of your own, as truly an idol as any snake or crocodile in an Egyptian temple. The hands of your own fancy and sentimentality have made him. He is not the God of the Bible, and beside the God of the Bible there is no God at all.
The man who does not glory in the gospel can surely know little of the plague of sin that is within him.
He who comes to the Lord's table with faith in Christ, may confidently expect to have his faith increased by receiving the bread and wine. But he who comes without faith has no right to expect a blessing. Empty he comes to the ordinance and empty he will go away.https://gracegems.org/Ryle/l22.htm
Myriads of members of Christian churches never go to the Lord's table. They would be ashamed perhaps to be known as open breakers of the ten commandments. Yet they are not ashamed of breaking a plain command of Christ!https://gracegems.org/Ryle/l22.htm
The bread that the believer eats at the Lord's table, is intended to remind him of Christ's body given to death on the cross for his sins. The wine that he drinks, is intended to remind him of Christ's blood shed to make atonement for his transgressions. The whole ordinance was meant to keep fresh in his memory the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and the satisfaction which that sacrifice made for the sin of the world.https://gracegems.org/Ryle/l22.htm
The fact of our Lord's resurrection rests on evidence which no infidel can ever explain away. It is confirmed by testimony of every kind, sort, and description. The plain unvarnished story which the Gospel writers tell about it is one which cannot be overthrown. The more the account they give is examined the more inexplicable will the event appear, unless we accept it as true. If we choose to deny the truth of their account then we may deny everything in the world. It is not as certain that Julius Caesar once lived as it is that Christ rose again.https://www.gracegems.org/Ryle/l24.htm
Prayer is the very life-breath of true Christianity. It is in prayer, that true religion begins. It is in prayer, that true religion flourishes. It is in prayer, that it decays. Prayer is one of the first evidences of conversion. (Acts 9:11.) Neglect of prayer, is the sure road to a fall. (Matthew 26:40, 41.) Whatever throws light on the subject of prayer, is for our soul's health.https://www.gracegems.org/Ryle/l18.htm
Self-will is almost the first thing that appears in a child's mind - and it must be your first step to resist it.The Duties of Parents
A religion without doctrine or dogma is a thing that many are fond of talking of in the present day. It sounds very fine at first. It looks very pretty at a distance. But the moment we sit down to examine and consider it, we shall find it a simple impossibility. We might as well talk of a body without bones and sinewsHoliness, Ch 4
Do we feel anything of war in our inward man? Well, let us thank God for it! It is a good sign. It is strongly probable evidence of the great work of sanctification. All true saints are soldiers. Anything is better than apathy, stagnation, deadness, and indifference.Holiness, Ch4
The saddest symptom about many so-called Christians is the utter absence of anything like conflict and fight in their Christianity. They eat, they drink, they dress, they work, they amuse themselves, they get money, they spend money, they go through a scanty round of formal religious services once or twice every week. But the great spiritual warfare--its watchings and strugglings, its agonies and anxieties, its battles and contests--of all this they appear to know nothing at all.Holiness, Ch 4
The true Christian is called to be a soldier, and must behave as such from the day of his conversion to the day of his death. He is not meant to live a life of religious ease, indolence, and security. He must never imagine for a moment that he can sleep and doze along the way to heavenHoliness, Chapter 4
This warfare, I am aware, is a thing of which many know nothing. Talk to them about it, and they are ready to set you down as a madman, an enthusiast, or a fool. And yet it is as real and true as any war the world has ever seen.Holiness, Chapter 4
I sometimes fear if Christ were on earth now, there are not a few who would think His preaching legal; and if Paul were writing his Epistles, there are those who would think he had better not write the latter part of most of them as he did. But let us remember that the Lord Jesus did speak the Sermon on the Mount, and that the Epistle to the Ephesians contains six chapters and not four.Holiness, Ch3
Light may be very dim; but if there is only a spark in a dark room, it will be seen. Life may be very feeble; but if the pulse only beats a little, it will be felt. It is just the same with a sanctified man: his sanctification will be something felt and seen, though he himself may not understand it.Holiness, Ch2
He who boasts of being one of God's elect, while he is willfully and habitually living in sin, is only deceiving himself, and talking wicked blasphemy.Holiness, Ch2
I know nothing so likely to counteract this modern plague as constant clear statements about the nature, reality, vileness, power, and guilt of sin.Holiness, Chapter 1
There is an Athenian love of novelty abroad, and a morbid distaste for
anything old and regular, and in the beaten path of our forefathers.
Thousands will crowd to hear a new voice and a new doctrine, without
considering for a moment whether what they hear is true.--There is an
incessant craving after any teaching which is sensational, and exciting,
and rousing to the feelings.--There is an unhealthy appetite for a sort of
spasmodic and hysterical Christianity. The religious life of many is little
better then spiritual dram-drinking, and the "meek and quiet spirit"
which St. Peter commends is clean forgotten. ( 1 Peter 3:4.) Crowds, and
crying, and hot rooms, and high-flown singing, and an incessant rousing
of the emotions, are the only things which many care for.--Inability to
distinguish differences in doctrine is spreading far and wide, and so long
as the preacher is "clever" and "earnest," hundreds seem to think it must
be all right, and call you dreadfully "narrow and uncharitable" if you hint
that he is unsound! Holiness, Introduction
I plead that a movement in favor of holiness cannot be advanced by new-coined phraseology, or by disproportioned and one-sided statements--or by
overstraining and isolating particular texts--or by exalting one truth at
the expense of another--or by allegorizing and accommodating texts, and
squeezing out of them meanings which the Holy Spirit never put in them-
-or by speaking contemptuously and bitterly of those who do not entirely
see things with our eyes, and do not work exactly in our ways. These
things do not make for peace: they rather repel many and keep them at a
distance. The cause of true sanctification is not helped, but hindered, by
such weapons as theseHoliness, Introduction
When a professing Christian coolly tells me that he
has got beyond such hymns as "Just as I am," and that they are below his
present experience, though they suited him when he first took up
religion, I must think his soul is in a very unhealthy state! When a man
can talk coolly of the possibility of "living without sin" while in the body,
and can actually say that he has "never had an evil thought for three
months," I can only say that in my opinion he is a very ignorant
Christian! I protest against such teaching as this. It not only does no
good, but does immense harm.Holiness, Introduction
True holiness, we surely ought to remember, does not consist merely of inward sensations and impressions. It is much more then tears, and sighs, and bodily excitement, and a quickened pulse, and a passionate feeling of
attachment to our favorite preachers and our own religious party, and a
readiness to quarrel with everyone who does not agree with us. It is
something of "the image of Christ." which can be seen and observed by
others in our private life, and habits, and character, and doings. ( Romans
8:29.)Holiness, Introduction
It is thoroughly Scriptural and right to say "faith alone
justifies." But it is not equally Scriptural and right to say "faith alone
sanctifies." The saying requires very large qualification. Let one fact
suffice. We are frequently told that a man is "justified by faith without the
works of the law," by St. Paul. But not once are we told that we are
"sanctified by faith without the deeds of the law." On the contrary, we are
expressly told by St. James that the faith whereby we are visibly and
demonstratively justified before man, is a faith which "if it has not works
is dead, being alone." * ( James 2:17.) I may be told, in reply, that no one
of course means to disparage "works" as an essential part of a holy life. It
would be well, however, to make this more plain then many seem to make
it in these days.
Holiness, Introduction
The man who can take deep interest in politics, or field-sports, or money-making, or farming, but none in the conversion of souls, is no true Christian. He is himself "dead" and must be made "alive again." He is himself "lost" and must be "found."Gospel of Luke Commentary
This is our likeness. We are all naturally proud and self-willed. We have no pleasure in fellowship with God. We depart from Him, and go afar off. We spend our time, and strength, and faculties, and affections, on things that cannot profit. The covetous man does it in one fashion; the slave of lusts and passions in another; the lover of pleasure in another. In one point only are all agreed. Like sheep, we all naturally "go astray, and turn every one to his own way." (Isaiah. 53:6.) In the younger son's first conduct we see the natural heart.Gospel of Luke Commentary (15)
Let us beware of any repentance, falsely so called, which is not of this character. Action is the very life of "repentance unto salvation." Feelings, and tears, and remorse, and wishes, and resolutions, are all useless, until they are accompanied by action and a change of life. In fact they are worse than useless. Insensibly they sear the conscience and harden the heart.
J. C. Ryle. Expository Thoughts on the Gospels
I suspect it would be a great gain to the Establishment if a huge bonfire were made, and myriads of dull, essay-style sermons were dragged out of parsonage studies, thrown into the bonfire, and burned!... How far a man may travel before he hears a really striking sermon! How few clergymen command the attention of their congregations! How many forget that 'the foolishness of preaching' is not foolish preaching!Can the Church Reach the Masses (412)
Sin, in short, is that vast moral disease that affects the whole human race, of every rank, and class, and name, and nation, and people, and tongue; a disease from which there was but one born of woman who was free. Holiness (Chapter 1)
Sanctification is that inward spiritual work that the Lord Jesus Christ works in a man by the Holy Ghost, when He calls him to be a true believer. He not only washes him from his sins in His own blood, but He also separates him from his natural love of sin and the world, puts a new principle in his heart, and makes him practically godly in life. Holiness (Chapter 2)
In justification our own works have no place at all, and simple faith in Christ is the one thing needful. In sanctification our own works are of vast importance and God bids us fight, and watch, and pray, and strive, and take pains, and labor. Holiness (Chapter 2)
Thousands have trodden the path you are pursuing, and have awoke too late to find it end in misery and eternal ruin. They have fought hard for wealth, and honor, and office, and promotion, and turned their backs on God, and Christ, and heaven, and the world to come. And what has their end been? Often, far too often, they have found out that their whole life has been a grand mistake. Holiness (Chapter 4)
The man whose soul is growing feels his own sinfulness and unworthiness more every year. Holiness (Chapter 6)
It is a melancholy fact, that constant temporal prosperity, as a general rule, is injurious to a believer's soul. Holiness (Chapter 6)
The rulers of this earth plan, and scheme, and make laws, and change laws, and war, and pull down one and raise up another. But they little think that they rule only by the will of Jesus and that nothing happens without the permission of the Lamb of God. Holiness (Chapter 12)
Only let a sinner lay hold on Christ by faith and then however feeble, Christ's word is pledged to him, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." He may correct him occasionally in love. He may gently reprove him at times. But He will never, never give him up. Holiness (Chapter 12)
Ask him in what he trusts for the forgiveness of his many sins, and he will tell you in the death of Christ. Ask him in what righteousness he hopes to stand innocent at the judgement day, and he will tell you it is the righteousness of Christ. Ask him by what pattern he tries to frame his life, and he will tell you that it is the example of Christ. Holiness (Chapter 15)
I pity those who try to be holy without Christ! Your labor is all in vain. You are putting money in a bag with holes. You are pouring water into a sieve. You are rolling a huge round stone uphill. You are building up a wall with untempered mortar. Believe me, you are beginning at the wrong end. You must come to Christ first, and He shall give you His sanctifying Spirit. You must learn to say with Paul, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me" (Phil 4:13). Holiness (Chapter 20)
I charge every reader of this chapter to ask himself frequently what the Bible is to him. Is it a Bible in which you have found nothing more than good moral precepts and sound advice? Or is it a Bible in which you have found Christ? Is it a Bible in which "Christ is all"? If not, I tell you plainly, you have hitherto used your Bible to very little purpose. You are like a man who studies the solar system and leaves out in his studies the sun, which is the center of all. It is no wonder if you find your Bible a dull book! Holiness (Chapter 20)
Get notified when new 'J.C. RYle' quotes come out?
Top Authors
1. Charles Spurgeon (115)
2. J.C. Ryle (111)
3. Thomas Watson (108)
4. John Calvin (83)
5. John Piper (82)
6. J.I. Packer (76)
7. George Swinnock (69)
8. Louis Berkhof (62)
9. A.W. Pink (60)
10. C.S. Lewis (51)
11. Francis Schaeffer (48)
12. Gerald Bray (47)
13. B.B. Warfield (45)
14. John Owen (44)
15. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (43)
16. Tim Keller (42)
17. Joe Boot (42)
18. Abraham Kuyper (40)
19. John Flavel (38)
20. Thomas Brooks (36)
2. J.C. Ryle (111)
3. Thomas Watson (108)
4. John Calvin (83)
5. John Piper (82)
6. J.I. Packer (76)
7. George Swinnock (69)
8. Louis Berkhof (62)
9. A.W. Pink (60)
10. C.S. Lewis (51)
11. Francis Schaeffer (48)
12. Gerald Bray (47)
13. B.B. Warfield (45)
14. John Owen (44)
15. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (43)
16. Tim Keller (42)
17. Joe Boot (42)
18. Abraham Kuyper (40)
19. John Flavel (38)
20. Thomas Brooks (36)
Top Topics
1. Sin (161)2. Prayer (117)
3. Scripture (106)
4. Preaching (103)
5. Faith (94)
6. Gospel (76)
7. Church (65)
8. Suffering (63)
9. Law (58)
10. Justification (49)
11. Truth (47)
12. Salvation (40)
13. Love (36)
14. Theology (36)
15. Grace (34)
16. Creation (33)
17. Children (31)
18. Holiness (31)
19. Sanctification (31)
20. Apologetics (30)
21. Fear (30)
22. Unbelief (30)
23. Marriage (29)
24. Pride (28)
25. Christ (27)
26. Government (27)