J. C. Ryle Quotes
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But if there is one thing clearly and plainly laid down about election, it is this: that elect men and women may be known and distinguished by holy lives.
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Many, I fear, would like glory, who have no wish for grace. They would [want to] have the wages, but not the work; the harvest, but not the labor; the reaping, but not the sowing; the reward, but not the battle. But it may not be.
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If I never spoke of hell, I should think I had kept back something that was profitable, and should look on myself as an accomplice of the devil.
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Without holiness on earth we shall never be prepared to enjoy heaven. Heaven is a holy place. The Lord of heaven is a holy Being. The angels are holy creatures. Holiness is written on everything in heaven... How shall we ever be at home and happy in heaven if we die unholy?
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The rulers of the 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.
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What is the cause of most backslidings? I believe, as a general rule, one of the chief causes is neglect of private prayer.
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If you do not love Christ, let me tell you plainly what is the reason. You have no sense of debt to him.
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True repentance is no light matter. It is a thorough change of heart about sin, a change showing itself in godly sorrow and humiliation - in heartfelt confession before the throne of grace - in a complete breaking off from sinful habits, and an abiding hatred of all sin. Such repentance is the inseparable companion of saving faith in Christ.
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The harvest of the Lord’s field is seldom ripened by sunshine only. It must go through its days of wind, rain and storm.
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Children are very quick observers; very quick in seeing through some kinds of hypocrisy, very quick in finding out what you really think and feel, very quick in adopting all your ways and opinions. You will often discover that, as the father is, so is the son.
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Parents, do you wish to see your children happy? Take care, then, that you train them to obey when they are spoken to, -to do as they are bid.... Teach them to obey while young, or else they will be fretting against God all their lives long, and wear themselves out with the vain idea of being independent of His control.
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To be prayerless is to be without God, without Christ, without grace, without hope, and without heaven.
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What is the best safeguard against false doctrine? The Bible regularly read, regularly prayed over, regularly studied.
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God does not look at riches, titles, education, or beauty. There is only one thing that God does look at, and that is the soul.
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Let us never forget that our chief danger is from within. The world and the devil combined, cannot do us as much harm as our own hearts will, if we do not watch and pray.
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Let us never measure our religion by that of others, and think we are doing enough if we have gone beyond our neighbors.
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What would you expect? Sin will not come to you saying, 'I am sin.' It would do little harm if it did. Sin always seems 'good, pleasant and desirable' at the time of arrival.
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We are evidently no friends of Satan. Like the kings of this world, he wars not against his own subjects. The very fact that he assaults us should fill our minds with hope.
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By affliction He teaches us many precious lessons, which without it we should never learn. By affliction He shows us our emptiness and weakness, draws us to the throne of grace, purifies our affections, weans us from the world, makes us long for heaven.
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When you cannot answer a skeptic, be content to wait for more light; but never forsake a great principle.
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Nothing is so fickle and uncertain as popularity. It is here today and gone tomorrow. It is a sandy foundation, and sure to fail those who build upon it.
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The heart of a man can never be satisfied with the things of this world. It is always empty, and hungry, and thirsty, and dissatisfied, till it comes to Christ. It is only they who hear Christ's voice, and follow Him, and feed on Him by faith, who are 'filled.'.
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Just as the first sign of life in an infant when born into the world is the act of breathing, so the first act of men and women when they are born again is praying.
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"A humble and prayerful person will find a thousand things in the Bible, which the proud student will utterly fail to discern." ~ J.C. Ryle