J. C. Ryle Quotes
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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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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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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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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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Those who confine God's love exclusively to the elect appear to me to take a narrow and contracted view of God's character and attributes....I have long come to the conclusion that men may be
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Trials are intended to make us think, to wean us from the world, to send us to the Bible, to drive us to our knees.
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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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The first step towards attaining a higher standard of holiness is to realize more fully the amazing sinfulness of sin.
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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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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?
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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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To be prayerless is to be without God, without Christ, without grace, without hope, and without heaven.
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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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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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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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Sunday morning, before we go to hear the Word of God preached...let us not rush into God’s presence careless, reckless, and unprepared, as if it mattered not in what way such work was done. Let us carry with us faith, reverence, and prayer. If these three are our companions, we will hear with profit, and return with praise.
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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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It was the whole Trinity, which at the beginning of creation said, "Let us make man". It was the whole Trinity again, which at the beginning of the Gospel seemed to say, "Let us save man".
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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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The faith that has not a sanctifying influence on the character is no better than the faith of devils.
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Let us cleave to Christ more closely, love Him more heartily, live to Him more thoroughly, copy Him more exactly, confess Him more boldly, and follow Him more fully.