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J.C. Ryle Quotes

John Charles Ryle was the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool.

✵ 10. May 1816 – 10. June 1900
J.C. Ryle photo
J.C. Ryle: 62   quotes 11   likes

Famous J.C. Ryle Quotes

“‎"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”

J.C. Ryle

“If you desire salvation, and want to know what to do, I advise you to go this very day to the Lord Jesus Christ, in the first private place you can find, and earnestly and heartily entreat him in prayer to save your soul. Tell him that you have heard that he receives sinners, and he has said, "Him that comes unto me I will in nowise cast out." Tell him that you are a poor vile sinner, and that you come to him on the faith of his own invitation. Tell him you put yourself wholly and entirely in his hands: that you feel vile and helpless, and hopeless in yourself: and that except he saves you, you have no hope of being saved at all. Beseech him to deliver you from guilt, the power, and the consequences of sin. Beseech him to pardon you, and wash you in his own blood. Beseech him to give you a new heart, and plant the Holy Spirit in your soul. Beseech him to give you grace and faith and will and power to be his disciple and servant from this day forever. Oh, reader, go this very day, and tell these things to the Lord Jesus Christ, if you are really in earnest about your soul.”

J.C. Ryle

A Call To Prayer (first published 1840).

“A true Christian is one who has not only peace of conscience, but war within. He may be known by his warfare as well as by his peace.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Holiness

“I believe that the want of our age is not more "free" handling of the Bible, but more "reverent" handling, more humility, more patient study, and more prayer.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 37.

J.C. Ryle Quotes about God

“Grant that the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible is God's truth, and I know not in what way you can escape the doctrine that there is salvation only in Christ. From the liberality which says every body is right — from the charity which forbids you to say any body is wrong—from the peace which is bought at the expense of truth, may the good Lord deliver you.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 528.

“A holy man will follow after purity of heart. He will dread all filthiness and uncleanness of spirit, and seek to avoid all things that might draw him into it. He knows his own heart is like tinder, and will diligently keep clear of the sparks of temptation. Who shall dare to talk of strength when David can fall? There is many a hint to be gleaned from the ceremonial law. Under it the man who only touched a bone or a dead body or a grave or a diseased person became at once unclean in the sight of God.”

J.C. Ryle

Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots (first published 1879).

“Examine your own hearts. Do you see there any habit or custom which you know is wrong in the sight of God? If you do, don't delay for a moment in attacking it. Resolve at once to lay it aside. Nothing darkens the eyes of the mind so much, and deadens the conscience so surely, as an allowed sin. It may be a little one, but it is not any less dangerous.”

J.C. Ryle

Thoughts for Young Men.

“When does the building of the Spirit really begin to appear in a man's heart? It begins, so far as we can judge, when he first pours out his heart to God in prayer.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 470.

“A true worshipper will every year know more of self, and God, and heaven, and duty, and doctrine, and practice, and experience. His religion is a living thing, and will grow.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Knots Untied (1877), Ch. XIII: "Worship", p. 295

“The heart is the part of man which God chiefly notices in religion.”

J.C. Ryle

Mark VII: 1–13, p. 136
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Mark (1857)

J.C. Ryle Quotes about Christ

“My chief desire in all my writings, is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and make Him beautiful and glorious in the eyes of people; and to promote the increase of repentance, faith, and holiness upon earth.”

J.C. Ryle

“Remember that you are to venture the whole salvation of your soul on Christ, and on Christ only. You are to cast loose completely and entirely from all other hopes and trusts. You are not to rest partly on Christ and partly on doing all you can. In the matter of your justification Christ is to be all.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 591.

“Before Christ comes, it is useless to expect to see a perfect Church.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Practical Religion (1878), Ch. XX: "The Great Separation", p. 449

“The love of Christ towards His people is a deep well which has no bottom.”

J.C. Ryle

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Luke (1858–1859), Vol. II, Luke XXII: 54–62, p. 438

“The heart that has really tasted the grace of Christ, will instinctively hate sin.”

J.C. Ryle

Vol. II, Luke XIX: 1–10, p. 294
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Luke (1858–1859)

“Nothing is so offensive to Christ as lukewarmness in religion.”

J.C. Ryle

Vol. II, Luke XI: 21–26, p. 25
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Luke (1858–1859)

J.C. Ryle: Trending quotes

“Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: A Call to Prayer

Heart

“Hell is truth known too late.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: The Upper Room (1888), Ch. XIX: "Thoughts for Young Men"

Truth , Hell

“There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough-a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice-which costs nothing, and is worth nothing.”

J.C. Ryle
Thinking

J.C. Ryle Quotes

“All the sciences in the world never smoothed down a dying pillow. No earthly philosophy ever supplied hope in death.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 530.

Death , World , Hope , Science

“So long as you do not quarrel with sin, you will never be a truly happy man.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 297.

Happiness

“Assurance of hope is more than life. It is health, strength, power, vigor, activity, energy, manliness, beauty.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 16.

Life , Health , Beauty , Hope

“The believer who follows the Lord most fully will ordinarily enjoy the most assured hope, and have the clearest persuasion of his own salvation.”

J.C. Ryle

Assurance.

Hope

“Value all books in proportion as they are agreeable to Scripture. Those that are nearest to it are the best, and those that are farthest from it, and most contrary to it, are the worst.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: The Upper Room (1888), Ch. XIX: "Thoughts for Young Men"

Books

“The end to which good men's libraries finally come is a melancholy subject. Few things are so much loved by some, and despised and neglected by others, as books, and specially theological books.”

J.C. Ryle

"William Gurnall", p. 391
Light from Old Times (1890)

Books , Love , Men

“With all the stir made about education, the ignorance of our own country's history is something lamentable and appalling and depressing.”

J.C. Ryle

"John Hooper: Bishop and Martyr", p. 70
Light from Old Times (1890)

History , Country , Education

“Let it never surprise true Christians if they are slandered and misrepresented in this world. They must not expect to fare better than their Lord.”

J.C. Ryle

Mark XIV: 53–65, p. 329
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Mark (1857)

World

“The world's idea of greatness is to rule, but Christian greatness consists in serving.”

J.C. Ryle

Mark IX: 30–37, p. 187
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Mark (1857)

World , Idea

“It must not content us to take our bodies to church if we leave our hearts at home.”

J.C. Ryle

Mark VII: 1–13, p. 136
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Mark (1857)

Home , Heart

“Without a divine call no one can be saved. We are all so sunk in sin, and so wedded to the world, that we would never turn to God, unless He first called us by His grace.”

J.C. Ryle

Mark II: 13–22, p. 31
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Mark (1857)

God , Wedding , World

“Do something, by God's help, to make heaven more full and hell more empty.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Old Paths (1878), Ch. II: "Our Souls", p. 62

God , Hell , Help

“The Bible in the pulpit must never supersede the Bible at home.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots (1877), Ch. 19: "Wants of the Times", p. 381

Home

“[T]he devil has more knowledge than any of us, and yet is no better for it.”

J.C. Ryle

Vol. III, John XV: 22–27, p. 123
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. John (1865–1873)

Knowledge

“Ignorance of Scripture is the root of every error in religion, and the source of every heresy.”

J.C. Ryle

Vol. I, Preface, p. xiii
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. John (1865–1873)

Religion , Error

“No man ever said at the end of his days, "I have read my Bible too much, I have thought of God too much, I have prayed too much, I have been too careful about my soul."”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Home Truths (1859), Ch. II: "Repent, or Perish", p. 73

God , Soul , Reading

“We are all naturally self-righteous. It is the family-disease of all the children of Adam.”

J.C. Ryle

Vol. II, Luke XVIII: 9–14, p. 259
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Luke (1858–1859)

Family , Disease , Children , Nature

“Wealth is no mark of God's favour. Poverty is no mark of God's displeasure.”

J.C. Ryle

Vol. II, Luke XVI: 19–31, p. 212
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Luke (1858–1859)

God , Wealth

“The highest form of selfishness is that of the man who is content to go to heaven alone.”

J.C. Ryle

Vol. I, Luke VIII: 16–21, p. 257
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Luke (1858–1859)

Selfishness

“We must give up the idea of trying to please everybody. That is impossible, and the attempt is a mere waste of time. We must be content to walk in Christ's steps, and let the world say what it likes.”

J.C. Ryle

Vol. I, Luke VII: 31–35, p. 230
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Luke (1858–1859)

World , Idea , Time , Christ

“A converted man will not wish to go to heaven alone.”

J.C. Ryle

Vol. I, Luke V: 27–32, p. 150
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Luke (1858–1859)

“However corrupt our hearts, and however wicked our past lives, there is hope for us in the Gospel.”

J.C. Ryle

Vol. I, Luke V: 12–16, p. 137
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Luke (1858–1859)

Past , Hope , Heart

“Jesus hears us, and in His own good time will give an answer.”

J.C. Ryle

Matthew XV: 21–28, p. 182
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Matthew (1856)

Time

“It is neglect of the Bible which makes so many a prey to the first false teacher whom they hear.”

J.C. Ryle

Matthew VII: 12–20, pp. 68–69
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Matthew (1856)

Teachers , Falseness

“Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition. It can only be got by hard, regular, daily, attentive, wakeful reading.”

J.C. Ryle

Matthew IV: 1–11, p. 26
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Matthew (1856)

Reading , Knowledge

“Take away the cross of Christ, and the Bible is a dark book.”

J.C. Ryle

"What Think You of the Cross?", p. 276
Startling Questions (1853)

Books , Christ

“A hopeful growing believer is a walking sermon. He preaches far more than I do, for he preaches all the week round, shaming the unconverted, sharpening the converted, showing to all what grace can do.”

J.C. Ryle

"Where Art Thou?", p. 40
Startling Questions (1853)

Hope

“The only way to be really happy in such a world as this, is to be ever casting all our cares on God.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: A Call to Prayer (1867), p. 35

God , World , Way , Happiness

“Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: A Call to Prayer (1867), p. 16

“Let us receive nothing, believe nothing, follow nothing, which is not in the Bible, nor can be proved by the Bible.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Knots Untied (1877), Ch. XVII: "The Fallibility of Ministers", p. 383

“The Lord Jesus is a friend who never changes. There is no fickleness about Him. Those whom He loves, He loves unto the end.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Home Truths (1859), Ch. II: "Do You Want a Friend?", p. 21

Change , Love

“The blood of Christ can cleanse away all sin. But we must "plead guilty" before God can declare us innocent.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Knots Untied (1877), Ch. XII: "Confession", p. 261

God , Christ

“Where no visible fruit can be found, there you may be sure is no conversion.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Old Paths (1878), Ch. XII: "Conversion", p. 335

“Let your Christianity be so unmistakeable, your eye so single, your heart so whole, your walk so straightforward, that all who see you may have no doubt whose you are and whom you serve.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Old Paths (1878), Ch. V: "Alive or Dead", p. 145

Heart

“There is only one door, one bridge, one ladder, between earth and heaven,—the crucified Son of God.”

J.C. Ryle

Vol. III, John XIV: 4–11, p. 60
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. John (1865–1873)

God

“[T]here is more to be learned at the foot of the cross than anywhere else in the world.”

J.C. Ryle

"What Think You of the Cross?", p. 284
Startling Questions (1853)

World , Learning

“Never let us be guilty of sacrificing any portion of truth upon the altar of peace.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: Knots Untied (1877), Ch. XVII: "The Fallibility of Ministers", p. 373

Truth , Peace

“Fear puts an end to openness of manner; fear leads to concealment; fear sows the seed of much hypocrisy, and leads to many a lie.”

J.C. Ryle

Source: The Upper Room (1888), Ch. XVI: "The Duties of Parents"

Fear , Lie

“Our Lord has many weak children in His family, many dull pupils in His school, many raw soldiers in His army, and many lame sheep in His flock. Yet He bears with them all, and casts none away.”

J.C. Ryle

Vol. III, John XX: 24–31, p. 406
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. John (1865–1873)

School , Family , Children

“Laughter, ridicule, opposition, persecution, are often the only reward which Christ's followers get from the world.”

J.C. Ryle

Vol. II, John XII: 20–26, p. 334
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. John (1865–1873)

World , Christ , Laughter

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