J. C. Ryle famous quotes

Walk more closely with God. Get nearer to Christ. Seek to exchange hope for assurance. Seek to feel the witness of the Spirit more closely and distinctly every year. Lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily threatens you. Press towards the mark more earnestly. Fight a better fight, and war a better warfare every year you live. Pray more. Read more. Subdue self more. Love the brethren more. Oh that you may endeavor to grow in grace every year, that the end of your Christian course may be better than the beginning!
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #War #Fighting

I fear we are in danger of forgetting that to HAVE the Bible is one thing, and to READ it quite another.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Forget #Danger

Let it be a settled principle ...that men's salvation, if saved, is wholly of God; and that man's ruin, if lost, is wholly of himself.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Men #Principles #Ruins

Never does a person see any beauty in Christ as a Savior, until they discover that they are a lost and ruined sinner.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Doe #Worship #Christ

It costs something to be a true Christian. It will cost us our sins, our self-righteousn ess, our ease and our worldliness.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #Self #Cost

If we are true Christians, we must not expect everything smooth in our journey to heaven. We must count it no strange thing, if we have to endure sicknesses, losses, bereavements, and disappointments, just like other people. Free pardon and full forgiveness, grace by the way and glory to the end – all this our Savior has promised to give. But He has never promised that we shall have no afflictions. He loves us too well to promise that.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #Disappointment #Loss

It costs something to be a real Christian, according to the standard of the Bible. There are enemies to be overcome, battles to be fought, sacrifices to be made, an Egypt to be forsaken, a wilderness to be passed through, a cross to be carried, a race to be run. Conversion is not putting a person in an arm-chair and taking them easily to heaven. It is the beginning of a mighty conflict, in which it costs much to win the victory.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #Running #Real

Never be satisfied with the world's standard of Christianity!
-- J. C. Ryle

#World #Christianity #Standards

How is it that many who profess and call themselves Christians, do so little for the Savior whose name they bear?
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #Names #Littles

Whatever you read, read the Bible first. Beware of bad books: there are plenty in this day. Take heed what you read.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Book #Firsts #Plenty

The parent who tries to train without setting a good example is building with one hand, and pulling down with the other.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Hands #Parent #Trying

I believe it to be clear evidence of the Spirit’s presence when the Word of God is really precious to a person’s soul.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Believe #Soul #Spirit

If God has given His Son to die for us, let us beware of doubting His kindness and love in any painful providence of our daily life.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Kindness #Son #Doubt

It is neglect of the Bible which makes so many a prey to the first false teacher whom they hear.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Teacher #Firsts #Neglect

Go to the cross of Christ, all you that want to be delivered from the power of selfishness.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Selfishness #Want #Christ

To be born again is, as it were, to enter upon a new existence, to have a new mind, a new heart, new views, new principles, new tastes, new affections, new likings, new dislikings, new fears, new joys, new sorrows, new love to things once hated, new hatred to things once loved, new thoughts of God, and ourselves, and the world, and the life to come, and salvation.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Heart #Views #Hatred

We must read our Bibles like men digging for hidden treasure.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Men #Digging #Treasure

Our prayers may be weak, stammering, and poor in our eyes. But if they come from a right heart, God understands them. Such prayers are His delight.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Prayer #Heart #Eye

The very sermon that we needlessly miss, may contain a precious word in season for our souls.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Missing #Soul #May

The fear of punishment, the desire of reward, the sense of duty, are all useful arguments, in their way, to persuade people to holiness. But they are all weak and powerless, until a person loves Christ.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Punishment #People #Desire

‎"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

#Humble #Proud #Students

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!
-- J. C. Ryle

#Jesus #Believe #Simple

He that would be conformed to Christ's image, and become a Christ-like man, must be constantly studying Christ Himself.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Men #Would Be #Study

A man may just as soon read the Scripture without eyes, as understand the spirit of it without grace.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Eye #Men #Grace

Fear not because your prayer is stammering, your words feeble, and your language poor. Jesus can understand you.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Jesus #Prayer #Language

We must give up the vain 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

#Giving Up #Ideas #Trying

A Christian is nothing more than a sinner who has found out their sinfulness, and has learned the blessed secret of living by faith in Christ.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #Blessed #Secret

There is more Bible buying, Bible selling, Bible printing and Bible distributing than ever before in our nation. We see Bibles in every bookstore - Bibles of every size, price and style. There are Bibles in almost every house in the land. But all this time I fear we are in danger of forgetting that to HAVE the Bible is one thing, and to READ it quite another.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Land #House #Style

True Christians delight to read the Scriptures, because they tell them about their beloved Savior.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #Delight #Scripture

Do not glory in your own faith, your own feelings, your own knowledge, or your own diligence. Glory in nothing but Christ.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Feelings #Christ #Glory

No time is so well spent in every day as that which we spend upon our knees.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Prayer #Knees #Wells

Let us watch against pride in every shape - pride of intellect, pride of wealth, pride of our own goodness. Nothing is so likely to keep a person out of heaven, and prevent them from seeing Christ, as pride. So long as we think we are something we shall never be saved. Let us pray for and cultivate humility; let us seek to know ourselves correctly, and to find out our place in the sight of a holy God.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Humility #Pride #Thinking

A religion that costs nothing is worth nothing. A cheap Christianity, without a cross, will prove in the end a useless Christianity, without a crown.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Cost #Crowns #Useless

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

#Christian #World #Surprise

Faith is to the soul what life is to the body. Prayer is to faith what breath is to the body. How a person can live and not breathe is past my comprehension, and how a person can believe and not pray is past my comprehension too.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Prayer #Believe #Past

It must not content us to take our bodies to church if we leave our hearts at home.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Home #Heart #Church

Your trials, crosses, and conflicts are all temporary.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Trials #Conflict #Crosses

It is not hard to deceive ministers, relatives and friends. But it is impossible to deceive Christ.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Impossible #Christ #Deceiving

Next to praying there is nothing so important in practical religion as Bible-reading.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Reading #Important #Next

A Christian is a walking sermon. They preach far more than a minister does, for they preach all week long.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #Long #Doe

Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition. It can only be obtained by diligent, regular, daily, attentive reading.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Reading #Intuition

O Christian, look up and take comfort. Jesus has prepared a place for you, and those who follow Him shall never perish, neither shall anyone pluck them out of His hands.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #Jesus #Hands

No one 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 with my soul'
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #Soul #Too Much

Just as the telescope and microscope show us that there is order and design in all the works of God’s hand, from the greatest planet down to the least insect, so does the Bible teach us that there is wisdom, order and design in all the events of our daily life. There is no such thing as 'chance', 'luck', or 'accident' in the Christian journey through this world. All is arranged and appointed by God: and all things are 'working together' for the believer’s good.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #Journey #Hands

Look not to yourselves! You are by nature wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Look simply unto Jesus.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Jesus #Naked #Looks

A crucified Savior will never be content to have a self-pleasing, self-indulging, worldly-minded people.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Self #People #Savior

Wherever we may be, or whatever our circumstances, the Lord Jesus sees them. We are never beyond the reach of His care.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Jesus #Care #May

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.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Thinking #Trials #World

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.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Littles #Sin #Harm

Take away the cross of Christ, and the Bible is a dark book.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Book #Dark #Christ

If you do not love Christ, let me plainly tell you what is the reason: You have no sense of debt to Him.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Debt #Christ #Reason

Let us strive, every year we live, to become more deeply acquainted with Scripture.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Years #Scripture #Strive

God knew what we were before conversion - wicked, guilty, and defiled; yet He loved us. He knows what we will be after conversion - weak, erring, and frail; yet He loves us.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Wicked #Erring #Guilty

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.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christ #Copies

To be prayerless is to be without God, without Christ, without grace, without hope, and without heaven.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Prayer #Heaven #Grace

There will be no universal peace until the Prince of Peace appears.
-- J. C. Ryle

Wealth is no mark of God’s favor. Poverty is no mark of God’s displeasure.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Favors #Poverty #Wealth

A trial is an instrument by which our Father in heaven makes Christians more holy.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #Father #Heaven

Let us be very careful that we never exalt any minister, or sermon, or book, or friend above the Word of God.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Book #Ministers #Careful

Are you tempted? Look unto Jesus. Are you afflicted? Look unto Jesus. Do all speak evil of you? Look unto Jesus. Do you feel cold, dull, and backsliding? Look unto Jesus.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Jesus #Evil #Looks

No person ever thought too much of Christ.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Too Much #Christ #Persons

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.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Children #Father #Son

Prayer needs neither learning, wisdom or book knowledge to begin it. It needs nothing but heart and will.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Prayer #Book #Heart

Good hymns are an immense blessing to the Church. They train people for heaven, where praise is one of the principal occupations.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Blessing #Hymns #People

The Gospel was not meant merely to reside in our intellect, memories, and tongues, but to be seen in our lives.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Memories #Tongue #Intellect

I maintain that to tell a person they are born again, while they are living in carelessness or sin, is a dangerous delusion.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Sin #Born Again #Dangerous

What is the cause of most backslidings? I believe, as a general rule, one of the chief causes is neglect of private prayer.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Prayer #Believe #Causes

Miserable indeed is that religious teaching which calls itself Christian, and yet contains nothing of the cross.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #Religious #Teaching

There is only one door, one bridge, one ladder, between earth and heaven - the crucified Son of God.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Son #Doors #Bridges

The love of our Lord Jesus Christ towards sinners is strikingly shown in His steady purpose of heart to die for them.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Jesus #Heart #Purpose

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.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Soul #Titles #Doe

Better to confess Christ 1000 times now and be despised by men, than be disowned by Christ before God on the day of Judgment.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Men #Judgment #Christ

There are eternal consequences resulting from all our thoughts, words and actions, of which we take far too little account.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Littles #Action #Accounts

Since Satan can't destroy the gospel, he has too often neutralized its usefulness by addition, subtraction or substitution.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Satan #Subtraction #Usefulness

Let us watch against pride in every shape-pride of intellect, pride of wealth, pride of our own goodness.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Pride #Watches #Shapes

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

#World #Care #Way

I declare I know no state of soul more dangerous than to imagine we are born again and sanctifiied by the Holy Spirit, because we have picked up a few religious feelings.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Religious #Soul #Feelings

If you profess to be a child of God, leave it to the Lord Jesus to sanctify you in His own way.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Jesus #Children #Way

We can never make too much of Christ. He is worthy of all the honor that we can give Him.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Giving #Honor #Too Much

If you love Christ, never be ashamed to let others see it and know it. Speak for Him. Witness for Him. Live for Him.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Speak #Christ #Ashamed

Beware of manufacturing a God of your own: a God who is all mercy, but not just. Such a God is an idol of your own.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Idols #Mercy

The work of the preacher resembles that of the sower. Like the sower, the preacher must sow good seed, the Word of God.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Preacher #Word Of God

What you think now about the cross of Christ, I cannot tell; but I can wish you nothing better than this - that you may be able to say with the apostle Paul, before you die or meet the Lord, 'God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.'
-- J. C. Ryle

#Jesus #Thinking #Wish

Look to the cross, think of the cross, meditate on the cross, and then go and set your affections on the world if you can.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Thinking #Looks #World

Millions of people profess and call themselves Christians, whom the Apostle Paul would not have called Christians at all.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Christian #People #Apostle Paul

Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Prayer #Heart #Together

The blood of Christ can cleanse away all sin. But we must 'plead guilty' before God can declare us innocent.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Blood #Sin #Guilty

Faith in the Lord Jesus is the only sure medicine for troubled hearts.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Jesus #Heart #Medicine

True worship leads to a more full knowledge of self, God, heaven, duty, doctrine, practice and experience.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Self #Practice #Heaven

A saved soul has many sorrows. They have their share of bereavements, deaths, disappointments , crosses. What shall enable a believer to bear all this? Nothing but the consolation there is in Christ.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Disappointment #Soul #Bereavement

Let us resolve by God's grace that, however feeble and poor our prayers may seem to us, we will pray on.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Prayer #Grace #May

People are backsliders on their knees long before they backslide openly in the eyes of the world.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Eye #Long #People

Never let us be guilty of sacrificing any portion of truth on the altar of peace.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Sacrifice #Guilty #Portions

Live as if you thought that Christ might come at any time.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Might #Christ

There is no fickleness about Jesus: those whom He loves, He loves to the end.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Jesus #Ends

The love of Christ towards His people is a deep well which has no bottom.
-- J. C. Ryle

#People #Christ #Wells

One single soul saved shall outlive and outweigh all the kingdoms of the world.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Soul #World #Kingdoms

We know but little of true Christianity, if we don't feel a deep concern about the souls of unconverted people.
-- J. C. Ryle

#People #Soul #Littles

Imagination is the hotbed where this sin is too often hatched. Guard your thoughts, and there will be little fear about your actions.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Imagination #Littles #Action

True repentance 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 a person by a thorough BREAKING OFF from sin. It results in producing a DEEP HATRED for all sin.
-- J. C. Ryle

#Hatred #Sorrow #Goes On