Practical Religion: Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing ChristiansRyle, J. C. (John Charles)
Religion
Practical Religion: Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing Christians
Ryle, J. C. (John Charles)
Christian life -- Anglican authors
No doctrine like this to suit the sick and dying! Go to the bedside of
the vilest sinner, when death is coming nigh, and tell him lovingly that
there is a hope even for him, if he can receive it. Tell him that Christ
came into the world to save sinners, even the chief of them; tell him
that Christ has done all, paid all, performed all, purchased all that
the soul of man can possibly need for salvation. And then assure him
that he, even he, may be freed at once from all his guilt, if he will
only believe. Yes, say to him, in the words of Scripture, "If thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that
God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. x. 9.)
Let us never forget that this is the point to which we must turn our own
eyes, if we would know whether we have a saving interest in Christ's
redemption. Waste not your time in speculations whether you are elect,
and converted, and a vessel of grace. Stand not poring over the
unprofitable question whether Christ died for you or not. That is a
point of which no one ever made any question in the Bible. Settle your
thoughts on this one simple inquiry,--"Do I really trust in Christ, as a
humble sinner? Do I cast myself on Him? Do I believe?"--Look not to
anything else. Look at this alone. Fear not to rest your soul on plain
texts and promises of Scripture. If you believe, you are free.
(1) And now as I bring this paper to a conclusion, let me affectionately
press upon every reader the inquiry which grows naturally out of the
whole subject. Let me ask every one a plain question: "Are you free?"
I know not who or what you are into whose hands this paper has fallen.
But this I do know, there never was an age when the inquiry I press upon
you was more thoroughly needed. Political liberty, civil liberty,
commercial liberty, liberty of speech, liberty of the press,--all these,
and a hundred other kindred subjects, are swallowing up men's attention.
Few, very few, find time to think of spiritual liberty. Many, too many,
forget that no man is so thoroughly a slave, whatever his position, as
the man who serves sin. Yes! there are thousands in this country who are
slaves of beer and spirits, slaves of lust, slaves of ambition, slaves
of political party, slaves of money, slaves of gambling, slaves of
fashion, or slaves of temper! You may not see their chains with the
naked eye, and they themselves may boast of their liberty: but for all
that they are thoroughly slaves. Whether men like to hear it or not, the
gambler and the drunkard, the covetous and the passionate, the glutton
and the sensualist, are not free, but slaves. They are bound hand and
foot by the devil. "He that committeth sin is the servant of sin."
(Rom. viii. 34.) He that boasts of liberty, while he is enslaved by
lusts and passions, is going down to hell with a lie in his right hand.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account