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
Look round the families of earth with which you are acquainted, the
richest, the greatest, the noblest, the happiest. Where will you find
one among them all which can show prospects to compare with those of
which you have just heard. The earthly riches, in many a case, will be
gone in a hundred years hence. The noble blood, in many a case, will not
prevent some disgraceful deed staining the family name. The happiness,
in many a case, will be found hollow and seeming. Few, indeed, are the
homes which have not a secret sorrow, or "a skeleton in the closet."
Whether for present possessions or future prospects, there is no family
so well off as "the whole family in heaven and earth." Whether you look
at what they have now, or will have hereafter, there is no family like
the family of God.
My task is done. My paper is drawing to a close. It only remains to
close it with a few words of practical application. Give me your
attention for the last time. May God bless what I am going to say to the
good of your soul!
(1) I ask you a plain question. Take it with you to every family
gathering which you join at any season of the year. Take it with you,
and amidst all your happiness make time for thinking about it. It is a
simple question, but a solemn one,--_Do you yet belong to the family of
God_?
To the family of God, remember! This is the point of my question. It is
no answer to say that you are a Protestant, or a Churchman, or a
Dissenter. I want to hear of something more and better than that. I want
you to have some soul-satisfying and soul-saving religion,--a religion
that will give you peace while you live, and hope when you die. To have
such peace and hope you must be something more than a Protestant, or a
Churchman, or a Dissenter. You must belong to "the family of God."
Thousands around you do not belong to it, I can well believe. But that
is no reason why you should not.
If you do not yet belong to God's family, I invite you this day to join
it without delay. Open your eyes to see the value of your soul, the
sinfulness of sin, the holiness of God, the danger of your present
condition, the absolute necessity of a mighty change. Open your eyes to
see these things, and repent this very day.--Open your eyes to see the
great Head of God's family, even Christ Jesus, waiting to save your
soul. See how He has loved you, lived for you, died for you, risen again
for you, and obtained complete redemption for you. See how He offers you
free, full, immediate pardon, if you will believe in Him. Open your eyes
to see these things. Seek Christ at once. Come and believe on Him, and
commit your soul to His keeping this very day.
I know nothing of your family or past history. I know not where you go
to spend your leisure weeks, or what company you are going to be in. But
I am bold to say, that if you join the family of God you will find it
the best and happiest family in the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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