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
revolutions recorded by Vertot,--what are all the revolutions which
France and England have gone through, compared to these? No revolutions
are so bloodless, none so satisfactory, none so rich in lasting results,
as the revolutions accomplished by the Bible!
This is the book on which the well-being of nations has always hinged,
and with which the best interests of every nation in Christendom at this
moment are inseparably bound up. Just in proportion as the Bible is
honoured or not, light or darkness, morality or immorality, true
religion or superstition, liberty or despotism, good laws or bad, will
be found in a land. Come with me and open the pages of history, and you
will read the proofs in time past. Read it in the history of Israel
under the Kings. How great was the wickedness that then prevailed! But
who can wonder? The law of the Lord had been completely lost sight of,
and was found in the days of Josiah thrown aside in a corner of the
temple. (2 Kings xxii. 8.)--Read it in the history of the Jews in our
Lord Jesus Christ's time. How awful the picture of Scribes and
Pharisees, and their religion! But who can wonder? The Scripture was
"made of none effect by man's traditions." (Matt. xv. 6.)--Read it in
the history of the Church of Christ in the middle ages. What can be
worse than the accounts we have of its ignorance and superstition? But
who can wonder? The times might well be dark, when men had not the light
of the Bible.
This is the Book to which the civilized world is indebted for many of
its best and most praise-worthy institutions. Few probably are aware how
many are the good things that men have adopted for the public benefit,
of which the origin may be clearly traced up to the Bible. It has left
lasting marks wherever it has been received. From the Bible are drawn
many of the best laws by which society is kept in order. From the Bible
has been obtained the standard of morality about truth, honesty, and the
relations of man and wife, which prevails among Christian nations, and
which,--however feebly respected in many cases,--makes so great a
difference between Christians and heathen. To the Bible we are indebted
for that most merciful provision for the poor man, the Sabbath day. To
the influence of the Bible we owe nearly every humane and charitable
institution in existence. The sick, the poor, the aged, the orphan, the
lunatic, the idiot, the blind, were seldom or never thought of before
the Bible leavened the world. You may search in vain for any record of
institutions for their aid in the histories of Athens or of Rome. Alas!
there are many who sneer at the Bible, and say the world would get on
well enough without it, who little think how great are their own
obligations to the Bible. Little does the infidel workman think, as he
lies sick in some of our great hospitals, that he owes all his present
comforts to the very book he affects to despise. Had it not been for the
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