The minister who keeps back hell from his people in his sermons is neither a faithful nor a charitable man.
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'
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of nurturing one's spiritual life and suggests that there can be no excess in devotion to God and spirituality.
In this quote, J. C. Ryle reflects on the common regret people might have at the end of their lives regarding earthly pursuits, but he posits that no one feels they have overindulged in spiritual practices. It highlights the notion that spiritual growth, reflection, and connection with the divine are never regrettable and should be prioritized. The idea is that one does not come to the end of life wishing they had spent less time on their soul and more on material concerns.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a religious gathering, one might say this quote to encourage deeper engagement with faith.
More from J. C. Ryle
All quotes →Good hymns are an immense blessing to the Church. They train people for heaven, where praise is one of the principal occupations.
When I speak of a man growing in grace, I mean simply this - that his sense of sin is becoming deeper, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, his love more extensive, his spiritual mindedness more marked.
Those who confine God's love exclusively to the elect appear to me to take a narrow and contracted view of God's character and attributes....I have long come to the conclusion that men may be _x000D_ more systematic in their statements than the Bible, and may be led into grave error by idolatrous veneration of a system
Never be satisfied with the world's standard of Christianity!
Sunday morning, before we go to hear the Word of God preached...let us not rush into God’s presence careless, reckless, and unprepared, as if it mattered not in what way such work was done. Let us carry with us faith, reverence, and prayer. If these three are our companions, we will hear with profit, and return with praise.
Similar quotes
I wish I was as sure of anything as he is of everything.
Advice? I don't offer advice. Not my business. Your life is what you make it.
It is important that you don't let your opponent impose his style of play on you. A part of that begins mentally. At the chessboard if you start blinking every time he challenges you then in a certain sense you are withdrawing. That is very important to avoid.
Intelligence and education that hasn't been tempered by human affection isn't worth a damn.
Be a mere assistant to your unconscious. Do only half the work. The rest will do itself.
Follow your passion, we’re often told. But how do you find your passion? Let me put it another way: what is it that breaks your heart about the world? It’s there that you begin to find what moves you. If you want to find your passion, surrender to your heartbreak. Your heartbreak points towards a truer north — and it’s the difficult journey towards it that is, in the truest sense, no mere passing idyllic infatuation, but enduring, tempestuous passion.