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.
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Genius is simply patience carried to the extreme.
We have all made mistakes in this life. How we learn from our mistakes is the measure of who we are.
A correct answer is like an affectionate kiss.
If you enjoy your journey as a writer, you will never find it difficult to write.
It seems like many people think that if you drive yourself crazy, then you can write. I’m absolutely not interested in that. It made sense to me to be as whole and well as I could be, and as happy. I wanted to see what a fortunate life would produce. What writing would come out of a mind that didn’t try to torment itself? What did I have to know? What did I have to do rather than what can I torment and bend myself into doing? What was the fruit on that tree?
And although she was sometimes dissatisfied with herself, she felt unable to go beyond her own limitations. Books were safer.