The minister who keeps back hell from his people in his sermons is neither a faithful nor a charitable man.
J. C. RyleRead
People will never set their faces decidedly towards heaven, and live like pilgrims, until they really feel that they are in danger of hell.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Individuals are motivated to pursue a higher purpose only when they acknowledge the consequences of their current actions.
This quote by J. C. Ryle emphasizes the idea that a sense of urgency or imminent danger can drive individuals to seek salvation or a higher moral standard. It suggests that without recognizing the consequences of a life poorly lived, people are unlikely to strive for spiritual or moral improvement, much like a pilgrim's journey towards a better destination when threatened by dire circumstances.
Themes
DangerSalvationMotivationSpiritualityLifeChange
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon discussing the importance of faith in difficult times, this quote serves as a reminder of the consequences of ignoring spiritual health.
More from J. C. Ryle
All quotes βGood hymns are an immense blessing to the Church. They train people for heaven, where praise is one of the principal occupations.
J. C. RyleRead
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.
J. C. RyleRead
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
J. C. RyleRead
Never be satisfied with the world's standard of Christianity!
J. C. RyleRead
Sunday morning, before we go to hear the Word of God preached...let us not rush into Godβs 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.
J. C. RyleRead
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Surveillant anxiety is always a conjoined twin: The anxiety of those surveilled is deeply connected to the anxiety of the surveillers. But the anxiety of the surveillers is generally hard to see; it's hidden in classified documents and delivered in highly coded languages in front of Senate committees.
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