Forgiven Souls Have the Greatest Cause to be Humble by J. C. Ryle
They cannot forget that they owe all they have and hope for to free grace, and this keeps them lowly. They are brands plucked from the fire, —debtors who could not pay for themselves,—captives who must have remained in prison for ever, but for undeserved mercy,—wandering sheep who were ready to perish when the shepherd found them,—and what right then have they to be proud? I do not deny that there are proud saints. But this I do say, they are of all God’s creatures the most inconsistent,—and of all God’s children, the most likely to stumble and pierce themselves with many sorrows. Forgiveness more often produces the spirit of Jacob :—’I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant ;’ (Gen. 32:10.) and of Hezekiah, ‘I shall go softly all my years ;’ (Isaiah 38:15.) and of the apostle Paul, ‘I am less than the least of all saints,—chief of sinners’ (Eph. 3:8 ;—1 Tim. 1:15.) Ah! brethren, when you and I have nothing we can call our own but sin and weakness, there is surely no garment that becomes us so well as humility.â€
– J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) Consider Your Ways: Being a Pastor’s Address to His Flock. 10th Thousand, Revised and Adapted to All Seasons, 1849.
On this day...
- Humility may well be called the queen of the Christian graces - 2014
- There is no grace which should distinguish the Christian so much as humility - 2014
- Growth in Grace is Growth Downward - 2014
- Jeremiah 45:4-5 | Jeremiah - 2011
- Filling up and sharing the very suffering of Christ Himself - 2011
- Christianity is a secret which is revealed - 2011
- Canticle of Canticles - 2007
- A Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels - 2007
- homily - 2007
- Michael Psellus - 2007
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