Monday, January 02, 2012

I love my Nook.  I've read 3 books already this past week.. and several of them have truly touched my heart.   At the moment I am reading "The Christian Leaders of England in the Eighteenth Century" by JC Ryle.. one of my favorite authors.

Read some of his words here:
"From the year 1700 till about the era of the French Revolution, England seemed barren of all that is really good.  How such a state of things can have arisen in a land of free Bibles and professing Protestantism is almost past comprehension.  Christianity seemed to lie as one dead, insomuch that you might have said 'she is dead.'  Moralityy, however much exalted in pulpits, was thoroughly trampled under foot in the streets.  There was darkness in high places and darkness in low places- darkness in the court, the camp, the Parliament, and the bar- darkness in country, and darkness in town- darkness among rich and darkness among poor- a gross , thick, religious and moral darkness- a darkness that might be felt."
"The blight of ease and  freedom from persecution seemed to rest upon the Dissenters.  Natural theology, without a single distinctive doctrine of Christianity, cold morality, or barren orthodoxy, formed the staple teaching both in church and chapel.  Sermons everywhere were little better than miserable moral essays, utterly devoid of anything likely to awaken, convert, or save souls."

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