The Life of J. C. ryle

The Life of J. C. Ryle (Rough Outline)

By Davis L. Moore

“Little more needs to be said of this volume [Practical Religion] than that it sustains the author's well-earned reputation for evangelical simplicity and power. Mr Ryle is looked upon as a typical representative of evangelical churchmanship, but in reality he ascends far higher. While with all her faults he loves the Church of England still, he loves the souls of men much more, and most of all the gospel of their salvation. This too, is a gospel to be loved, the gentleness of which has made him great, and the experience of which has led to the earnest desire that it may do for others what it has done for him. … Men’s ideas of the wrath to come may be judged of by the earnestness with which they exhort others to fly from it.” - Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Calling at the hour he had fixed for seeing me, I found him in his study: he was very bright and as was his wont, he inquired after my health and about the parish. On remarking how touched we all were by seeing him with us at St Nathaniel's on Christmas morning, he smilingly replied, ‘Yes, I said to my children, “Let us go to St Nathaniel's this morning, for I am sure we shall be welcome there.’”” Ryle then gave Hobson his Bibe that he had used for 50 years in his study and said, ‘Now let us have a parting prayer.’ Hobson continued, “I knelt by his chair, and oh, what a prayer he offered for me! I shall never forget it.” - Hobson, near Ryle’s death

Ryle was six foot two inches. There is no doubt that Ryle’s physical health (as he was a sportsman) in his youth, was a great advantage to him in his later years. Though strong physically, he still was a man who needed much sleep.

Ryle gave £1,200 towards the cost of the Church house, and his extremely valuable library of over 5,000 books, as well as the paintings that belonged to him. Sadly, all of what was his library several decades later (July of 1940-July of 1941), most of his books were removed and replaced with more liberal works. Whatever happened to be left within the library that at one time belonged to him, was all destroyed in 1941 along with the Church House by German Bombing.

Born – 1816 May 10th at 4:00

Started School under John Jackson in Macclesfield – August 8th, 1824 (aged 8)

Left school – December 1827

Went to Eton College – End of January, 1828 (Almost 1 2)

Returned home to Cheshire – Summer, 1834

Entered Christ Church, Oxford – October, 1834

Had severe illness (something to do with the lungs) - 1837, (possibly 6/24-12/25)

Converted – 1837, near the end of the year (aged 21)

Attempted law with Jonathan Christie in Lincoln’s Inn, London – 1838

Bank fell; bankruptcy for family – June, 1841

Ordained – December 12, 1841

Preached first sermon – December 19, 1841

Became bishop of Winchester? - December, 1843

First marriage – October 29, 1845

First baby born – March 13, 1847

First published book (though not his own work technically): Spiritual Songs – 1849

Regeneration: A Tract for the Times – 1850

Second marriage – February 21, 1850

Second baby, first to second wife (Jessy Isabelle) - 1851

Another baby (died soon after birth) - 1853

First of his own work: The Bishop, the Pastor, and the Preacher – 1854

Another baby (Reginald) - 1854

Wrote Matthew Commentary – 1856

Another baby (Herbert) - 1856

Wrote Mark Commentary – 1857

Another baby (Arthur) - 1857

Wrote both Luke commentaries – 1858-59 X2

Hymns for the Church on Earth (selected and arranged)

Third marriage (Henrietta) - October, 24 1861

Wrote first of John commentaries – 1865

Wrote ‘biographical papers’ which became c.l.o.t. l..c for The Family Treasury– 1866-67

Became speaker at Norwich – 1868

Second wife died (age 38) - May 19, 1860

Wrote Christian Leaders of the 18th Century – 1868

Wrote second of the John Commentaries – 1869

Christian Leaders of the Last Century – 1869

Spoke regular, became vice-president of Church Association – 1870

Words for All (forty-five tracts) - 1871

Most likely wrote auto-biography – 1873, somewhere in the middle of the year

Wrote third and final of John commentaries – 1873

Wrote Knots Untied – 1874

Wrote Holiness – 1877

Wrote Old Paths – 1877

Wrote Practical Religion – 1879

Wrote Coming Events and Present Duties – 1879

Left Norwich – 1880

Left Stradbroke – June 20, 1880

Appointed first bishop of Liverpool – 1880

Son gets ordained, ‘83 becomes Ryle’s examiner – 1882

Wrote The Upper Room – 1888

Henrietta Ryle (third wife) died (were married near 30 yrs.) - April 6, 1889

Wrote Light From old Times – 1890

Final address at Hull – 1890

Suffered a slight stroke, recovered, continued work – 1891

80th birthday, Liverpool clergy and laity presented him with an address – May 10, 1896

Last conference address in Liverpool – 1898

Ryle's health begins to decline – Beginning of 1899

Preached his last sermon at St. Nathaniel’s on John 15:15 – January 8, 1899

Had his last public meetings – Week of May 13, 1899

Preached for Church Missionary Society St Silas’ on Col. 2:23 – May 14, 1899

Tuesday meetings with individuals in office ended – Summer of 1899

Made proposal, set foundation for a Church House – August 1899

Herbert (son) paid visit, advised his resignation *See note – September 1899

Saw his friend Hobson for the very last time – January 22, 1900

Put forth his resignation for the following month – February 1, 1900

Died, having just past 84th birthday – Sunday June 10th, 1900

The day he died, the church sang Rock of Ages, his favorite hymn

He was buried with his 3rd lovely wife, Henrietta, at All Saint’s Church, Childwall, Liverpool

*He wrote that he found him, “so evidently enfeebled in step, in hearing and memory.”