J. C. Ryle (1816–1900)

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 Bible 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 12)
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 ×2
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 Christian Leaders of the Last Century 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 regularly, became vice-president of Church Association – 1870
Words for All (forty-five tracts) – 1871
Most likely wrote his autobiography – 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 (married nearly 30 years) – 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 – 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 passed his 84th birthday – Sunday, June 10th, 1900
The day he died, the church sang Rock of Ages, his favorite hymn
He was buried with his third wife, Henrietta, at All Saint’s Church, Childwall, Liverpool

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