J.C Ryle, was one of the most prominent preachers, he was a great figure and leader, leading us into the 19century. As a master theologian, preacher, and orator of the word he warned of the impending crisis facing the 19century church and beyond. Ryle, is most well-known, for his work: “Holiness”. I have personally been edified, impressed, and become a greater pursuer of righteousness through his work. In Holiness, Ryle, writes one of the most detailed sermons, concerning the destruction of Sodom. Ryle focuses on the issues of Lot’s wife.
Ryle, is one of the most eloquent preachers of the 19 century. He has a way of pointing the reader or hearer to a direct confrontation with themselves. In other words, Ryle has readers or hearers examine themselves. The Puritans called the application of a text “Experiential”, Ryle, has accomplished this in a note-worthy manner. The people of God, collectively, are not only supposed to understand the doctrinal and conceptual ideas of a text; but, the goal or aim of the preacher is to continually press the believers to apply the text. Richard Baxter said, “I preached as to never preach again and as a dying man to dying men”. This is exactly the kind of temperament that Ryle has show in his sermon. More than fifth-teen times does Ryle place the second-person pronoun in his sermon (i.e you, yourselves..etc).
It is important to mention this aspect of Ryle’s preaching. While, Ryle, preached propositionally, he never lost the emphasis of “Experiential Preaching”. Believers need to heed and apply the text to their hearts by the work of the Holy Spirit. Like, Paul, who continually gave exhortations to believers in his epistles, so, like Paul, does Ryle in his own unique style. It is of main importance that preachers exhort their people without which no true sanctification can exist. In fact, only a congregation of dead-orthodoxy would exist. This type of religion Christ hated and rebuked. How many times do we see Christ criticizing the Pharacies for their lack of piety? It was not because they didn’t have zeal in their supposed ‘piety’, but because it was not in accordance with the knowledge of God.
With that being said, Ryle points to the sin of Lot’s wife and exhorts believers, or even, those who believe themselves to be in the faith to examine themselves; Without any hesitation, Ryle, calls for his audience to examine their own hearts. This is the preacher’s duty, to proclaim the excellencies of Christ, and exhort obedience to Christ’s commands. Ryle does this so thoroughly that he takes the readers on a tour of one segment of the redemptive history of our God. This is shown as God’s judicial judgment against Sodom and Gomorra. Ryle drives his message home with the applicatory section in his sermon. He heeds believers to become aware of that they to may fall under the judgment which Lot’s wife faced. He leads people into understanding that the judgment of God is an absolute reality. He exhorts believers in the fear and terror of the Lord to repent of their current defiled life-styles.
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