J. C. Ryle is finally getting his due. Many have enjoyed his work on the Gospels that have been available in one form or another for many years. Banner of Truth has taken on the task of gathering and reprinting many other works of this fervent man. They cut no corners either. He gets the deluxe treatment in these quality bindings with attractive dust covers. To be sure, they look sharp on the shelf, but they are best found in your hands.

Obviously, these books are individual releases, but Banner always gathers them in a lot they call the J. C. Ryle Classics Bundle and offers them in a more affordable way. To me their pricing structure is quite commendable considering the quality of their physical books as compared to the slipshod offerings of some Christian publishers.

Just as I received this set, one volume, “Christian Leaders of the Eighteenth Century”, went out of print (Banner usually brings great books back into print, and it is already back). Still, it was replaced in the classics bundle by a brand new release, “The Christian Race”, that I’ll check out later. Ryle had a second niche in biographical writing. I suppose those in this volume (Christian Leaders) are his heroes and who can blame him. A few well known (Whitefield & Wesley) and nine lesser known men who had God’s hand on them are what he covered. There’s a thread between all of them—revival. God did it, of course, but what men!

“Light From Old Times” is another biographical turn toward stalwart spiritual men. While I had heard of several of them, a few were new to me. Another unique feature is that several of them were martyrs. I must admit that such biography is on a higher plane, even dripping with ethereal beauty. Ryle is not here in a cradle-to-grave vein, but more an admirer explaining why they stand so tall. And tall they do stand, straight and stately.

Perhaps the most famous title in this collection is “Holiness”. I’ve heard it lauded by many for as long as I can remember. It’s not a doctrinal treatise on holiness, but dives deep into practical holiness. Lamentable as it is, most such books aren’t popular, but this one caught on. Strangely enough, this book has an impact far beyond its original target. He addresses certain shallow displays of Christianity popular in his day that’s not of particular interest these days, but the book is in no way hobbled by it. The reason for that success is the timelessness of the biblical material. It’s still just sermons, but they do somehow weave a unified whole that has something meaningful to say about practical holiness. Some sermons here use a Bible character—Moses, Lot, Lot’s wife— to great effect while others tackle a concept directly. Let’s call this one pure gold.

Next is “Practical Religion”. These 21 sermons are a cross between textual and topical. In my opinion, Ryle was especially good in these type sermons. To me, these type sermons are hard to put together and Ryle must have given lots of time to them. The subjects covered are all those he calls “practical religion”. He suggests it might best follow reading “Holiness”. The first sermon “Self-Inquiry” is almost totally topical, but what a catchy verse launches the sermon. The next one on “Self-Exertion” is more textual and revolves around the “strait gate”. The next sermon (“Reality”) is shorter, but piercing. For the preacher, it might suggest several sermons. A specialty of his is going after false professors. Then there are some straightforward sermons that might help even new Christians. In that stretch I thought the sermon on zeal stood out. In the sermon “Formality” the spiritual temperature rises again. In a sermon on the world he sensibly covers separation. That’s not always sensibly presented by many, but he is well balanced here. The sermons continue to be practical. The last 6 are on a clear trajectory to Christ’s Return and Heaven (except for those who went another way in The Great Separation).

“Knots Untied” is the Banner title that introduced me to Ryle outside his work on the Gospels. It piqued my interest and brought me back for more.

“The Upper Room” is a tidy collection of sermons and addresses gathered in old age from across his ministry. Two popular offerings of Ryle are included here: “The Duties of Parents” and “Thoughts for Young Men” that are often reprinted alone. I read them to advantage years ago. Before those two sermons are some exciting offerings by Ryle. Almost out of place among them, though, is an address on the simplicity of preaching. He got very practical with that article, but it does lay out some good things for any new preacher to consider. The sermons were my favorite in this book. While perusing these sermons, I felt a keen desire to return to these texts and preach them someday myself. That’s always a good sign of a successful sermon.

I’m not surprised that one of these volumes was entitled “Old Paths”. That is where he lived even in his day. Can you imagine what he’d say about our day? I suspect he’d be right too. The subjects are ones you’d think would never go sideways among believers as they are the core beliefs—inspiration, sin, forgiveness, justification, conversion, faith, repentance, etc.— though they often do. These are topical sermons. Few really do topical sermons well, but Ryle consistently does. There’s a mass of thoughtful learning here given in a pastoral style.

Finally, “Charges and Addresses” might not be the best of these books as it is certainly a hodgepodge. I’m guessing only those who really love Ryle will be attracted to this book. But here you are thinking about getting this lovely J. C. Ryle Classics Bundle, so I guess that would be you. Only the most revered authors get these type sermons in print. That’s Ryle.

You see loving hands putting this Ryle set together. Their work provides beauty for us all. Ryle loves Jesus, His Word, and possesses a pastoral tenderness that suggests he’s quite fond of us as well. You can’t go wrong here.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.