Ryle's book on the great Christian leaders of the eighteenth century is read in its entirety at the link I gave below. There I thought it was only the part about the history of English just before those great men came on the scene, but it is in fact the link tot he entire book. Still, the first chapters about the historical stituation are eyeopening. England's Christian heritage was at its lowest posible ebb. the churches preached empty nonsesnse, the gospel has never heard in them. For all intents and purposes Christianity was dead and the culture was in bad shape.
The fact that God raised up strong Christian preachers after that gives me hope for America since we are about as low as it's possible to get too, probably lower than Engla nd was. Perhaps we still have some pulpits whre the gospel is preached but far too many preach a poisonous pablum or fleshly banality and even the strongest churches are probably a lot weaker than they would be if they took care of the smaller errors that must be true evewn of them.
It may well be that we are in the last of the last days and the Lord will return today or tomorrow or next week, since the condition of the world and the churches seems to fit that prophecy only too well. Nevertheless wehn I hear of the state of DEngland afew centuries ago and how God riseed up men who turned around their condition I thin kwe have reason to hope it's possible here too. If the Lord comes I hope we are all ready, but meanwhile we should be hoping and praying that God would send us a similar awakening by men he can raise up out of nowhere for such a task.
Here's that link again. It's well worth listening to: Christian Leaders of the Eighteenth Century | J. C. Ryle | Christian Audiobook (Part 1) - YouTube
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