Home
Truths by J.C. Ryle
Home Truths is a book that, in many ways, sums up J.C. Ryle’s
writings. First he would pen individual tracts; then, when there was
enough, he compiled those tracts into individual volumes, calling
them Home Truths. From 1854 to 1871, he amassed a total of
eight separate volumes, all of them entitled Home Truths.
In
1874, however, he added yet another angle to these tracts. He began
to rearrange the contents of Home Truths by subject. The
net result was his four volumes of practical divinity, Knots
Untied, Practical Religion, Old Paths, and Holiness;
and his two smaller books, Coming Events and Present Duties
and Boys and Girls Playing. These six books were essentially
a rearrangement of the original eight volumes of Home Truths,
which were originally compilations of individual tracts. Some chapters
he enlarged upon, others he simply rewrote the first paragraph,
still others were left alone, not to be reprinted.
Home
Truths, however, had not yet run its course. Sometime later, much
later, perhaps even posthumously (though we cannot confirm this),
two more volumes of Home Truths were published, making the
complete set 10 volumes. Strangely, however, some of the chapters
of these last two volumes were duplications of previous writings that
had already been published.
Now,
after all the dust has settled, we have gleaned through all ten volumes
of Home Truths, and have gathered together, in one volume,
14 original chapters that have not been published under any other
title by J.C. Ryle. These are the “leftovers,” if you will, and they
are wonderful reading.
Note:
We have recently learned that Triangle Press (Grace
and Truth Books) has
reprinted Home
Truths, one volume at a time, in paperback. No doubt
this has put a crimp in our plans, so we will delay our production
of this title, prioritizing other books.
The
Upper Room, by J.C. Ryle
Thirteen years before his death, Ryle compiled 21 of his sermons,
tracts, and essays, and published them in one book. As these were
21 of his favorites, who are we to argue?
