J.C. Ryle: The Little Religion of Many Christians

"Of all sights in the church of Christ, I know none more painful to my own eyes, than a Christian contented and satisfied with a little grace, a little repentance, a little faith, a little knowledge, a little charity and a little holiness.  I do beseech and entreat every believing soul that reads this tract not to be that kind of man.  If you have any desires after usefulness, if you have any wishes to promote your Lord's glory, if you have any longings after much inward peace, be not content with a little religion.

"Let us rather seek, every year we live, to make more spiritual progress than we have done, to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus; to grow in humility and self-acquaintance; to grow in spirituality and heavenly-mindedness; to grow in conformity to the image of our Lord.

"Let us beware of leaving our first love like Ephesus, of becoming lukewarm like Laodicea, of tolerating false practices like Pergamos, of tampering with false doctrine like Thyatira, of becoming half dead, ready to die, like Sardis.

"Let us rather covet the best gifts.  Let us aim at eminent holiness.  Let us endeavor to be like Smyrna and Philadelphia.  Let us hold fast what we have already, and continually seek to have more.  Let us labor to be unmistakable Christians.  Let it not be our distinctive character, that we are men of science, or men of literary attainments, or men of the world,  or men of pleasure, or men of business, but 'men of God.'  Let us so live that all may see that to us the things of God are the first things, and the glory of God the first aim in our lives, to follow Christ our grand object in time present, to be with Christ our grand desire in time to come.

"Let us live in this way, and we shall be happy.  Let us live in this way, and we shall do good to the world.  Let us live in this way, and we shall leave good evidence behind us when we are buried.  Let us live in this way, and the Spirit's word to the churches will not have been spoken to us in vain."