Tryon Edwards was an American theologian, best known for compiling A Dictionary of Thoughts, a book of quotations. He published the works of Jonathan Edwards in 1842. He also compiled and published the sixteen sermons of his great grandfather, Jonathan Edwards, on 1 Corinthians 13, the “Love Chapter”, titling the book “Charity And Its Fruits; Christian love as manifested in the heart and life”, which thought by some to be the most thorough analysis of the text of 1 Corinthians 13 ever written.
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A large part of the discussions of disputants come from the want of accurate definition.—Let one define his terms and then stick to the definition, and half the differences in philosophy and theology would come to an end, and be seen to have no real foundation.
—Tryon Edwards
The laws of nature are but the ways in which the great almighty lawgiver operates; they have no efficiency except as channels of his will; rightly understood they cannot but be seen to agree with his written word.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Law
It was a beautiful and striking reply, given by one in affliction, who, when asked how it was that he bore it so well, replied,—“It lightens the stroke, I find, to draw near to Him who handles the rod.”
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Trials
Quiet and sincere sympathy is often the most welcome and efficient consolation to the afflicted.—Said a wise man to one in deep sorrow, “I did not come to comfort you; God only can do that; but I did come to say how deeply and tenderly I feel for you in your affliction.”
—Tryon Edwards
Let your sermon grow out of your text, and aim only to develop and impress its thought.—Of a discourse that did not do this it was once wittily said, “If the text had the small-pox, the sermon would never catch it.”
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Preaching
Some persons are exaggerators by temperament.—They do not mean untruth, but their feelings are strong, and their imaginations vivid, so that their statements are largely discounted by those of calm judgment and cooler temperament.—They do not realize that “we always weaken what we exaggerate.”
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Exaggeration
The most we can get out of life is its discipline for ourselves, and its usefulness for others.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Life
The laws of nature are but the thoughts and agencies of God—the modes in which he works and carries out the designs of his providence and will.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Nature
Never borrow trouble. If the evil is not to come, it is useless, and so much waste; if it is to come, best keep all your strength to meet it.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Trouble
If we are but fixed and resolute—benton high and holy ends, we shall find means to them on every side and at every moment; and even obstacles and opposition will but make us “like the fabled spectreships, which sail the fastest in the very teeth of the wind.”
—Tryon Edwards
He that is patient will persevere; and he that perseveres will often have occasion for, as well as trial of patience.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Patience
The philosophers, as Varro tells us. counted up three hundred and twenty answers to the question, “What is the supreme good?” How needful, then, is a divine revelation, to make plain what is the true end of our being.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Bible
The prejudiced and obstinate man does not so much hold opinions, as his opinions hold him.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Prejudice
Newspapers are the world’s cyclopaedia of life; telling us everything from every quarter of the globe.—They are a universal whispering gallery for mankind, only their whispers are sometimes thunders.
—Tryon Edwards
Duty performed gives clearness and firmness to faith, and faith thus strengthened through duty becomes the more assured and satisfying to the soul.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Duty
If riches are, as Bacon says, the baggage (” impedimenta “) of virtue, impeding its onward progress—poverty is famine in its commissary department, starving it into weakness for the great conflict of life.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Poverty
Accuracy of statement is one of the first elements of truth; inaccuracy is a near kin to falsehood.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Facts, Truth
Fiction is not falsehood, as some seem to think;—It is rather the fanciful and dramatic grouping of real traits around imaginary scenes or characters.—It may give false views of men or things, or it may, in the hands of a master, more truthfully portray life than sober history itself.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Fiction
Mystery is but another name for our ignorance; if we were omniscient, all would be perfectly plain.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Mystery, Ignorance
He that never changes his opinion never corrects mistakes and will never be wiser on the morrow than he is today.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Wisdom, Opinions, Change, Opinion
Sinful and forbidden pleasures are like poisoned bread; they may satisfy appetite for the moment, but there is death in them at the end.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Pleasure
The desires and longings of man are vast as eternity, and they point him to it.
—Tryon Edwards
To rule one’s anger is well; to prevent it is better.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Anger
The agrarian would divide all the property in the community equally among its members.—But if so divided today, industry on the one hand, and idleness on the other, would make it unequal on the morrow.—There is no agrarianism in the providence of God.
—Tryon Edwards
Between two evils, choose neither; between two goods, choose both.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Goodness, Evil, Choice
To waken interest and kindle enthusiasm is the sure way to teach easily and successfully.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Education, Teaching, Enthusiasm
Constancy to truth and principle may sometimes lead to what the world calls inconstancy in conduct.
—Tryon Edwards
If rich men would remember that shrouds have no pockets, they would, while living, share their wealth with their children, and give for the good of others, and so know the highest pleasure wealth can give.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Wealth, Charity
Nature and revelation are alike God’s books; each may have mysteries, but in each there are plain practical lessons for everyday duty.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Nature
The certainty of punishment, even more than its severity, is the preventive of crime.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Punishment
A deserved and discriminating compliment is often one of the strongest encouragements and incentives to the diffident and self-distrustful.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Compliments
Death has nothing terrible which life has not made so. A faithful Christian life in this world is the best preparation for the next.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Death
Names, says an old maxim, “are things.”—They certainly are influences.—Impressions are left and opinions are shaped by them.—Virtue is disparaged, and vice countenanced, and so encouraged by them. The mean and selfish talk of their prudence and economy; the vain and proud prate about self-respect; obstinacy is called firmness, and dissipation the enjoyment of life; seriousness is ridiculed as cant, and strict morality and integrity, as needless scrupulosity; and so men deceive themselves, and society is led to look leniently, or with indifference, on what ought to be sharply condemned.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Names
He who can suppress a moment’s anger may prevent a day of sorrow.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Anger
Right actions for the future are the best apologies for wrong ones in the past—the best evidence of regret for them that we can offer, or the world receive.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Kindness, Repentance, Forgiveness
Where duty is plain delay is both foolish and hazardous; where it is not, delay may be both wisdom and safety.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Delay, Duty
Compromise is but the sacrifice of one right or good in the hope of retaining another—too often ending in the loss of both.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Compromise
Indolence is the dry rot of even a good mind and a good character; the practical uselessness of both. It is the waste of what might be a happy and useful life.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Laziness
Men sometimes affect to deny the depravity of our race; but it is as clearly taught in the lawyers’ office and in courts of justice, as in the Bible itself.—Every prison, and fetter, and scaffold, and bolt, and bar, and chain is evidence that man believes in the depravity of man.
—Tryon Edwards
God is infinitely great in himself; we should recognize it in humble adoration: always good; we should acknowledge it by grateful thanksgiving: we have constant need of his blessings; it becomes us to ask them at his hand.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Prayer
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