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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If you would thoroughly know anything, teach it to others.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Mastery, War, Knowledge
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: Forgiveness, Kindness
The secret of a good memory is attention, and attention to a subject depends upon our interest in it. We rarely forget that which has made a deep impression on our minds.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Listening, Memory
Ridicule may be the evidence of wit or bitterness and may gratify a little mind, or an ungenerous temper, but it is no test of reason or truth.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Criticism
Some so speak in exaggerations and superlatives that we need to make a large discount from their statements before we can come at their real meaning.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Honesty, Words
We never reach our ideals, whether of mental or moral improvement, but the thought of them shows us our deficiencies, and spurs us on to higher and better things.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Morals, Ethics, Ideals
Have a time and place for everything, and do everything in its time and place, and you will not only accomplish more, but have far more leisure than those who are always hurrying, as if vainly attempting to overtake time that had been lost.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Value of Time, Procrastination, Time Management
Thoughts lead on to purpose, purpose leads onto actions, actions form habits, habits decide character, and character fixes our destiny.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Destiny, Positive Attitudes, Habit, Optimism, Thought, Thinking, Character
To waken interest and kindle enthusiasm is the sure way to teach easily and successfully.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Education, Teaching, Enthusiasm
Sincerity is not test of truth—no evidence of correctness of conduct. You may take poison sincerely believing it the needed medicine, but will it save your life?
—Tryon Edwards
The first step to improvement, whether mental, moral, or religious, is to know ourselves—our weakness, errors, deficiencies, and sins, that, by divine grace, we may overcome and turn from them all.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Self-Knowledge
He that never changes his opinion never corrects mistakes and will never be wiser on the morrow than he is today.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Change, Wisdom, Opinion
Any act often repeated soon forms a habit; and habit allowed, steadily gains in strength. At first it may be but as the spider’s web, easily broken through, but if not resisted it soon binds us with chains of steel.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Habit
To rule one’s anger is well; to prevent it is better.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Anger
Seek happiness for its own sake, and you will not find it; seek for duty, and happiness will follow as the shadow comes with the sunshine.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Happiness
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
Between two evils, choose neither; between two goods, choose both.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Choice, Goodness, Evil
Accuracy of statement is one of the first elements of truth; inaccuracy is a near kin to falsehood.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Facts, Truth
Where duty is plain delay is both foolish and hazardous; where it is not, delay may be both wisdom and safety.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Duty, Delay
There is nothing so elastic as the human mind. Like imprisoned steam, the more it is pressed the more it rises to resist the pressure. The more we are obliged to do the more we are able to accomplish.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Stress
Most of our censure of others is only oblique praise of self, uttered to show the wisdom and superiority of the speaker. It has all the invidiousness of self-praise, and all the ill-desert of falsehood.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Criticism, Critics
Science has sometimes been said to be opposed to faith, and inconsistent with it.—But all science, in fact, rests on a basis of faith, for it assumes the permanence and uniformity of natural laws—a thing which can never be demonstrated.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Faith
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