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.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Tryon Edwards
Errors of theory or doctrine are not so much false statements, as partial statements.—Half a truth received, while the corresponding half is unknown or rejected, is a practical falsehood.
—Tryon Edwards
A deserved and discriminating compliment is often one of the strongest encouragements and incentives to the diffident and self-distrustful.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Compliments
Thoroughly to teach another is the best way to learn for yourself.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Teaching
Duty performed is a moral tonic; if neglected, the tone and strength of both mind and heart are weakened, and the spiritual health undermined.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Duty
Constancy to truth and principle may sometimes lead to what the world calls inconstancy in conduct.
—Tryon Edwards
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
Do not despise the opinion of the world; you might as well say you do not care for the light of the sun, because you can use a candle.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Opinion
The great end of education is to discipline rather than to furnish the mind; to train it to the use of its own powers, rather than fill it with the accumulations of others.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Discipline, Education
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, Opinion, Change, Opinions
Religion, in its purity, is not so much a pursuit as a temper; or rather it is a temper, leading to the pursuit of all that is high and holy. Its foundation is faith; its action, works; its temper, holiness; its aim, obedience to God in improvement of self and benevolence to men.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Religion
Sin with the multitude, and your responsibility and guilt are as great and as truly personal, as if you alone had done the wrong.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Sin, Guilt, Responsibility
Change of opinion is often only the progress of sound thought and growing knowledge; and though sometimes regarded as an inconsistency, it is but the noble inconsistency natural to a mind ever ready for growth and expansion of thought, and that never fears to follow where truth and duty may lead the way.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Opinion
Common sense is, of all kinds, the most uncommon.—It implies good judgment, sound discretion, and true and practical wisdom applied to common life.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Common Sense
The best rules of rhetoric are, to speak intelligently; speak from the heart; have something to say; say it; and stop when you’ve done.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Brevity
It is not true that there are no enjoyments in the ways of sin; there are, many and various.—But the great and radical defect of them all is, that they are transitory and unsubstantial, at war with reason and conscience, and always leave a sting behind. We are hungry, and they offer us bread; but it is poisoned bread. We are thirsty, and they offer us drink; but it is from deadly fountains. They may and often do satisfy us for the moment; but it is death in the end. It is only the bread of heaven and the water of life that can so satisfy that we shall hunger no more and thirst no more forever.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Sin
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
To possess money is very well; it may be a most valuable servant; to be possessed by it, is to be possessed by a devil, and one of the meanest and worst kind of devils.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Money
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
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
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: Concentration, Memories, Listening, Memory, Focus
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
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
Every parting is a form of death, as every reunion is a type of heaven.
—Tryon Edwards
Accuracy of statement is one of the first elements of truth; inaccuracy is a near kin to falsehood.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Truth, Facts
Conscience is merely our own judgment of the right or wrong of our actions, and so can never be a safe guide unless enlightened by the word of God.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Conscience
The study of mathematics cultivates the reason; that of the languages, at the same time, the reason and the taste. The former gives grasp and power to the mind; the latter both power and flexibility. The former, by itself, would prepare us for a state of certainties, which nowhere exists; the latter, for a state of probabilities, which is that of common life. Each, by itself, does but an imperfect work: in the union of both, is the best discipline for the mind, and the best mental training for the world as it is.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Mathematics
There are two kinds of charity, remedial and preventive.—The former is often injurious in its tendency; the latter is always praiseworthy and beneficial.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Charity
Prejudices are rarely overcome by argument; not being founded in reason they cannot be destroyed by logic.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Prejudice, Argument
What we gave, we have; What we spent, we had; What we left, we lost.
—Tryon Edwards
Topics: Giving, Charity
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
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