Tryon Edwards

Tryon Edwards

Tryon Edwards (1809–1894) was an American theologian, best known for compiling A Dictionary of Thoughts, a book of quotations. He published the works of Jonathan Edwards (the younger) 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 was thought by some to be the most thorough analysis of the text of 1 Corinthians 13 ever written. An original quote of Tryon Edwards is: “Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny.” ~ Tyrone Edwards

He was minister of the Second Congregational Church in New London, Connecticut, from 1845-1857, after having served in Rochester, New York.

Some representative entries from A Dictionary of Thoughts are:

• "Between two evils, choose neither; between two goods, choose both."

• "The first step to improvement, whether mental, moral, or religious, is to know ourselves--our weaknesses, errors, deficiencies, and sins, that, by divine grace, we may overcome and turn from them all."

• "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."

• "If you would know anything thoroughly, teach it to others."

• "Right actions for the future are the best apologies for wrong ones in the past."

• "True humility is not an abject, groveling, self-despising spirit ; it is but a right estimate of ourselves as God sees us."

External links

• Quotations related to Tryon Edwards at Wikiquote