Tryon Edwards
Piety and morality are but the same spirit differently manifested. Piety is religion with its face toward God; morality is religion with its face toward the world.Collection: Religion
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.Collection: Bigger And Better Things
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.Collection: Strong
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.Collection: Regret
Words are both better and worse than thoughts, they express them, and add to them; they give them power for good or evil; they start them on an endless flight, for instruction and comfort and blessing, or for injury and sorrow and ruin.Collection: Blessing
Appreciation, whether of nature, or books, or art, or men, depends very much on temperament. What is beauty or genius or greatness to one, is far from being so to another.Collection: Appreciation
Sin with the multitude, and your responsibility and guilt are as great and as truly personal, as if you alone had done the wrongCollection: Forgiveness
Superstitions are, for the most part, but the shadows of great truths.Collection: Shadow
There is nothing so elastic as the human mind. The more we are obliged to do, the more we are able to accomplish.Collection: Mind
Ridicule may be the evidence of with or bitterness and may gratify a little mind, or an ungenerous temper, but it is no test of reason or truth.Collection: Mind
Deviation from either truth or duty is a downward path.Collection: Truth
Common sense is, of all kinds, the most uncommon. It implies good judgment, sound discretion, and true and practical wisdom applied to common life.Collection: Life
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.Collection: Wise
Whatever our place allotted to us by Providence that for us is the post of honor and duty. God estimates us, not by the position we are in, but by the way in which we fill it.Collection: Honor
Unbelief, in distinction from disbelief, is a confession of ignorance where honest inquiry might easily find the truth. - "Agnostic" is but the Greek for "ignoramus."Collection: Ignorance
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?Collection: Believe
Contemplation is to knowledge what digestion is to food - the way to get life out of itCollection: Way
Always have a book at hand, in the parlor, on the table, for the family; a book of condensed thought and striking anecdote, of sound maxims and truthful apothegms. It will impress on your own mind a thousand valuable suggestions, and teach your children a thousand lessons of truth and duty. Such a book is a casket of jewels for your housebold.Collection: Children
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.Collection: Real
Anecdotes are sometimes the best vehicles of truth, and if striking and appropriate are often more impressive and powerful than argument.Collection: Powerful
Preventives of evil are far better than remedies; cheaper and easier of application, and surer in result.Collection: Evil
To rejoice in another's prosperity is to give content to your lot; to mitigate another's grief is to alleviate or dispel your ownCollection: Sympathy
Apothegms are the wisdom of the past condensed for the instruction and guidance of the present.Collection: Wisdom
He that is possessed with a prejudice is possessed with a devil, and one of the worst kinds of devils, for it shuts out the truth, and often leads to ruinous error.Collection: Truth
No true civilization can be expected permanently to continue which is not based on the great principles of Christianity.Collection: Civilization
The leaves do not change color from the blighting touch of the frost, but from the process of natural decay. They fall when the fruit has been ripened and their work is done. And their splendid change of coloring is but their graceful and beautiful surrender of life, when they have finished their summer offering of service to God and man.Collection: Beautiful
Nature hath nothing made so base, but can read some instruction to the wisest man.Collection: Nature
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.Collection: Memories
To possess money is very well; it may be a valuable servant; to be possessed by it is to be possessed by the devil, and one of the meanest and worst kind of devils.Collection: Money
The most we can get out of life is its discipline for ourselves, and its usefulness for others.Collection: Discipline
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.Collection: Self
Thoroughly to teach another is the best way to learn for yourself.Collection: Inspirational
He that is possessed with a prejudice is possessed with a devil.Collection: Devil
Attention to a subject depends upon our interest in it.Collection: Memories
Hell is truth seen too lateduty neglected in its season.Collection: Hell
Duty performed gives clearness and firmness to faith, and faith thus strengthened through duty becomes the more assured and satisfying to the soul.Collection: Giving
He that resolves upon any great and good end, has, by that very resolution, scaled the chief barrier to it. He will find such resolution removing difficulties, searching out or making means, giving courage for despondency, and strength for weakness, and like the star to the wise men of old, ever guiding him nearer and nearer to perfection.Collection: Wise
There is often as much independence in not being led as in not being driven.Collection: Independence
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.Collection: Children
True art is reverent imitation of God.Collection: Art
The slanderer and the assassin differ only in the weapon they use; with the one it is the dagger, with the other the tongue. The former is worse that the latter, for the last only kills the body, while the other murders the reputation.Collection: Death
Where duty is plain delay is both foolish and hazardous; where it is not, delay may be both wisdom and safety.Collection: Wisdom
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.Collection: Character
This world is the land of the dying; the next is the land of the living.Collection: Life
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 accumulation of others.Collection: Education
Anxiety is the poison of human life; the parent of many sins and of more miseries. In a world where everything is doubtful, and where we may be disappointed, and be blessed in disappointment, why this restless stir and commotion of mind? Can it alter the cause, or unravel the mystery of human events?Collection: Disappointment
Some blame themselves to extort the praise of contradiction from others.Collection: Blame