EDWARDS, JUSTIN: American Congregationalist; b. in Westhampton, Mass., Apr. 25, 1787; d. at Bath Alum Springs, Va., July 24, 1853. He was graduated at Williams College in 1810 and studied one year at Andover Theological Seminary. He was ordained Dec. 2, 1812 and preached in Andover 1812-27. In 1821 he became the corresponding secretary of the New England Tract Society. He was one of the founders of the American Society for the Promotion of Temperance in 1825, and as its secretary from 1829 to 1836 he traveled and lectured extensively in the interest of temperance reform. From 1836 to 1842 he was president of Andover Theological Seminary. In the latter year he became secretary of the American and Foreign Sabbath Union, and until 1849 he worked for the observance of the Sabbath as he had formerly done for the cause of temperance. He published numerous sermons and tracts, including a Sabbath Manual (New York, 1845), and a Temperance Manual (1847). The last years of his life were spent at Andover in the preparation of a compendious Bible commentary, which was left unfinished.

 

Bibliography: W. B. Sprague, Annals of the American Pulpit, ii. 572-585, New York, 1859.