Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1807-05-29
~oETHE ARroFTHLNKING.

&oas.ou. an lpiH and cafrGvagans
thpsRAAss all vain and fansasticai imagi.
nations. Suffer not your thoughts to
roam upon things that never were, and
perhaps never will be ; to give you a vi.
Eio,asry pleasure in the prospect Of what
you have not the least reason to hope, or
needless pain IN the apprehension of
what you have not the least reason to fear.
The truth is, next % clear conscience
and sound Judgment, there is NOT a
create blessing chat a regular and .oen
governed iaagindtioa TO be able to
view things as they are, in their true
light and proper colours i; aud TO distin.
guish the false images that are painted
on the fancV, from the representations
of truth aud reason, Forhow common
thing is it for men. before they are
aware, to confound reason and fancy,
truth and Imagination tegether! To
take the flashes of the animal spirits for
the hg int of evidence? and think they,
believe things tobe true or false, when
they only fancy them to be SO aud fam
CIV them to>bc so. .'becau:e they mould
hate them so Not considering that
mere fancy is only the igni. fa.uus OF the
mind; which often appears brightest,
when themindis most covered with dark.
rcss aand will be sure to lead them astray,
who ollow it as their guide. Near akin
to thtse are: ..,t..
Romantirk and ehimerieql thoughts.
By Nhiehs I mean that kina ioE MiidsrS,
which de briskness Of the animal spirits
sometimes suddenly q ashss on thsmind,
and e1eites images that are so ertSenseiy
ridicpous and absurd, that one can
scarce forbear wondering how they codld
get adnittance. These random flights
of the fancy arc soon gone and\ herein
differ from that castle building Of the
imagisation before mentioned, which is
a mort 81 titled amusement, but these are
too irooheTent and senseleas to be of
long continuance and are the maddest
sallies, and the most rampsng reveries Of
the fancy that can be. know not whe-
Their nv read understands aa1p what I
mean but if he attentiyely regards al
tina. p4sses'through his mind, perhaps
he maj hereafter by experience.
ReptIa all imba'e aud Laseivious Thoughts
which taiat aed 4,elliute the mind and
thoughhid froD. men, are known to Con,
in whose eyes they are abominable. Our
Saviour warns US against these IS a Kind
Of spiritual forniedEton, and ineonsistant
with that purify Of heart which his Cos.
pei requires. ..- -
Take care how you too much in
dulge gloomy aud melancholy thoughts.
Some are disposed to see every thing in
the worst light. A black cloud hangs
lowering over their minds which,
when IL talls IN showers through their
eyss, b dispersed |; and ALI within il &c.
rene again. This is often purely me-
chanical and owing either to some fault
in the bodily constitution, or sons aeei-
dental Gsorder in the animal. frame.
However, one that eonsults the peace Of
his own mind win be upon his guard a.
.gainst this, which so often robs him oft.
On the other hand, let not the imag;na-
ton be too sprigh,iy and triumphant.
Somea are As unreasonably exalted, a
others are depressed, and the same per-
son at different times often runs into both
extremes according to the different
temper and Aow of the animal spirits.
And therefore the thoughts, which 90
eagerly crowd into the mind At such
times, ought to be suspected and well
guarded i; otherwise they. viii impose
upon our Judgments and lead as 20 form
such . notion of ourselves and Of thinSs,
rs We shalt coon see fl to alter, when
the raind Is in more ssaled and ssda.s
frame. " ~ ~.
Before we let our thoughts Judge of
things, We nust set reason to Judge our
Thoughts for they are not always 10 .
proper condition % execute that Office.
We do not believe the character which a
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