Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-11-13
tfrom the Baptist Repository.
IMMORTALITY OF THOUGHT.

IMMORTALITY OF THOUGHT.
An Address delivered to the Medical
Glass of Columbia College, ID. c. on
the occasion oftheir receiving Diplomas,
January, l833-By Stephen Chapin, ID.
ID. President Of the College.
GENTLEMEN:
I You have heard much, and read much,
on the Immortality Of the soul. But it
may not have occurred to you, that not
only all its original powers, are inmor.
tai, but that every item of its knowledge
is equally immortal. BY this subject, |
mean 20 asset, that the soul of man is 50
constituted, that in the future state, it
will, without any miraculous agency,
possess a perfect remembrance Of all its
perceptions, reflections, opinions, afiec-
tions, judgments and voltions-that no
! item Of its acquired furniture, whether it
be Of external or internal ori gin, can ev-
er be erased out Of the memory. This
bject is so new and momentous in its
consequences, that you will not admit it,
without substantial evidence. What ovi-
denee, then, have we that the mind is so
constituted as to secure the Immortality
Of every item olits knowledge ? In proof
of this, we argue,
lst. From the influence Of the laws
Of assoc latlon. These laws are never TO
be repealed. And their power to rocov-
er forgotten items Of knowledge is iamil-
lar in every ones experience, You have,
doubtless, frequently put forth what is
called Intentional memory that is, you
have eXerted your minds to recover some
name or notion, which you had forgotten.
, But you know that this notion is never
gained by direct act Of the will toi
we cannot will the existence Of that
thing, of which VIC have no knowled ge ;
n but you recover this lost name by revolv-
7 ing in your mind some other names,
which you think have resemblance &c
it, aud, by and by, some one comes W
in your mind, which resembles it so much
:. that II brings up or suggests the name
!, which you wish to recollect. 81 am ac
!. quainted," says DR.. Beattie, "with
, clergyman who was attacked with fit O
y found to have forgotten all the transac
tons of the four years Immediately pre-
= ceding, but remembered as well as ever
what had happened before that period
The newspapers, which were 7rinte'
during the four years, were read with III
terest and afforded him much amuse
ment, being perfectly new. This same
person recovered by degrees all he ha'
lost " In this instance, the principle
Z Of association were, at first, completed,
II prostrated by the disease, without an,
prospect Of their being again brought in
to action, except by some assistance at
torded them. /" This assistance wa
~ reading and conversation. by readin!
n old newspapers, and by conversation, he
It. from time 10 time, fell upon ideas, whic
he not only had possessed before, bu
n; which had been associated with otho
ideas, forming originally, distinct an
ne condensed trains Of thought, and thu:
whole series were restored. Other sc
.' ries too, were recovered by intention;
I recollection that is, by continually re
volvng in his mind, such trains as wer
O. restored, and thus lousing up others
IN, Such was the process by which he re
covered the knowledge he had lost. D.
C The laws Of association which in this IL
10 stance recovered forgotten thoughts, wi
hc be equally efficient in other instances.
Interesting portions Of our mental histol
Ter may seem to be botted from the memor,
days, months, and years, may roll o
lor and there may be no evidence of the
existence. But suddenly scene is pr
OF sented, or thought arises III our min
.. related, in some way, to the iorgott'
portion Of our history, and again it is r
8. vived in all its original strength al
'o W freshness. So true arc the words OF Il
IN poet
"Lued in the countless chambers Of the brain,
es; Our thoughts are linked by many hidden cha
su- Awake but one. and 10, what nyrlads rise!
lul Each stamps its image the other fiies.
&C. Cd. The Immortality Of thought, m
be inferred from the influence which sic
itc, ness and drowning have, in exciting I
mental powers, so as to recover hs II
knowledge. Flint, in his Recolle
er- tons Of the Valley Of the Mississippi
gives the following account OF the men
sc. affections Of an intelligent Amerlc
tail traveller. 1t is desirable, " said &
i've traveller, "that, in the bitter agony
rtl- such diseases as mine, more OF the syn
,ct- toms, sensations, and suilerings, til
D have been, should be recorded, that o
ers, in similar predicainents, may kno
that some before them have had sui
bert ings like theirs, and have survived the
a. IL, | had had fever before, aud had RS