manifestations which is formed by the will in

action.

Without the indsence of the will, man is a mere machine: his valuable properties, if he chances to exhibit any, are accidental; the absence of will makes a feeble, fluctuating, erring mortal: but the will to do good or to do evil; to exhibit certain modes of action and passion; to be firm in the pursuit of virtue; unbending in hostility to vice; to be kind towards others; to relieve the wants and miseries of mankind; to obviate their ignorance, and to furnish them with correct motives for their conduct; the desire and pursuit of knowledge; the subordination and employment of every acquisition to the glory of God, and the good of his creatures; the exercise of the social and relative affections; an attention to the peculiar duties of individual station; the regulation of the passions; every public and private virtue; in fact, the character of the man is dependent upon the exercise of the will; and therefore the time will not be thrown away, which is devoted to the instruction of this faculty.

Lastly, the importance of this process will appear from the difficulty of willing with force, perseverance, and permanence; since that which is intrinsically valuable, is rendered still more so, exactly in proportion to its rarity, and to the obstacles in the way of its acquisition. And as the advantage of a firm, unyielding will in passing through life, has been sufficiently demonstrated; and since so many causes are constantly opera

tive to render it feeble and yielding; since it is assailed by temptation in a variety of ways, and often under the specious garb of spurious affection; since the unshaken exercise of firmness, and justice, and benevolence-pure, heaven-born, expansive, practical, self-denying benevolence, are unquestionably difficult; since the will is prone to evil, and not easily excited in favour of good; since the principle of submission to the will of another excites a natural recoil in the rebellious heart of man; since the influence of the understanding alone is confessedly feeble, and the heart is too commonly perverted by feeling, emotion, and passion; since the decisions of the will are hastily made, irrespective of the dictates of prudence and reflection; since its determinations once formed are liable to be influenced by changing circumstances, and its settled purpose deflected from its course by the slightest obstacles, even as is the passage of a cannon ball by encountering a loose silk handkerchief; since it may be rendered vacillating by a peculiar state of the body; and since its natural tendency is towards that which abstracts the mind from God; so can there be no doubt as to the truth and extent of the present proposition, nor of the necessity for the careful education of this faculty. And after all that can be done, and a great deal may be accomplished, yet the whole labour will be lost, if it be not accompanied with earnest prayer to God for his blessing; for He alone can change the heart; He alone it is who cannot change;

VOL. I.

A A

who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever; who is the first and the last, the Almighty; He alone it is who knows not the shadow of a turning; who is above the influence of circumstance, and independent of contingencies; He alone it is who can communicate his Spirit; by whose aid, we his children may be made like Him, and may humbly and sincerely desire to imitate the Saviour, in his obedience to the will of his heavenly Father, and in the unchangeableness of his love

to man.

355

CHAP. XIII.

ON THE FACULTY OF IMITATION-ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE FORMATION OF HABITS-INFLUENCE OF EXAMPLE, AND OF PRECEPT-IT IS NOT SIMPLY AN AUTOMATIC ACT, BUT AN INTELLECTUAL FACULTY

IT FORMS THE GREAT PIVOT OF HUMAN ACTION -PRONENESS TO IMITATE EVIL EXAMPLE, AND ITS PERPETUITY-CAUTION-AUTOMATIC TENDENCY OF THIS FACULTY-ITS INFLUENCE ON SOCIAL LIFE —IT IMPAIRS THE ORIGINALITY, OF THOUGHT AND ACTION-FASHION-CUSTOM-IT IS TO BE LIMITED

TO GOOD EXAMPLES-MIMICRY-RIDICULE-BUFFOONERY SATIRE-FEIGNED DISEASE, AND THE PRECAUTIONS IT REQUIRES-SYMPATHY-GENUINE BENEVOLENCE-AWKWARD HABITS, AS YAWNING, STAMMERING, &c.-INFLUENCE OF IMITATION ON THE FORMATION OF NATIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD MODELS-EMULATION A RESULT OF IMITATION-EFFECT OF THIS FACULTY UPON THE HUMAN HEART AND CONDUCT-MORAL INFLUENCE OF THE DESIRE OF RESEMBLING OTHERS-VAST IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING THIS FACULTY, AND OF GIVING IT A GOOD BIAS-IT IS TO BE EMPLOYED ON WORTHY OBJECTS GRADUAL EXTINCTION OF THE FACULTY IN ADVANCING AGE-INFLUENCE OF PUBLIC OPINION.

X. Imitation.

WITH a few remarks on the faculty of imitation, the present section on the development of the manifestations of mind will be concluded. A very

little consideration will shew the importance of this property, and its extensive influence on the habits, and thoughts, and actions of mankind. It is the foundation of much of their practical knowledge, and leads to consequences of great moment. It has been already shewn, that nature has placed her strong-hold for the acquisition of language, in the function of imitation, and consequently for the pursuit of science, which is only to be possessed through its medium: and it is not unreasonable to infer, from this appointment alone, that a faculty so richly endowed, and so extensively operative, must be one of great capabilities, and destined to exert an astonishing influence upon the mental manifestations. And accordingly we perceive the extent of this influence in the formation of habits in general, which result from the successive imitation of oneself, or of some other individual; and in the uniform force of example, whether good or bad.

Nothing is more commonly talked about,-nothing less frequently thought of, than the influence of example. The truth of this position is founded on the unequivocal result of experience, and is demonstrative of the agency of this mental property. Such a result, however, leads to an erroneous conclusion, viz. that example is of more importance than precept. This apparent consequence cannot be true, since the former owes all its influence to the latter; example being only precept in action, developed by society, roused