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taken by our race at large, or even by men of superior intelligence. Various false opinions concerning it I shall have occasion to expose in the progress of this discourse.

My design in choosing this subject as the theme of discussion at the present time, is

First, To explain its nature.

Second, To show its importance.

Third, To unfold the difficulty of acquiring and exercising it.

Fourth, To exhibit several motives to the assumption of it, especially in early life.

All these subjects I shall address directly to the youths for whom this discourse is particularly intended.

I. I shall explain the nature of this attribute.

Various definitions may be given of mental independence, and all of them be just. Of several which are obvious, any one may perhaps be selected without material disadvantage. I shall consider it as that state of mind in which a man firmly resolves to do his duty without any anxious regard to consequences. When his duty is involved in the reception of truth, which is one of the two great divisions of our duty, the man ⚫ who is independent will search for truth with a diligence and perseverance suited to its value; will weigh with candour whatever evidence he may obtain; and will form his conclusions agreeably to that evidence, unbiassed by any private interest or any sinister view, and uninfluenced by the authority of others, their opinions, their wishes, their friendship, their enmity, the advantages which he may hope to gain by according with them, the disadvantages which he may expect to suffer by opposing them, their applause, or their obloquy. Truth he will consider as inestimably valuable; and all those objects, so operative on the minds of most men, will, in comparison with it, be in his eye less than nothing, and vanity.

When action becomes his duty, he will act as his conscience dictates, with a determined opposition to all the objects which

I have specified. Truth he will declare, however his own private interest may be affected by the declaration, and however others may be disposed to treat him. Virtue he will practise in the face of opposing friends, an opposing party, or an opposing world. Like the intrepid Baxter, he will separate himself alike from the royalists and the parliament, and will censure or commend both, as censure or commendation may be merited by either. Like the still more intrepid Paul, he will boldly meet the frowns of the Pharisees, the formidable hostility of the Sanhedrim, and the bigotted violence of the whole Jewish nation, and will still possess the exalted character disclosed in this memorable declaration: "The Holy "Ghost witnesseth, that in every city bonds and afflictions "abide me. But none of these things move me; neither "count I my life dear unto myself, so that I may finish my. "course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of "the Lord Jesus to testify the Gospel of the grace of God." But this character will be more distinctly apprehended from a comparison with its counterfeits. Among these are the following.

First, There are some persons who regard themselves as possessing independence of mind, because they differ in their opinions from others, particularly when they reject such as are generally received.

The general reception of any opinion, except where mankind have a complete capacity and opportunity to judge, and where at the same time they determine without or against their inclinations and prejudices, is certainly no proof that it is just. Still less is it evidence that it is untrue. In all cases where mankind at large have the means of judging, and are under no violent prejudices, their agreement in any doctrine is a presumption in its favour. The agreement also of men of superior wisdom and worth, though furnishing no decisive evidence that they are right, is yet so much of an argument in favour of their doctrines, as to demand a serious examination of them before we resolve to adopt such as are of a contrary nature. Yet there are persons in the world, particularly among the young, who while they are ardently ambitious to

sustain the characters of independent thinkers, feel that they actually assume it by merely differing from others. Of this there can be no doubt, because they frequently declare it, and boast of it not a little, as being the proper exercise and decisive proof of free independent thought. Those also who harmonize in their opinions either with the public or with persons of distinguished respectability, they often pronounce to be enslaved, priest-ridden, blinded by prejudice, and awed by authority. These silly men are so weak, as to know nothing of independence but the name; and do not discern, that this envied attribute consists not in rejecting the opinions of others, but in rejecting error; not in receiving opinions contrary to those of others, but in receiving those which are supported by evidence.

Of this class have been a great proportion of infidels. These men, in Great Britain, styled themselves, at a very early period, Free-thinkers, while they regarded Christians as being perfectly enslaved by authority, fear, and prejudice. Accordingly they gloried not a little in this character, and considered themselves as the only men whose minds were unshackled. Christians they pronounced credulous, because they believed the Scriptures to be the word of God; and themselves free from credulity, because they did not thus believe. They did not perceive, what was yet very obvious, that the whole difference between them and Christians in this respect was, that Christians believed the Scriptures to be the word of God, and they believed them not to be the word of God. The Christians believed a positive, and they a negative proposition. The credulity, therefore, was chargeable to those, whoever they were, who believed with the least evidence, whether they were styled believers or unbelievers.

Secondly, There are others who claim the character from the mere indulgence of passion.

The passion which operates in this case may be pride, vanity, ambition, enthusiasm, anger, and perhaps several others. There is no independence of mind founded in passion. The indulgence of it may, indeed, make us feel for the season superior to all other persons, and to all received opinions. But the exist

ence of passion in most cases is, in a comparative sense, momentary, and when it ceases, the mind sinks as much below, as it before had risen above, the usual level. It has in this case no support but the state of feeling. It possesses no arguments, no conviction of its own rectitude, no smiles of conscience, no approbation of God, and no sincere approbation of its fellow-men. Haman, whose soul was the seat of passion, the very moment when he was commanded to honour Mordecai, sunk, with all his pride into the dust. Circumstances furnished all his apparent energy of character, and when they ceased to exist, it vanished. How different was the conduct of the meek and humble Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. At the very mouth of the fiery furnace they said, "O Ne"buchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matIf it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver "us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out "of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O "king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden "image which thou hast set up."

❝ter.

It is to be remembered that persons of this description are no more firmly established in their opinions than determined. in their conduct. When circumstances favour, they may be both fixed and strenuous; when not, they are weak and variable. Such men will never become martyrs, nor can any reliance be safely placed upon them in seasons of trial. They will then forsake their opinions, their friends, their party, their country, and their religion. He who trusts them, trusts in Egypt; a broken reed, on which if a man lean, it will thrust through his hand, and pierce him.

Thirdly, Some men think themselves independent, because they believe paradoxes. Paradoxes are propositions, which in appearance are absurd, and which in truth usually are so. A considerable number of our race, however, desirous of being thought to possess superior discernment, and to burst the shackles imposed by the acknowledged rules of thinking, seem willing to receive nothing which is directly commended to the intellect by obvious evidence, and spend a great part of life in hunting for paradoxes, and announcing them to others. Such

men must believe that truth, especially important truth, exists only in seeming contradictions; and that God has so constituted the mind that it cannot discern it directly, but only through the medium of apparent absurdity. Yet no men value themselves more upon their opinions than dealers in paradoxes, or feel more raised above the slavery of thought, which is opposed to genuine independence. I wish you to remember that there is a vacuity in the head of every lover of paradoxes, and that he adopts his opinions merely from the desire of being distinguished from others.

Fourthly, There are multitudes who claim the character of independence, because they act in these modes and from these principles.

It is unnecessary to add any thing to what has been said, for the purpose of exposing the erroneousness of this conduct.

True independence of mind, with regard to action, consists in conforming to the words of the text, in being strong, and of a good courage to do all the law of God; in other words, to do what is right, and in not turning aside from it either to the right hand or to the left. In receiving truth, the only possible guide to rectitude, it consists in an exact conformity to those memorable injunctions of St. Paul, given to the Thessalonian Christians, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good,"

or true.

It does not, however, consist solely in piety, or at least in such piety as mankind attain. It is partially constituted of a peculiar firmness of mind, in some degree perhaps original, and certainly always habitual; a firmness which is chiefly the result of sober consideration, and of repeated and vigorous ef forts of mental energy to adhere to its own decisions. This firmness, this determined energy of character, in a small number of the human race, has existed in such a degree, without any just or fixed moral principles, as to compel the admiration of mankind, even while the actions of these men have excited detestation and horror. Such were Alexander, Julius Cæsar, Tamerlane, Charles XII. the Emperor Napoleon, and various others. Such have been multitudes in humbler life, distinguished not only for the resolution which faces danger, but the firmness

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