IMAGINATION.

IMAGINATION.-Obliged to the

You are obliged to your imagination for more than three-fourths of your importance. -GARRICK.

IMAGINATION.-The Pleasures of

As we ought not to make the gratification of our external senses the main end of life, so neither ought we to indulge our taste for the more refined pleasures, those called the pleasures of imagination, without some bounds. The cultivation of a taste for propriety, beauty, and sublimity, in objects natural or artificial, particularly for the pleasures of music, painting, and poetry, is very proper in younger life; as it serves to draw off the attention from gross animal gratifications, and to bring us a step farther into intellectual life, so as to lay a foundation for higher attainments. But if we stop here and devote our whole time and all our faculties to these objects, we shall certainly fall short of the proper end of life.PRIESTLEY.

IMAGINATION.-The Power of the

Imagination rules the world. -NAPOLEON I.

When the real world is shut out, it can create a world for itself, and with a necromantic power can conjure up glorious shapes, and forms, and brilliant visions, to make solitude populous, and irradiate the gloom of a dungeon.-W. IRVING.

IMAGINATION.-Tricks of the

Such tricks hath strong imagination,
That, if it would apprehend some joy,
It comprehends some bringer of that joy,
Or in the night, imagining some fear,
How easy is a bush supposed a bear!
SHAKSPEARE.

IMAGINATION.-A Vile

A vile imagination, once indulged, gets the key of our minds, and can get in again very easily, whether we will or no, and can so return as to bring seven other spirits with it more wicked than itself; and what may follow, no one knows.-SPURGEON.

IMITATION-of Defects.

Alexander had enough to imitate him in his drunkenness and his passion, who never intended to be like him either in his chastity, or his justice to his enemies, and his liberality to his friends. And it is reported of Plato, that, being crooked shouldered, his scholars, who so much admired him, would endeavour to be like him, by bolstering out their garments on that side, that so they might appear crooked too. It is

IMMORTALITY.

probable that many of these found it easier to imitate Plato's shoulders than his philosophy, and to stuff out their gowns than to furnish their understandings, or improve their minds. -DR. SOUTH.

IMITATION.-The Flattery of

Imitation is the sincerest of flattery.COLTON.

IMITATION.-The Result of

Imitation leads us to leave natural ways to enter into artificial ones; it therefore makes slaves. -DR. VINET.

IMITATORS.-The Race of

Imitators are a servile race.- -FONTAINE, IMMORTALITY.-The Belief of

The belief of immortality is impressed upon all men, and all men act under an impression of it, however they may talk, and though, perhaps, they may be scarcely sensible of it.-DR. JOHNSON.

IMMORTALITY.-The Condition of

If man had not been united to God, he could not have been a partaker of immortality.-IRENÆUS.

IMMORTALITY.-The Consciousness of

In childhood the consciousness of immortal life buds forth feeble though full of promise. In the man it unfolds its fragrant petals-his most celestial flower-to mature its seed throughout eternity.-T. PARKER. IMMORTALITY.-Internal Evidence of Who reads his bosom reads immortal life; Or Nature there, imposing on her sons, Has written fables; man was made a lie! DR. E. YOUNG.

IMMORTALITY.-Seekers after

As all people feel that they must die, each seeks immortality on earth, that he may be had in everlasting remembrance. Some great princes and kings seek it by raising great columns of stone, and high pyramids, great churches, costly and glorious palaces, castles, etc. Soldiers hunt after praise and honour, by obtaining famous victories. The learned seek an undying name by writing books. With these, and such like things, people think to be immortal.-LUTHER.

IMMORTALITY.-The Song of our

Oh, listen, man!

A voice within us speaks those startling words

"Man, thou shalt never die!" Celestial voices

IMMORTALITY.

Hymn it into our souls: according harps, By angel fingers touched, when the mild

stars

Of morning sang together, sound forth still
The song of our great immortality:
Thick-clustering orbs, and this our fair
domain,

The tall, dark mountains, and the deeptoned seas,

Join in this solemn universal song!
Oh, listen, ye our spirits! Drink it in
From all the air. 'Tis in the gentle moon-
light;

'Tis floating 'midst day's setting glories; night,

Wrapp'd in her sable robe, with silent step Comes to our bed, and breathes it in our

ears:

Night and the dawn, bright day and thoughtful eve,

All time, all bounds, the limitless expanse,
As one vast mystic instrument, are touched
By an unseen, living hand, and conscious
chords

Quiver with joy in this great jubilee'!
The dying hear it, and, as sounds of earth
Grow dull and distant, wake their passing

souls

To mingle in this heavenly harmony!
R. H. DANA.

IMMORTALITY.-We Wish for

The thought of annihilation is horrible; even to conceive it is almost impossible. The wish is a kind of argument: it is not likely that God would have given all men such a feeling, if He had not meant to gratify it. Every natural longing has its natural satisfaction. If we thirst, God has created liquids to gratify thirst. If we are susceptible of attachment, there are beings to gratify that love. If we thirst for life and love eternal, it is likely that there are an eternal life and an eternal love to satisfy that craving.-F. W. ROBERTSON.

IMPARTIALITY.-The Action of

Impartiality strips the mind of prejudices and passion.-DR. SOUTH.

Impartiality holds the scales of justice with a firm and even hand.-E. DAVIES.

IMPATIENCE.-The Nature of

Impatience is not to feel the weight of suffering, but to attempt to throw it off; not to be bowed down, but to rebel; not to be cut to the heart with anguish, but not "out of the deep to call upon God." Impatience is not mutely to shrink from suffering, but to toss feverishly, forgetting God.-DR. PUSEY.

IMPOSSIBILITIES.

IMPATIENCE.-Swelling with
With huge impatience he inly swelt,
More for great sorrow that he could not
pass,

Than for the burning torrent which he felt
SPENSER

IMPERFECTION.-An Acknowledgment

of

I am not what I ought to be! Ah! how imperfect and deficient! I am not what I wish to be! I abhor that which is evil, and I would cleave to what is good! I am not what I hope to be! Soon, soon, I shall put off mortality, and with mor tality all sin and imperfection! Yet, though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor what I hope to be, I can truly say I am not what I once was, a slave to sin and Satan; and I can heartily join with the apostle, and acknowledge-" By the grace of God, I am what I am!"-J. NEWTON.

Men are more unwilling to have their imperfections known than their crimes.CHESTERFIEld.

IMPERTINENCE-to be Avoided.

We should avoid the impertinence of persons who pedantically affect to talk in a language not to be understood.-DEAN SWIFT.

IMPERTINENCE.-The Intermeddling of

Impertinence will intermeddle in things in which it has no concern, showing a want of breeding, or, more commonly, a spirit of sheer impudence.-CRABBE.

IMPORTANCE.-Airs of

He who gives himself airs of importance, exhibits the credentials of impotence.LAVATER.

IMPORTANCE.-Personal

Thine own importance know, Nor bound thy narrow views to things below.-POPE.

IMPORTUNITY.-The Power of

Many a hostile person has been overcome by importunity; many a court has yielded to its authority; and even Heaven has at length bowed to its influence.-DR. DAVIES.

IMPOSSIBILITIES-Desired.

One great difference between a wise man and a fool is the former only wishes for what he may possibly obtain, the latter desires impossibilities.-DEMOCRITUS.

IMPOSSIBILITY.

IMPOSSIBILITY.--Fortunate

An Italian, who was very poor, and very much addicted to play, used to apostrophise Fortune thus:-" Treacherous goddess! thou canst make me lose, but thou canst not make me pay."-MENAGE.

IMPOSSIBLE.-The Word

Impossible! That word is not French. I know no such word.-NAPOLEON I.

IMPRESSION.-The First

Wise men neither fall in love, nor take a dislike at first sight; but still the impression is always a great thing even with them.-SPURgeon.

IMPRESSIONS.-Distant

Any satisfaction we have recently enjoyed, and of which the memory is fresh and perfect, operates on the will with more violence than another of which the traces are decayed and obliterated. Contiguity in time and place has an amazing effect upon the passions. An enormous globe of fire, which fell at Pekin, would not excite half the interest which the most trifling phenomenon could give birth to nearer home. I am persuaded many men might be picked out of the streets, who, for a thousand guineas paid down, would consent to submit to a very cruel death in fifteen years from the time of receiving the money.-S. SMITH.

IMPRISONMENT.-The Effect of
His sinews were waxed weak and raw
Through long imprisonment and hard con-
straint.-SPENSER.

IMPROVEMENT.-Disgusted with the Task of

Some men get early disgusted with the task of improvement, and the cultivation of the mind, from some excesses which they have committed, and mistakes into which they have been betrayed, at the beginning of life. They abuse the whole art of navigation because they have stuck upon a shoal; whereas, the business is to refit, careen, and set out a second time. The navigation is very difficult: few of us get through it at first without some rubs and losses, which the world are always ready to forgive, where they are honestly confessed, and diligently repaired.-S. SMITH.

IMPROVEMENT-Rare.

People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after.-GOLDSMITH.

IMPROVEMENT.-Religious

Two things are of special assistance in religious improvement: namely-firmness

INACTION.

in withdrawing ourselves from all evil to which our natural inclination may lead us, and earnestness in striving after those excellences of character in which we may per⚫ ceive ourselves to be deficient.-KEMPIS. IMPRUDENCE.-The Evils of

Imprudence betrays a man into every headlong measure; and lays up abundant materials for sore mortification and repentance; producing multiplied evils which must be regretted, but never can be repaired.-DR. DWIGHT.

IMPUDENCE-no Virtue.

Impudence is no virtue, yet able to beggar them all; being for the most part in good plight, when the rest starve, and capable of carrying her followers up to the highest preferments; as useful in a court as armour in a camp.-F. OSBOrne.

IMPUDENCE.-The Want of

For bold knaves thrive without a grain of

sense,

But good men starve for want of impudence.-DRyden.

IMPULSE.-Acting from

Since the generality of persons act from impulse rather than from principle, men are neither so good nor so bad as we are apt to think them.-ADN. HARE.

A person who acts from impulse rather than from reason, will often commit blunders which may not only cause him many bitter reflections, but throw their damaging influences along the whole course of his earthly life.-DR. DAVIES.

IMPUTATIONS.-Guarding against

Let us be careful to guard ourselves against all the groundless imputations of our enemies, and to rise above them.ADDISON.

INABILITY-not the Cause of Error.

It is not from inability that men err in practice.-DR. Blair.

INABILITY.-Moral

Moral inability aggravates our guilt.SIR W. SCOTT.

INACTION.-The Evil of

The ever-working Deity created man for action, and made his success in life to depend upon his personal effort; hence inaction is opposed alike to God's design and man's prosperity.—E. DAVIES.