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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 9

Mental Philosophy

Mental Philosophy.

Mind like muscle follows the same law of development, use gives strength and vigour to both. The human mind excels the capabilites of the widow's cruise of oil and barrel of meal, take as much from it as you please extraction only increases its capacity to produce. The influx of great thoughts is increased in the same rratio as we actively pursue our true line of duty in putting them forth, and decreased in proportion as we neglect them and allow them to become stagnant in the mind. All men feel that they have power over all circumstances in a greater or less degree to change or modify them to their well-being, and advantage or neglect and slight them to their hurt and sorrow.

We do not accept the idea that sensual impression is the only source through which we receive our ideas, our intuitions lead us to reach beyond the objects of sense, and our spiritual perceptions give a proper and definite meaning to the terms Mind, Life, Nature, Eternity, Infinity, Almighty, &c., &c., upon these we can reason as truly and come to conclusions as certain as upon the material objects which we page 15 daily handle, and although their meaning implies a negation of certain tangible existences, or a bounding beyond all visible material fores and objects, it has nevertheless power to take such a hold upon the mind as materially to influence our conduct in every respect.

In nothing is this more exemplified than in the science of geometry which lays at the foundation of all the physical sciences, the foundation of this science is in the mind's ideal, it describes a point asbeing without length, breadth or extension—such a thing cannot be produced, it is no sensible or tangible thing, it is nothing material. It describes a line as a continuation of points, i.e., a continuation of nothings. Yet there is no two ideas existing in the mind more real than the ides of a point and a line, and we must accept these ideas which can only be negatively described before we can proceed to investigate any physical csience whatever. There are three ways in which impression are produced upon the mind. The first is external and through the senses; the second, internal, or by spirit impression; the third by the geneating power of the thinking sentient being entering into harmonial relations with both the former sources of knowledge, and thus giving birth to new thoughts or impressions.

Memory, Mental Identity, Personal Unity, Love of Life projecting into the future, belong to the spiritual part of our being, the are nevertheless as real and distinctive as the form of the visage; the stture, or the complexion of any individual, and an idea more distasteil to the well developed human being, than the destruction of his rortal body, is the annihilation of his mind.

We must therefore seek our development according to the laws of our nature operating within us in harmony with the laws of nature operating without, a true and rational love of self in harmony with fraternal man, as also the harmonization of the desires, instincts, passions, and functions of the body with the spirit life within; for every gift that God has bestowed upon us is intended to be used in the best and highest sense our judgments can dictate, and not abused omeglected, which converts them to evil and a curse. Every arden and longing desire of our true nature is destined to receive its fulfillment if free from the misdirected influences of sensual passion or perverted instinct.

Through the triumphs of our mentality we find ourselves the apex page 16 of all created beings on earth. We do not assert that this world is a state of trial or probation by which our future destiny is for ever irrevocably fixed; all we affirm of it is—This is our birth-sphere we came into, being here; and we pass hence to still higher states of existence, of which we see not the end, and cannot fully conceive the extent of the progress.