332 Dr. Barnes on the Influence of the Imagination , 
But, it will be afked, “ Are not th zpaffions, then, 
the caufes of our wrong judgments ?” Moft cer¬ 
tainly they are • Bur, upon the fame principle, 
that wrong paffions lead to wrong judgments, 
right paflions would lead to true. If the mind 
were properly offered, it would judge properly. 
But, let us inquire more particularly, into 
the nature and office of the Imagination —for thefe 
are, I perfuade myfelf, very commonly, and very 
greativ, miftaken. 
Imagination is that power, or more properly, 
that all of the mind, which afifembles, compounds, 
divides its ideas, not in the order in which they 
firft came into the mind, for that is the province 
of memory, but, in any order, and upon any prin¬ 
ciples it choofes. It ranges abroad, through 
the immenfe magazine and repofitory of ideas, 
treafured up there, and joins together, or fepa- 
rates, at pleafure, ideas, qualities, and forms. 
It may be called, the fervant or labourer of the 
mind, continually employed, to bring before it, 
from its amazing ftorehoufe, materials , with 
which to build up its conclufions. It is the 
ever bufy, patient, indefatigable drudge, toiling 
for the common benefit and affiftance of all the 
other posvers ; and does not deferve the indig¬ 
nities and reproaches, it is continually receiving. 
How often is it forced to be prefent , and even 
to give affiftance, in the condemnation and exe¬ 
cution of itfelf? How many, with declamation 
moft 
