304 Walking with Wife Men; S R R M. himfelf was not wife enough in the affinities XII. he made, by fome of which he was en- fnared and drawn away from the paths of wifdom. His pious father made an excellent refolution, Pfal. ci. 4, 6. Afroward heart (hall depart from me; I will not know a wicked perfon. Mine eyes (hall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. Thus I have endeavoured to Phew you what it is to walk with wife men in the fenfe of this text ; I come, in the Second place, To confider the influence and efficacy of it as a means for our attain- ing wifdom. It is certain that company bath a great (hare in forming the tempers and manners of men, experience abundantly demonftrateth it. Any one who is acquainted with the world, and bath made it his bu- finefs to ftudy mankind, will fee that their way of behaviour, even their likings and averfions, depend in a great meafure on the fociety they have been the molt converfant with ; and this goeth fo far as to their moral difpofitions ; I do not fay neceffarily and uni- verfally, for there are fome fo obftinately wicked and perverfe, as to defeat the efficacy of the belt converfation and example, as well as all other means for reforming them ; and fome
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