a Means ofattaining to Wifdom. 307 walking before him; and in proportion as S E R M. this inflinét of nature exciteth itfelf towards XII. all intelligent beings with whom we are `'v....4 converfant, and in whofe prefence we are, their affections and characters mull have a great influence in the forming of ours, whe- ther they be good or bad. And thus it ap- peareth that the choice of our intimate friends, to whofe obfervation we lay our - felves and our manner of life moil open, muff very much contribute to the forming of our difpofitions, and regulating our whole be- haviour. But, 2dly, this is to be attributed to the force of example. As the pronenefs of man- kind to imitation is very well known, good examples are propofed to us in fcripture as an help to the practice of religion. The apoffles call upon chriftians to be the fol- lowers of them, whofe lives are indeed bright patterns of every thing that is pure, and true, and jufi, and honefi, and lovely; and they fet before us fhining precedents in the lives of the ancient faints, that being compa //ed about with fo great a cloud of wit - ne//ès, we may lay ape every weight, and the fin which doth eafily befit us, and run the race fet before us. If we confult experience, we may fee the force of example in others, X 2 and
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