Hagio-mimesis The imitation of the saints

Especially the great and learned men of the world; men are prone to look upon them as infallible Guides, and do greedily follow their conduct. Have any of the Rulers believed on him? ¹Great men have followers of their vices, as well as of their Persons.

1. 1Joh. 7.48.

Alas, we should take our Patterns from Heaven; Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven; and the greatest of men do not care out of what filthy ditch, ¹or from what dunghill, they take up their examples; even from Hell it self people are not afraid to fetch their Patterns; as proud as the Devil, as malicious as the Devil, as blasphemous as the damned Reprobates themselves, as hating of God and goodness as the Angels that kept not their first estate, as greedy and industrious to drag others with them into perdition! This is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation.

1. 1Spiritus sunt insinceri vagi a coelesti vigori & virtute destituti &c. ad Solamen calamitatis suae nil dedesinum perditi prodere, Min. Fell. 3. Them that imitate the best, but in the worst.Spiritus sunt insinceri vagi a coelesti vigori & virtute destituti &c. ad Solamen calamitatis suae nil dedesinum perditi prodere, Min. Fel. 3. Them that imitate the best, but in the worst.

3. It may reprove such, as (it may be) will imitate the Saints, but not in their Sanctity, but in their sins: Lot in his Incest, Noah in his Drunkenness, and David in his Adultery, and Peter in his denying his Master, &c. And when they have done, can quote such instances for their Authority! Oh the wonderful perverseness that is in our Apostate natures, that men should imitate the Saints only in their deformities! Imitate Saints only, in that wherein they are not Saints! Is there any such thing in nature!