Sociable Letters 263 



imperfections both in body and mind, but there are 

 some men that believe they are, or at least may be 

 so pure in spirit by saving grace, as to be sanctified, 

 and to be so much filled with the Holy Ghost as to 

 have spiritual visions, and ordinarily to have con- 

 versation with God, believing God to be a common 

 companion to their idle imaginations. But this 

 opinion proceeds from an extraordinary self-love, 

 self-pride, and self-ambition, as to believe they are 

 the only fit companions for God himself, and that not 

 any of God's creatures are or were worthy to be 

 favoured, but they, much less to be made God's privy 

 counsel, as they believe they are, as to know his will 

 and pleasure, his decrees and destinies, which indeed 

 are not to be known, for the creator is too mighty 

 for a creature to comprehend him, wherefore let us 

 humbly pray to what we cannot conceive." 



But before he had quite ended his sermon, the holy 

 flock began to bustle, and at last went quite out of the 

 room, so that he might have prayed by himself had not 

 I and two or three ladies more that were of my com- 

 pany, stayed ; and when he had done his short prayer, 

 he told me and the other ladies, that he had done that 

 which the great counsel of state could not do, for he 

 had by one short discourse dispersed a company of 

 sectaries without noise or disturbance. But at last 

 we dispersed our selves to our own houses, although 

 Mr. N. N. would have given us a ball after a sermon, 

 but I was so tyred with the one, as I was not fit for 

 the other, for we were from morning till evening to 

 hear them preach, yet as tyred and weary as I am I 

 could not chuse but repeat these two of their shortest 

 sermons which I heard, and so I subscribe myself, 

 Madam, 



Your faithful friend and servant. 



