William Ogilvie

“ Only, I must observe to you, that as I am credibly informed, several of the inferiour bad Angels, or Spirits of wicked departed, have told mighty Things which they have done; and when a more intelligent Spirit has been sent out upon Enquiry, and, the [Pg 39] Report of the former, seeming doubtful, he brings in a contrary Report, and making it appear Truth, the former fares very ill.
O. Does ever the like happen among good Angels?
C. I believe never, for their Regard to Truth prevents it; for while they observe Truth, they do their Bussiness, and keep their Station, and God is Truth. ”

“ The Punishment or Hell of the wicked immediately after Death, consists in the dreadful Things of their awakened Conscience, and the Terror of facing the great Judge, and the sensible Apprehensions of eternal Torments ensuing ”

“ C. ’Tis true, Sir, that among the Living, Men may find some probable way of securing themselves, but, if Spirits departed were allowed, then no Man would be secure, for, in that Case, every Man [Pg 57] they had a Prejudice at, would soon be beggared.
O. But might not you go, to the Mines of Mexico, where these little Sums would never be missed?
C. No, for the same Reason.
O. But, Coul there is so much Treasure lost in the Sea, you can easily dive into the Bottom of it, search that, and refund these People their Losses, and thereby no Man is injured. ”

“ And, on the other Hand, there are some, who may be said rather not to have been good than that they have been wicked while living: their Condition is not easily distinguished from that of the former, and under that Class comes a great Herd of Souls, a vast Number of your ignorant People, who have not much minded the Concerns of Eternity, but, at the same Time, have lived in much Indolence, Ignorance, and Innocence.
O. I always thought that their rejecting the Terms of [Pg 28] Salvation offered, was sufficient Ground for God to punish them with his eternal Displeasure. ”

“ But for your great Cities, such as London, Edinburgh, or the like, there is one great Angel that has the Superintendency of the whole; and there are inferior ones, or Spirits departed, to whose particular Charge, such a particular man of Weight and Bussiness is committed. Now, Sir, the Kingdom of Sathan does ape the Kingdom of Christ as much in matters of Politicks as can be: well knowing that the Court of Wisdom is above ”

“ C. You are a little too forward, and incline much to banter; what I said might satisfie you; but since it does not, I tell you further, that no Spirits, good or bad, have any Power to take any Money [Pg 58] or Gold: the Good never do. And the Bad, if once in an Age they do, it is no Small Parcel [so, in the Copy] ; for if it were allowed them, then, they would be very successful in their Bussiness, for they would never fail to gain their Point.
O. What hinders them, said I, Coul? ”

“ C. Excuse me, Sir, that does not contradict one word that I have said; but you seem not to understand the Parable, whose only End is to illustrate the Truth, that a Man may be very happy and flourishing in this World, and most wretched in the next; and that a man may be most miserable and wretched in this World, and most glorious and happy in the next.
O. Be it so, Coul, I yield that Point, and shall pass to another, which has afforded me much Speculation since our last encounter, and that is, how you came to know that I talked after the manner [Pg 32] I did concerning Mr. ”

“ O. So much Truth being among the good Angels, I shall be apt to think, that Lyes and Falshood will be as much in Vogue amongst the bad.
C. A gross mistake, and ’tis not the alone mistake, that the living Folks labour under [Pg 40] anent another World: for the Case is plainly this; as an ill man will not stick at any Falshood, that may promote his Design, so as little will an evil Spirit departed stand at any Thing which may make him successfull; but in making Reports, he must tell the Truth, and nothing but the Truth, or, Wo be to him ”

“ Maxwell Laird of Coul his Appearance after Death to Mr. Ogilvie a Minister of the present Establishment at Innerwick, 3 Miles East from Dunbar.
Upon the 3d Day of February, 1722, at seven a clock at Night after I had parted with Thurston [his Name Cant] , and was coming up the Burial Road, one came riding up after me: upon hearing the Noise of his Horse’s feet, I [Pg 12] took it to be Thurston, but upon looking back, and seeing the Horse of a greyish Colour, I called “Who is there?” The Answer was, “The Laird of Coul [his Name Maxwell] , be not afraid.” ”

“ When I was in Dumfries the Day Thomas Greer died, to whom I was owing an account of £36 sterline, Chapel my good Brother at that Time was at London, and not being able of my Self, being but a bad writer to get a Discharge of the account, which I wanted exceedingly, I met accidentally with Robert Boyd a poor Writer Lad in Dumfries. I took him to Mrs Carricks, gave him a Bottle of wine, and told him, that I had payed Thomas Greer’s Account, but wanted a [Pg 50] Discharge, and if he would help me to it, I would reward him. He flew away from me in great Passion, saying he would rayr be hanged ”

“ He answered, “The Laird of Coul.” I enquired—jst, “If he was the Laird of Coul, what brought him hither?” and “What was his Business with me?”
C. The reason of my waiting on you is, that I know [Pg 14] you are disposed to do for me a Thing which none of your Brethren in Nithsdale will so much as attempt, tho’ it serve to ever so good Purposes. I told him I would never refuse to do a Thing to serve a good Purpose, If I thought I was obliged to do it as my Duty. ”

“ At some subsequent Appearance, while the Lad was about the same Business, whether Coul had done him any real Harm, or, that the Lad had fallen from his Horse thro’ Fear and Confusion, is uncertain, but so it was, that the Lad was found Dead on the Road.
[2] A Paith in Scottish signifies a steep, and oft times rugged Road. ”

“ C. Now, you think you [Pg 56] have silenced me, and gained a notable victory, but, I will shew you your Mistake immediately, for I cannot touch any Man’s Gold or Money by Reason of these Spirits, which are the stated Guardians of Justice and Honesty.
O. What is that you tell me, Coul; Do not unworthy Fellows break Houses every Night, and yet you, who can put your Self in 100d Shapes in a Moment, cannot do it; what is that you say Coul? ”

“ After he had paused, with his Eyes fixed, as I thought, on the Ground for about 3 or 4 Seconds at most; with some Haste and seeming Cheerfulness, he says: Well, Sir, I will satisfy you in that Point. You must know, that from Time to Time, there are [Pg 33] sent from Heaven Angels to guard and Comfort, and to do oyr special Services to good People, and even the Spirits of good men departed are employed on that very Errand.
O. And do you think every Man has a Guardian Angel? ”

“ But besides their stated monthly, Quarterly, and yearly meetings, or whatever they happen to be, the departed Spirits acquainted can make a Trip to sea, and converse with one another, yearly, daily and weekly, or oftener if they please. Thus I answer the Question you are so much concerned about; [Pg 41] for, my Information was from no less than three, viz. Andrew Aikman, who attends Thurston’s Family, and James Corbet who waits upon Mr Paton’s for the Time, and was then looking after Mrs Sarah Paton, when shee was at your House, and an original Emissary appointed to wait on your’s. ”

“ But because, the Kingdom of Sathan is much better replenished than the other, instead of one Devil, in many Instances, there are 2 or 3 commissioned to attend a particular Family, if it be a Family of great Influence, Power, or Distinction.
O. I read that there are 10-000d Times 10-000d Angels that wait on God, and sing his Praise, and do his Will; and I cannot understand how the good Angels should be inferior in Number to the Evil.
C. Did I not say that whatever the Number be, yet the Spirits departed were [Pg 36] employed in the same Bussiness? ”