William Ogilvie

“ Tell me then, since such is your ability, that you can fly a thousand miles in the twinkling of an eye, if your desire to do these opprefsed justice, be as great as you pretend, what is the reason you do not fly to the coffers of some rich Jew or Banker, where there are ten thousands of gold and silver: invisibly lift, and invisibly return it into the coffers of the injured: And since your wife has sufficient fund and more, why cannot you empty her purses, in your invisibility, to make those people amends? ”

“ What is that you tell me, Cool? Do not unworthy fellows break houses every night? and yet you that can put yourself into so many hundred different shapes in a moment, cannot do it: What is that you tell me, Cool? ”

“ The punishment or hell of the wicked immediately after death, consists in the dreadful stings of an awakened conscience, and the terror of facing the great Judge, and the senfible apprehensions of eternal torments ensuing ”

“ So indeed the state of some good folks differs but little in happiness from what they enjoy in the world; save only that they are free from the body, and the sins and sorrows that attend it: On the other hand, there are some who may be said, rather not to have been good, than that they were wicked, while living; their state is not easily distinguished from that of the former, and under that great class comes a great herd of souls, a vast number of ignorant people, who have not much minded the affairs of eternity, but at the same time, have lived in much indolence, ignorance, and innocence. ”

“ You must know that there are sent from heaven angels to guard and comfort, and so to do other special good services to good people; and even the spirits of good men departed, are employed on that same errand. ”

“ These are not so much under the load of divine displeasure, as they are out of his grace and favour; and you know it is one thing to be discovered, and quite another thing to be perfecuted with all the power and rage of an incensed earthly king. I afsure you men's faces are not more various and different in the world, than their circumstances after death. ”

“ The heaven which good men enjoy after death, consifts only in the serenity of their minds, and satisfaction of a good conscience, and the certain hopes they have for an eternal joy, when that day shall come. ”

“ I read that there are ten thousand times ten thousands of angels that wait upon 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. ”

“ You are a little too forward this night, Sir, and inclined much to banter, what I have said might satisfy you; but since it does not, I'll tell you further, that no spirits, good or bad, have power to take any money or gold: the good never do, tho' the bad, if one in an age, 'tis no small quarrel, for if we were allowed them, then they would be very successful in their business, and never fail of gaining their points. ”

“ There are a great many things I can answer, that the living are quite ignorant of: there are a great many things, that notwithstanding the additional knowledge I have acquired since my death, I cannot answer ”

“ Both the good and the bad angels have stated times of rendezvous, and the principal angels who have the charge either of towns, cities, or kingdoms, not to mention particular persons, villages and families, and all that is transacted in these several parts of the country, are there made open; and at their rencounter on reach side; every thing is told as in your parish, in milns, kilns and smithies, only with this difference, that many things false are talked at the living rencounters, but nothing but what is exact truth is said or told among the dead ”

“ A gross mistake, and 'tis not the alone mistake which living folks fall under, with respect to the other world, for the case plainly is this, an ill man will not stick at any falsehood to promote his design, so, as little will an evil soul departed, stand at any thing that can make him successful, but in making report, he must tell the truth, or wo be to him ”

“ No, but a great many particular men have, and there are but few houses of distinction especially, but what have at least one attending them, and from what you've already heard of these spirits, 'tis no difficult matter to understand how they may be serviceable to each particular member, though at different places, at a great distance. Many are the good offices which the good angels do men that fear God, though many times they are not sensible of it ”

“ Chappel, my good-brother, was then at London, and not being able of myself, 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 and in Dumfries, I took him to Mrs. Cornock's, and gave him a bottle of wine, and told him that I had paid Thomas Grier's account but wanted a discharge, and if he would help me to it, I would reward him: He fled away from me in a great pasion, saying, He would rather be hanged, but if I had a mind for these things, I had better wait till Chappel came home. ”

“ Did I not say, that whatever the number be, the spirits departed are employed in the same business, so that as to the number of original deities, whereof Satan is chief, I cannot determine, but you need not doubt but there are more souls departed to that place, which, in a loose sense, you call hell, by almost an infinity, than what are gone to that place, which in a like sense, you call heaven, who likewise are employed in the same purpose ”

“ We then Cool, let me have a peaceable and easy conversation with you for the time we ride together, and give me some information about the affairs of the other world, for no man inclines to lose his time in conversing with the dead, without hearing or learning something that is useful. ”

“ Muirhead; which discharge I gave to John Lw. art, when he desired the money; and he, at-my defire, produced it to you, which you sustained. A great many the like instances were told, of which I cannot remember the persons' names and things: But, says he, what vexes me more than all these, is the injustice I did to Homer Maxwel, tenant to my Lord Nithsdale, for whom I was factor: I borrowed 2000 merks from him, 500 of which he had borrowed from another hand; I gave him my bond, and for reasons I contrived, obliged him to secrecy ”