tells us, that Children have their Angels; and the Congregation of Disciples supposed that St. Peter had his. Which things if they be granted, the good Spirits have not so little to do with us, and our matters, as is generally believed. And perhaps it would not be absurd, if we referr'd many of the strange Thwarts, and unexpected Events, the Disappointments and lucky co-incidences that befall us, the unaccountable Fortunes and Successes that attend some lucky Men, and the unhappy Fates that dog others that seem born to be Miserable; the Fame and Favour that still waits on some without any conceiveable Motive to allure it, and the general neglect of others more deserving, whose worth is not acknowledg'd; I say, these and such like odd things, may with the greatest probability be resolved into the Conduct and Menages of those invisible Supervisors, that preside over, and govern our Affairs.
But if they so far concern themselves in our matters, how is it that they appear not to maintain a visible and confest Correspondence with some of the better Mortals, who are most fitted for their Communications and their Influence? To which I have said some things already, when I accounted for the unfrequency of Apparitions; and I now add what I intend for another return to the main Objection, viz.
(2) That the Apparition of good Spirits is not needful for the Designs of the better World, whatever such may be for the interest of the other. For we have had the Appearance and Cohabitation of the Son of God; we have Moses and the Prophets, and the continued Influence of the Spirit, the greatest Arguments to strengthen Faith, the most powerful Motives to excite our Love, and the noblest Encouragements to quicken and raise our Desires and Hopes, any of which are more than the Apparition of an Angel; which would indeed be a great gratification of the Animal Life, but it would render our Faith less Noble and less Generous, were it frequently so assisted: Blessed are they that believe, and yet have not seen. Besides which, the good Angels have no such ends to prosecute, as the gaining any Vassals to serve them, they being ministring Spirits for our good, and no self designers for a proud and insolent Dominion over us. And it may be perhaps, not impertinently added, that they are not always evil Spirits that appear, as is (I know not well upon what grounds) generally imagined; but that the extraordinary detections of Murders, latent Treasures, falsified and unfulfilled Bequests, which are sometimes made by Apparitions, may be the courteous
