[8] Ecclesiast. Hist. Vol. 4. sect. 1. c. 1.
[9] Life of Dr. Johnson, pp. 364.
[10] Spectator, No. 110.
[11] Since the Deity has assumed our nature, his being comprises Divine intelligence and human intelligence. The former is intuitive; the latter reasons sometimes for the investigation of truth; yet being in a sense made Divine, is the infallible source and medium of all our spiritual knowledge, grace and happiness. Now as intelligence is the very essence of personality, distinction of intelligence must be the distinction of personality. Therefore the Divine Intelligence is the Divine Person, and the human intelligence, is the human person. The Divine breathing, too, called the Holy Ghost, is a person in the figurative sense; several personal pronouns being applied to this Divine afflatus in the Scriptures. Our meaning thus explained, we may truly say that there are three Persons in the Deity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, all comprised in our glorious Saviour, in whom dwells all the fulness of the Deity bodily. But the doctrine of there being literally three distinct personal divinities in the Deity, has no foundation in the Scriptures.
[12] The personal pronouns she and her are here used with reference to the sex to which the ghost belonged in this world.
[13] i. e. On the distinction between the original and required perceptions of sight.
[14] To him she had before sent several messages by several persons of different families.
[15] I hear your objection. “There was a reason for her being consoled. Make me believe, if you can, that, if her professed ignorance of the affair was real; the appearance and discourse of a ghost by her side, would not augment her fears and distress.” But remember, dear sir, that experience in this case is the best teacher. More than thirty witnesses of both sexes, are against you; all declaring that though at first the ghost excited terror; yet, after a little discourse with her, their fears were entirely dissipated, and succeeded by peculiar pleasure: so familiar and delightful was the mode of her address and conversation. At this time Mr. Blaisdel heard the conversation distinctly, but saw nothing. His daughter both saw and heard.
[16] This was ordered by the ghost.
[17] That all these reasons were assigned at that juncture, I pretend not to say. Probably they were not; but certain it is, that she expressed them all to her friends at different times.