All human beings are at this very moment ghosts; but they do not so appear to you and me; nor do you and I, who are also ghosts, so appear to our neighbours and companions, because we are all similarly wrapped up in flesh and blood, and seen only as to our material coverings. Literally and truly, the ghost of a man is his soul or spiritual body; and in order that this may be seen, it must be looked at with adequate organs of sight, namely, the eyes of a spiritual body like itself. We have such eyes, every one of us; but during our time-life, they are buried deep in flesh and blood, and it is only when specially opened by the Almighty, for purposes of his providence, that it is possible for a ghost or spiritual body to be beheld. Much as our material eyes enable us to see, they prevent our seeing inconceivably more. 'The sight of man,' says Lord Bacon, 'carrieth a resemblance with the sun, which openeth and revealeth the terrestrial globe, but covereth and concealeth the stars and celestial globe. So doth the eye discover natural things, but darken and shut up divine.' Such an opening of the spiritual sight took place at the Transfiguration, when the ghosts or spiritual bodies of Moses and Elias were seen. Such also takes place when the ghosts or spiritual bodies of the dead are now seen, and without it, it is impossible they can be viewed. Material eyes to material substances; spiritual eyes to spiritual ones. Hence it is that in accounts of spiritual appearances, both Scriptural and secular, however many persons may be present, it is rarely that more than one perceives the figure. The narrative in 2 Kings vi. 14-17 , is a remarkable instance: -'And Elisha prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw' -what previously was visible only to the prophet. So in Daniel x. 7: -'And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men that were with me saw not the vision.' Tasso introduces the vision of Michael and his warrior angels to Godfrey only. Shakspere represents the spirit of Banquo as unseen by any one at the supper table except Macbeth. The popular or vulgar notion, that before a spirit can be seen it must assume our material nature, so far, at least, as to reflect the light of this world, is exactly the reverse of the truth; which is, that the change must be made in ourselves, i.e. , by opening our spiritual sight.

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When the shepherds were watching their flocks on the eve of the nativity, the angels had no long distance to traverse in order to come into view. They were not seen first as a bright speck in the sky, gradually taking shape as they drew nearer. They were beheld 'suddenly,' indicating that they were close by all the while, and that for them to be seen it was merely needful that the spiritual eyes of the shepherds should be opened. It was 'suddenly' also that Moses and Elias disappeared after they had been seen on the mount of the Transfiguration; implying a similar closing of the spiritual eyes of the three disciples. So when 'the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar?' the words could have been uttered in no distant realm, or they would have been inaudible.