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CHAPTER II.

CONCERNING DREAMS RELATED IN PROFANE ACCOUNTS OF ANCIENT HISTORY.

It is certain there is a very great affinity between the passion of superstition, and that of tales. The love of ftrange narrations, and the ardent appetite towards unnatural objects, has a near alliance with the like appetite towards the supernatural kind, such as are called pro digious and of dire omen.-Shaftesbury's Advice to an Author, vol. i. p. 235.

Ir restricting our present attention to these dreams, which are recorded in profane history, we examine their character and pretension, with reference to the distinction laid down in the preceding chapter, we find ourselves necessarily involved in the question whether we may consider it as a part of God's general moral government to furnish mankind with dreams predictive of future events, or whether we are

to regard prophetic dreams as reserved in the exclusive service of Revelation, by the testimony of its claims, and for the communication of its instruction.

Here is one obvious consideration which should lead us to suppose, that dreams have not been employed by God in the ordinary course of his providence for the conveyance of information concerning future events to mankind, which is, that he has not furnished any general direction to us to confide in them, or any principles for the interpretation of them; and it seems difficult to conceive that he should impart communications of his will without any sanction of authority to command respect, or any ground for explaining what is ambiguous.

The dreams recorded by profane writers, ancient as well as modern, are, as to their general character, so wild and indeterminate, and so seldom capable of any exact and appropriate interpretation, in consistency with

those convictions which we derive from Revelation, that there are few accounts which have the slightest pretensions to be considered as tending to establish the idea of there being any thing prophetic in ordinary dreams, or of their having resulted from divine suggestion; and no relation as to inspiration can be received as having an unquestionable claim to acceptance, excepting those which are furnished in the Scriptures, and which respect dreams connected with the great scheme of Revelation.

It is possible indeed that dreams, though resulting from the ordinary powers of the mind in sleep, may by their impression and effects be rendered subservient to purposes of salutary tendency, may awaken reflection, or lead to the confession of crimes; but the point, which there seems to be ground to dispute, is that of their immediate inspiration, since they do not appear to be divine suggestions; to require implicit confidence, or to justify extraordinary precautions.

There are, it is true, some few dreams mentioned in profane history, which as they seem calculated only to intimate the general superintendance of a Supreme Being, and the general vigilance of his government, approving distinguished virtues, and abhorring flagitious crimes, do not contradict any declared maxims of Divine Wisdom; and which have been therefore thought to have some pretensions to be ranked among those general notices of himself, which God might vouchsafe to the heathen world, and have contributed to confirm the opinions of those persons who regard dreams as divine communications constituting a part of God's universal and permanent government.

One of this description was much celebrated among the Stoics. Simonides, of whom other wonderful stories are related, having, we are told, performed the friendly office of sepulture to a dead body which he had found on a coast to which he had sailed, was admonished in a dream by the object of his pious care, not to

depart the next day, in deference to which admonition he remained on shore, while those who sailed were wrecked in his sight. The poet, it is said, in grateful remembrance of his escape, afterwards composed a poem as a lasting monument of praise to his benefactor*,

The other which is related by Cicero served a purpose equally worthy of the interference of a superior power. It represents two Arcadian friends travelling together to have arrived at Megara, one of whom took up his abode at an inn, the other at a friend's house. The latter in his first sleep appeared to behold his friend entreating assistance against his host, who was preparing to murder him; in his alarm he startled up, but on reflection thinking that the dream did not merit attention, he composed himself, till his friend again appeared, requiring, that since he had not farther continued any succour while living, his death

*Valerius Maxim. L. i. C. 7. de Somniis. See also De Miraculis, L, i. C. 8.

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