the eye but onely speaking so as somewhat seems audible to the eare This was Gods way in Abimelechs Dreames about the businesse of Sarah God came to Abimelech in a Dreame by night and said unto him behold thou art a dead man Gen. 20. 3. And God said unto him in a Dreame yea I know thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart ver 6. God did not herein use any similitudes Again God in the way of Dreames hath gone with steps More swift or More slow The making of Dreames lyeth in the moving of thoughts Now thoughts their motions are with expeditions Luther when he would set out the Agility of the bodies of Saints after the resurrection saies They shall move as swift in the Heavens as thoughts in the heart Yet the hearts and minds of some men in these notions are more flow dull and heavy then others And so Gods workings upon all are not with the same celerity because they follow not fully the activity of the Agent but according as is the capacity and receptibility of the Subject God in works of mercy nescit tarda molimina He would passe with all speed but mens hearts move heavy and hence thoughts in some both awake and asleep are more slow In all Dreames God does not keep the same space nor does he passe so sudden with some as with others but much varieth his goings so that some herein have found him easier to follow and others harder to trace Again God in this way and work of holy Dreames Hath made use of Instruments Or hath done all himself 1. Instruments God hath sometimes made use of transmitting Dreames into mens minds by the ministery of Angels When Herod was dead behold an Angell of the Lord appeared in a Dreame to Joseph in Egypt saying arise Mat. 2. 20. God sends Angels from Heaven in the night and sets them about mens Beds when asleep as to prevent Satan in Dreames that be bad so to convey himself in Dreames very good By bad Dreames would Devils break in but are beat off by Angels An Hystorian tells that when Gainas sent a great multitude in the night to burn the Emperours Palace at Constantinople a multitude of Angels met them in the forme of armed men which forced them with feare to flye back When Satan by night with a sinfull fire brought from Hell would set mens souls on a flame Angels bring a blessed fire from Heaven that burns and heats mens hearts in holy Dreames As God hath sent Angels to watch over some asleep for their protection so to work in some asleep for their instruction God hath appointed his Angels to carry his mind down to some on earth while their bodies have been asleep in their beds as he hath imployed his Angels to carry the soules of some up into Heaven when their bodies have fallen asleep by death 2. Somtimes God hath thus wrought himself alone no Angell administring Austin observes upon that Parable of our Saviour Luk. 11. Which of you shall go to his friend when it 's midnight saying send me three loaves He from within shall answer Trouble me not the doore is shut my Children in bed I cannot rise Yet because of his importunity he will arise and give him Here we see saith he how when the whole family was asleep yet the master of the house was awake and at midnight gave out bread to his friend c. Thus when to men-ward Angels are as if they were asleep yet towards them God is awake and in the night-times gives out good Dreames as severall Scriptures beside the text testifie Thirdly The persons unto whom good Dreames God hath given viz Both Sanctified And Sinfull 1. Into men sanctified God hath sent such Dreames as to Samuel when but a child about the businesse of Eli 1 Sam. 3. So to Solomon about the concernments of his Kingdome 1 Kin. 3. O what a comfortable conference passed betwixt God and him in a Dreame The Lord appeared to Solomon in a Dreame by night saying aske what I shall give thee and Solomon said give thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people and to discern betwixt good and bad And the speech pleased the Lord and God said to Solomon behold I have given thee a wise and understanding heart And Solomon awoke and behold it was a Dreame ver 6 7 8 9 10 c. And indeed holy and good men are for such Dreames most meet Having fit matter for them Being free movers in them 1. Matter fit for such Dreames God finds in holy hearts the habits of Heavenly graces such supernaturall principles disposing them to receive further impressions from God We may see in our selves when our hearts are well inclined how quickly do we close with any good motion how readily do we receive sleeping or waking any gracious suggestion When a good fire is found in our wood the breath of the blessed spirit soon blows up such flames even by night in good Dreames A gracious heart is a fit stock for such graftings God takes pleasure to put in such Ciences with his own hand from Heaven A good soul is a fit soyle for such seed 2. The minds of sanctified men move freely so as actually to concurre with what comes from God In sleep their bodily senses are bound but their graces are free so farre as they are found flesh they are sleepie but so farre as they are spirit they are vigilant and wakefull The spirit is willing but the flesh is weake Mat. 26. 41. I sleep but my heart waketh saies the Church Cant. 5. 2. Her Heart being awake she soone heard his knock Mat. 25. We find while the Bridegroome stayed the virgins slumbered and slept the wise slumbered and the foolish slept say some but concede they all slept yet the wise were in part awake whence they quickly heard the cry at midnight Behold the Bridegroome cometh Then they being ready went in with him ver 10. Let the Lord come at midnight good men are ready to meet his motions 2. Bad men have had Dreames from God as Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar named are notable instances yet such Dreames God hath more rarely immitted They have more hardly admitted 1. Good Dreames into bad men brought seldome Amongst good men such matters have been found more frequent Joseph Jacobs sonne had so many Dreames sent in of God above his brethren-that they scoffingly called him the captain Dreamer Gen. 37. 19. Sinfull men they do so oft resist good motions when they are awake that God seldome visits them when they are asleep They are so much against God in the day that God is but little with them in the night 2. Dreames good men bad do hardly embrace sinfull souls have been afflicted when such were injected therein no way active but passive as appears in Pilates wives Dreame which Dreame was not of the Devill to hinder Christs
a tree God plants in the night may to the glory of his great Name bring forth plenty of good fruit in the day And indeed upon all such day-duties both before and after we may be much encouraged by beleeving good Dreams themselves are such considerable works As God will assist them in us As God will accept in them 1. God will assist good Dreames in us He will help forward these motions which else in our minds could never move Take the best man when best awake and a good thought cannot stirre in his heart without divine help Help God will give for gracious thoughts to move in holy hearts both when men are awake and when asleep let us awake set to our serious desires and we might in sleep find such motions frequent God would bear them up and bring them on under all our imperfections and against all other oppositions from sin or Satan 2. God will accept us in Dreames that are good Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be ever acceptable in thy sight O Lord Psal 19. 14. That before-named Expositor noteth the Prophet in the place does not onely propose what is the property of a pious man viz. To desire the thoughts of his heart may be at all times pleasing to God but he proposeth what is the priviledge of a pious man Pleasing to God day and night are the thoughts of his heart What his mind well imagineth God graciously approveth I doe not saies Luther alwayes pray nor read nor preach c. but sometimes I eat I drink I sleep I Dreame c. all which things they being rightly done I am pleasing to God therein But before I further proceed or can conveniently conclude I shall cleare some objections that against the present discourse may probably arise 1. Object Dreames are little and low things too mean for a good man to minde and much less for God to regard who is great and high c. Answ 1. Dreames be they things little and low yet thereunto the most high God may have a great regard Mens thoughts at all times be but small things yet if good a great God esteems them and preferrs them before the works of some men that seem mighty Mark 12. 41 42. Jesus sitting over against the treasury saw many rich men cast in much money A certain poor widow threw in two mites that make a farthing and Jesus said this poor widow hath cast in more than they all Divers of the Ancients do expound this place mystically and Allegorically By rich men casting in much money they understand specious professors with their great flourishing works God-ward And by the widow casting in two mites they interpret the soul of a sincere Saint tendring to God an understanding heart and willing mind in all humility inwardly thinking to do much more then it can perform and this small matter finds great favour with God God does accept a little night-Dreame from a true hearted-Christian when he rejects the greatest day-deeds of a dissembling Hypocrite A man may think of that good in his sleep he cannot act when awake and God may account the Dreame for the deed and accept the deed in the Dreame 2. Dreames suppose little things in themselves yet may be great in their principles Good Dreames proceed from a mutuall concurrence between God and good men and therein are great Whatsoever good men do saies Luther though it seem poor 't is rich though vile yet 't is rare and though little yet 't is indeed very great But then much more what God does we may maintain to be greater Even good Dreames be the gracious workes of a glorious God wherein he hath an admirable hand Gods providence may have great influences upon our inferiour businesses Gods spirit may have strong motions in our short ejaculations God in the dead times of the night may as in Egypt with an out-stretched hand passe through our hearts when we are little aware The soul say some is more intense and vigorous in a dwarfe then in a Giant More of God was acting in little David than in great Goliah As there may be much of nature and art so of God and grace there may be great measures in little matters As no sinne is little done against a great God so nothing is little done by a God that is great Objects are not great or little according as we apprehend but as God therein appeareth and thereof approveth Little things may be great and great things little in our sight and sense Rich mines of gold may lie so low in the earth as little or nothing seen and strong streames of water may passe by our doors that make but a little sound God may have great workes in our hearts when awake and therefore sure in our sleep that may to our sense seem little 3. Dreames suppose little yet may be great in their progresse and products That which comes as little to us in the night may come to be great in the day In the day God may water that which he did plant in the night and so may it grow to be great Great may our night-thoughts grow even through our dayendeavours Those little Babes which be born in the night we nourish in the day We should not make good Dreames to be like Jonah his Gourd that sprung in a night and perished in the night but cherish them in all good ways when awake and so may they waxe great at last that were but little at first The Parable reports of the mustard seed that a man sowed in his field which indeed is the least of all seeds but when it is grown it is a great tree so that the Birds of the aire lodge in the Branches thereof This Scripture Jerome unfolding did affirm that many Interpreters by the man sowing did understand Christ our Saviour by the field the hearts of the faithfull by the mustard seed sowen the infusions of good motions in their minds which are small matters at first but at length so enlarge that the very Angels of Heaven expressed by the birds of the air doe delight and take pleasure therein And were we wise those little sparks which God in our sleeping-time le ts fall upon our hearts from Heaven we might when awake so kindle up as the Lord himself might be in love therewith O let not us slight God in the least of his graces As we must not dispise the day of small things no more the night The great God regards little things that relate to us Even the haires of our head are numbred much more the thoughts of our hearts O let us observe the smallest things that proceed from God even to what he suggests in our sleep 2. Object Knowing men of severall sorts in severall seasons have condemned the observation of Dreames Answer Observation of Dreames men
might we meet with that of God which now to the most of men remains a mystery Jerome reports that after some most affectionate and fervent performance of some holy duties as Meditation and Prayer he had sometimes seemed to himself as if he had been caught up into Heaven and had been triumphing with Troops of Angels c. Thus may a good man even after a comfortable intercourse with God in religious exercises be by night in a Dreame as if drawn up into Heaven as if he heard those Hallelujahs and sweet singings of Angels as if he saw the bright and beautifull Body of his blessed Saviour sitting at the right hand of God c. To come out of such a Dream is to come out of Heaven O how happy would it be herein to abide O how blessed and comfortable is the case of that Christian who from personall experiance can hereof make report To such a purpose some Antient Authors do excellently open Jacob's Dream Gen. 28. Let us chiefly marke what the Scripture speaks Jacob dreamed and behold a Ladder lifted up and the top of it reached to Heaven and behold upon it the Angels of God ascending and descending And above he saw the Lord himself standing and heard him speaking such sweet words and in such a way as so well warmed his heart that awaking he break out Surely the Lord was in this place this is none other than the House of God this is the Gate of Heaven Some of our more Modern Writers do also much admire this Dream in the season and subject of it for the expressions and impressions of it That Jacob lying now obnoxious to all the injuries of Earth and Heaven God did graciously relieve him in a Dream that left such legible letters of love and visible Characters of Divine care as in sleep to receive them was exceeding sweet and awake to review them was very comfortable Neither let us think in these latter Times the Lord to be lesser in his love and lower in his care over afflicted Christians but rather let us believe that as the Devill in these latter daies hath not only the same but hath subtiller projects and soarer conflicts to assault Gods Saints So God certainly hath now not only the same but hath stronger supports sweeter and greater comforts for the sensible asistance of his Saints oppressed The policy and power of the Devill as they more decrease in time so they more encrease in their measure The Devill when his time is most short his temptations will be most sharp And when the temptations of the Devill be the sharpest then the Consolations of God shall be the sweetest for the sutable and seasonable solacing the Souls of his Saints whether their Bodies be awake or asleepe FINIS A POSTSCRIPT TO THE READER OR The Authors EPILOG In Some concluding Requests Christian Reader I Crave yet once more and do the praeceeding Treatise considered from my whole soul most seriously beseech the actual concurrence of Thy Piety Thy Charity 1. Thy Piety in most earnest Prayer to Almighty God as graciously to pardon in the precious Blood of Christ those many humane frailties which therein both God and Man may easily find and I confess So successfully to prosper by his abundant blessing my true endeavours therein for the Gospel of his great Name and the reall good of souls 2. Thy Charity in a candid interpreting and right understanding both of the Author and Matter notwithstanding the accidentall errors of the Press The Printer in his Composings and passings through the main Body of the Book hath left great Faults but Few yet too many lesser in literall and syllabicall mistakes with many misplaced Commas c. All which as by thy due Observings thou maist soon find them So by thy right Correctings thou art desired friendly to mend them VIZ. Page 55. line 26. for Dreames read Dreamers p. 71. l. 20. for Suedland r. Sâ—abland p 77. l. 6. for waring r. warming p. 69. l. 19. for strange r. strong p. 113. l. 15. for at r. in p. 135. l. 13. for provision r. praevision p. 163. l. 9. for new r. Mens p. 152. l. 12. for as condition r. his condition p. 242. l. 21. for Chamber r. Chair p 271. l. 21. for Nations r. Motions p. 286. l. 28. for surely r. sweetly p. 296. l. 12. at sleep make a full stop p. 303. l. 13. for Saints r. same p. 304. l. 18. for as r. so In the same line for accept in r. accept us in p. 34. l. 16. for words r. wood With others such like In the Margin all Quotations may be manifest mistakes in the mis-naming of some Authors and the mis-noting of some Numbers of their Pages in their mentioned Writings besides severall other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Errata's especially in the Greek and Latin All which the Learned Reader is likewise earnestly entreated as kindly to excuse and courteously to correct So notwithstanding rightly to receive and to accept c. VIZ. Pagina 34. pro target lege torquet p. 56. pro lit iam l. licentiam p. 34. pro ineo r. imo c. p. 38. pro ineam l. etiam p. 27. pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 50. pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 121. pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. p. 232. pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 150. pro decen l. decem p. 284. pro uqae l. quae nec p. 334. pro aptis parentibus l. apparentibus p. 343. pro dooet l. doeet p. 312. pro pretium l. Aretium Et similia And now good Reader that good hand of our most gracious and all-glorious God rectifie and fully reform farre worse Errors or those broader and blacker Blemishe found in the most lamentably mis-carried leaves of our lives And our infinitely good Lord with the indeleble Characters of his heavenly Grace ingrave and imprint the most precious and permanent Truths upon the Tables of our hearts unto his own deserved Honour and to our Eternal Happiness Amen Thine in the Lord P. G. 1657. AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE OR A DIRECTORY BY The Order of Letters Leading To Some Chief Things found In The foregoing Treatise A A Bell what the name noteth p. 171 Actings of man of two sorts p. 166 Adam what God appointed him for to do in Paradise p. 78 Adam considered in a double estate p. 362 Adiaphora or middle matters how far to be granted p. 263 Afflictions how made easie p. 196 Ages of the world how many p. 262 Angels their Ministry what p. 272 Angels their chief help when p. 320 Anabaptists whence their first original p. 32 Anabaptists how dangerous in their principles and practises p. 33 Anabaptists the chief opposers of Magestracy and Ministry p. 36 Anabaptists in Germany their reign and their ruine p. 38
night My reines instruct me in the night seasons saies David Psal 16. 7. Even in the seasons of the night the most retired motions of David's mind the most hidden thoughts of his heart did read him as one calls it a Curtein Lecture by which he learned much of himself towards God and much of God towards himself his Faith his Love and such like Graces were so comfortably discovered that he blessed God for it I will bless the Lord that hath given me counsell my reines also instrust me in the night season In the time of the night when good men are awake yea and when asleep also by these secret waies they may certainly discern much concerning The God of grace The grace of God 1. Much of God may by this means be manifest as not only the certainty of his being that he is but the transcendancy of his being what and how great he is in his power prudence providence vigilance omniscience goodness c. are even from these admirable actings evident Aristotle that great Philosopher that he might lift up humane Nature and dash down all Notions of Deity denyed any Dreames to be Divine yet to some Dreames he would grant Divination which may soon seem a contradiction A free concession to and due cognition of Divine Dreames may draw out much of the manifold Knowledg of God 2. Much of Gods sanctifying grace in men may through this be known That near access and close converse that ready recourse and refreshing intercourse which certainly sometims is between a glorious God and a gracious soul in time of sleep does testifie much in man of the grace of God This discovers Gods grace in its true Impress Progress Efficiency Proficiency Plutarch sets down this as a manifest sign of mans stature in Virtue that his Dreames are not of filthy but of honest things So that as to necessary Knowledg there is good use of a due understanding of Divine Dreames 2. As to the effectual furtherance of pious Practice the same is also of singular use This puts on to divers good Duties as relating to Dreames Divine For procuring and encreasing them For improving and pursuing them 1. To procure and encrease good Dreames A knowing Christian herein becomes diligent hereupon and takes paines in Prayer preparing all day for Gods visits in the night Psal 17. â— 2 3. Hear O Lord and attend to my Prayer Thâ—u hast visited me in the night thou hast proved my heart and shalt find nothing That is saies Mollerus nothing perfidious fallacious but as at other seasons and in other cases so in this my soul hath sincerely complyed with God and readily met him in the visits of the night And for this purpose the Prophet was full of Prayer in the day Luther reports that he on the other side often prayed to God that God would not speak any thing to him in Dreames And that he covenanted with God that in Dreames God would not send to him any of his mind c. But thus might this good man do upon a double occasion To oppose the waies of men To advance the Word of God 1. To oppose the practice of men who in his daies pretended divers things from God in Dreams full of fallacies and falsities therein many were Deluders and many deluded with which he was much affected and oft sore assaulted 2. To advance the Praescripts of God in his written word I am content saies Luther that I have the holy Scripture which teaches me so abundantly and evidently that herein I acquiesce And to Gods setled Word saies he while I adhere I am certain not to be deceived c. But if they be indeed Dreames from God they sute unto his Word and will not deceive us And therefore for such Dreames we ought to pray and to prepare good Matter for them to implore the Spirit poured out to ponder Scripture to hide Gods Word in our hearts to store up the Precepts and precious Promises thereof in our remembring minds and with the word to make meet Animadversions upon Gods marvellous works to hearken to God and to walk with God while we are awake that he may the more meet us in out sleep And why might not the minds of men move and be moved in holy and heavenly as well as in idle and foolish Dreames were diligence used and duties discharged I doubt not but divers of Gods dear Saints in these secret workings of their sanctified souls have many sweet caelestial sights when the eyes of their bodies be close shut upon their sleeping beds and see not 2. To improve and pursue such Dreames is a duty As soon as we are up to begin good deeds in the day that may occomplish the good God gave in the night 'T is said of Jonah his Guord that God made to spring in the night That when the morning arose a worm smote the Guord and it withered When we have a sweet Dream and come out of a good sleep in the night there is saies an Author one among the evil Spirits that out-runnes the rest and in the morning as soon as we awake endeavours to dash good thoughts to divert and to defile to prevent all pious practises and prosecutions But much care is required in this case We ought not only to preserve but to improve good Dreames by a practicall putting forward of our selves in holy Duties all the daies of our lives Now a right knowledg of these Dreames may much incite to such pious practises and profit Gods people both asleep and awake Excuse me then Gentle Reader for the attaining these Ends I have intended this Treatise and trust it may thereto be a good Means through Gods Mercy Amen Amen Decem. 28. 1657. Ph. Goodwin A SYNOPSIS OR Compendium Of the Main Integrall Parts OR A Table Demonstratory Proposing the Principal TEXTS and TRUTHS contained in this TREATISE PART I. Of Mens Dreames more Generall TEXT I. Psal 126. 1. We were like to men that Dream Contents 1. Mens Dreames how meetly they may be called Mysteries p. 2 2. Men the most receptible Subjects of Dreames p. 4 3. Mans Reason variously acting in Dreames how in some less evident and in some more excellent p. 5 4. Why so many Dreames pass from men that are not sensibly discerned p. 6 5. How only in this Life men are lyable to Dreames in sleep p. 7 6. How after Death though men may be said to sleep yet they Dream not p. 8 7. How mens Dreames are generally discribed and severally divided p. 10 8. What faculties of mans soul are in Dreames principally imployed p. 11 9. How in mens Dreames Things have no reall being but are only imaginary p. 7. 10. How mens Dreames lie in their thoughts and how their thoughts are concerned in Dreames p. 11 11. Dreames natural and supernatural how distinguished p. 13 12. How God and the Devil have their certain
nor any such consonancy to the other For sometimes such Dreames are filled with foolish and frivolous vain and ridiculous things and at all times they are opposite and repugnant either in whole or in part to the pure and precious Word of God The Prophet that hath a Dreame let him tell a Dreame and he that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully for what is the chaff to the wheat saith the Lord Jer. 23. v. 28. Gods Word is wheat without chaff the Prophets Dreame is chaff without wheat or if therein be any wheat there is much chaff therewith That Satan may the sooner sell off and make the quicker markets of his chaff he may mingle therewith some good wheat of Gods Word The Devil in his Dreamedelusions may suggest some Scripture-expressions In such pieces of Sugar he makes men swallow the Pills of his poisonous errors The Devil that he may the better lay his Babes in mens bosomes he dresses them up in Scripture-cloathes Hence men hug meer fancies embracing false Dreames for infallible Truths True Dreames that be indeed from God they throughout agree with Gods word their whole matter is of worth and good weight in Gods balance pure ponderous and precious substantiall solid and serious Secondly The Manner after which they are wrought in is also differing Dreames from the Devil they come in a man As more Hasty So more Hidden In these Dreamings the Devils drivings are like to the drivings of Jehu furious and fierce thoughts throng in and thrust out with violence and force so that thereby reason is oft darkened brain distempered and powers disturbed foot-steps so frequently confused that little is orderly discerned Thoughts be in the minde like Rebekahs twins in her womb strugling together but they do not like them come forth one holding the heel of another but be full of inconsistencies lubricities slippery severed and unsetled rushings in and rollings about Reason so roving from one thing to another that the minde makes miserable non-sence Much of this might be manifested from that Dreame of Eliphas Job 4. 11 12 16 17 verses which Dreame is judged to be but an illusion of the Devil to strengthen the hands of Eliphas in vexing and troubling Job On the other side Dreames from God they come in a manner As more Moderate So more Manifest Divine Dreames make a more orderly entrance and leave a more legible Impress Thoughts herein as adhering one to another so declaring one of another As bringing in things more leisurely so making of things more intelligible more evident and easie to be understood If some things at first seem intricate yet the longer the mind dilates thereon the more it understands therein and the more it apprehends of Gods mind thereby Secondly Dreames are discovered by their differing effects Those that come forth from God they wonderfully work a Man To advance Gods Truth To abase himself 1. Truth hereby is brought much more to advance and thereof to set a farre higher price The Truths of Gods Word are made more precious to his mind by this means Such a man is most likely to speak in Luthers language The least title of divine Truth is more worth than Heaven and earth 2. Self hereby he is brought to abase A divine Dreame drives out pride and proves a good Antidote against pride-poison Both these blessed effects may be found from that of Elihu Job 33. 15 16 17. God speaketh once yea twice In a Dreame and Vision of the Night Then he opens the ears of men and Seals their Instruction That is Then divine Truths take deep Impressions and come to high estimations c. That he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man This is Gods end in sending such a Dreame To hide pride The passage implies mans proneness pride-ward Pride is that posture that man hath least reason for yet most propension to Pride is that Sinne as Aquinas well cleers it that first took the heart of the first Man so that ever since of all evils every mans eye is most apt upon this Now God to hide this Sinne out of mans sight sends sometimes such Dreames as draws his eyes another way he sees that in God and in himself as pulls down and puts out pride Musculus well observes That Dreames from Heaven bring such a light into mans heart and leave such dints thereupon as makes him more humble awfull dreading God and denying himself Whereas delusions in Dreames drawn in by the Devil do deeply dispose mens minds To Corrupt Conceptions To Proud Presumptions Such Dreames lay Leaven in mans heart that sowres and poisons his Principles that he is the more prone to erroneous opinions They leave levity and lightness upon the mind that makes man apt to mount upwards in high thoughts of himself They prophecie salse Dreames and by their lightness cause my people to erre saith the Lord Jer. 23. 32. Through the mischief of these Dreams men are made light vain and vapouring venting their own apprehensions and imaginations with high ostentations admirations and commendations of themselves Thus Simon Magus a man as before mentioned much in these Dreames whereupon he gave out that himself was some Great ONE Acts 8. 9. A while he pretended that by Dreames and other immediate wayes was Gods will in wonders to him revealed but after as Justin Martyr and Epiphanius reports he blasphemously boasted that himself was God and accordingly near Rome erected a Statue with this Inscription To Simon the holy God Yea and the same Authors set out how the Samaritans who were deluded by the same means would boldly say This Simon to be God These were the proud fruits of false Dreames Such effects do plainly point out their Father Furthermore such differences as the Learned lay down between true Miracles and false are usefull in this case True Miracles say they are discerned in that they directly tend To glorifie God To edifie Men. False Miracles pretend hereto but they fetch such a compass about and take in such things by their way as whereby God is not really glorified nor Men spiritually edified Thus true Dreames in a direct line lead to the glorification of God in the good of men and to the edification of men in the matters of God But false Dreames their drift is to draw the Souls of men aside to such acts as are dishonourable to God disagreeing to his Word and disadvantagious towards mens eternall good This may suffice for a discovery of false Dreames Now to help forward our delivery from false Dreames I shall endeavour to lay down Motives to Decline them Means for to Escape them 1. Motives that may incite to seek safety from such deceiving Dreames may appear by pondering The Perils of them And the Evils in them The perils of false Dreames or Dreames of deceit may be seen by observing man subject to Deceits From what
hath been said and done against such Dreamers Deut. 13. 5. And that Prophet or dreamer of Dreames shall be put to death because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God c. Thou shalt not conceal him Thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to death and after the hand of all the people ver 10. Those mischievous men mentioned in Germany were so transported with their Dreames and so violent in their bloody wayes that no power of Gods Word would win them they were more bent upon Battels than Bibles and more minded murders and massacres than Scriptures so that at length like Sampsons Foxes they perished in the fire themselves kindled and Goliah-like were slain by the Sword themselves drew The Protestant Princes in pitched fields for their own defence were forced to fight them whereby many thousands of them fell Object What is all this to us men among us in our times are not misled by such lying Dreames as tend to violence Answ 1. Such Dreames may have taken mens mindes though it be not yet time to tell them or by deeds to declare them untill there be power to effect policie does use to conceal 2. With such Dreames the mindes of men may be taken who can say how soon Those multitudes which in other matters are now so lamentably misted while awake may soon be deceived when asleep God may punish their waking-errors with a belief of sleepinglies Those parties of Muncer praecited first began with opposing opinions in point of Baptisme against the publike Magistracy and Ministry and after encouraged with delusive Dreames they proceeded to such pernicious practises as proved their ruine Yea 't is memorable and most remarkeable amongst that sort of men the Dreames with which for a while they seduced divers did condemn all wayes of force and violence and did commend onely spirituall means to mannage the pretended minde of God One Melchior Hophman a Skinner or Glover in Swedland reported that God in a Dreame had to him revealed that Strasburg in Germany was appointed to be the New Jerusalem the Holy City and that himself and some others should repair thither and from thence have a Heavenly call to be Apostles and to preach the Gospel to all the World and so in a short time to subdue millions to Christ by their ministry through the power of the Spirit without any outward force or use of arms by which means very many were misled Yet mark not long after one John Tuscoverer a Goldsmith of Warendorp published his Dreame That it was the will of the Heavenly Father all the present publike persons in the Magistracy and Ministry as oppressors should by power forceably be removed and that John of Leyden should be the King of the whole world and for that purpose all of them ought presently to appear in their Arms which accordingly they did by thousands who in their hostilities used many acts of cruelties not only breaking down Churches burning Christian Books and buildings but barbarously imbruing their hands in the blood of divers O the monstrous and miserable delusions of many multitudes in former dayes through lying Dreames so as severall parts of the earth and times of the world were fill'd with violence and why may not such Dreames with such dreadfull effects be found in following times 'T was the expression of an eminent Expositor upon that place of the Prophet Jeremy 23. 25. I have heard saith the Lord what lies they prophecie in my Name saying I have dreamed I have dreamed The Church of God says he hath ever been obnoxious to men misled in this manner and therefore we should not think it strange nor be much troubled if at this day severall such are seen Even we our selves already see severall in strange opinions and practises strongly transported God knows what we or others after us shall see 'T is meet we use the best means we may to prevent all false Dreames Now the means meet to be observed are of two sorts Some Negative Some Positive Negative Proposing what we are not to doe Positive Reporting what is fit to be done 1. Things that men must not do who would secure themselves from deceitfull Dreames as namely Not harbour fit Matter for them Not hearken to the Promoters of them 1. Matter for such Dreames men must not harbour The Devil could never do so much upon the mindes of men either sleeping or waking but that he findes fit matter therein to work upon He there perceives a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a seed-plot of all sinne there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a generall tendancy or bent in the soul to sinnes of all sorts Satan sees mens sinfull propensions and provisions how the wood and the Altar is ready and so he brings the Sacrifice He puts in the ciens but the stock grows upon mans own ground When Satan sends in his suggestion and it meets with a heart full of corruption strange things are wrought both day and night As Satan so Sinne never slumbers nor sleeps but when mans body is at rest they be both awake and at work in wicked Dreames The way to interrupt the Devils work is to bereave him of what he cannot work without Not to nourish or cherish the deceits of sinne least thereby men furnish and establish the designs of Satan 2. To men promoting false Dreames do not hearken Thou shalt not hearken to that Prophet or dreamer of Dreames Deut. 13. 5. Thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken unto him ver 8. Not consent This concerns the inward mind the yeeldings of which gives great advantage unto Dreames of deceit and to seducers of all sorts Satan himself could not have such success in his deceiving wiles but through mens consenting wills Thou shalt not consent Nor hearken This forbids the opening of the outward ear By the door of the ear enemies oft get into the house of the heart and make wild work within Thou shalt not consent nor hearken Thou shalt not hearken that thou maist not consent By hearing seducers set out their Dreames how soon have some consented and been deceived Jer. 29. 8. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Let not your Prophets nor your Diviners in the midst of you deceive you nor hearken to your Dreames which ye cause to be dreamed Your Dreames They were the Prophets Dreames they conceived them and recited them yet they were the peoples Dreames in that they received them and encouraged them Diodate upon the place observes that these people were so bent upon bewitching Dreames that they gave their false Prophets bribes to bring them large rewards for lying reports or at least they so flattered those who found them Dreames that they made many to be dreamed But saith the Lord Let not such Dreamers deceive you nor hearken c. The best way to stop errors is to stop ears not
than the Lord should suffer him to sleep so sining he would keep him awake without sleep But no such matter with these men by any prayer to God in point of prevention 2. After Nothing they do in the duty of repentance Though such ought like David to wash their bed and water their couch with tears and like Jeremiah to pray Oh that my head were full of water and eyes fountains of tears to weep day and night c. These nightnaughty-thoughts should make such men strike their breasts and beg Gods applying of healing plaisters But to lie and live under such sinne with the neglects of all this expresses the wickedness of man and yet the patience of God God patient in forbearing his blows As God might strike men dead by day in their evil deeds so by night in the midst of their naughty Dreames O dreadfull yet due Diodate upon Isa 21. 3 4. observes how Babylons ruin should be in the night and surprize them in their sleep awaking but with frights in their fall Is not this a sinne of sad deserts Calvin upon Micah 2. 1. aggravates night-naughtiness that that time God gives man for rest from the lawfull works of his calling he should sure rest from the unlawfull works of sinning That time God gives man to refresh himself he should not spend to defile himself c. These filthy Dreamers defile the flesh I have done with the Instruction I come now to the Admonition wherein note The Men it is to The Matter it is of The Men that be concerned herein The Matter to be considered hereupon 1. For the Men that this monitory discourse will concern are all such as lie liable to these evil Dreames of which there are two sorts 1. Carnall men who are not at all sanctified 2. Sanctified men so farre as they are carnall Sinfull and unsanctified men are the primary principall and the most proper subjects of such dreaming-thoughts as are so filthy and defiling For 1. They are full of Matter for such Dreames 2. They are free as Movers in such Dreames 1. For Matter to make such Dreames of they are full Let but the Devil come into the shop of their phantasie and there he may finde all tools fit for his work A carnall heart is fitly compared to Tophet Isa 30. 32. 'T is deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the Devil blows up the flame and it burns at midnight by abominable Dreames As that stinking mud of sinne which lies in the soul of an unsanctified man oft times the Devil draws it out at his mouth by foul and filthy words when he is awake so sometimes he draws that dirty puddle all up into his minde by black and beastly thoughts when he is asleep As at times God acts up the graces of the Spirit by sweet and holy Dreames and rare representations in the night of most blessed matters to the minds of converted men so the Devil in the night-time oft acts up the lusts of the flesh by base and wicked Dreames and wretched representations to the minds of men unconverted of matters not meet to be mentioned The Devil need not bring any thing with him onely improve the evil that is already unto the forming of most filthy Dreames 2. As movers to meet such Dreames these men are free Their minds are active in sinne and sinne active in their minds at all seasons They sleep in sinne but sinne does not sleep in them yea though in sinne they certainly sleep yet to sinne their souls are always awake They are ready to co-work with Satan in sinfull Dreames so that such things are not onely dreamed in them but they are the dreamers of them The Devil does not cause such Dreames without their concurrence but their corrupt hearts can cause such Dreames without the concurrence of the Devil There is a sea of sinne in their souls may foam and boyl when no wind blows and when winds of temptations are strong and the Devil does powerfully promote in the minds of men such Dreames of sinne they may blame themselves For he comes thus to work because they invite him in the day And he thus works when he comes because they assist him in the night 2. Gods Saints in sleep are subject to such sinfull thoughts As they have good Dreames from Gods concurrence with the work of grace by which they are sanctified so they may have bad Dreames as from the Devils compliance with those principles of corruption that remain unmortified Peter lying in a trance Acts 10. saw a sheet in which according to the Law were beasts both clean and unclean and all coming down from Heaven A Christian in his sleep may indeed have divers Dreames wherein even according to the Gospel the thoughts of his heart are some clean and some unclean but yet the clean onely come from Heaven and the unclean from Hell of which not God but the devil is the undoubted author We here observe 2. That there are no persons Satan seeks more to make them sinfull then Gods Saints 2. That there are no seasons when Satan seeks more to make them sinfull then in nights 1. The Saints of God Satan most solicits them to sinne He well knows They from Sinne do most oppose him They by Sinne do most displease God 1. Good men when they sleep from sinne and hold close to the service of God they supplant Satans throne their prayers are as great guns and batter the Devils buildings and hence he endeavours to draw them off from all such service unto sinne against God 2. Good men when they fall to sinne they most offend God Their miscarriages most grieve the Spirit of Grace and as daggers cut deepest into the heart of our dearest Lord hence also are the Devils endeavours to draw such to sinne 2. The season of the night is a chief time when the tempter suggests sinne into such as they sleep Because he is cunning Because he is cowardly 1. The Devil is cunning and therefore comes in the night When the servants of God are asleep in their beds he surprizes them by putting sinfull thoughts in their mindes 'T was once Gods question to Satan Hast thou considered my servant Job God hath not a servant but Satan considers him as how so when as by what means so at what times his temptations will take best In the day the Devil knows good men are more observant of him vigilant over him that by unclean thoughts to carry them aside he sees small hope When their bodies are asleep their mindes are not so well watching nor their thoughts so resolvedly resisting but Satan makes advantage of the season to give his assaults success Some report that cunning Fishers when they would catch the Whale Leviathan or such great Fishes in the sea they set to it in the night-time when the creatures cannot see who invades them nor how to
Body The certainty of Death and Judgment 1. A setled considering how excellent man is in soul Hence Bernard thus breaks out O my soul created after the Image of God redeemed with the blood of Christ adorned with the graces of the Spirit capable of the happiness of Heaven c. what hast thou to do with the flesh what hast thou to do night or day with the Devil yea the body of man is a brave and beautifull piece if we observe The Composition of it The Comparisons frâ—m it How God hath made it How God doth use it The beauty of the body as it comes out of the hand of God we may gather from Eccles 12. 3 4 5. And as it falls into the hand of God again it abounds in beauty God makes it to be A Temple A Sample 1 Cor. 6. 19. Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost And 't is as a sample or pattern the Church of God the most glorious thing in the world is resembled by the body of man yea God borrowes similitudes from mans body to express Himself ascribing to Himself an Eye a Mouth a Hand c. God thus hath honoured the body This pondered may prove a means to preserve our souls and bodies from sinne-defilements 2. A setled considering how sure yea near death and judgment-day draws meditate much of deaths approach Thoughts of sinne may bring on death but thoughts of death will keep off sinne both asleep and awake thus die daily Let us also fix in our mindes the meditation of the day when the Lord shall come in the clouds to judgment We have heard of that saying of St. Jerom Whether I eat or drink whether I wake or sleep me thinks I hear that voice Arise ye dead and come to judgment Hence he had no room for a bad Dreame Bernard on the other side sadly of himself complains Alas what do I mean I eat I drink I play I sleep as if I had gone beyond death and passed over the day of judgment We are in danger to be sadly sinning when we are securely sleeping Such considerations will well setled prevent secure sleep and so arm against evil Dreames these will set the soul upon its watch-tower and while its vigilant it will not be peccant Thus much may suffice for antecedent duties The duties subsequent concern such sinfull Dreames in a double case In case we are not free from them In case from them we are free If by such Dreames we have been defiled our duty is Both to bewail the sinne that hath been with us in the night And to beware we no way encrease the sinne in the day 1. We must take to heart such night miscarriages Augustine in his confessions hereof makes sad complaints and so have others of Gods dear Saints Lament we must That the sinne hath been in us That we have been in the sinne That such a defiling sinne hath fallen upon us must be our grief that while we slept the enemy in our field hath sown such tares As that Mother comes with her complaint to Solomon 1 King 3. 20. While thine handmaid slept this woman came and laid her dead childe in my bosome So let a man make his moan to God O Lord while thy servant slept Satan came and laid this wicked Dreame in my minde But then that we have fallen in with such a sinne is matter of more mourning our corruptions have clapt in with Satans temptations our mindes have been complying our wills consenting fleshly desires raised carnall delights pleased O that that is most bitterly to be bewailed 2. We must take heed we do not in the day make the sinne much worse By mentall recalling of it By actual committing of it 1. Pleasingly to recall it in our minds will augment the sinne 'T is abominable for a man to communicate what communion he hath had with the Devil in the night as a Christian remembers what sweet communion his soul hath had with God in the night Psal 77. 6. says that holy man I call to remembrance my songs in the night That 's very good but for a carnal man to call to remembrance his sins in the night and to solace himself when awake with the renewed thoughts of what he had in his sleep is a sinne exceeding sinfull 2. Actually to fulfill it in deeds is very dangerous 'T is that the Devil indeed drives at to draw us to do when we are awake what we dreamt in our sleep For good things Satan is satisfied we should rest in the apparition and shew thereof and some slight imaginations thereupon to have no more but Dreames of grace and holiness Dreames of glory and happiness but he is not content that men should take up with imaginary supposals of sinne and some bare thoughts thereupon but he would have them to bring forth the further fruits thereof To have more then Dreames of sinne and wickedness of lasciviousness and wantonness more then Dreames of adultery fâ—rnication and uncleanness That which men think when they are asleep the Devil would have them act when they are awake If by such filthy Dreames we have not been defiled our duty is To be thankfull that God kept us in the night To be carefull in keeping to God in the day In giving thanks to God we have been so kept We must be Early thankfull Gladly thankfull 1. We must not delay our thankfullness Before the body be out of the bed let the heart be up with God yea let body and soul rise and render the Lord praise As Noah as soon as he was come safe out of the Ark Gen. 8. built an Altar and offered burnt offerings to God And the Lord smelled a sweet savour c. So as soon as ever we get safe off our beds offer upon the Altar Christ burnt-offerings of fervent praises unto God the Lord. 2. We must with joy enlarge our thankfullness In the morning when we apprehend what hazards our houses have escaped from fire or thieves in the night with great rejoycing we give glory to God when our selves have been delivered from the danger of these night-pollutions to God with great joy what glory ought we to give 'T is God that hath kept Satan and our sinfull souls asunder The Devil is like the Harlot that goes abroad in the dark and black night soliciting to bed-abominations Prov. 7. 9 10. And how oft would he prevail did not God prevent When the Egyptians pursued the Israelites God by a cloud and a pillar of fire was about his peoples camp that Pharaohs host could not come neer them all the night Exod. 14. 20. Thus God is about our beds and keeps Satan he cannot come neer us all the night O with what gladness of heart ought we to glorifie Gods holy Name 2. Care is required that we all the day keep close to God least we be worse
head with foolish fancies So then to prevent these vanities Fear God Thirdly That this fear by which such vanities are prevented must be found in every person As every man God-ward must have a faith of his own so a fear of his own 'T is not another mans fear of God no more then another mans faith in God will do me good As every man must have his faith to possess what is good for himself so every man must have his fear to oppose what is evil against himself This evil-opposing-fear every man hath A capacity for it A necessity of it A capacity every man hath in his soul to receive such a fear That soul which is capable of the God of fear is it not capable of the fear of God 2. A necessity every man hath such a fear in his soul to receive Whoever hath the malady needs the remedy 'T is not another mans taking of physick will cure my sickness nor another mans fearing of God will heal my heart of vanity To prevent the vanities of Dreams every man must himself fear God But fear thou God Fourthly That in this fear of God that preven's the vanities of Dreames men must remain active This part plainly imposes as referring to this fear The Duration The Actuation thereof 1. During must this fear be both day and night 'T is observable Solomon for a certain cure of heart-evils requires the constancy of this religious fear Prov. 23. 17. Let not thy heart envy sinners but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long The night is included in the day when in this fear men must endure that would help their hearts against envy or any other evils To lie down and rise up in this fear to wake and sleep in this fear c. 2. Acting this fear must be in men and men acting in the fear of God This fear must not barely be in them as a passion or upon them as an oppression Gen. 35. 5. The fear of God is said to be on the Cities round about The fear of God must not be set upon men as their burden but men must be set upon the fear of God as their business not only the imprinting and implanting of fear in the habit thereof but the imploying and improving this fear in the actings thereof this will arm the heart against all evil It must be fear in its activity that fences the minde against Dreamevanity Vanity to advance it self is active Others are active to advance vanity 1. Active is vanity for its own advancement Originall corruption is of an active motion to promote it self all manner of ways amongst which this is one in Dreames of vanity these are as running streames from that spring and as sprouting branches from that root 2. Others are active for the advancement vancement of vanity Satan herein is subtill and sedulous 't is a prime and principall project of his to promote vanity to fill the mind with foolish fancies idle thoughts and fond conceits So active then ought men to be by this fear of God to defend off Dreames of vanities that else may arise in multitudes In the multitude of Dreames are divers vanities but fear thou God Thus having done with the Doctrinall part all that shall pass in the Applicatory part I shall reduce to a double head A disswasive from Dreames of vanity A perswasive unto the fearing of God From Dreames of vanity I shall endeavour to disswade by affirming four things 1. They are Displeasing 2. They are Disprofiting 3. They are discomforting 4. They are Dishonouring 1. Displeasing are vain Dreames to a holy God and men truly good As Idol-Images made by mans hand are forbidden of God so Idol-Images made in mans minde are offensive to God Ezek. 8. 12. Sonne of man hast thou seen what the Antients of the house of Israel do in the dark every man in the chambers of his Imagery or in the secret of their imaginations as some render it Men not onely in the lightsome day but in the dark night not only in the chamber of their house but in the chamber of their hearts have such imaginations of vanity that are like Images of Idolatry displeasing to God And a man godly is God-like displeased with himself when he findes his heart framing such Images of vanity Ambrose speaking of Laban searching the Tents of Jacob and yet not finding his Images say s thus Laban found them not for though they were there as hidden of Rachell yet they were things hated of Jacob And O blessed soul says he that is as Jacobs Tent in which is never found any allowed Image or approved representation of vanity Though sometimes Satan may send in such by his subtilty yet 't is with secret dislikes and soul-dissents Secondly Disprofiting are without doubt vain Dreames Dreames of vanity the minde is busie in but hath no benefit by Tertullian calleth Dreames the idle things of the busie soul The soul of man as it may be idle in business so busie in idleness The soul properly indeed in idle Dreamings cogitates much and negotiates nothing nothing to purpose nothing for profit and so all is vain Almonds says One men account empty and naught not in which there is nothing found but in which that which is found is of no profit So mens imaginations are said to be vain when though there be many movings therein yet no advantage thereby By idle Dreames the soul is as a sieve of vanity in which nothing is left but what is branny and bootless Yea as they bring in nothing of benefit so they keep out what might prove for mans profit and indeed what a man gaineth not in he loseth by A man is the worse for that by which he is not the better Thirdly Discomforting may men finde Dreames of vanity Vain Dreames are as Drone-Bees that fly out but bring in no honey yea that honey in the hive they finde they feed upon and devour In Dreames vain there may seem somewhat pleasing for present but after disappointments produce more pain than peace As a hungry man dreameth and behold he eateth but he awaketh and his soul is empty or as a thirsty man dreameth and behold he drinketh but he awaketh and his soul is faint That cannot solace and comfort which does not satisfie and content but in vain Dreames is nothing solid to satisfie and so the soul is left comfortless yea in a suffering case That cannot cause delight to the soul which bereaves the soul of sweet liberty O how fast is a man bound upon his bed with these cords of vanity so that his soul cannot get loose Isa 5. 18. Fourthly Dishonouring Dreames of vanity strip the soul of its dignity Scaliger observes that there be three things that do distinguish a man from and dignifie him above all creatures about him viz. Reason Speech and Hands Reason is the first and
dreading of the Dreames through God and his grace Where the grace of God is not sinfull Dreames are pleasing not perplexing and might Satan have his mind such Dreames should please good men with delight and not possess them with fear from God it is that sinne as defiling is affrighting 'T is from the nature of man to fear death that corrupts the body but 't is from the grace of God to fear sinne that pollutes the soul 2. Suffering evils or evils more purely poenall and painfull and these evil things most properly proceed from God and with such evil Dreames God did most probably afflict Job Job God might dismay in his Dreames with representations of sinne not to sinne Sinnes past God might make to appear What he had done awake God might cause him to see in his sleep with soulamazements But respects to sinne laid aside the Lord in sleep might arrest Job as a Judg. Though towards evils of sinne 't is not fit for God to act any thing he being the purest essence in Heaven yet 't is meet for God to act about matters of pain he being the supream Judg of the earth God is so good that he is not the least actor of sinne but God is so great as he is the chief inflicter of pain and though pain be inflicted of God who is good yet in it self it is evil and though pain to be sure is a less evil than sinne yet still it is evil Sinne is an evil that disturbs Gods quiet in Heaven and pain is an evil that opposes mans peace and rest upon earth How was Job interrupted in his rest and broken in his peace through painfull and dolorous Dreames the dread of which evidences them evil in their nature 2. In their Number considered it seems they were many not Dreame but Dreames in the plurall manifold Dreames and Dreames about manifold matters that might amaze him divers and differing Dreames for degrees and kindes wherewith Job was skared Dreames of fear that like flames of fire flashed fast in his face Dreames of terrors that like troops of Souldiers upon him thrusting thick in his sleep Dreames of horror that like billows of water broke into his chamber and overflowed his bed that he lay as drowned therein enduring many dolorous thoughts Many things may a man suffer from one single Dreame but how many things be suffered when sad Dreames be multiplied this was Jobs case being skared with Dreames 3. The Person from or by whom Job was skared was God himself Thou skarest me Had these Dreames been barely the Devils-darts or as burning brands flung into his bed onely by Satans hellish-hand his heart would not have been so shaked with fear but finding God to have his hand therein and to be the cause thereof this this encreased his skare Thou skarest me As if he had said O Lord thou who in the day of my prosperity wast to me a Paradise of pleasure causing thy joy to shine as a bright Sunne into my soul thou didst comfort ravish me and refresh me oft yet now thou makst me all agast Thou who in the night of my adversity I hoped wouldst have sent into my heart soul-sweet helps from Heaven wouldst have set up cleer candles of comfort about my bed Thou not onely leavest me in the dark but skarest me with Dreames For skares and fears to be from the Devil or this wicked world were no wonder but for a good man to be frighted of God that God will not let him sleep without skaring this is strange and astonishing For fire to come out of the bramble is no such marvell but for fire to come out of the Vine for the brazen Serpent to become a stinging Serpent and for him to wound that should heal to skare that should comfort for the Lord who uses to be to his servants as a Lamb to be like a Lion and to roar upon them in their sleep this is strange indeed Luther hath some such saying If all the men in the world were mustered as Souldiers and all the Devils in Hell gathered as their Commanders and were upon their march against a good man this would not so much dismay him as one God against him Nothing so perplexes a pious man as the appearance of Gods displeasure suppose with Dreames of this God-skaring Job Thou skarest me with Dreames 4. Observe the season when with Dreames was Job thus skared to wit When he found no comfort awake When he looked for comfort in sleep 1. When awake he had no comfort but such painfull dolour as not onely deeply distressed him all the day but wherewith he was wearied whole nights having no sleep Wearisome nights are appointed to me When I lie down I say when shall I arise and the night be gone I am full of tossings to and fro to the dawning of the day ver 3 4. 2. Asleep he could have no quiet Though sometimes after days of dismall distress he looked at night for peaceable repose but even then were his hopes disappointed Skaring Dreames came into his minde when he expected comfortable sleep in his bed When I said my bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint Then thou skarest me with Dreames c. Commonly good men then finde it worst from God when they expect most from the creature and from the creature finde least when they look for most Scaliger tells of a tree from which when a man departs ramos pandit it spreads the boughs but when a man comes to it ramos constringit it shrinks up the leaves This is the usuall carriage of the creature when men are from it it seems to spread it self into wide promises but when they approach neer it it shrinks up it self from any good performances Thus Jobs bed served him when his expectations towards it were most raised in the day then his perturbations upon it most encreased in the night his bed was so filled with thorns he could lie at no ease even then when he looked for the largest and sweetest rest When I sai dmy bed shall comfort me then thou skarest me with Dreames The further discourse of these skaring Dreames will consist of a double part Explicatory Applicatory In the Explicatory part I shall unfold as referring to Dreames that affright four things 1. The Matter they may be of 2. The Movers they may be from 3. The Persons they may be to 4. The Reasons they may be for First The Matters about which Dreames may be made amazing are of two sorts Matters of Gods Majesty Matters of Mans Misery 1. The Majesty abiding in God may be so represented in sleep as to make Dreames terrible Gen. 15. 12. And when the Sunne was going down a deep sleep fell upon Abraham and loe an horror of great darkness was upon him Diodat observes that such a Majesty of Gods presence did appear to Abraham as set horror upon
the open fields and had onely a pillow of stones yet he slept sweetly and Dreamt comfortably Gen. 28. 11. Three things when they meet do much help comfortable and quiet sleep viz. The silence of the Night The safety of the House The advantage of a Bed Job had all these In the Night time he had his House to be in and his Bed to lye on so that he looked for rest but found no refreshment In stead of being eased he was amazed In stead of quiet sleeps he had skaring Dreames He expected the benefit of his Bed and comfort of his Couch but his bed was his rack and his couch his torment whence comes the complaints of the Text. All the comforts that a man hath in hand or in hope may be dashed by a dreadfull Dreame 2. For the evils that such Dreames may produce they are either Of Sin or Of Misery 1. Through a terrible Dreame a man may fall into following sins distempered passions ill expressions yea some men they have set about very sinfull actions awake from those sad impressions they have received in their sleep I have read of a man who Dreaming he had lost his money awaked in a fright and immediately went and murdered himself It seems Job had some desperate thoughts against himself in the day through those dismaying things whereof he Dreamt in the Night Thou skarest me with Dreames and terrifiest me with visions so that my Soule chuseth strangling and death rather then life Hyppocrates a learned Physician reports that some of his patients possessed with these night-perplexities plunged themselves into deep pits in the day and divers ways attempted their deaths 2. Through terrible Dreames a man may fall into much following misery Hence some have been bereaved of the use of reason and smitten with madness Diodate and other Scripture-Interpreters note that Nebuchadnezzar after his dreadfull Dreame Dan. 4. soon fell into a sad disease called Lycanthropie wherein he lost all manner of humane understanding forsooke the society of men became brutish fierce and wild like a Beast living in the fields for the space of seven yeers The distemperatures that were upon his Dreames and the terrors upon the Interpretation thereof did dispose him thereunto Hence some men have been as it were in hell while they have been on earth History reports of Richard the third the Night before he was slain in Bosworth field he had a most terrible dreame wherein he thought all the Devils in hell pulled and haled him in hideous and ugly shapes the fixed feares of which helped his fall upon the following Day These things may be as cogent causes to keep off what we can such skaring Dreames 2. For Courses adjuvant whereby such Dreames may be kept off They consist Of Cautâ—â—ns Of Counsels There be Evill things against which we must be vigilant Good things about which we must be diligent Would we sleep free from affrighting Dreames There be some things we must beware we have not There be other things we must beware we do not Take heed we have not our hearts possessed With covetous Desires With carnall Delights 1. Desires covetous may cause the Lord to let loose unquiet Dreames Thus God makes the world to be as an Engine to torment mens mindes at midnight 'T is a punishment upon a worldly Man what Solomon mentions Eccles 2. 23. All his dayes are sorrowes and his travell grief yea his heart taketh not rest in the Night In the Night his body may take some sleep but his heart takes no rest that lies as upon a Pillow stuffed with thornes through perplexing Dreames 'T is said of the Nightingale that in the Night-season he sets himself with a thorn at his breast that when he is asleep may prick and prompt him to awake and sweetly sing A covetous Man his worldly care commonly in the Night sets a thorn at his breast whence are many sad sighs in his sleep and groanes that argue grief 2. Delights carnall cause God to let fall afflicting-Dreames In the Day Men lay in their fuell and kindle a fire of fleshly contents their lustfull pleasures are as sparks in the light of which they walk but when Night comes the hand of the Lord lays them down in sorrow Isa 50. 11. The Lord lets loose the Devil by Dreames to dismay their mindes We read Judg. 4. How Jael gave Sisera milk and butter when he was awake but struck him with a nail and hammer when he lay asleep So Satan while Men are awake tickles them with sinfull pleasures and when they are asleep torments their mindes with dismaying Dreams that perplexes in the Night which pleases in the Day Again Would not we have God to skare us with Dreames let us take heed That we do nothing against clear light That we do nothing against Gods Saints 1. Against the Light of Knowledge let us not act any thing Hence comes Conscience to be startled with astonishing Dreames that 's a sad Instance of Francis Spira who was not onely a learned Lawyer but a very knowing Christian yet revolting to the Romish Religion he fell into such a despairing condition that he was filled with the horrors of Hell not only in his wakefull times but in his sleeping Dreames Alas sayes he to some that came to comfort him no sooner in the Night can I snatch a little sleep but I see therein the Devils come flecking into my chamber and gathering all about my bed and terrifying me with dismall noises These were the sorrowfull Sequels of his severall sinnes against Knowledge and Conscience 2. Against the people of God let us not act any thing Some that have been enemies to Gods servants God hath sorely afflicted with affrighting Dreames cruelties and tyrannes have turned some under these torments Charles the ninth of France after his cruell Massacre could hardly sleep and when he did he was haunted with hideous feares Oh the loud peales that Protestant bloud have rung in the ears of sleeping Men. Apollodorus the tyrant dreamt that he was flead by the Scythians and boyled in a seething Cauldron and that his own heart should say to him I am the cause of this thy fearfull torments Oh let us flee these things all tendences therunto and what may border thereupon that no Dreams may dismay us The Positive Meanes which we are to observe for prevention of perplexing Dreames Some are in respect of our Faith Others are in respect of our Life In relation to Faith we should labour To raise up our minds to God To rest under the wings of God 1. By Faith let us lift up our selves to God so may we be above such Dreams As in the air the highest region is most free from tempestuous stormes so in the earth the heavenliest mind is best freed from troublesome Dreames 'T is written of the Aegyptians by reason they live in low fenns where they are much vexed
with Gnats they use at Night to go up into high Towers and those creatures not flying so high they are free from their disturbing stings Whilst we live below let us when Night comes by the feet of Faith and Hope go up to God our high tower that we may escape the stings of disturbing Dreames 2. By Faith let us lay our selves upon God reposing our selves under his safe wings so may we be free from these Night-feares Though it hath another sense it may be of some use which the Prophet speaks Psal 91. 4 5. He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust Thou shalt not be afraid for the terrour by Night Little Chickens sleep under the wings of the Hen and no harme can molest them so if we sleep under the wings of Gods Promises no Dreame shall distract us Thus let us use our Faith In relation to life let us labour To live holily To live cheerfully 1. Let us lead a holy life that the Lord may not skare us with Dreames By putting away all iniquity By the positive practice of piety Job makes his moan that God skared him with Dreames Zophar gives him good counsell for his cure If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thy hands towards God If iniquity be in thy hand put it farre away and let not wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacles Then shalt thou lie down and none shall make thee afraid Job 11. 13 14. 19. We must go in Gods wayes with a firm foot and take strait steps not stumble in the Day if we would not startle in the Night Prov. 3 23 24. Thou shalt walk in thy way safely and thy foot shall not stumble when thou lyest down thoushalt not be afraid yea thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet 2. Let us lead a cheerfull life evermore rejoycing in the Lord that we may be delivered from these perturbing Dreames the more light of comfort we have when awake the less darkness of terror we shall have when we sleep the more spirituall joy in the Day the more peaceable sleep in the Night The Light of a well-quieted Conscience Help much herein The Light of Gods loving Countenance Help much herein Lord lift thou up the Light of thy countenance sayes David Thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time that their corn and wine and oyl encreased I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord only makest me to rest in safety Psal 4. 6 7 8. Peace and Sleep In the sleep of his body he had the peace of his mind Much care is required to compass such comfortable quiet and peaceable sleep and at least to fence off affrights from the Devil in Dreames shall the Devil be industrious by these to deterre and not we be industrious from these to be secure 'T is reported of Scorpions Serpents so called from their scattering and casting their poyson Night and Day up and down how they link together to molest sleeping-Men one will stick fast to the roof or wall of the House a second to him a third to the second and so make a chain till they reach the party asleep The last stings and returnes and so every one goes back in his order This Eglinus upon the Revelation relates the same may fitly be affirmed of the Devils those infernall spirits in their monstiouâ— molestings of some sleeping-Men Now the course some have taken to lie quiet and sleep free from the stings of Scorpions may be of use in this case Aelian relates how in Lybia and other like parts Men sleep in their boots they set their beds from the wall and place the feet of their beds in pots of water lying up in the highest Roomes to rest without such molests In this manner 't is meet for Men against these designs of Satan to sleep in their spirituall armour to set their minds off from the earth not to lay their hearts too near the walls of the world to set the feet of their soules in the waters of godly sorrow for sinne to lie up in the Galleries of high Meditations and sweet Contemplations of God which may arme against these Evils and procure the contrary Good Thus we see what are Requisites Antecedent 2. The Subsequent things that serve for a Conclusion are upon a double Supposition Suppose with such Dreames we are oppressed Suppose from such Dreames we are preserved If God does skare us with Dreames our duty is To find the true sence of them To make the right use of them That we may learn their lesson care is required In making Praier to God In asking Counsell of Men. 1. Inquire of God we see 2 Sam. 21. 1. That when the Lord afflicted Israell with yeares of famine David enquired of the Lord the cause and the Lord answered it is for Saul c. So when the Lord afflicts us with Nights of feares and Dreames of terror we should seek of God the cause what particular sinne hath most incensed God against us God skared Job with Dreames Job cries to God saying Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me Job 10. 2. 2. Consult with Men so did Nebuchadnezer when a Dreame had made him afraid and thoughts upon his bed had troubled him He entreats Daniel to tell him the interpretation thereof All the wise Men says the King to the Prophet are not able to make it known but thou art able for the Spirit of the holy God is in thee declare it therefore Dan. 4. 9 19. The practicall Use we are to make of dismaying Dreames is To cease Sinne To do Good 1. Strive all that we can to get clear of sinne so did Job God skaring with Dreames he cries to God saying I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of Men why dost not thou pardon my trangression and take away my iniquity Job 7. 20 21. The design of God in some such Dreames is to sever Men and their sinnes God speaks once yea twice yet men perceive it not In a Dreame in a vision of the Night when deep sleep falls upon men in slumbrings upon the bed then he opens the eares of Men and sealeth their instruction that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from Man and keep back his soul from the pit Job 33. 14 15 16 17. 2. We must set upon such things as are good when Nebuchadnezer had had his troublesome Dreame the Prophet thus applies himself O King let my counsell now be acceptable to thee break off thy sinnes by righteousness and thy iniquities by shewing mercy it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity Dan. 4. 27. Let us upon such Dreames do what we can for the profit of our selves and others Eliphaz one of Jobs freinds speaks of a Dreame himself had In thoughts from the visions of the Night when deep sleep falls
thy name O Lord in the night Psal 129. 55. In the intervals or spaces between sleep and sleep to have the heart with God to set our thoughts well a work when at times we wake Thus David Psa 65. 6. Lord I remember thee upon my bed and meditate upon thee in the night watches Thoughts good when awake bring good thoughts in our sleep 'T is a sweet thing to lye in the night and meditate upon the love of God and upon the Law of God A young Scholar asking a Jewish Doctor if he might not have time to learn the Greek Tongue he said if he would do it neither by day nor by night he might because day and night he was to meditate upon the law of God Psal 1. 2. And indeed such extended meditations are a mighty means to promote good Dreames Have we at any time such sweet Dreams Then our duty is To preserve them in our memories To improve them in our practice 1. In memory we must preserve them not forget good Dreames The Devill will endeavour to draw from us Dreames that are good What the souldiers falsly said of the buried Body of Christ Matth. 28. 13. His Disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept we may say safely of some blessed Dreames from Christ Satan came by night and stole it away while we slept Hence when we have been awake we have been to seek the matter hath been gone from us as Nebuchadnezzer said of his Dreame Dan. 2. 5. To maintaine the remembrance of good Dreames is our duty for which the best way is when awake Much to reflect upon them our selves Oft to repeat them unto others 1. We our selves should debate the businesse in our minds what Gods meaning should be consult the secrets of God therein and the good pleasure of God thereupon that we may well understand Gods drift in our Dreames What the understanding does most clearly discern the memory does most firmly retaine 2. We should relate things to others and consult with Gods Saints hereupon Thus to impart is to imprint and the way to drive Dreames in is so to draw them out When we keepe things from others we oft loose them our selves 2. In our practice we must improve what in our sleep we receive So as may be Both for the praise of God And for the profit of our selves 1. Hereupon we must put out our selves to give God the praise Thus did David I will blesse the Lord who hath given me counsell my reines also instruct me in the night seasons Psal 16. 7. He thankfully shewed forth in the morning what mercies he had met with in the night It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord to shew forth thy loving kindnesse in the morning and thy faithfulnesse in the night Psal 92. 1 2. So Solomon his sonne 1 King 3. 15. And Solomon awoke and behold it was a Dreame and he came to Jerusalem and stood before the Lord and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings c. Now if we would blesse God for such Dreames We must esteem highly of them We must rejoyce greatly in them Take a good Dreame as a great favour from God Then we heartily give God glory when we highly value his mercy We cannot but praise him if we prize his Be glad when a good Dream hath been O with what gladnesse did the Isralites gather up the Manna in the morning that fell from Heaven about their Tents in the night Exod. 16. With joy let us gather up the good Dreames God sent in the night The most joyfull heart is the best thankfull heart Lastly Let us improve such precious Dreames especially for our personall profit To quicken our obedience in day-duties To strengthen our expectance of day-mercies Hath God had good works in us when asleep Let us have good works for God when awake That good we Dreamt in the night let us deed it in the day draw it out inâ—acts to the utmost Neither let us doubt but he who hath been good in the night will be kind in the day O saies David The Lord will command his loving kindnesse in the day in the night his song is with me Psal 42. 8. or his song shall be with me This saying of the Psalmist Mollerus expounds as a certain continuing of Gods comfortable kindnesse in the night being begunne in the day So likewise an enlarging of Gods delightfull love in the day having found some sweet entrance thereof in the Night As we may argue from Gods daykindnesse to his night-comforts So upon the divine speculative comforts of the night we may expect Gods accomplished kindnesse in the day Indeed the Dreames of worldly men about worldly matters vanish and perish they do not find that comfort fulfilled in the day they fancied in the night See how the Prophet compareth some Isa 29. 6 7. As when an hungry man Dreameth and behold he eateth but he awaketh and his soule is empty or when a thirsty man Dreameth and behold he drinketh but when he is awake behold he is faint This place of the Prophet Calvin applies as to the Jews who were so drowned in security and carnall delights that they Dreamed of nothing but prosperity and peace but by and by a bloody Enemy cometh and dashing all in the dust leaves them desolate They found no such reall matter to meet them as they fondly imagined Diodate considers the place as to the Caldeans who coming against Jerusalem Dreamed of great satisfactions but the more they prospered in their successe the lesse they were satisfied in their pursuits All signifies men may Dreame of those earthly honours treasures pleasures which yet they never possesse whereas spirituall mercies that good men imagine in their sleep God may realize and make good when awake Let a gracious man Dreame of the matters of God converses with Christ priviledges of the Gospel after which his Soul pants with a holy hunger and heavenly thirst and afterward when awake God gives him that really which he did suppose in his sleep And after the Saints manner should we deale with God endeavouring to actuate that good in the day whereof we did cogitate in the night Yea let our day-deeds be better then our night-Dreames Nourish accomplish establish that Good when awake which was suggested in sleep And indeed good Dreams considered in such after duties we are undoubtedly concerned As to observe God in them So to improve them for God 1. To observe God in such Dreames by a due reflecting upon them and diligent looking back through them to find out the foot-steps of the all-wise and wonder-working God his goings and good doings in the darkest night and in our deepest sleep 2. To improve such Dreames for God and his praise by a present practising that good in the day whereunto God did guid in the night That every good Dreame which as good seed God sows or as
light of his love while we lie on our beds as to turne night into day as by the withdrawing the light of his love the brightest day is made like the darkest night We grant Gods usuall meanes for the discovery of mercy is by a Gospel-ministery his ordinary way is the word preached by the mouths of faithfull men I create the fruit of the lips peace peace Isai 57. 17. So that all people ought primarily and principally to wait hereupon and especially to expect God herein yet God may sometimes so speak in Dreames as manifesting to men much of his mercifull mind about matters the same Of this it is sure saies Luther all ought to beware they do not neglect Gospel-administrations to look for revelations by Dreames Though yet God in Dreams hath sometimes so revealed himself as hath been certainly and sensibly a singular mercy to the souls of some men 7. Object Dreames though thus they be good yet they may so break in as to make our sleep to be short Answer 1. To have sleep short may be best for our benefit there is a double sleep may do us much prejudice Unseasonable Immeasurable 1. Sleep unseasonvble some by such sleep turn day into night as some by their watchfulnesse make night to be day T is reeported of the primitive Chaistians in hearing Paul preach they watched till midnight Act. 20. 7. They saies Chrysostom watching till mid night condemned those who sleep till mid-day Yea sometime though the season be night it may be unseasonable to sleep as we may see by our Saviours censure of his Disciples Matth. 26. 40. When ever Christ calls to service then 't is out of season for his servants to sleep How sad is it with some who no further observe the Sabbatb-Day-Rest than by a lazy drowzy lying in bed But let not men look for good Dreames in bad sleeps 2. Sleep immeasurable may prejudice men in this matter How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep Yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep Prov. 6. 9 10. Some though they have had their severall long steps yet they must have their slumbers sleeps and slumbers in the plurall so Solomon reads the precited place Good men will not waste whole nights in long sleeps How oft did David interrupt his sleep and how well did his heart work by night Diodat observes upon Psal 143. 8. Cause me to heare thy loving kindnesse in the morning that I may know the way wherein I should walk That in the night time his prayer was to God for guidance in the day How did our deare Saviour passe whole nights in prayer Matth. 26. 44. Herein proposing a pattern for Christians at least in extraordinary occasions as some have concluded But O how even some Heathens condemn us Christians Alexander Caesar and severall others are said to divide the night into three parts whereof one only for sleep the other two for their studies and other necessary affaires As Tully professed he was not worthy the name of a man that spent a whole day in pleasure So is not he worthy the name of a Christian that spends the whole night in sleeping Upon such in their besotted sleeps God may rather send judgements then mercies Epimanondas a Theban captaine finding in the night a Sentinell asleep struck him through with his speare saying I leave thee as I found thee Aristotle in the night holding his Book in one hand is said in the other hand to hold a golden Ball over a brazen pan that sleeping the fall thereof might awake him Such will hardly Dreame what they should who sleep when they should not 2. Answer Short sleeps may be best for good Dreames In a long sleep may a heavenly Dreame dye and be buried so as never to rise or come up in remembrance but like Nebuchadnezzars Dreame be quite gone and forgotten But when a man suddenly awakes he the sooner reflects and re-views over what he thought in his sleep And all things thus received the Dreame is revived so that in the mind matters are more readily setled being more easily recalled By a long sleep after a good Dreame the foot-steps of God may be lost and little recoverable left 'T is good for Christians upon severall accounts to be sooner wakefull then sleepy Sleep saies the Philosopher is caused and encreased as cold and moist are more or lesse predominant in the braine And the more heat prevailes in the heart the more apt is man to awake Is it not our coldnesse in the cause of God that makes us so exceedingly sleepy Had we more holy heate in our hearts we should be the more quickly awake to mind God in his work 3. Answer But yet a good Dreame may not make mans sleep to be short Upon this the Lord may dilate sleep not letting man to awake till his work be done God may prolong the sleep of a good man to take in the more of his mind What a long sleep had Solomon because therein God had much to say by a Dreame 1 King 3. from the 5 to the 15. ver 8. Object Sleep is appointed for our rest and necessary refreshment but Dreames though good may much disturb and trouble our sleep c. Answer To this I shall speak in a double way By concession By negation Concession 1. We will grant with Authors of all sorts that rest is requisite and that the sleep of the night is for the refreshment of nature Cicero reports of Cn. Aufidius that he was wont to say We might think sleep to be given us against nature it so deprives us of our senshs c. but that we sensibly find our selves thereby sweetly refreshed as with a medicinable cordiall 2. We may grant some divine Dreames do disturb sleep and may molest the mind and interrupt mens rest as precited Scriptures report Gen. 15. 12. Dan. 7 8 10 Chap. Yet be it so 't is better in sleep to be somewhat troubled with molesting Dreames from God then sinnefully tickled with enticing and seducing Dreames from the Devill The Devill may make a mans Dreames to be like Lots Daughters that in the night gave him wine to drink but drew him to sinnefull and sad evils so Satan may to the mind of a sleeping man administer much pleasant matters but the most disturbing Dreams from God be abundantly better 2. Negation Dreames from God may make the heart glad refresh the mind and make sleep sweet to the whole man and behold my sleep was sweet unto me saies the Prophet having had a Dreame from God of the Churches happy estate in the world Jer. 31. 26. Thou shalt lye down and thy sleep shall be sweet Prov. 3. 24. This is fulfilled in that comfortable converse God hath with the soules of his Saints in their sleep Wicked men who have
stood up stoutly in the day God hath tumbled and overturned with terrours in the night Job 34. Chap. 25. Ver. On the other side some of Gods Saints who have been down in the deeps of sorrows all day the Lord hath lifted them up by heart-gladding-comforts in the night And God spake to Israel in a Dreame by night saying Jacob Jacob I am God the God of thy father Feare not to goe down into Egypt I will go with thee and I will bring thee up again Gen. 46. 2 3. Much to this purpose see that great Apostle There stood by me this night the Angell of God whose I am and whom I serve saying feare not Paul be of good cheere God hath given thee all that saile with thee Acts 27. 26. O the heart-ravishing cups of comfort that God sometimes brings down for his Saints to drink in in the dark yea O how sometimes by soul-solacing Dreames are their hearts drawn up into Heaven Luther speaking of the Soul of a Saint separated from the body by death saies That it sleeps not but is ever awake walks in Heaven heares the language of Angels sees the visions of God c. The same in some measure may be said of such a Soul while united to the body in this life It sleeps not but being ever awake it even in the night-season ascends up into Heaven and sees the face of God and sings the praises of Christ So that we may say of a Saints sleep in this case as Austin once said of Stevens sleep martyred among the stones O sleep of peace how pleasant and full of delight Quest May not the Devils deluding Dreames have many delighting joys Answ Suppose so yet the joys of Divine Dreames are farre differing and may be discerned by Antecedent preparations Consequent inclinations 1. Before a Christian is penitentially prepared by afflictings of Soul and affrightings for sinne deep humblings and day-tremblings under sense of Gods wrath c. then by night God may represent to the mind his marvellous mercies in the Covenant of grace his favour upon the account of Christ pardon of sinne to the singular joy of the Soul 2. After a Christian is graciously enclined his spirit disposed to the advancing of God the abasing himself the opposing of sin the pursuing holiness of life and the like Such joys in Dreames are more then Dreames of joy One well observeth That all the Devils pleasing power it 's placed in deluding lies He delights to delude and he deludes in his delights He rejoyces to deceive men and he deceives men in their rejoycings Their joys in Dreams be but Dreames of joy They seem to solace but they do not solace as they seem Be such delusive joys examined by things before or after they may be found very vain as in the causes so in their essects whereas the virtuous vigour of true joys that are in and through Dreames Divine we may soon discern as by their good causes so by their excellent effects viz. They engage to truth They enlarge our strength 1. To truth our hearts are hereby engaged obliged more bent and bound to truth-embracements Such a Byas set upon our souls as may carry us the more strait on in obedience to the strictâ—st truths contained in holy Scriptures Yea we are taught not only to retain the truth but to rejoyce in the truth through the truth of joy Whereas false joys that proceed in and through delusive Dreames leave mens minds loose for the letting in most lamentable errors So that the saving truths of God in the Gospel are the sooner very sadly deserted 2. In strength our hearts are hereby enlarged encreased Nehem. 8. 10. The joy of the Lord is our strength Such joys as God sends in sleeping or wakeing they strengthen with much spirial might our inward man making us the more apt and able to the holiest duties and for the heaviest difficulties that may severall waies be set before us Whereas false joys from Dreames delusive do rather debilitate enfeeble and weaken mans soul as to hard service or suffering Thus rightly to discriminate these is a lesson very well worth our learning Yea and let us learn likewise not only how to perceive and discern but how to reeive and maintain not only Dreames reall and truly right for delights but also the most rare and ravishing Dreams that can come from Heaven upon our hearts For the more constant compassing of such high night-comforts we ought through our whole daily walkings To beware To be wise 1. Beware of walking from the setled counsels of God Take heed of turning aside to seek uncertain waies to look for new Revelations and so forsake the antient Tracts and leave the long beaten paths of Bible-truths least we not only prevent from our selves such caelestial sweets but on the contrary procure to our selves the sowrest draughts that our minds can drink day or night May not we concurre with Cassian and confidently conclude That those Christians who during the clear day do deviate from Gods wonted waies from Christs the Kings known rode in his Word paved with Propheticall flints and Apostolicall stones and made plain by the footsteps of all the foregoing Saints yea and the Lord himself to seek out unknown waies and to wander into briery and bushy paths may look to lie down at night with legs all scratched garments torn with souls full of sores such wounds and wofull stings as will not well suffer them to sleep Excuse me good Christians if again and again I give this Caution lest men make a wrong Use of this requisite Subject in our monstrously mistaking season 2. Be wise to walk in the most certain comforts of God We may find that this is without doubt our daily duty not only to walk in the fear of the Lord but likewise to walk in the comforts of the Holy Ghost Acts 9. 31. This for pious persons is possible though indeed so difficult that with Bernard the best may say Such soul-solacing daies and houres are very rare and sweet though very seldome and short Yet without question good care might carry us in and keep us to farre more continued waies of comfort than in which commonly Christians are found Were we so exact as we ought might not we make even our extraordinary comforts our much more ordinary Walks Sure we are not only to take some steps into spiritual comforts but we are to take up our daily walks in the comforts of the Spirit And if we thus walk into these comforts while awake what walks may such comforts have into us when asleep If we in our more constant course could converse with God by the most rejoycing thoughts in the day would not God have a more frequent converse with us by most refreshing Dreames from Heaven in the night Did but we afore-hand accustom our selves to be with rejoycings of soul in the service of the Lord how afterward
to be also great through that filthiness which he sets forward in the night and those defilements he fastens upon man in his sleep We read of Edward the first who being wounded with a poisoned knife the Lady Elnor his wife while he lay asleep suckt out the poison to preserve his life But the Devil that Abaddon Apollyon that he may destroy while men lie asleep he casts in poison and so pollutes and defiles he seeks in sleep to slay by conveying venemous and vitious Dreames He comes like the Harlot Prov. 7. 9. In the black and dark night saying Let us take our fill of love Poor man follows straight way as a fool to the correction of the stocks as an Ox to the slaughter and as a Bird to the snare The Devil knows he may be interrupted in the day and therefore will not lose the night time 'T is true of Satan which is said of Gideon What he could not do by day that he did by night Judg. 6. 27. Jericho which could not be conquered by day yet was taken by the ambushments laid and assaults made in the night Josh 8. 6 7. Satan is sedulous in his sinfull assaults upon men As in every Place So at every time 1. No place is free He meets man at the Church and at his chamber and is busie about him both at his board and at his bed 2. No time is free If at any time held from sinfull imployment it seems as his punishment Stops in his temptations are his vexations he accounts restraining his destroying Art thou come to destroy us say the devils to Christ when they were cast out of man Mark 1. What is this saith Theophylact to destroy us this is to restrain his temptations from man At all times he loves liberty herein Yet then he is most stirring When man is most still At such times when man moves least then the Devil moves most As when idle in the day And when asleep in the night 1. Idle in the day It hath been ever observed when the Devil finds a man idle he fills him with his foulest temptations cogitations then he immits imaginations the worst and most wicked 2. Asleep in the night O that is a notable time for his temptations to take now a sinfull man lies fit for his motions Indeed day and night the Devils diligence is great As he observes men disposed in the day so he suits his motions at night And if as the Prince of darkness he can command the night he looks as Lucifer to carry the day I shall conclude what relates to Satan onely observing that of Luther who speaking his judgment de Incubis Succubis says That 't is not to be denied but certainly to be beleeved that Satan can ludificari in lecto c. and may permitted of God take upon him such species forms and shapes and so subtilly he may convey himself in time of sleep as to make the phantasies of sinfull men imagin most sordid matters and so says Luther Austin and other men of good repute do assert the same viz. That Satan so cunningly can in such wicked ways and manners deceive the senses of sleeping men as to fall under most defiling Dreames This who will doubt that well considers says he how 't is certain Satan can deceive even waking men in other sorts and parts viz. More Externall and Corporeall More Internall and Intellectuall 1. Parts more corporeall as the more outward senses the eyes and the ears of men even when awake Satan may subtilly make them imagin they hear such sounds and see such sights as indeed they do not 2. Parts incorporeall and intellectuall even such as lie more inward and upward the superiour powers of the soul as the understanding and reason even in mens waking-time Satan can also deceive c. So that we may soon beleeve the lower and inferiour faculties the sensitive carnal and more gross parts may in delusive Dreames be polluted Thus Luther Lastly In relation to God a man may learn very much Both from these Dreames towards him And from himself towards these Dreames Severall things that concern God are considerable hence As the Might of his Power And the Mercy of his Patience 1. Much of Gods power appears as respecting such Dreames In pardoning things that be so bad In preventing things they be no worse 1. Great is Gods pardoning power else were it not possible that such pollutions should have their remissions as yet is manifest they may in that upon repentance God promises pardon to sinnes of all sorts and sizes Isa 55. 7. Jer. 31. 34. Jam. 5. 15. 1 Joh. 1. 9. After this black sinne God may give a white stone Rev. 2. 17. 2. Gods preventing power how mighty is manifest in bounding the Devill in limiting lusts and not letting this Leprosie spread keeping it wholly off in some and causing a comfortable cure in others Our Saviour expressed a work of wonderfull power in healing the woman diseased with a running issue of blood twelve years Matth. 9. 20. 2. Exceeding much of Gods marvellous patience may appear as respecting such Dreames and filthy Dreamers Commonly such men may finde that concerning such Dreames they do Much disposing to them Nothing opposing against them 1. Dispose themselves much to them they do as deeply provoking of God pleasing their lusts and displeasing the Lord. Young years oft paddle and puddle themselves in such pits watering the Devils plants and being wanton in evil on the earth Jam. 5. 5. nourishing their hearts in naughtiness and nourishing naughtiness in their hearts looking on such objects hearing such stories reading Pamphlets with pampering diet as dispose 2. Oppose themselves against such Dreames they do not for which non-performance they are found offensive to God yet God is patient though provoked in that these Dreamers do nothing Before for preventing or After in repenting 1. Before Nothing they are found doing to prevent such Dreames Either in Watching Or in Prayer 1. Watch they do not A good Christian indeed sets his soul to watch while his body sleeps Like the Prophet Isa 21. 8. who cried a Lion my Lord I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day time and I am set in my ward whole nights But with these no Lion is feared no night-warding or watching performed their whole man lies asleep when these night-fires fearfully burn and break out 2. Pray they do not Indeed a godly man cries upon this account against such a sleep of sinne as David against the sleep of death Consider and hear me O Lord my God lighten my eyes lest that I sleep the sleep of death and mine enemies say I have prevailed against him Psal 13. 3. That the Devil prevailing may not triumph such a one rather desires to sleep in the dust of the earth than in the lusts of his heart And desires while he lives that rather
are aware of at present 1 Thes 5. 10. Christ died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him If it relates to sleep before mentioned the Apostle speaks of a double viz. A sleep of the Soul in security Let not us sleep as do others ver 6. A sleep of the body for necessity They that sleep sleep in the night ver 7. Now that in the 10. ver cannot be meant of the Soul sleeping in sinfull security For therein is no living with Christ if intended of the body in it's naturall and necessary sleeping then through holy Dreames a man lives with Christ A godly man whether he wakes in the day or sleeps in the night by the thoughts of his mind he meets Christ remaines with Christ Christ and he hath sweet intercourse together O what sweet converse hath the Soule with it's Saviour in the solitudes of the night If thou wouldst solace thy self saies Bernard with thy Saviour mind much the most solitary times oâ—â—â—tirements Oh chast and lovely Soul be thou alone thy Heavenly husband who will not croud into thee in the day through the throng of worldly company and earthly imployments may yet give thee gracious visits in the night when the curtaines are drawn the doore lockt and all the world shut out then may he come and finding thee alone there give thee his loves Cant. 7. 11 12. All men saies an obscure Writer while they are awake are together in one common world but when they sleep each man goes into a single world by himself A Saint of God in his sleep goes into a glorious world where he finds comfortable company converses with Angels Apostles Martyrs and holy men Thus God makes good that promise Prov. 3. 24. When thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid That 's not all Yea thou shalt lye down and thy sleep shall be sweet in sleep not onely free from what affrights but filled with what refreshes Thus the Prophet when he had Dreamt of the Churches happy estate Upon this saies he I awaked and beheld and my sleep was sweet unto 〈…〉 Jerem. 31. 26. O how have the â—â—â—forts of God and the God of comforts in time of sleep been sweetly received A Persian Monarch Dreaming that Themistoles the Athenian a man of rare parts was revolted from the Grecians and come in to him being transported with joy he broke out with a loud voice in his sleep I have got Themistocles the Athenian He is mine He is mine wherewith he awaked and so it was Thus a poor Christian who having been for divers dayes in doubts and deep distresse for want of Christ in whom are hid the treasures of wisdom and knowledg the Lord at length hath come in a Dreame by night which â—â—th made his soul to sing leap saying Christ my Redeemer is come is come I have him I have him which proves more then a Dream Credibly have I heard it reported of a Christian man that lived in Dublin in Ireland who Dreaming he heard the last trumpet sound and that the world was at an end with joy leaped out of his bed and runne out inthe streets saying My Christ is come my Christ is come This I can report of a precious Minister a little before his death slumbering upon his bed in the night and falling into Meditations of the Resurrection at the last day when both body and soul should abide for ever in blisse started up and was ready to rise out of bed being askt what he meant answered Let me go to the pulpit and impart to the people the sweet comforts I have had in my soul this night O that these things might quicken and cause us to seek such Dreames from God From God that such Dreames may be procured preparation for them is to be made First in the day Secondly in the Night Whilest the day lasteth if we woulâ— prepare for good Dreames we must endevour To do much good To do all good well 1. Much good work we must endeavour in the day to do A dreame comes through the multitude of businesse saies Solomon Eccles 5. 3. He that goes through a multitude of worldly businesse in the day is apt to Dreame of worldly things in the night and in the night he is apt to Dreame of things holy and good who is busie about abundance of good in the day Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. 2. All good work we must endeavour to do well if thereby we would make way for good Dreames to follow We must set our selves in holy and religious duties To do them With strong desires With great delights To do them With hearts fired With hearts fixed We ought to stirre up and put out our selves about holy service so as to take pains thereat and pleasure therein with minds wholly bent thereupon to make the managments of holy matters our meat My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work John 4. 39. yea to esteem the work of God as Job did the word of God more then our appointed food chap. 23. 12. These day-duties to good Dreames are very dispositive and when night is then towards such Dreames there be duties preparative Both at the entrance of the night And in the progresse of the night 1. When Night is begun and we are to lye down in our beds our businesse as introducting to Dreames divine is Prayer to God Prayer as it beats off the Devill that he cannot assault us with Dreames that are bad So it brings on God graciously to visit us with Dreams that are good As we must pray for good sleep in the night So we must pray for good Dreames in our sleep reading the Scripture Hierom exhorted some godly women to whom he wrote to take the Bible to bed and to hold it reading in their hands till they bowed down their heads with sleep so as their lips and the leaves met 'T is to good Dreames a great help Instructing our families and speaking to them about us of the great works and good word of God which we are to relate when we lye down Deut. 11. 18 19. And the same Prov. 6. 21 22. All such means much conduce to Dreames that are good 2. When night goes on and in our beds we are laid to lift up our hearts unto God in holy meditations Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still Psal 4. 4. The bed is not barely for body-sleeping but for heart-communing and soul-searching Psal 77. 6. In the night saies David I communed with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search David took advantage of the night to looke more narrowly into his own heart to sweep his house In the night likewise to look up in a holy remembrance of God I have remembred