Psal. lxxxix. 19. 1 Kings iii. 5.13.

* Gen. xv. 13.16.

† Gen. xlvi. 24. See also 1 Sam. iii. 1 Kings iii. 5. Lute i. 8. 22. Acts x. 12.

Examples of the fourth and fifth description, as unconnected with any design or pretence of revelation, must be sought for in the perturbed slumbers of anxiety, or in the reveries of a confused and dozing imagination.

There are certainly dreams mentioned in Scripture of so ambiguous a character, that it would be a subject of intricate discussion to reduce them to any exact distinction: this indeed is not necessary, the communications afforded to the prophets, and consigned to the regard of future ages, in Scripture, whether dreams, or visions, or oracles; whether figuratively or literally prophetic, were unquestionably inspired, and subservient to divine revelation, they had the criterion of truth as tending to advance the service of the true God, and the real interests of men, though opposed by those of false prophets whom God permitted to prove the Israelites *; whether by dreams inspiration. The "nations which thou shalt possess," said the Almighty, "hearkened unto observers of times and diviners, but as for thee the Lord thy God has not suffered thee to do so *;" and when God forewarned them against those who prophesied lies, he established the tendency of the instruction as the test of truth.

* Deut, xiii. 1 - 3. Zeeh. x. 3. Jerem. xxiii. 25 - 28* preiernaturally suggested, or casually predictive, does not appear; and who prophesied also false dreams, causing the people to err by their lies and by their lightness, not sent by God, nor commanded by him *.

The first and immediate predictions of the true prophets were often accomplished during the lives of those to whom they were furnished, and such parts were usually so clear, and accompanied with such explanations, as enabled the prophet to understand them, and to interpret them if furnished to uninspired persons, while the distant allusions by which they gilded the remoter scenes of the divine scheme were often, perhaps, of questionable character to -the prophets themselves.

Great caution was recommended by God to his people in the examination of the pretensions of the prophets and dreamers who affected

* Isaiah xxiii. 32.

If we consider the object and intention of the dreams recorded in sacred history, they appear to ns worthy of, and consistent with the declared designs of God, connected with the plan of his miraculous dispensation, and constituting part of the great scheme of prophecy. Where they were imparted to those not in immediate subjection to that dispensation which was ratified by miraculous testimonies, they still were appropriated to the signalizing of God's professed cause and servants, by the interpretation of the prophets, and bore often a reference to the Messiah.

* Deut. xviii. 11.

This appears in the memorable instances of the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar, the first of which, as explained by Daniel, developed the character of successive kingdoms which were to be introdoctive to the dominion of Christ *; and the second revealed a signal decree of a corrective judgment against an unrighteous and inflated prince, which none but a prophet, emboldened by an inspired confidence, would have ventured to interpret and apply †: on other occasions the dreams imparted to the individual bore a reference to national dispensation. God on those occasions condescended to employ true visions to the discountenancing of those who trusted in false dreams, as in Egypt he permitted Moses to defeat the Egyptian magicians by their own arts.

There are some accounts in Scripture which have been considered as descriptive of visionary representations, but which should perhaps rather be understood as narrative of actual events, such are some of those which relate to the appearance of superior beings, as where angels are recorded to have visited or encountered favoured persons for encouragement or trial, as in some of the appearances vouchsafed to Abraham and Lot and others *, and particularly in the instance of God's host which met Jacob, or in that of the man wrestling with him; in which accounts there is no intimation that the scene was not real, and in the latter instance the proofs of a real agency were sensibly demonstrated in the disjointing, of Jacob's thigh †.

* Dan. ii. 4.

† Dan. iv.

Some Jewish writers, indeed, who restrict the modes of divine communication with design to elevate the pretensions of Moses to an exclusive height, consider all communications which were wot imparted to their great Lawgiver as referring to representations in dreams, or visions * ; though the Scriptures in no place will authorize such restrictions, and in many instances afford us proof to the contrary †.

* Gen. xvii. 22. xvi. 19. xviii. 22. Joshua v. 13-15. Jud. vi. xiii. Job xxxviii.

† Gen. xxxii See also iii. 8. xix. 5. Acts xii. 9.

There are some accounts also of dreams represented to have contributed to establish the fame of the Hebrew dispensations, which are not recorded by sacred writers, and which may be received, or rejected, without affecting the theory which we support. Such, for in- stance, is the dream related by Josephus to have occurred to Alexander at Dio, in Macedonia, in which a figure habited like the high priest of the Jews, encouraged him to proceed in his Persian expedition with assurance of success; in consequence of which, on meeting the high priest Jaddua on his approach with hostile intentions to Jerusalem, he adored the name of Jehovah inscribed on the sacred mitre,123 declaring the dream which he had beheld, and not only pardoned the Jews for having with-holden the assistance which he had requested at the siege of Tyre, but granted great privi-leges to them *,

* Numbers xii. 6. 2 Sam. vii. 4 - 17. Maimon. More Nevoch. P. 2. C. 41. † 2 Sam. xxviii. 6. 15.

This might have been a fiction of Hebrew vanity, or an artful stratagem of Alexander, who must have heard of the wonderful marks of divine interference manifested towards the Jems, and have been anxious to animate his soldiers with a religious confidence.

The -remembrance of the inspired dreams which had conveyed divide instruction to their forefathers, led the Jews to entertaip a super-fititious reverence for dreams long after miraculous modes of revelation had ceased among them- Whoever had a dream which seemed to portend calamities,, and afflicted his mind, imposed a fast on himself on the following day, even though it were the Sahbath, on which day fasting was not permitted for any other cause. In the evening, before the taking of any food, after the period of fasting wss expired, it was customary among them, for the person to whom the dream was imparted, to assemble three friends, to whom he said, "I have had a good dream," repeating this seven times, they as often answering, "Thou hast had a good dream, it is well, be it good. Let it become good, may the merciful God make it good, that it may be good and become good;" adding afterwards, for an auspicious omen, from the twelfth verse of the thirtieth Psalm, "To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever:" and from the thirtieth verse of the thirty-first chapter of Jeremiah, "Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together, for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow;" and concluding with the seventh verse of the Book of Ecclesiastes, "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works." This they call the benefaction of a dream.

*Josph. Antiy. L. xi O.B.

If they had a dream of ambiguous'character, so that they could not determine whether it were good or bad, they had a peculiar form of prayer in which they prayed God to turn it to their good; these forms are in their Books of Prayer *.

* Buxtorf. Synagoga Judaica. C. 13.