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

If restricting our present attention to these dreams, which are recorded in profane history, we examine their character and pretension, with reference to the distinction laid down in the preceding chapter, we find ourselves necessarily involved in the question whether we may consider it as a part of God's general moral government to furnish mankind with dreams predictive of future events, or whether we are to regard prophetic dreams as reserved in the exclusive service of Revelation, by the testimony of its claims, and for the communication of its instruction.

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

The dreams recorded by profane writers, ancient as well as modern, are, as to their general character, so wild and indeterminate, and so seldom capable of any exact and appropriate interpretation, in consistency with those convictions which we derive from Revelation, that there are few accounts which have the slightest pretensions to be considered as tending to establish the idea of there being any thing prophetic in ordinary dreams, or of their having resulted from divine suggestion; and no relation as to inspiration can be received as having an unquestionable claim to acceptance, excepting those which are furnished in the Scriptures, and which respect dreams connected with the great scheme of Revelation.

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

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

One of this description was much celebrated among the Stoics. Simonides, of whom other wonderful stories are related, having, we are told, performed the friendly office of sepulture to a dead body which he had found on a coast to which he had sailed, was admonished in a dream by the object of his pious care, not to depart the next day, in deference fo which admonition he remained on shore, while those who sailed were wrecked in his sight. The poet, it is said, in grateful remembrance of his escape, afterwards composed a poem as a lasting monument of praise to his benefactor *.

The other which is related by Cicero served a purpose equally worthy of the interference of a superior power. It represents two Arcadian friends travelling together to have arrived at Megara, one of whom took up his abode at an inn, the other at a friend's house. The latter in his first sleep appeared to behold his friend entreating assistance against his host, who was preparing to murder him; in his alarm he startled up, but on reflection thinking that the dream did not merit attention, he composed himself, till his friend again appeared, requiring, that since he had not experienced any succour while living, his death might not remain unrevenged; informing his fellow traveller, that he had been murdered, and that his body had been thrown into a cart and covered with dung, and directing him to go in the morning to the gate of the city. On obeying the instruction, the friend met a carter, who, when interrogated, fled in terror; the body was discovered in a cart, and the innkeeper brought to justice *.

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

Both of these dreams had certainly a beneficial and sufficient purpose to answer, and if we could consider inspired dreams as constituting a part of the general system of God's moral government, they might be received as of divine suggestion.

But there are so few of this character, that they will not authorize any general conclusion of inspiration, and indeed they may be accounted for on other grounds. The former of the dreams here mentioned might have been accidental. It was not miraculous that Simo-nides, exulting in the performance of an office of consideration, to which great merit was attached in ancient times, should in his sleep contemplate the person whom he had buried solicitous for his safety; and on the eve of departure on a perilous voyage, fancy that he admonished him not to sail in a vessel which eventually was wrecked.

*Cicero De Divin. L. ii. §. 68. Diod. Sic. L. xvii. P. 575.

The latter appears to have been too precise for any casual coincidence between the dream and the event, but the authority on which it is related does not preclude scepticism; there is among men a disposition to marvellous tales; what fiction will invent, credulity will receive, and exaggeration magnify; the story was, perhaps, at first fabricated, and then copied from writer to writer ; no period or names are assigned to the relation. It seems not to have produced any conviction on Cicero, who re-cords it among other accounts, as casual.