It cannot be that when such providence appears io lesser concerns* it should be found wanting in those, of chief consideration, but the prophecies and cores of diseases which have been manifested in the. world proceed from the good providence of God. - Sallust. Philosoph. de Diis et Mundo, etc. p. 70.

As it appears to have been designed that the second dispensation should not be defective as to any proofs which might demonstrate its divine authority, inspired dreams, such as those which had been imparted in preceding communications of God's will, were furnished in testimony of the Gospel, and are described as, the effect of the operation of the Spirit. The gracious scheme was introduced indeed by divine dreams, which afforded an assurance of the miraculous conception of our Lord *, and the birth of his forerunner †, and it was afterwards supported by a. frequent display of God's interference manifested in vision ‡.

These were consistent with the intimations of prophecy: Joel speaking of the times of the Gospel, had thus predicted in God's name, "Behold it shall come to pass afterward, that I 'will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions, and also upon the servants and the hand maids, in those days will I pour out my Spirit §; and this appears to have been sufficiently fulfilled, as well by the instructions conveyed in dreams to St. Peter, St. Paul *, and others, as by the miraculous descent and influence of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

* Matt. i. 20.

† Luke i. 11 - 22.

‡ Matt. ii. 12. 19. xiviu 19.

§ Joel ii 28. 29. comp. with Acts ii 16,17.

It deserves to be remarked, that the dreams mentioned in Scripture, which were, subservient to prophetic revelation, were of the moat part composed of objects previously familiar to the minds of the favoured person, though so com-bined as to be representative of future events. As in the instance of the vision imparted to Peter, in which he beheld a vessel descending unto him, wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts.

and creeping things, and fowls of the air †. Some, however, presented spiritual beings, of which the human apprehension could have no experimental knowledge but by divine revela-tion, and some, scenes of unspeakable glory, which though the mind might be permitted to contemplate them in miraculous extasy, when doubtful whether in the body or out of the body, yet could not be described in human language, or made intelligible to human con-ceptions in the ordinary state of corporeal existence *.

*Acts ix. 10. xt. 5. xvi. 10. xviii 9. 2 Cor. xii: 1 - 3. See also Matt, xxvii. 19.

† Acts x. 10 - 16.

* 2 Cor. xii. 1 - 4.