Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	day_n	die_v	eat_v	5,786	5	6.8715	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85424	The mystery of dreames, historically discoursed; or A treatise; wherein is clearly discovered, the secret yet certain good or evil, the inconsidered and yet assured truth or falsity, virtue or vanity, misery or mercy, of mens differing dreames. Their distinguishing characters: the divers cases, causes, concomitants, consequences, concerning mens inmost thoughts while asleep. With severall considerable questions, objections, and answers contained therein: and other profitable truths appertaining thereunto. Are from pertinent texts plainly and fully unfolded. / By Philip Goodwin preacher of the Gospel at Watford in Hartfordshire.	Goodwin, Philip, d. 1699.	1658 (1658)	Wing G1217; Thomason E1576_1; ESTC R200931	188,817	455

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 fr●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-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 f●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

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 Caut●●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

weakened and wasted disturbed and destroyed and the wheeles of the whole man put out of order Indeed 't is a wonder they can sleep quietly miseries being many present and approaching poor wretches under Gods wrath a sad sentence of death damned already every day in danger of a dreadfull arrest for desperate Debts they are not able to pay they lie on their beds as Damocles sate in his chamber a naked sword hangs over their heads The stone crying out of the wall and the beame out of the timber answering it Sinne lies at the door the Devil dwells in the house hell fire ready to burn them in their beds yet they sleep 'T is securitie in them yet clemency in God that does not let loose affrighting Devils in skaring Dreames 2. Sanctified Men are much engaged to God for his speciall providence in their peaceable sleepes considering the deep dangers they may imagine themselves in on every side from desperate enemies of all sorts Both Devils Wicked Men. 1. Devils that wait Day and Night to do them harme did not God set His Angels to keep corpse-du-guard and to encamp about their beds how oft would the Devil beat up their quarters and surprize them with terrors But through God He cannot affright as he attempts He cannot effect as he affrights 1. Affright he cannot so oft as he attempts he cannot cast in so many terrors as he makes trials What Pliny reports of the Scorpion is true of Satan he is continually putting out his sting when yet often he cannot reach the souls of Gods Saints so as to fasten one fear 2. Effect he cannot so oft as he affrights he skares them with that in the Night which he cannot accomplish in the Day when he strikes them with Dreames he would strike them with death they should throughly feel the evils they fear he cannot by rending inflict though he does by roaring affright Indeed the Devil says Bernard is a roaring Lion but I thank the great Lion of the Tribe of Judah he roares but he cannot rend but how much thanks is due to the Lord who sometimes so stops this Lions mouth that he can neither rend nor roare not being able with the least fear to molest good Men. 2. Wicked Men may occasion Saints skares and feares and did not God prevent thoughts of their monstrous malice their cursed cruell wrath rage and fury would cause affrighting Dreames Some of the Papists report of their S t Dominick the Father of the Dominicans how when his Mother was with child of him she dreamed that she brought forth a wolf with a fire-brand in his mouth and such a manner of person he afterwards proved Wicked Men are like wolves with fire-brands in their mouthes or like Lions breathing fire against the best of men My soul is among Lions I lie among them that are set on fire c. Psal 57. 4. And would not such a lodging bring in skaring Dreames but that against them God is good through whose kindness we sleep secure Lord how are they encreased that trouble me many are they that rise up against me I laid me down and slept for the Lord sustained me Psal 3. 1 2. Yea Devils and men set aside do not we to such Dreames dispose our selves opening the doore to feares in sleep by needless feares when we are awake even awake we oft trouble our mindes with meer imaginary matters which might make our minds to imagine strange things in sleep how justly might God punish us with Night-sorrows for not regarding our day-comforts The Eternall God would saith Austin shine as a bright Sunne into thy soul and thou darkenest all with Clouds of thine own creating thou hangest thy bed-chamber with blacks and when thou mightest be secure thou troublest thine own head and heart with cares and feares How good is God who doth not leave us in our sleeping-times to troublesome Dreames That Dreame-dismayments do not amaze our mindes 't is mercy To God be glory for ever and ever Amen VI. Of Profitable and Instructing DREAMES Matth. 2. 12. And they being warned of God in a Dreame that they should not return to Herod departed into their own Countrey another way IN the former having finished what referrs to Dreames wherein God afflicts I proceed to such Dreames whereby God instructs For an Instance of this sort we may observe the Dream in the Text. And they being warned of God in a Dreame that they should not return to Herod they departed into their own Countrey another way Concerning this Dreame as here the Holy Evangelist sets forth Four things are considerable 1. The Subjects of it 2. The Substance of it 3. The Receits of it 4. The Effects of it 1. For the Subjects or the men into whose minds God sent this Dreame I shall only demonstrate them by three remarkable Things 1. The Knowledg they h●d 2. The Voyage they made 3. The Homage they did 1. Knowledg they had Hence they were called Wise men In the days of Herod the King behold there came wise men ver 1. Their wisdome understanding or knowledg is three wayes discoverable 1. By the Measure of it 2. By the Matter of it 3. By the Meanes of it 1. The Measure of their Knowledg and Wisdome was great which gained them this name of Wise Men. Magi 'tis as Pareus reports a Persian word importing men so expert in prudence as they were prompt and fit to be chief Counsellours unto Kings and out of which for their wisdome-sake some were chosen to be Kings and such were these wise men in the account of Cyprian and severall others 2. The Matter of their Knowledge was good Not onely had they Humane Learning in the sciences of the World as in Mathematicall and Astronomicall Knowledg so Calvin concludes they did excell but also some Learning in matters Divine endowed with some Metaphysicall and Theologicall Knowledg as relating to God and Christ his Sonne to come into the World Wise men among the Gentiles had some such knowledge as concerned Christ So Cyrill and severall assert 3. The meanes of their knowledg as to this part of principles appertaining to God and Christ his Sonne to be sent into the World They might acquire much by their industrious reading and diligent studying such helps as they had of ancient Prophesies as Plato did by the Books of Moses or God might inspire this irradiating their minds with such divine Beames as Balaam that Gentile Prophet God made him see much concerning Christ Numb 14. 2. Concerning the voyage which these wise men made manifesting some knowledg of Christ they had as may more appeare if we ponder The reach of it The rise to it The reason for it 1. The reach of their voyage or the extent of their journey it was from the Eastern parts as Persia to the land of Judaea and therein to Jerusalem the Metropolis thereof Wise men

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

death as some have asserted considering himself should be thereby destroyed but the Dreame was Divine to withdraw Pilate from his sentence or to aggravate his sin O saies shee Have thou nothing to do against that just man for I have suffered many things in a Dream because of him In such Dreames sinfull men are meerly passive when others are active Dreams that have entered into gratious hearts with pleasure and delight have come into carnall hearts with trouble and pain they have taken such impressions as oppressions Now lastly The reasons for which good Dreames have been given in of God Why to naturall and sinfull men Why to regenerate and sanctified men First Into the minds of sinfull men God hath sent in such Dreames In relation unto others In relation unto themselves 1. 'T is certain God hath sometimes come unto bad men by Dreames for others sakes To restrain them from doing evill against others To encline them towards others to do them good When Laban pursued Jacob and purposed at least to plunder him of all he had Gen. 31. 24. God came to Laban the Syrian by night in a Dreame saying Take heed thou speak not to Jacob either good or evill This so bound up Laban that when he overtook Jacob he did him no hurt but shewed kindnesse to him made a covenant of peace with him and departed from him blessing him and his ver 55. 'T is written of Alexander the Jewes having denied him some help he was so enraged against them that he resolved to ruine them and accordingly with his conquering Army going against Jerusalem Jaddus the High Priest hearing thereof put on his Priestly attire met him in the way whom when Alexander saw he fell off his Horse and offered him peace telling his Nobles that God in a Dreame had shewe'd him the same Man so attired the Night before and so he departed with some expressions of bravery and bounty in obedience to that vision 2. 'T is sure God hath also come to Men bad by Dreames for their own sakes To prevent their sinnesull evil To promote their saving good When Abimelech King of Gerar had sent and took Sarah who was reported to him to be Abrahams sister into his house God admonished him by Night in a Dreame to forbear to take her to wife and to restore her unto Abraham whose wife she was Gen. 20. 2 3 6 7. Thus did the King escape that sad sinne of Adultery And thus hath God sought the salvation of the soules of some That Dream which Pilate's wife had the intent of it was not to deliver Christ from the death of the Cross for that was according to the determinate Counsell of God but as Theophlyact conceives it was to save the womans soul from everlasting death not so much for the clearing of Christ while he was at the barre as for the converting of the woman whose case was bad Secondly Into the minds of sanctified Men God hath sent in Dreames In reference unto others In reference unto themselves God into good Men hath given Dreames for others advantage thereby As to admonish others of evil where of they were in danger So to establish others in good wherein they did waver God hath caused Dreames in the mindes of his Sants that they might warn others of danger 'T is reported of Beza that in the Night having dreamt that Geneva was sadly surprized he pressed the Governours in the morning immediately to search whereupon a desperate plot against the place was discovered the perill prevented and the people preserved Yea and also 1. God hath brought Dreames into the mindes of his Saints that they might help others in doubts Mr Philpot the Martyr having over night received a Letter from his fellow-Prisoner wherein he desires his Judgement concerning the baptisme of Infants made this return Before says he in his Letter back I shew you what for it I have learned from Gods holy Word and the practice of the purest Churches I cannot but declare how the same Night musing upon your Letter I fell asleep and had such a Vision and Dreame which he relates and concludes This Dreame I take to be the working of Gods Spirit that I might the better content your request as he wrought in Peter to satisfie Cornelius Acts 5. 10. 2. God hath made good Men to receive such Dreames for their own advantage As to prepare them for evil which they were to sustain So to assure them of Good which they were to obtain 1. God by Dreames hath signified to his Saints what afflictions they should suffer that so they might the better prepare History reports of Policarpus who in Smyrna suffered martyrdome under Antonius the Emperour about a hundred seventy yeares after Christ that three dayes before he fell into his enemies hands sleeping upon his bed he dreamt that the bolster whereon his head lay was all on a flame and the other bed-cloaths burning about him whereupon when he awoke he told his friends God had declared that he must be burnt quick for Christ for which he much fitted himself and so it soon fell out 2. God by Dreames hath signified to his Saints what mercies they should receive that so he might strengthen their faith and also quicken their obedience Thus Jacob in his journey lying down upon a stone to sleep Gen. 28. 11 12 13. He Dreamed and behold a ladder set upon the earth and the top reached up to Heaven and behold the Angells of God ascending and descending on it And behold the Lord stood above it and said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy Father and the God of Isaac the land whereon thou lyest to thee will I give it and to thy seed And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed Behold I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee again to this land and will not leave thee till I have done what I have said The Application to our selves concerning such Dreames now follow This referres to a two-fold case In case we have them not In case we have them Be we without these Dreams then let us observe The grounds why we should desire them The meanes how we may procure them Such Dreames from God are to be desired Because of the excellency that is in them Because of the commodity that is by them These Dreames are in themselves excellent because through them The Soule in sleeping-time is highly Imployed Sleeping-time by the soul is rarely Improved 1. The imployment of Mens soules in such Dreames is high and holy Mans soul we must observe it sleeps not as the body does for as it lives when the body dyes so it wakes when the body sleeps 'T is an Argument some bring to prove the Immortality of the soul that it does not die as