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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

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 strict●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

Intelligent and Rationall he may surely be said who even in his sleep hath a ready Use of Reason The Sleeping Man hath indeed some Dreames wherein Reason acts irregularly intricately inconsistently fluctuating and roving up and down that things hang as we say like ropes of sand yet certain in such blurr'd Books some Reason may be read and some foot-steps thereof found But in divers Dreames 't is more discernable Reason acts more regularly and manages matters more methodically so that sometimes Men may finde as effectuall use of Reason in their sleep as when wide awake Whence this may remain a Maxime among us That Man as an Animal creature in Dreaming sleepes And man as a Rational creature in sleeping Dreames Dreames are applicable to Man as Man and so to every Man Though the the Philosopher affirms that some men meet with no such motions of their mindes in sleepe but sleepe without any Dreames of any way or kinde But common experience may much confute True some men may not animadvert discerne or retaine in their memories such movings of their mindes yet that does not evidence that they are not Many a Dreame may possibly pass from a person that he perceives not through a two-fold cause Its Swiftness and His Slowness 1. The Dreame is swift and goes away with a quick foot or as upon the wing rather The wicked shall fly away as a Dreame Job 20. 8. The Ancients hence phancied that a Dreame had wings like a Bird of the aire It may be so considered because of it's celerity and sudden passage through which it is not perceived 2. The Man is slow dull and heavy about reflect acts Often even in a mans waking-time the minde works yet it 's work is not minded A man does not think what he thinks no marvell then if in sleeping-time the minde looks little back upon its own business but much overlooks its own work so that much is done that is not seen much in Dreames transacted that is not observed However man remains the subject of Dreames 2. Man in the condition of this life is likewise considerable as of Dreames the most sutable subject The season we know of Dreames is during the time of sleep now the time of sleep is in the time of this life after this terme of life there is no true sleep Either to Soul Or Body 1. The Soul sleeps not though so some Hereticks have asserted viz. That seperated Souls are cast into a dead sleep not to be awakened till the time the generall Resurrection but such heterodoxe Doctrine hath long since been beaten down by standing Truth plain Scriptures determining two dwelling places The Paradise of Heaven and The Prison of Hell Into one of which all Souls sayes Austin as soon as severed from their Bodies are carried by Angels or Devils to dwell in everlasting weale or woe and indeed the very Scriptures themselves say so much See Dan. 12. 2. Matth. 25. 46. Joh. 5. 29. Luk. 23. 43. Luk. 16. 21 22. 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. 1 Pet. 3. 19. Rev. 20. 13 c. 2. The Body sleeps not in any Physicall or Philosophicall sense The Body bereaved of the Soul and lying dead in the Grave is said to be as asleep in the bed Hence burying places have been called sleeping places but this is onely Sleep in a Tropicall and Metaphoricall sense There be no Dreames in this sleep neither do these men thus asleep ever dreame Dreaming is during the time that the reasonable Soul resides and abides in the living Body The Body of man in sleep as a Heathen observes it lies as if it were fallen down by death but the Soul is so active therein as evidences the life thereof And Dreaming 't is one of those life-evidencing acts Though sleep be a plain Image of death yet Dreames in sleep are a clear Index of life Men while alive are the Centers of Dreames and Dreames are the signes of men alive There is no remembrance of thee in death saies David to God Psal 6. 5. That is A man indeed dead hath no commemorative thoughts of God or any other object to wit in that way or after that manner like to men alive in the world as Mollerus well interprets 'T is living men who do commemorate meditate excogitate matters in their minds both awake and asleep Even sleeping their minds are in motion which we call Dreames This casts me upon the next thing to be noted viz. Secondly The Actings or Dreames actually considered in themselves what they are found to be are discernable by Their generall Descriptions and Their generall Divisions 1. Dreames in a more generall way and according to their common Nature considered may be thus described Dreames are the agitations the egressions or Sallyings out of the Soul in thoughts of the mind while the Body lyeth bound by sleep in the bed A Dreame indefinitely and at large is the transacting of the reasonable Soul in the sleeping Body through the coassisting help of those admirable Faculties The Phantasie and The Memory Both which Faculties are found most active in the season of sleep For in sleep the outward Senses as Hearing Seeing c. being bound from their organicall and extrinsecall exercises and ordinary conveyances The inward Senses and Powers of the Soul as the Phantasie and Memory are at the more liberty and freedome from such externall attendances and so being at better leisure they within themselves fall to reflectings to new forming and erecting new frames of things that are vented in Dreames The Phantasie and the Memory are the Souls working Shops wherein strange things be wrought when the Soul as I may say goes not abroad but stayes at home and works within it self strange things it does w ch be drawn out in dreames So we see how Dreames be in generall described Secondly In generall Dreames may be variously divided As into their Parts And into their Sorts 1. The Parts that commonly constitute a Dreame whereof it is compounded and of which it is compacted or made up are mainly these two things An Apparition to the Thoughts And a Dilation of the Thoughts 1. In a Dreame there is somewhat appeares to the thoughts A dreaming Man sayes Austin he thinks he sees the Sun though the Sun he sees not As there may appeare some things to our eyes as Armies in the air fighting-men and flying-Horses which are no realities only apparitions So to a man in a Dream such things persons appear but they are no realities only fictions in his fancy Philo observes that some awake are like to men asleep while they think they perceive such things do but deceive themselves taking the signs of things for the natures of things meer Shadows for Substance In a Dream are thoughts of things not the things thought Secondly In a Dreame the thoughts dilate expand or spread themselves upon things that so appear

to hear them and the best way to hinder deceits is not to hearken to deceivers Deceivers are the Devils Brokers that trim up his old rotten raggs and sell them off for new cloathes They make fine their falshoods as the phrase is using many brave words to put off their bad wares But do not hearken 1. Observe what we must do towards freedom from false Dreams viz. Love the Truth of God Fear the God of Truth 1. Love to the truth of God is a good defence against all false ways false Doctrines false Dreames O let us love Truth all Truth not onely shining Truth but burning Truth Some says Austin they love Truth that beams Light but not Truth which brings heat c. Truth that is most warning is best arming and best defends from all falshoods The want of this love to Truth lays men naked to beleeve lies They received not the Truth in the love thereof For this cause God gave them up to strong delusions to beleeve a lye 2 Thes 2. 11. 2. Fear towards the God of Truth this is a good Antidote against Satans poison preventing the vanities of deluding Dreames In the multitude of Dreames there be divers vanities but fear thou God Eccl. 5. 7. Tertullian tells of some unsound heads who that they might the better introduce their seducing Doctrines they denied that God was to be feared Which wicked Errour that Worthy Writer does fully confute concluding That where God is not feared there is no Truth well fenced But men laying all open to erroneous conceits and deceits their hearts as houses are soon filled with falshoods when the true fear of God is gone from the door Such a fear of God as brings forth obedience to all Gods commands is an excellent means against all Dreamedeceits and deceivers as is manifest by that of Moses in Deut. 13. If there arise among you a Prophet or a dreamer of Dreames Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep all his Commandements c. Men who so fear God as with all care to keep to all the Commandements of God become most safe from the deceivings of Satan But as those who are wholly fearless casting off all care towards all Gods Commandements so those who fear God but in part having a care only toward some Commandements of God but in others remain remiss all such Satan may soon deceive God appointed Adam in Paradise says Ambrose to keep his Commandements but perhaps not expressing his exactness in keeping all he thought he might swerve from some and so by the Serpent was soon deceived So that the safest course to secure our souls from Satans Deceits in delusive Dreames is to fear God and with the utmost care we can to keep unto Gods whole commanding-word for the want of which divers have been deceived by Satan in deluding Dreames and how soon may we in the same case miscarry and through Satans subtilties in our sleep mistake As in the night-time Laban deluded Jacob bringing to his bed blear-eyed Leah for beautifull Rachel so in the night the Devil hath deceived divers bringing to them in sleep ugly lies for lovely Truths And let us not think the Devil is grown idle or simple but is as subtill and sedulous night and day industrious in all delusive ways that thereby he may Hold up the falling Seat of the Beast Hold down the Rising Throne of Christ False Dreames driven on by the Devil to this double end are of two sorts Some in sleeping Men Some in Men awake These latter many fall under that are yet free from the former and the former those are in danger of who are misled by the latter False Dreames found in many waking men are manifest As wrong opinions in themselves And high presumptions of themselves 1. Men within themselves have many opinions that be but meer false Dreames viz. That God sees no sinne in his servants That Christ having satisfied Gods Justice sinne shall never be punished Christ having wrought mans Righteousness good works are needless to be done If God hath appointed men to life they need use no means Men may do evil that good may come thereby Impulses of Spirit and successes of Providence are more to be minded than Rules of Scripture c. These are False Dreames 2. Some of themselves have such presumptions as are assuredly but deceiving Dreames and these do either concern Sinne or Grace 1. Concerning Sinne We may see severall sorts presuming Some that they are free from it Others that they shall do well in it 1. Many imagin themselves to be free from sin which is a Soul-deceiving Dreame If we say we have no sinne we deceive our selves and there is no truth in us 1 Joh. 1. 8. yet so severall say that they have no sinne Originall or Actuall Originall sinne they be born without That sinne is a blow never given to their nature a blot that never fell on their faces a moth that never took their garments As for the sinne of Adam the sinne of Parents remote or immediate they say as the High-Priests touching the Treason of Judas What is that to us 2. Actuall sinne they live without Their tongues can speak apace and not stammer their feet can run swift and not stumble they can act body and soul without sinne their lives are as strait lines without bending their works be as Books that have no Errataes they are set into such an estate wherein not onely they do not sinne but wherein they cannot sinne These are false Dreames 2. Severall there be who persist in sinne yet conceive they shall do well Either they do divers good things and they shall satisfie for the bad their good works shall recompence and answer for their evil deeds or otherwise they have power and purpose to repent of sinne hereafter or else they plead God is mercifull and Christ died for sinners Or they think because God in his greatness is so high that he takes no particular notice of mans miscarriages here below Or they conceive because God is silent he is such a one as themselves or they have seen severall proceed in sinne whom God hath prospered and favoured and so they expect the same or they have excuses evasions distinctions through which they pass with men and doubt not but to do with God the same with severall such like conceits These are false Dreames 2. As concerning Grace severall unsanctified men imagin They are encreased in it They shall be Crowned for it 1. In Grace they think they have large encreasings Men who are miserably empty of what ever is savingly good yet confidently conclude that in respect of spirituall good things they have not only the reality thereof but be rich therein I am rich and encreased in goods and lack nothing said the Laodicean Church as she lay in a deluding Dreame upon mistake of her spirituall estate Rev. 3.

evade them Thus the Devil when he would fain so fish as to catch these choice peeces the precious Saints of God he subtilly sets upon them in the night as his fittest time wherein to tempt and take them 2. The Devil is a coward In the day he dares not oftentimes so assault Gods Saints when he sees them up in their armour and so waits till night As there be wild beasts in the night they range abroad for their prey who are afraid to creep out of their dens in the day time Psal 104. 20. There be Theeves that venture not upon men that meet them in the day but are bold to break houses in the night and bind them they finde asleep in their beds Job 24. 15 16. Such a one is Satan The Saints of God when they are awake are more ready to the battell and then the Devil as a base beaten enemy is not so forward to fight them but he sets upon these souldiers of Christ when they are asleep in their quarters These things premised 't is manifest that as carnal men are the subjects of so Christian men are subject to these sinfull Dreames and therefore men of all sorts are concerned in the ensuing discourse 2. The matter whereof this monitory discourse will further consist touching such Dreames is 1. Some Perswasions against them 2. Some Directions about them Perswasions moving against them are from the prejudices of them in respect of things both Good Evil. First For the prejudice these Dreams do us toward things good 'T is in regard both of the Good they draw us from of the Good they draw from us 1. Such Dreames or sinfull thoughts in sleep they take our minds off from those good watchings and workings as sute to our sleeping times In the time of sleep though a mans outward senses are bound and as servants they cease their ordinary business abroad yet the inward powers of phantasie and memory are then most free and best at liberty for their proper imployments now the soul being of God furnished with such faculties and abilities 't is sad when the Devil seduces them and by sinfull dreamings diverts and pollutes them As God hath created the soul at all times fit for good work so God hath appointed good work for the soul at all times to wit meditation upon his Law day and night Josh 1. 8. Now sinfull Dreames draw us off from this duty 2. Such Dreames they do not onely take our mindes off from good but take good out of our mindes We have not the benefit and comfort of the Word of God and Spirit of God at such times to our thoughts they are as it were taken from us in respect of the stops hereby to their present exercise As when Saul was asleep in the trench David took from his very bolster his spear and a cruse of water 1 Sam. 26. 12. Thus Satan in the night when we are asleep in our beds by bad Dreames gets away our spear and our water the Word of God that should defend us and the Spirit of God that should refresh us Thus of good things are we lamentably left 2. The prejudice these Dreames do us toward things evil This in regard of The evil of Sinne they draw us unto also The evil of Punishment they draw upon us The sinne of such Dreames is against The Commands of God The Mercies of God 1. There be Commands which hereby we transgress God requires that not onely the soul but the body be set free from all ways of defilement Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in holiness and honour 1 Thes 4. 4. Not onely the soul which is in the vessel of the body but the body which is the vessel of the soul must be kept clean from soile We must hate that whereby the garment of the flesh is spotted as we must hate the garment spotted of the flesh Jude 23. therefore not defile the flesh with Dreames 2. There be Mercies which hereby we abuse To have beds to sleep on and to have sleep upon our beds is a double mercy Let us mark that expression of our Saviour Matth. 8. 20. The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air nests but the Sonne of Man hath not where to lay his head It may seem Christ had not here any setled bed to sleep upon 'T is evident Job had his bed but thereon he could not sleep Weary some 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 unto the dawning of the day Job 7. 3 4. Now to have with our beds to sleep on sleep upon our beds are benefits too big to be abused by the interpose of such prejudiciall Dreames The punishment for such Dreames is Present Future The punishments present in this world are Debility of Body Perplexity of Soul 1. Hereby the body is weakened nature wasted corporeall parts as defiled so enfeebled These Dreames do to the sinner as Dalilah to Sampson they bereave him of his strength and leave him in a languishing estate If life be prolonged pains are enlarged aches with age encreased especially if such filthy Dreames be frequent Beside the evil that may run and reach unto posterity 2. Hereby the Soul is wounded The Devil hereupon makes great advantage in life and death to dismay the mind Of such offences he does accuse in a double Court The Court of Heaven the Court of Conscience We read Rev. 12. 10. The accuser of our brethren is cast down who accuseth them before God day and night As the Devil does accuse in the day and night seasons so he does accuse of the day and-night sinnes He accuses in the night for sinfull deeds in the day and he accuses in the day of sinfull Dreames in the night 'T is sad when Satan keeps assizes in our souls and actually arraignes endites and condemns for such dealings as he hath had with us in a way of wicked Dreames 2. The punishment future in the world to come without the prevention of divine mercy is everlasting misery Such Dreames draw to ruine That which hath a defiling power is of a destroying nature And if such Dreames be sinne The wages of every sinne is death Rom. 6. 23. History reports of Nero that monster of men that among the many wayes he sought his Mother Agrippinas death one was in the night when she lay asleep in her bed to kill her with the fall of a heavy beam which was therefore made loose in the roof of the room 'T is our death and utter undoing the Devil our deadly adversary aims at when he lets fall these filthy Dreames while we lie by night asleep in our beds And as 't is that which he desires so 't is that which we

multitude of Dreames be divers vanities but fear thou God Concerning some Dreames that which Solomon in this saying sets down is double Their Malady Their Remedy 1. The malady or evil of those Dreames which here he drives at and draws out is discernably visible In their vanity In their multitude The vanity of these Dreames is very visible in The plurality of their number The diversity of their nature 1. Their number is plurall vanities If we observe what vanity is in the singular number we may soon conceive what 't is in the plurall Vanity as various Scriptures and very good Authors interpret the word take thus 1. Vanity for vacuity an emptiness of any true and solid good as a hollow vessel that hath nothing therein but a meer sound Hose 10. 1. Such a thing is a vain man or man of vanity 2. Vanity for falsity or a lye Lying vanities Jonah 3. v. 8. when something appears what it is not or is not what it appears but proves a plain imposture This is vanity 3. Vanity for levity a thing so light that hath neither weight nor worth They are lighter then vanity Psal 62. 9. 4. Vanity for inutility or what is profitless Vain things that will not profit 1 Sam. 12. 21. Things frivolous and fruitless are idle and vain The Jews use to call the seaventh year The idle year for then the earth seemed to be covered with vanity and sterility the ground lay fallow they did neither sow or reap When mens hands and hearts are idle from their business or idle in their business that no benefit is brought in thereby This is vanity That which vanishes as a meteor in the aire is like a vapour from the earth or like a bubble upon the water onely full of winde or that passes like a puff of breath from the mouth This is vanity Such vanities are in the ordinary actings and usuall movings of many mens mindes especially in sleeping time O what loose lame light leaps doeth the heart then take skipping up and down to no end What fond false foolish steps does the feet of the soul make when the body lies still on the bed Ambrose compareth the space case and use of many a mans life to a sleep full of vain Dreames In which sayes he are divers and as it were drunken changes of things nothing solid or serious nothing fixed or firm but empty shadows of things scattered that dispersing pass away So we see in what sense Dreames are said to be vanities Secondly See we the diversity of these Dreames or these vanities considered as they are said to be divers Divers vanities 1. Divers for their matter The matter about which sometimes the mindes of sleeping men move is vain in it self sometimes the matter in it self is solid yet the minde moveth vainly thereupon 2. Divers for their measure The measure or degree of vanity which men draw out in Dreames may be more or less Look into one Dreame and there is something of vanity observe another and it may be said vanity of vanities all is vanity 3 Divers for their manner The manner or way how vanity may work is wonderfull Dreames of vanity may be various not only in their kinde and cause but in their carriage and course as cast into severall moulds and coming out in differing methods 4. Divers for their meaning Such idle conceits may have severall designs Oft-times such vain motions the minde sends out as childrens arrows that are shot at random and directed to no mark At other times the very drifts of these Dreames are vain their intentionall tendency is to vanity 2. Observe the evil of such Dreames in which are divers vanities as may be further evidenced in their multitude In the multitude of Dreames c. For the unfolding of this two things 't is fit to affirm 1. That multitude does not make Dreames to be evil or vain 2. That Dreames may yet be made more vain and evil through multitude Meer multitude does not make the vanity or evil of Dreames nor are Dreames therefore evil and vain because of multitude For Dreames may be thus evil where multitude is not Multitude may be yet the Dreames not evil 1. Multitude may not be yet the Dreame not good but evil yea in a single Dreame there may be much evil couched and caused through the close concurrence of divers vanities 2. Multitude may be yet the Dreame not evil but good The door of the minde may be so close shut all the night as to exclude vanity that vanity is not able to enter I remember how Tertullian apologises for Christians When says he good men honest men many of them meet in a place 't is not to be condemned for evil or to be called a faction c. So when good motions when holy thoughts many meet in a heart they are not therefore naught because their number is great whether it be by day or by night 'T is vanity and not multitude that makes Dreames evil 2. Dreames that for their vanity are evil through multitude are made more evil As when things are good the more the better so when things are evil the more the worse This greatens and aggravates the evil of vain Dreams when of them there is a multitude Multitude augments the malady and the malady of vain Dreames is made more dangerous by the means of such a multitude Now multitude is a word which the Wise man might well prefix to Dreams of vanity for a double cause Because men that have vain Dreams are a multitude Because a multitude of mens Dreams are vain First A multitude of men have vain Dreames O what vain and foolish fancies flee up and down in very many mens mindes not onely in the day but at all hours in the night Bernard does distinguish mens thoughts into three sorts 1. Are thoughts or imaginations vain idle roving and impertinent 2. Are thoughts or imaginations violent strong and immoderate 3. Are thoughts or imaginations vile foul and fearfull uncleane The first kinde he compares to thin clay that sooner slips off and cleaves not The second to tough clay that sticks fast The last to loathsome and stinking mire and mud that cleaves close Now a multitude of men the feet of whose souls do not stick in the foul mire yet are found in the soft clay Though they come not to the last and worst sort of ●ordid and vile motions yet they are in the first sort of silly and vain imaginations Day and night though they hatch not Cokatrice eggs yet they weave Spiders webbs both awake and asleep Isa 59. 5. Vain Dreames Secondly A multitude of Dreames in men are vain In the night-time filthy Dreames ●oul imaginations may fall on mens mindes but that is more seldome when yet Dreames vain and imaginations foolish are found frequent The Devil in lustfull thoughts came like a stranger at

Antidots against pride what p. 44 Altar of Apollo how frequented p. 30 Alexander how encouraged to Battell p. 62 Apollidorus what a Tyrant p. 228 Artaxerxes how idly he spent time p. 188 Articles of Faith how revealed p. 269 Articles of Faith what and how to be embraced p. 335 Arrogancy how great a sinne p. 326 Atheism how abhominable p. 44 Augustine what sinnes in youth p. 96 B Babes of the Devil how dressed p. 42 Baptism of Infants by whom most opposed p. 71 Baptism of Infants how long maintained p. 281 Balam the Divine Visions he had p. 250 Basill how good a man he was p. 288 Bible how much to be read p. 296 Birds where they usually build p. 173 Body of man how full of beauty p. 15 Body how much defiled by sin p. 100 Body how after this life said to sleep p. 89 Books bad what hurt they do p. 50 Breaches how great an evil p. 233 Bruits how said to Dream p. 17 C Calumnies what and by whom raised p. 327 Capacities of what kind given to creatures p. 19 Cares of what kind required of Christians p. 148 Christian who is indeed p. 333 Chrysostome what Text he would choose to preach of p. 190 Children how vexed p. 216 Church how compared p. 177 Cleomenes his falsehood p. 134 Confidenee men have of themselves how great and groundless p. 51 Company with vain persons how bad p. 189 Comforts from Scripture how sweet p. 172 Courts in which all may be accused twofold p. 131 Creatures how they deceive man p. 207 Cruelties in what men worst p. 328 Cyprian what he reports remarkeable in his times p. 322 D Daemocles how sitting in his Chair p. 242 Darkness not created of God p. 211 Darkness pleasing to the Devil p. 100 Darkness affrighting to man p. 210 Deceits of two sorts p. 53 Deceivers of severall sorts p. 48 Defiling only by sinne p. 103 Delights carnall their ill Eeffects p. 226 Delights in God how good p. 310 Desires covetous how bad p. 226 Desires in the Devil of two sorts p. 214 Devil how described p. 28 Devil how large a knowledg p. 64 Devil how great a power p. 50 Domestick duties how neglected p. 325 Domition how he spent his time p. 187 Donatists how they condemned Austin p. 51 Duty neglected what a sin p. 177 E Emanuel how good a word p. 68 England how apt to Errors p. 36 Elenor Wife of King Edward p. 112 Errors compared to chaff p. 42 Errors of the last times worst p. 71 Errors all prone thereto p. 210 Evils of two sorts p. 202 Evils of sin worst p. 203 Evils of sin how to be shunned p. 124 Excellent things but few found p. 325 Examples good commended p. 335 Extasies bad discovered p. 31 F Faith how excellent a grace p. 229 Faith every man must have of his own p. 181 Families how to be instructed p. 325 Favour of God much to be desired p. 213 Fear of God upholds Gods Throne p. 163 Fear of God Unites mans heart p. 180 Fear of men forbidden p. 179 Fancy how strong in working p. 120 Filthyness of men two-fold p. 95 Flesh in man the fountain of sinne p. 101 Fire two waies put out p. 334 Fort-Royal of Christian Religion p. 324 Freedom for thoughts a mistake p. 104 Fury in man how a sinne p. 334 G Gastio his Book against the Anabaptists p. 33 Geneva how preserved by Beza p. 281 Gentiles what knowledg some had of Christ p. 249 Germany's troubles what and whence p. 72 Gifts of Gods love how sweet p. 240 God that he is men commonly believe p. 215 God is the best Friend and worst Enemy p. 205 God not the Authour of any sinne p. 203 God the Fountain of all good p. 6 Gospel-Sacrifices most excellent p. 193 Gospel-Discoveries most clear p. 338 Graces how some counterfeit p. 83 Graces when most visible p. 289 Grace how excelling Nature p. 202 Greek tongue excellent p. 297 H Habel what the word singnifieth p. 193 Hands proper only to man p. 187 Harlots their property p. 145 Hatred of good men how bad p. 326 Haters of good men who worst p. 328 Heresie what and how described p. 327 Hereticks who and how to be used p. 239 Herod how cunning and cruel p. 254 Heart gracious how excellent p. 275 Heart how carefully to be kept p. 175 Holiness of life how laudable p. 230 Horror whence it ariseth p. 210 Hypocrites how great sinners p. 254 Hypocrisie how abhorred of God p. 255 Hypocrates how rare a Physician p. 224 I Jaddus the High Priest how cloathed p. 279 Idle persons like Drone-bees p. 186 Jedidiah what it signifieth p. 240 Jealousie whence it ariseth p. 153 Jerome how in Prayer transported p. 354 Jews had God divers waies discovered p. 264 Jews how great their incredulity p. 261 Ignorance how gross in men p. 50 Ignorance the evils thereof to men p. 234 Images when first set up in the Church p. 140 Images oft set up in mens hearts p. 185 Immortality of mans soul proved p. 284 Incubi and Succubi how to be believed p. 114 Innocent Infants by whom and why slain p. 259 Joys true and false how differenced p. 355 Israelites how they received Manna p. 300 K Kings how of God preserved p. 274 Kings how with cares oppressed p. 253 Kingdoms how by wrong obtained p. 254 Kingdoms how from one to another translated p. 62 Knowledg intuitive God hath only p. 111 Knowledg of mans soul difficult p. 24 Knowledg in humane Arts excellent p. 249 Knowledg Divine how much required p. 124 Knowledg by Satan much opposed p. 121 L Law of God how transgressed p. 123 Law of God fit for Meditation p. 297 Learning how to be esteemed p. 249 Life of man how compared p. 156 Life of man how shortned p. 131 Light of Scripture how admirable p. 23 Light of Gods countenance comfortable p. 231 Light of a quiet conscience desirable p. 232 Leviathan what and when best taken p. 126 Lodging what it importeth p. 161 Lords-Day by whom neglected p. 324 Lord like a Lyon how sad p. 205 Love how excelling fear p. 201 Love to truth how requisite p. 76 Lives of good men much to be viewed p. 327 Lucian how bad a man declared p. 328 Luther's Doctrine by whom condemned p. 33 Luther's Question oft to himself p. 52 Lycurgus what a Law he made p. 138 Lycanthropie what a sad disease p. 224 Lyes by whom ordinarily raised p. 327 M Magi what the word signifieth p. 249 Magicians of Aegypt what they did p. 40 Magistracy by whom opposed p. 56 Majesty of God how great p. 208 Man a person compounded p. 4 5 Man excelling other creatures p. 187 Manichees their opinion p. 14 Manna what a mercy to the Jews p. 300 Meanes how to be used p. 177 Mercies how to be prized p. 183 Meditation of God how good p. 128 Misery of man how great p. 209 Memory how necessary p. 128 Ministers by