(3) Mosaic Dispensation. Such were some of the dreams by which God revealed himself under the patriarchal dispensation; and that the same divine mode of communicating with man was continued under that of Moses is evident from an express word of promise (Num. xii :6). That dreams were one of the ways whereby God was wont to signify his pleasure to men under this dispensation is evident from the complaint of Saul to the spirit of Samuel (whom the witch pretended to raise up), when he asked him, 'Why ha-t thou disquieted me to bring me up?' Saul answered, '1 ant sore distressed ; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me. and answers me no more; neither by prophets. nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee that thou mayest make known to me what I shall do.' And, in order to guard against imposition, Moses pronounced a penalty against dreams which were invented and wickedly made use of, for the promotion of idolatry (Dem. xiii:1-5). Thus Zechariah (x:2) complains: 'The idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have spoken a lie. and have told false dreams: they comfort in vain.' And so Jeremiah (xxiii :25), 'I have heard what the prophets said that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed. I have dreamed, etc. Vet this abuse did not alter God's plan in the right use of them; for in the 28th verse of the same chapter it is said 'the prophet that bath a dream, and he that bath my uoril, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? sanh the Lord.' When Gideon warred with the Amalekites, and was alarmed at their vast multitudes, he was en couraged to do God's will by overhearing one of them relate his dream, and another giving the in terpretation ( Judg. vii). Again, it was in a dream that God was pleased to grant Solomon a promise of wisdom and understanding (1 Kings in :5, etc.). Here we may perceive what converse the Lord was pleased to hold with Solomon in a dream; and the sacred record informs us how punctually everything herein promised was ful filled. The knowledge of vision, and dreams is
reckoned amongst the principal gifts and graces sometimes bestowed by God upon them that fear him ; so it is said of Daniel and his companion, that 'God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom ; and Daniel had under standing in all visions and dreams (Dan. i :17). And the God who had imparted this spirit unto his servant Daniel soon, in the arrangement of his providence, gave occasion for its exercise ( Dan. ii). In the dream of Nebuchadnezzar a great variety of ends were attained in reference to Babylon, Israel, and indeed the world—all of which were worthy of God's miraculous inter ference.
(4) Christian Dispensation. That this method of God's revealing himself was not confined to the legal dispensation, but was to he extended to the Christian is evident from Joel (ii:28), 'And after wards (saith the Lord) I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh ; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your young men shall see visions, and 'our old men shall dream dreams • In Acts ii :17 we find the Apostle Peter applying this to the illumination of the Holy Ghost. Accordingly, we read that when Joseph designed to put Nlary away, because he perceived her to be with child, he was turned from his purpose by a dream, in which an angel made the truth of the matter known to hint (Matt. i :20). And in the follow ing chapter it is stated that God, in a dream. warned the wise men not to return to Herod. Moreover, in verses 13 and to. Joseph is instructed to flee into and return from Egypt with the child Jesus.
NVe inquire not how far Cod may have revealed himself to man beyond what Holy Scripture records. Some of the dreams, both of ancient and modern times. which lay claim to a divine character, are certainly striking, and may, for aught we know, have had, and may still have, a collateral bearing on the development of God's purposes. J.
John Newton, concerned about his sours inter est, had a dream which made the way of salvation clear to him.