gospel to dispel the darkness of error, and shed the light of truth. But we must return to our more immediate subject, and state, lastly, that God has often revealed himself by dreams; as in the instance of Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the great image.

Now it must be remembered that the ancients paid great regard to dreams, and considered them as being often of divine origin; so much so, that Homer speaks of dreams as coming from Jupiter, and as being sent by him.

Hence he says, z

"But let some prophet, or some sacred sage, "Explore the cause of great Apollo's rage; "Or learn the wasteful vengeance to remove "By mystic dreams, for dreams descend from Jove. And again, he is represented as the Author of Agamemnon's vision; for he,

"Then bids an empty phantom rise to sight,
"And thus commands the vision of the night.
"Fly hence, deluding dream! And light as air
"To Agamemnon's ample tent repair.

Virgil also, in describing the manner in which the oracle of Faunus was consulted, informs us, that the Priests in their sleep saw visions, and had dreams, which intimated to them the answers they should deliver. Indeed all history both prophane and sacred proves that men have not only paid great regard to dreams, generally indeed a superstitious regard, but that on some occasions they cannot be accounted for on physical principles: And hence we infer that scepti

z Pope. II. 1. L. 86.

Pope. II. 2. L. 7-10.

b Æneid. L. 7. lines 80-90.

cism is as much to be reprimanded on this subject as credulity, c

с

Since then dreams were of such importance among the ancients, it is not surprising that Nebuchadnezzar was anxious to know the meaning of his dream; a dream so unusual in its nature, and the effect of which had been so powerful upon his mind. But though the impression of the dream was exceedingly powerful, yet he had forgotten it; and, therefore, both to relate and explain the dream must be particularly difficult, and what a reasonable person could not expect to be done for him. But his anxiety to be informed of his dream and its explanation, is full proof, that the impression which it had made upon his mind was particularly great: and that he was satisfied there was something in it more than in an ordinary dream. And therefore, Daniel says to him ( C. ii. 29. ); “As for thee, O king thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

And, as his dream was supernatural, so also was his forgetting of it: for God not only gave him the dream but made him forget it, that his servant Daniel might have the honour of its interpretation; that his people

c Both sacred and prophane history gives many instances of dreams well worthy of attention. In Genesis ( xx. 6.) we are told that God spake to Abimelech king of Gerar in a Dream. Jacob also hada remarkable dream when he went to Padan-Aram; a dream in which God revealed to him his future destiny. Peter's dream, or rather vision of the sheet let down from heaven is well known: And God was pleased (Acts xvi. 9. ) to inform Paul, by a vision, that he should go and preach the Gospel in Macedonia, and by a vision, (Acts xviii. 9.) the Lord said to Paul, "Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace. "To these might be added many other instances equally striking and important.

the Jews might receive favour; and especially, that his own name might be exalted among the heathen. Hence Daniel says ( ii. 30. ) ; "This secret is not re- · vealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart." And hence Nebuchadnezzar himself says (ii. 47. ); "Of a truth it is that your God is a God of Gods, and a Lord of Kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.

But as Nebuchadnezzar knew not the true God, he therefore applied, in the spirit and manner of an idolater, to" the Magicians, and the Astrologers, and the Sorcerers, and the Chaldeans," for his dream and its interpretation. Now, though all these professed the art of interpreting dreams, yet they pursued their art in different ways; for dreams among the ancients, were divided into different classes, and those, whose profession it was to interpret them, had a name according to the class they professed to explain, and the manner of their explaining it. Among the Greeks there were three principal classes; the first was called Chrematismos, when the Gods or Spirits in their own, or under any assumed form, conversed with men in their sleep; the second, Orama, wherein the images of things which are to happen are plainly represented in their own shape and likeness; and the third was called Oneiros, in which future events are revealed by types and figures. In this third class may be ranked Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Now, according to this three fold division, there were three principal kinds of interpreters; first, the Oneirokritai, so called from judging of dreams; second, the Oneiroskopoi, from prying and looking into them; and third, the Oneiro

poloi, because they were conversant about them. In like manner, the Magicians, the Astrologers, the Sor cerers, and the Chaldeans, had different pames from the different manner in which they pursued their

art.

The Magicians were they who pretended to cast nativities; that is, to predict the events of a person's life from the position and configuration of the heavenly bodies, at the moment of his birth. And, in making their calculations, they generally retired into secret corners; and in delivering their predictions, as well as in ascertaining what they should deliver, they peeped and muttered through certain apertures. And hence, herethmum, Magicians, is by some derived from two words, her, which signifies a hole, and thùm, to close up; because they made their incantations, and muttered through obstructed passages or chinks. That this was the practice of some diviners is certain, not only from what is known of some, who pretend to divination even in modern times among Christian nations as well as among the Savage Barbarians, but also from ( Isaiah, viii. 19.) where the prophet says, "And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have familiar Spirits, and unto wizards that PEEP and that MUTTER: should not a people seek unto their God?"

The Astrologers had their name from a different method of divination: for their business was to take notice of the heavenly bodies during twilight, when a gentle fresh wind frequently blows: And hence they were called Aspem, from Nesep to breathe, not only because of the gentle gale that breathes at twilight,

4 See Potter's Grec. An. v. 1. p. 303.
D

e Buxtorf.

but perhaps because of the inspiration, or inflatus, they pretended to obtain. f

As for the Sorcerers, they were persons who, by certain magical processes brought forward the appearance of a dead person, or some wicked spirit, to give answers to the questions they should propose.

Of this species of divination we have a remarkable instance in the case of the witch of Endor, who, at Saul's request, brought up the appearance of Samuel. It was indeed a very common mode of divination among idolatrous nations; and was practised by the learned Greeks and warlike Romans, as well as by those whom they considered as Barbarians.

These Sorcerers, of whom we now treat, were called Mekespim, from kesep, which signifies to discover, or reveal; but the word in scripture is always applied in a bad sense to some method of conjuring, every species of which the law of God, particularly condemns. h

We have already, in the first Dissertation, explained the name and the learning of the Chaldeans, we shall not therefore repeat what has been already said respecting them.

But we must return to Nebuchadnezzar, and consider the interview he had with these fortune tellers;

f Buxtorf and Parkhurst.

"Sometimes they used to raise the Ghost of deceased persons, by various invocations and ceremonies. Ulysses in the ninth Book of Homer's Odyssey, having sacrificed black Sheep in a ditch, and poured forth certain libations, invites the Ghosts, particularly that of Tiresias, to drink of the blood; after which they become willing to answer his questions. The like is done by Tiresias in Statius; by Eson in Valerius Flaccus, and by Nero, in Pliny." Potter's Grec. Aut. B. 2. C. 18.

h Buxtorf and Parkhurst.