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SECT. XVI.
Of the Actings of the Imagination in Dreams.
IN the fourteenth place, Herein the pollution of it doth manifest it self, That when the senses and the rational part are bound up, so that they cease from operation, even then that is acting, and most commonly in a sinfull manner by dreams. Dreams are the proper work of the Imagination, and Divines do make three sorts of them, Natural Dreams, which arise from natural causes, and these commonly either have much sinfulness in them, or great troublesom∣ness. Diabolical, such as are cast into the imagination by the Devil; or Di∣vine, such as are caused by God; for the Spirit of God hath used the imagina∣tion in some operations thereof: Thus Joseph and others were warned by God in a dream; And Joel 2. the promise is, That their young men should dream dreams. These Divine dreams Tertullian (Lib. 3. de animâ) doth divide in∣to Prophetica, such as are meerly fore-telling things to come; Revelatoria, such as reveal something to be done, as Peters vision concerning Cornelius; Aedificatoria, such as build up to any holy duty; And Vocatoria, that call to some spiritual service, as that vision of Paul inviting him to come into Mace∣donia. Concerning Diabolical Dreams they are not a mans sinnes but afflicti∣ons, unless a man doth directly or indirectly consent thereunto, or walk so that he deserveth God should leave him to such unclean or polluted apprehen∣sions. But we speak of Natural Dreams, and not such as are meerly natural, that arise from some natural cause, but such as have had some voluntariness an∣tecedent thereunto, while waking, such now are proud dreames, malicious dreams, unclean and unjust dreams. All these do either expresly or virtually come from a polluted Imagination while we are awake, though happily we cannot remember any such thoughts we had. The sinfulness then of our dreams we are to be humbled under, as coming from sinne the cause, and be∣ing also sinnes in themselves: No doubt but Adam would have dreamed, (it being common to all mankind, onely it is said of Nero, That he seldome or never dreamed till after the murder of Agrippina, after which he was afright∣ed with terrible ones; As also of the Atalantes, that none dream amongst them. Though Tertullian faith, Perhaps same did deceive Aristotle in that report,) yet his dreams had been meerly natural, not having the least con∣nexion of any sinne, or any disquieting with them: But how greatly is confu∣sion brought upon us in this very respect? Insomuch that what the Devil can∣not tempt to, while waking, he doth allure unto, while dreaming: Indeed it is folly and superstition (as many people do) to regard dreams so as to make conjectures and prophesies thereby, but so to observe them, as to take notice of the filthiness and sinfulness of them, that is a duty, for although the reason and the will do not operate at that time, yet there is sinne in our dreams, because they are the effects of the sinfull motions of thy soul sometimes or other. Let it then be thy care to have pure and sanctified imaginations both dreaming and waking, and do nothing that may provoke the Spirit of God to leave thee to the defile∣ments thereof