Exposition of Job 32-24, Commentary on Job · Chapter 33 · Verse 15
Verſ. 15. In a dream, in a viſion of the might, &c.
foreign pinguis groſſus, ex vaporibus craſſis provenit ſomnus, quem ſomnia conſequun…ur.The roote of the word rendred a dreame, ſignifieth that which is thick, groſſe or fat, and by a metaphor a dreame, becauſe dreams are naturally cauſed by groſs and thick vapours, ariſing from the ſtomack & fuming up into the head. Sleep is cauſed immediately by vapours and dreams are our work in ſleep. A dream is an Imagination which the minde frames and formes, or which is formed and framed in the minde while we ſleepe; or, A dream is the worke of the ſoule, while the body is aſleep. Sleepe is the binding up of the outward ſences, hearing, ſeeing, feeling, &c. yet then the inward ſences, phantaſie and memory are at liberty and free to worke. The phantaſie is very quick and nimble, when the body lieth as a logge and ſtirres not. The phantaſie (as we ſay) builds Caſtles in the ayre, and makes ſtrange Chimera's in the braine by day, much more by night. In Dreams, there is an image of things or perſons repreſented to us. When Pharoah dreamed, he ſaw ſeven leane kine, and ſeven thin ears, as alſo ſeven fat kine and ſeven full ears of corne. Jacob ſaw a ladder in his dreame reaching up to heaven, and the Angels of God aſcending and deſcending. Joſeph ſaw his brethrens ſheaves doing obeyſance to his ſheafe, he ſaw alſo the Sun and Moone and eleven Starrs, doing obeyſance to him. Nebuchadnezzar dreaming ſaw an Image with the head of gold, with ſhoulders and breaſt of ſilver, with belly and thighs of braſs, and leggs of Iron, &c. Theſe dreamers had images as clearely repreſented to their mindes, as any thing can be to the moſt waking and wakefull eye of the body. And though in many dreams there are no ſuch formall ſimilitudes preſented to the mind, but only a voyce heard ſpeaking, yet nothing can be declared to us in a dreame without forming in our mind ſome kind of likeneſſe. When it is ſayd that God came to Abimelech (Gen: 20. and to Laban Gen: 31.) and an Angel of the Lord to Joſeph (Math: 1.) ſpeaking to them in dreames, they had ſuch things exhibited to and impreſſed upon them, as gave the former two aſſurance that God ſpake to them, and the third that he was ſpoken to by an Angel of God.
Further, We may diſtinguiſh of dreames; Firſt, ſome are meere naturall dreames; and they ariſe foure wayes; Firſt, from the temperature of the body, Melancholly and flegmaticke perſons, have their ſpeciall dreames, and ſo have men of a ſanguine and of a cholericke complection. The firſt encline to dreame of ſad, the ſecond of ſottiſh, the third of pleaſant things, and the laſt of wrathfull wranglings and contendings. Secondly, Naturall dreames are cauſed by the diet or food which we eate, ſpeciall meate inclining to ſpeciall thoughts and imaginations. Thirdly, Meere naturall dreams flow from the buiſineſs or ſpeciall worke wherein we have been ingaged in the day; as Solomon ſpeakes (Eccleſ: 5.3.) a dreame cometh thorow the multitude of buiſineſs; that is, a man dreams at night of what he hath been doing in the day. Fourthly, Naturall dreames ariſe from vehement affections to or deſires of what we want, and would have. Thus (Iſa: 29.7.) The hungry man dreams he eats, and the thirſty man dreams he drinks; For being pincht with hunger, and parcht with thirſt, his appetite is not only ſtrong, but fierce and violent after meat and drinke. Theſe and ſuch like are naturall dreams. I call them ſo becauſe the riſe or reaſon of them is ſeated in nature, and they are ſuch as have no other cauſe but what is common and naturall to man. Nature let alone or left under ſuch outward accidents will produce ſuch dreames.
Seconldy, There are diabolicall dreams; the devill knows how to ſtirre the humors and worke upon the phantaſies of the children of men. Satan is skilfull and diligent in ſolliciting our luſts and corruptions both day and night, and they being once ſollicited or moved to worke, cannot but worke in us both ſleeping and waking. Yea the devill can inſpire falſe doctrines and opinions by dreames, as well as provoke to wicked practiſes. Of ſuch dreamers we read (Deut: 13.1, 3.) If there be among you a falſe Prophet, or a dreamer of dreames. Falſe Prophets had many dreams (Jer: 23.25.) Such were wont to ſay, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. Becauſe the holy Prophets had their dreams from God, the Devill would give his unholy Prophets dreams too, which were lies and vanity, deceits and errours, leading them out of the way of God, whether we reſpect truth of doctrine, or purity of worſhip. We may reduce all diabolicall dreames to theſe two heads; They are either, Firſt, falſe dreames, that is, dreames of falſhood, for he is the father and former of lyes; or, Secondly, they are filthy defiling dreames; for he is an uncleane ſpirit, and the feweller of all filthy fires and uncleanneſſes, whether corporall or ſpirituall.
Thirdly, There are divine dreames, ſo called, Firſt, becauſe immediately ſent by God; Secondly, becauſe the ſubject matter of them is divine and heavenly, or ſome manifeſtation of the holy will of God to man. There are five ſpeciall Meſſages upon which dreames are ſent from God.
Firſt, To reprove or admoniſh; Thus God dealt with Abimelech in a dreame, that he ſhould not meddle with Sarah (Gen: 20.3.) and with Laban, that he ſhould not hurt Jacob, nor hinder him in his journey back to his fathers houſe (Gen: 31. 24.) whereupon Jacob told him, God rebuked thee yeſter night. That dream of Pilates wife (Math: 27.19.) was ſent to admoniſh Pilate about giving Judgement againſt Chriſt.
Secondly, God ſends dreams to inſtruct, and informe; There are teaching dreams, that of Joſeph (Math: 1.21.) was not only to ſhew him what to doe about Mary his eſpouſed wife, but to inſtruct him about that Great myſtery of God manifeſted in the fleſh, to ſave loſt man.
Thirdly, Dreams are ſent for ſupport and conſolation in a time of trouble (Gen: 28.12.) God comforted Jacob by that dream, when he was in a deſolate condition, and aſſured him of his preſence.
Fourthly, Some dreams are ſent of God upon a ſad meſſage to afflict and terrifie; Job bemoaned his ſufferings and ſorrows by ſuch dreames (Chap: 7.13, 14.) When I ſay my bed ſhall comfort me, my couch ſhall eaſe my complaint, then thou ſcareſt me with dreames, and terrifieſt me with viſions.
Fifthly, God foreſheweth what ſhall come to paſſe, he reveals his own counſels, as to future providences, by dreames and viſions. The ſeven years of famine were revealed to Pharoah in a dreame. And the great things of the Church, and of the world too, were revealed to Daniel in a dreame, and in viſions of his head upon his bed (Dan: 7.1.) The meſſage of the dreame in the text was for inſtruction and admonition, as will appeare at the ſixteenth verſe; God ſpeaketh in a dream; and further In a viſion of the night.
Some take viſion here as a ſecond way of divine revelation. And 'tis true, the Scripture ſpeakes of dreams and viſions diſtinctly (Numb: 12.6.) Others make viſions to be only appurtenances to dreams; For though there have been viſions without dreams, yet dreams are ſeldome, if at all, without ſome kind of viſion. This ſeemes the intendment of this text, In a dream, in a viſion of the night; That is, in a dream with a viſion of the night, as making the viſion to be nothing elſe, but either a repreſentation of the matter dreamed of, or of the manner wherein it was repreſented to the dreamer. And I conceive, that Elihu in this verſe is ſpeaking only of one, not of two wayes of Gods revealing himſelfe to man; or rather of one then two. Yet whether we take the viſion diſtinctly from or joyntly with the dream, the ſcope of Elihu in this text is equally anſwered and fulfilled.
Further, Elihu doth not only report the way of Gods diſcovering himſelfe, that is, in a dream, in a viſion, but he declares the time or ſeaſon of theſe dreams and viſions, or of theſe viſions in a dream; that is, the night, and the night conſidered under this diviſion.
Firſt, When deep ſleep falleth upon men.
Secondly, When they have their ſlumberings upon their bed; that is (as I apprehend) at the beginning of the night, and break of day (for thoſe are the ſlumbring times of the night) or in the middle of the night or midnight, for then uſually men are fallen into and abide in a deep ſleep, or as we render, Then Deep ſleep falleth upon men.
Some ſleeps, as we may ſay, are but ſhallow ſleeps, ſlight ſleeps, in compariſon of other; Deep ſleep is that which we call, Dead ſleep. The word here uſed by Elihu, notes the ſtrongeſt and the ſoundeſt ſleep, and therefore 'tis fitly diſtinguiſhed from ſlumberings upon the bed.
foreign plus et quam foreign et foreign plus eſt quam foreign Aben Ezra.There are three words in the Hebrew which ſignifie ſleep; whereof the firſt ſignifies ſleep in generall; the ſecond, deep ſleep; the third, any ſlight ſleep, which we here tranſlate ſlumbering. Ordinary ſleeping is more then ſlumbring, and a deep ſleep, more then ordinary ſleep; we commonly ſay, ſuch a man is faſt aſleep, he is, as it were, bound hand and foote. Sleep is the binding of the ſenſes, and ſo, by conſequence the binding of all the members of the body. We often finde this diſtinction in Scripture (Pſal: 132.4.) I will not give ſleep to mine eyes, nor ſlumber to my eye-lids; that is, I will not only not give my ſelfe to fall aſleep, but I wil not ſo much as (according to our manner of ſpeaking in that matter) forget my ſelfe. We find the ſame diſtinction (Pſ: 121.4.) Behold, he that keepeth Iſrael ſhall neither ſlumber nor ſleep. foreign aliquando ſimplicitèr redditur dormire; Graecè eſt foreign propriè capite nutante dormire. Bold:The words are a deſcription of the exact watchfulneſſe of God over his people, he that doth not ſo much as ſlumber, he that never lays his eyes together, he that doth not only not take a nap (as we ſay) but not ſo much as once nod (to ſo little the Hebrew-word may be drawne downe, which is likewiſe the importance of the Greek-word, he, I ſay, that doth not ſo much as nod) is farre from ſleepe, furtheſt of all from deep ſleep. In both theſe degrees of ſleep, the Lord ſpeakes by Dreames, firſt, in deep ſleep; Secondly, in ſlumbrings.
Some conceive that Elihu intended by theſe different words, to ſet forth two ſorts of dreams; Firſt, thoſe dreams which men have when extraordinary deep ſleep falls upon them; ſuch as that ſpoken of (Gen: 2.21.) God commanded a deep ſleep to fall on Adam, when he tooke the rib out of his ſide and formed the woman. We read alſo (Gen: 15.12.) that a deep ſleep fell on Abraham when God revealed to him what ſhould become of his poſterity, and how they ſhould be in Egypt, and there much oppreſſed foure hundred yeares, &c. It is ſaid alſo (1 Sam: 26.12.) A deep ſleep from the Lord was fallen upon them; that is, upon Saul, and his guards, who lay round about him. And that might be called a ſleep from the Lord, both becauſe it was a ſleep which the Lord ſent, and becauſe it was an extream deep ſleep. Secondly, there are dreams in ordinary ſleep, or in very ſlumbrings or noddings upon the bed, we may call them waking dreames. Thus Elihu ſheweth God taking ſeverall times or ſeaſons for the revealing of himſelfe in dreams; ſometimes in deep ſleep, and often in the leaſt and ſlighteſt ſleeps, called ſlumbrings.
I ſhall not here inſiſt upon or diſcourſe the way of Gods manifeſting himſelfe to the Ancienrs, by dreams & viſions, but referre the Reader to what hath already been done upon the 4th Chapter at the 12th and 13th verſes; where Eliphaz ſpeaks almoſt in the ſame manner as Elihu here about viſions; And, indeed there is a very great Conſent between their two parts in this booke, that of Eliphaz, and this of Elihu; They were both holy and propheticall men, both of them had the ſame deſigne in ſpeaking about dreams and viſions, namely, to convince and humble Job; and both of them expreſſe themſelves in terms of a very neere Cognation. So that if the reader pleaſe to conſult that place (Job 4.12, 13.) he will find theſe words farther cleared, as to the nature and ſeverall kinds of viſions. And if he turne to what hath been done upon the 14th verſe of the 7th Chapter, he may find the doctrine of dreams further opened.
Only let me adde here a note or two.
Firſt, It hath been the uſe of God to reveale his mind by dreams.
And I may give you five reaſons why God uſed to apply himſelf to man in dreams: Firſt, becauſe in ſleep man is, as I may ſay, at beſt leiſure for God to deal with him; he is not diſtracted with buſineſſe, nor hurried with the labours of this life, but is at reſt. Secondly, when we are awake we are very ready to debate and diſcuſſe what we receive by our own reaſon, we are ready to Logick it with God; but in ſleep we take things barely as offered without diſcuſſions or diſputes. Thirdly, in ſleepe when all is quiet, that which God repreſents, takes and leaves a deeper impreſſion upon the mind of man. Common experience teacheth us how dreams ſtick, and how thoſe apprehenſions which we have in our ſleep dwell & abide with us when awake. Fourthly, I conceive the Lord doth this chiefly that he may ſhew his divine skill in teaching & inſtructing man, or that he hath a peculiar art in teaching; he teaches ſo, as none of the maſters of learning were ever able to teach and inſtruct their Schollars. There was never any man could teach another when he was aſleep; they that are taught muſt at leſt be awake, yea they muſt not only be awake but watchfull; but now God is ſuch a teacher, ſuch an inſtructor, that when we are aſleep he can convay inſtruction and teach us his leſſons; this (I ſay) doth wonderfully magnifie the divine skill and power of God, who is able to make us heare and underſtand doctrine even when we are aſleep and cannot heare. There may be alſo a fifth conſideration moving God to this. Poſſibly God would hereby aſſure us, that the ſoul is a diſtinct eſſence, and hath its diſtinct operations from the body; and that even death it ſelf cannot deprive the ſoul of man of its working. For what is ſleep but a kind of death? ſleep is a ſhort death, and death is along ſleepe. Now when the body is (upon the matter) laid aſide, the ſoul can goe to work; when the body lyes like a block and ſtirs not, the ſoul can beſtir it ſelf about many matters, and run its thoughts to the utmoſt ends of the earth, yea and raiſe them up to the higheſt heavens, in bleſſed intercourſes with God himſelf. There's no need to prove the matter of fact that 'tis ſo; what night, with reference to ſome or other, doth not utter this poynt of knowledg? nor need I ſtay to prove that this is, if not a demonſtrative, yet a very probable argument of the diſtinct ſubſtantiallity of the ſoul from the body, namely its operations when the body (with all its proper and peculiar faculties and powers) is a ſleepe, and contributes nothing to thoſe operations. For though it be granted that ſome irrationall creatures (who have no immortall part, nor any thing ſubſtantiall in them diſtinct from their bodies, though it be granted I ſay, that theſe) may have dreames; yet their dreams differ as much from thoſe of men, as themſelves doe.
Secondly Note, The revelation of the mind of God by dreams and viſions, was much, yea moſt uſed in thoſe ancient times. When God had not ſo fully revealed his mind by Scripture or his mind in the Scripture, then he ſpake often in dreams and viſions; and hence the old Prophets were called ſeers.
The Apoſtle reports, God ſpeaking at ſundry times, and in divers manners in times paſt, unto the fathers by the Prophets, (Heb. 1.1.) The Greek text hath two very ſignificant words,foreign, the former moſt properly implying how God gave out his mind in divers meaſures, or how he parcelled it out, the other implying the ſeverall wayes in which he gave it out. As the meaſures were various, ſometimes more ſometimes leſſe of his mind about divine matters and myſteries being diſperſed, ſo the wayes manners and formes of this diſpenſation were very various; yet the moſt uſuall way was by dreams and viſions (Numb. 12.6.) If there be a Prophet among you (ſaith the Lord) I the Lord will make my ſelf known unto him in a viſion, and ſpeak to him in a dreame. Yea we find that in the firſt dayes of the Goſpel, dreames and viſions were frequent. The Apoſtle falling into a trance had a viſion (Acts 10.10.) He ſaw heaven opened and a certain veſſell deſcend, &c. And when Chriſt would have the Apoſtle Paul carry the Goſpell into Macedonia, a viſion appeared to him in the night (Acts 16.9.) There ſtood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, ſaying, come over to Macedonia and help us. The ſame Apoſtle ſaith (2 Cor. 12.1, 2.) I will come to viſions and revelations of the Lord, whether in the body I cannot tell, or out of the body I cannot tell. Pauls ſoul was wrapt up in ſuch high and intimate converſes with God, that he even forgot how it was with his body, or had little to doe with it. Which ſuites well with that deſcription which the Apoſtle John gave of himſelf, when he had the whole mind of God concerning the ſtate of his Church to the end of the world, revealed to him in ſeverall viſions, I (ſaith he Rev. 1.10.) was in the ſpirit on the Lords day, &c. That's is a famous promiſe, which was firſt reported by the Prophet Joel (Chap: 2.28.) and after repeated by the Apoſtle Peter (Acts 2.17.) I will poure out my Spirit upon all fleſh, &c. and your young men ſhall ſee viſions, and your old men ſhall dream dreams. Thus it is every where clear in Scripture, that dreames and viſions were frequent both in the Old Teſtament times, and in the beginning of the New;
But now in theſe laſt dayes (as the Apoſtle ſaith Heb. 1.2, 3. paſſing from thoſe former wayes of Revelation deſcribed in the firſt verſe) God having ſpoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom alſo he made the Worlds, who is [alſo] the brightneſſe of his glory, and the expreſſe Image of his perſon: God I ſay having ſpoken to us by his Son, and we having now a clearer manifeſtation of the mind of God then the old fathers had, the Son who once ſpake to us in perſon on earth, ſtill ſpeaking to us in the Goſpell every day; therefore now for any to look after dreams and viſions, or viſible apparitions for the revealing of the mind of God, is to goe backward to the old ſtate of the Jewiſh Church, or to the infancy of the Goſpell Church, while the Canon or Rule of the Scripture as to all matters of faith and holy life was not fully finiſhed and compleated. And though we ought to be farre from limiting God, yet he hath limited us from looking after any wiſdome in the knowledge of his will above that which is written (1 Cor. 4.6.) The Apoſtle alſo teſtifying by the Spirit of God, that the Scripture is ſufficient to make every man wiſe to ſalvation and the man of God perfect, throughly furniſhed unto all good works (that good work eſpecially of helping others to ſalvation) 1 Tim. 3.15.17.
Ardentibus votu precatus ſum ut daret mihi deus certū ſenſum ſcripturae; et pactum feci cum domino deo meo ne mihi viſiones vel ſomnia mitteret. Luth. loci com. quartae claſ…is.Luther obſerving how many were deluded in his time by dreames and viſions, which they falſely attributed to God, as the immediate Author of them; earneſtly prayed about two things: Firſt, that God would give him a ſound underſtanding of his mind revealed in the Scriptures. Secondly; that he would nor ſend him dreames or viſions, yea, ſaith he, I even contracted with God that he would not. And doubtleſſe he did this upon a double ground. Firſt, to oppoſe the wild opinions and practices of thoſe, who had nothing to pretend for them but dreames and viſions. Secondly, to advance the honour of the written word in its ſufficiency, not only without the help of any humane tradition, but without any further divine revelation. And therefore though God ſhould pleaſe to ſpeak to us now by dreames and viſions, yet that were only (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks about his adding of an oath to his promiſe (Heb. 6.17.) to ſhew that he is (ex abundanti) more abundantly willing to ſatisfie our weakneſſe by ſuch a condiſcention, then that there is a neceſſity of it, with reſpect to any deficiency of the Scriptures fullneſſe. And hence it is, that if men ſhall profeſſe they have received any thing from God by dreams or viſions, concerning what is either to be beleeved or done, the matter of thoſe dreams muſt be examined and weighed at the ballance of the Scriptures, and is no further to be credited then as 'tis found agreeable thereunto.
It cannot be denyed but that men may make profitable uſe of their dreames at this day; they may ſee much of themſelves when their eyes are ſhut up by ſleepe. Evill men may ſee their luſts at worke in the night, and find out what luſt is moſt working and wakefull in them. What is ſaid in Hiſtory of the ancient Perſian Kings, that they were ſeldome ſeen in the day, but came to view in the night, is true of a mans ſpeciall ſin, or of that ſin which reignes and Kings it in him. What ugly apparitions of luſt hath many a man in his nightly dreams, eſpecially of thoſe filthy luſts which are moſt proper to the night? Thus alſo good men have ſometimes a clearer ſight of their graces in the night by dreames, then in the duties of the day. What holy frames of heart? what lively actings of grace? what ſweet and raviſhing communion with God have many godly men found and felt in dreames? That may at leſt, be ſomewhat of Davids meaning, when he ſaid (Pſal. 16.17.) My reines alſo inſtruct me in the night ſeaſon.
Laſtly, Though we cannot make any certaine concluſions, either what we are, or what we are to doe from dreames; yet from them they who are wiſe and watchfull may ſometimes gather ſtrong conjectures about both or either. To make dreames the rule or warrant of what we doe is extreamly dangerous, yet that we may have hints what to do in a dreame, I nothing doubt, nor can there be any danger in it, while the matter hinted is conſonant to the rule of the word, both as that which is lawfull to be done, and lawfull for us (all circumſtances conſidered) to doe. Otherwiſe, whatſoever we may think our ſelves warned or warranted to doe by dreames, is but a mock or trick put upon us by the Devill, or a deceit of our own fooliſh ſelfiſh hearts.
Thus we have ſeene the firſt way of Gods ſpeaking to men of old, by dreames and viſions of the night; what work God is pleaſed to make with and in man by ſuch ſpeakings, will appeare diſtinctly in the three following verſes.