Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-04-05

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an evidence of immortality. The text
chosen was Genesis xviii, IL: HE
took of the stones of that place and
put them for his pillows, and lay down
in that place to sleep and he dreamed"
The sermon follows:
Asleep on a pillow-case filled with
hens feathers it is not strange n
should have pleasant dreams. But
here is a pillow of rock, and Jacob
with his head on 1t, and lol a dream of
angels, two professions. those coming
down the stairs met by those going up
the stairs. 1t is the first dream of
Bible record. You may say of a dream
that 1t is nocturnal fantasia, or that it
is the absurd combination of waking
thoughts, and with a slur of information
you may say, 1T is only a dream" but
God has honored the dream by making
it the venue through which again and
again He has marched upon the human
soul, decided the fate of nations, and
changed the course of the worlds
history. God appeared in a dream to
Abimelech, warning him against an
unlawful marriage; in a dream to Jo-
seph, fortelling his coming power under
the figure of all the sheaves of the har-
vest bowling down to his sheaf; TO the
chief butler, fortelling his disimprison-
ment; to the chief baker, announcing
his decapitation; to Pharaoh, showing
him first the seven plenty years, and
then the seven famine-struck years, UNI
der the figure of the seven fat cows de-
Touring the seven lean cows; to Solo
mon, giving him the choice between
wisdom and riches and honor; to the
warrior, under the figure of a barley
cake shifting down a tent; encouraging
Gideon in his battle against the Amale-
kites; to Nebuchadnezzar, under the
figure of a broken image and a hewn
down tree, fortelling his overthrow of
power; to Joseph, of the New Tesla
ment, announcing the birth of Christ
in his own household; to Mary, bidding
her fly from Herodic prosecutions; to
Pilates wife, warning him not to be-
come complicated with the judicial
overthrow of Christ
We all admit that God in ancient
times and under Bible dispensation adj
dressed the people through dreams
The question now is. does God appear
in our day and reveal Himself through
dreams? That is the question every
body asks, and that question this morn
ing | shall try to answer You ask me
IL / believe in dreams My answer is,
/ do believe in dreams, bu t ALL have to
say will be under five heads.
Remark the first: The Scriptures are
so full of revelation from God, that If
we get no communication from Him in
dreams, we ought, nevertheless, to be
satisfied.
With twenty guide books to tell you
how to get to Boston or Pittsburgh or
London or Glasgow or Manchester do
you want a night vision to tell you how
to make the journey? We have in this
Scripture full directions in regard to the
tourney of this life and how to get to the
celestial city, and with the grand guide
book, this magnificent dire tory, we
ought to be satisfied. | have more faith
in a decision to which / come when ]
am wide awake than when | am sound
asleep | have noticed that those who
give a great deal Of their time to study
ing dreams get their brains added.
They are very anxious to remember
what they dreamed about the first night
they slept in a new house. II in their
dream they take the hand of a corpse,
they are going TO die. II they dream OF
a garden, it means a sepulchre. If
something turns out according to a
night vision, they say. We'll, am not
surprised. / dreamed it" If 1t turns
ont different fr, m the night vision. they
say. well, dreams go by contraries"
In their efforts to put their dreams into
rhythm, they put their waking thoughts
into discord. Now, the Bible is so full
of revelation that we ought 10 be salts
fed If we get no further revelation.
Sound sleep received great honor
when Adam slept so extraordinarily
hat the surgical operation which gave
i'm Eve did not wake him; but there
IS no such need for extraordinary SUM
her now. and he who catches an Eve
must needs be wideawake! No need OF
such a dream as Jacob had with a lad
der against the sky, when ten thosand
times IL had been demonstrated that
LtlAALN ~
earth and Heaven are in communica-
NJ n. No such dream needed as that
which was given to Abinelech, warn
ING him against the un lawful marriage,
when we have the records of the county
c~lerl,s Office. No need of such a dream
as was given to Pharaoh o the
seven years of famine. for now the sea-
sons march in regular procession, and
steamer and rail train carry breadstuhs
% everv famine-struck nation. No need
n a dream like that which encouraged
Gideon. for all through Christendom II
s announced and aekno wledged and
DEMONSTRATED that righteousness sooner
or later viii getthe victory.
II there should come about a crisis IN
vour lie upon which the Bib does not
seem TO be sufficiently specific, go to
col in prayer and Won will get especial
direction. ! have more faitn' ninety
,ine times out of a hundred 70 diree-
-,, r-ou WITH the Bible IN your