know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me." For with such ends to be answered personally, we may well say, "We glory in tribulation; and though no affliction for the present is joyous, but grievous, nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby." Is it not worth passing through the fire to lose the dross of our depraved nature, and to be made like unto the angels of God?

Another effect of this knowledge will be found in keeping before our view, and presenting in its true magnificence, the glorious and ultimate end of our afflictions, viz. the salvation of our souls. And here afflictions are to be viewed in a twofold lightas conducing to our meetness for heavenly glory in the way we have been pointing out, and in actually bringing us to it. They are God's mode of culture and means of transplantation. Of the multitude of Spirits before the throne of God, we read these are they that came out of great tribulation, &c.; and the Apostle says,

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our light afflictions work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." It is indeed delightful to observe the sanctified effect of affliction, to see the soul of the genuine believer under its influence daily growing în grace, and in the knowledge and love of Jesus; as the outward man decays, to see the inward man renewed day by day; and as the dreams and objects of time recede, to see the glorious vision of eternity expanding and rising before the view. The Christian, therefore, with heaven in prospect, learns to submit to, yea, to rejoice in the will of God, which has laid his path across the gloomy valley, and with the word of God to enlighten his way, and with the presence of Jesus to cheer him, he learns to

say, O grave, where is thy victory, O death, where is thy sting! These are advantages of no mean order, of no suspicious origin, and of no doubtful source; they are rich fruits of grace, that grow on the trees of righteousness of the Lord's right hand planting-they grow and ripen too in the midst of a valley of tears-they grow not upon the wild vine of nature, or the bare brambles of human speculation. If we would possess this knowledge, we must seek it at the right source: the grace and Spirit of God can teach us to say, thy judgments are right, and in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me. Men are too apt to be deluded in health into folly and sin, and when they think the day of affliction distant, become vain in their imagination, and harden their hearts against God. But afflictions try the soul-they cast aside the glittering, the empty, and deceitful objects to which we attach ourselves, and either present the dreary prospect of eternal despair, or call upon us to come up out of the wilderness leaning on our beloved.

CHRISTIANUS.

REMARKS ON THE DREAM OF MRS. NOTCUTT, AS RELATED IN THE MEMOIR OF REV. W. NOTCUTT, LATE OF IPSWICH. THE *singular circumstances attending Mrs. Notcutt's dream have doubtless excited the attention of your readers, with those of the two other periodical publications, in which it has already appeared. The gentleman who sent the account to the Evangelical Magazine was a person of integrity uncorrupted, too well-principled to publish any thing as fact of the truth of which he had not a full persuasion. It is well known, I believe, to a large circle of friends, that that gentleman had for many years been assiduously employed in collecting facts relative to the

history of the dissenting churches in Suffolk, and the lives of their respective ministers, on the plan of Mr. W. Wilson's work. The church at Tacket Street, Ipswich, with which, for many years, he had been united in Christian fellowship, and the history of Mr. Notcutt's life, (with one of whose descendants he was connected in marriage, and with all, on terms of endearing intimacy,) naturally were to him objects of peculiar interest. The notices of that church, with the life of its first minister,* were from his pen, and it was in the course of his enquiries, respecting Mr. Notcutt's life, that the dream of Mrs. N. came to his knowledge. What were the sources of his information the writer of this paper might once have known, but never availed himself of the opportunity till the death of that respected individual reminded him that it was now too late. That Mr. could not impose upon the world, and that he was himself satisfied with the nature of the evidence in favour of this remarkable story, or he could not have published it, will never be disputed by any who had the happiness of knowing him.

Whatever doubts, therefore, may be suggested respecting the fact, not the slightest imputation is intended to be cast on the integrity or veracity of any person concerned. The dream was related as it was heard none professing, that I am aware of, to have received it, "totidem verbis," from the mouth of Mrs. N. herself. Had such an avowal been made by any credible person, you had never received this communication., It would be scarcely worth occupying your valuable pages with an examination of the accuracy or inaccuracy of this statement, were it not that, from the known re

Vide Eran. Mag. for Aug. 1819.

spectability of the parties, and the wide circulation it has obtained, the story might have an injurious tendency. There is reason to fear that it would increase that love of the marvellous, and belief of what is strange, which prevails in already too great a degree among many pious and wellmeaning people. Extraordinary narratives of dreams, visions, and prophecies (however well substantiated they may seem to be) ought not to be PUBLISHED, without some valuable end having been evidently intended, and as evidently answered by them — and even then there needs great caution. It would be well if the number of such stories were lessened rather than increased. The public appetite needs to be denied; not indulged. These considerations made me deeply regret the publication of the dream on its first appearance. I feared that credulity and superstition would point to it with a triumphant air, and that behind such an account, as a breastwork, the one would strengthen her wretched prejudices, the other, her delusive hopes. With this regret was mingled somewhat of an incredulous feeling. It seemed passing strange, not to say suspicious, that so remarkable a dream, descending to such niceties of circumstance, should have produced no effect corresponding to its peculiar character, should, if we attend to the narrative, have answered no one purpose, having been forgotten till the last fatal event transpired. Since that time my doubts of the authenticity of a part of the dream have received strong confirmation; still it is probable they would never have been known beyond the circle of my acquaintance, but for its re-publication in your miscellany, and the increased circulation and freshness thus given to it.

With the view of obtaining

what satisfaction I could on the subject, some time ago, in company with a relative, whose views coincided with mine, I visited a granddaughter of Mr. N.'s, who, with another, are the only persons now alive capable of giving any satisfactory information. With the other person I had no means of communication. Her statement was to this effect-She was present in the room when Mrs. N. was seized with the bleeding; she was then (as was her cousin, the other person referred to) a girl about eleven or twelve years of age she remembers the pocket-book being sent for, and the surprise which was excited by the coincidence between the event, and the date of the dream as noted in it, that it gave rise to much conversation on the part of the attendants, which Mr. Notcutt repressed."Say no more about it," was his remark, "what good will it do? or of what use is it?" In answer to our inquiries, she said she had no recollection of the former part of the dream, nor of its forming any part of the conversation at the time. All that related to the coming to Ipswich, the house, and the closet, was NEW to her. She supposed the dream had referred only to the bleeding of the nose at a certain time, and the consequent death of Mrs. N.

Let us look at this statement in connexion with the other. It must be remembered, that the dream had taken place forty years before the time alluded to, that is in 1715. That there was no writ ten document of it-the pocketbook merely containing the date of the dream-that Mrs. N. herself had entirely forgotten it-that all the attendants were previously ignorant of the circumstances, as is evident from their surprise. Whatever knowledge, therefore, could have been gained of the circumstances must have been derived from Mrs. N. at that time; but here we

have the testimony of a most respectable individual who was present, that no allusion was made to any thing, as having happened previous to the bleeding-to this the surprise was confined. This surprise too of all the individuals present is very surprising, on the supposition of the whole dream being true. In process of time, we are told, Mr. and Mrs. N. came to reside at Ipswich, and on removing to her new habitation, Mrs. N. was surprised at finding it correspond exactly with the one she had seen in her dream, and that it contained the very closet, &c. Were then the dream, and this its partial accomplishment, never made known to a single individual? Is it likely that so singular a circumstance should have been concealed within her own breast? It is useless to attribute it to reserve-none was necessary-none was manifested in 1755-when the dream was no sooner remembered than it was related. On the other hand, if ever her lips had been opened on the subject, though SHE had forgotten, others would not, how then can the total ignorance of all but Mrs. N. be accounted for? Still more remarkable is Mrs. Notcutt's forgetfulness. It is possible, if the dream amounted to nothing more than the death of the individual forty years after by a bleeding of the nose, that it might be disregarded, and, amidst the cares of a family, at last be for gotten; but is it within the limits of probability, that a dream should be effaced from the memory after the greater part (by their coming to Ipswich in 1724) had been actually fulfilled? thus assuring the individual that the fatal event, to which all the rest was but introductory, would certainly take place at the time appointed. Where is the person who could, under such circumstances, with the closet daily before them, have forgotten

that Christmas 1755 was approaching? Yet it is said, "the closet was frequented without any fear of the accomplishment of her dream"-and what renders the account still more incredible is, that when the day arrived, the closet opened, the bottle of drops taken down, the bleeding commenced--no suspicion was excited; and it was not till every attempt to stop the bleeding had failed, that Mrs. N. remembered her dream. The statement of the individual before mentioned, that the dream included nothing but the bleeding, removes every difficulty, and renders Mrs. N.'s forgetfulness consistent and credible. With this alone too agrees the language of Mr. N. to the attendants "Say no more about it"-" of what use is it?" Language surely unlike that of the affectionate husband he was, who must, if the dream had already received a partial accomplishment, have ant cipated the fatal close. In his ears it must have sounded as his wife's funeral knell. That he saw nothing in the circumstances to awaken his fears-nothing worthy of remark, or having any useful practical tendency, is evident, and as evident is the conclusion, that he knew nothing of the most wonderful part of the present narrative.

If it be said, that there is still something remarkable hanging about the dream, as the bleeding took place at the time appointed, and that death ensued-it may be suggested, that as it wholly de pended on the strength of memory of a person 77 years of age, and that respecting a dream 40 years before, and which she had never once recollected during the intermediate time; it is possible that a mistake might be made in the number of years to which the dream referred-nor is it improbable, when the advanced age of the party, the weakness superin

duced by incessant bleeding, and the strong conviction she felt that she should die, are all considered, that the dream might cause its own fulfilment. Many similar effects have been produced, where the exciting causes have been far more trivial. There would then nothing remain but the coincidence of the day-remarkable enough it is true, but not more so than many other facts in which a special divine interference has not even been suspected.

If, in fine, it be asked how the dream could have assumed its present form, it may suffice to remark, that the "Fama crescit eundo" is as actively and efficiently operative in modern as in ancient times. I fear, Gentlemen, that I have trespassed too much on your pages, and on the patience of your readers, but I could not be satisfied that so singular a dream should appear in three distinct periodical publications, and thus descend to posterity unexamined, and its authenticity unquestioned. It only remains for me to repeat, that if any valuable end had been answered, or could be promoted by it, I would have remained silent, not knowing the certainty of its falsehood. As it is, it can serve only to gratify the curiosity of some, and to foster the credulity of others, and the sooner it is forgotten, therefore, or disbelieved, if you please, the better. I am, Gentlemen,

Your's, most respectfully, WILLIAM NOTCUTT. Wilbarston, Nov, 19, 1823.

CATHARINE CHIDLEY.

(To the Editors.) GENTLEMEN,-Can any of your correspondents furnish an account of Catharine Chidley, who wrote "The Justification of the Independent Churches?" 4to. 1641.

VIATORIUS MERCATOR.