nversant with while on earth, that it might by degrees be prepared
for the more sublime happiness of the heavenly state, this and other
conversation of the same kind probably occasioned the following dream.

The Doctor imagined himself dangerously ill at a friend's house in
London, and after remaining in this state for some hours, he thought his
soul left his body, and took its flight in some kind of a fine vehicle,
though very different from the gross body it had just quitted, but still
material. He pursued his course through the air, expecting some celestial
messenger to meet him, till he was at some distance from the city,
when turning back and viewing the town, he could not forbear saying to
himself, "How vain do those affairs in which the inhabitants of this
place are so eagerly employed, seem to me a separate spirit!" At length,
as he was continuing his progress, though without any certain directions,
yet easy and happy in the thoughts of the universal providence and
government of God, which extends alike to all states and worlds, he was
now met by one who told him he was sent to conduct him to this destined
state of abode, from which he concluded it was an angel, though he
appeared in the form of an elderly man. They accordingly advanced
together, till they came within sight of a large spacious building,
which had the air of a palace. Upon his inquiring what it was, his guide
replied, it was the place assigned for him at present; upon which the
Doctor wondered that he had read on earth, "that eye had not seen, nor
ear had heard, the glory laid up for them that love God," when he could
easily have formed an idea of such a building, from others he had seen,
though he acknowledged they were greatly inferior to this in elegance and
magnificence. The answer, his guide told him, was plainly suggested by
the conversation of the evening before, and that the scenes presented to
him were purposely contrived to bear a near resemblance to those he had
been accustomed to on earth, that his mind might be more easily and
gradually prepared for those glories which would open upon him hereafter,
and which would at first have quite dazzled and overpowered him. By this
time they came to the palace, and his guide led him through a kind of
saloon into an inner parlour. The first object that struck him was a
great golden cup which stood upon a table, on which was embossed the
figure of a vine and clusters of grapes. He asked his guide t