any wicked Motion, even in Sleep, and that would be the Way to put an
End to the Attempt; and this Advice he relish'd very well, and
practised, I believe, with Success.

By this same Method, the same _Devil_ injects powerful Incentives to
other Crimes, provokes Avarice, by laying a great Quantity of Gold in
your View, and no body present, giving you an Opportunity to steal it,
or some of it, at the same time, perhaps, knowing your Circumstances to
be such as that you are at that Time in a great want of the Money.

I knew another, who being a Tradesman, and in great Distress for Money
in his Business, dream'd that he was walking all alone in a great Wood,
and that he met a little Child with a Bag of Gold in its Hand, and a
fine Necklace of Diamonds on its Neck, upon the Sight, his Wants
presently dictated to him to rob the Child; the little innocent
Creature, (just so he dream'd) not being able to resist; or to tell who
it was, accordingly he consented to take the Money from the Child, and
then to take the Diamond Necklace from it too, and did so.

But the _Devil_, (a full Testimony, as I told him, that it was the
_Devil_, not contented with that, hinted to him, that perhaps the Child
might some time or other know him, and single him out, by crying or
pointing, or some such Thing, especially if he was suspected and shew'd
to it, and therefore it would be better for him to kill the Child,
prompting him to kill it for his own Safety, and that he need do no more
but twist the Neck of it a little, or crush it with his Knee; He told me
he stood debating with himself, whether he should do so or not; but that
in that Instant his Heart struck him with the Word Murther, and he
entertain'd a Horror of it, refus'd to do it, and immediately waked.

He told me, that when he wak'd, he found himself in so violent a Sweat
as he never had known the like; that his Pulse beat with that Heat and
Rage, that it was like a Palpitation of the Heart to him, and that the
Agitation of his Spirits was such, that he was not fully composed in
some Hours; tho' the Satisfaction and Joy that attended him, when he
found it was but a Dream, assisted much to return his Spirits to their
due Temperament.

It is neither my Business or Inclination to turn Divine here, nor is the
Age I write to sufficiently Grave to relish a Sermon, if I was disposed
to preach, though they must allow the Subject would very well bear it;
but I shall only ask them, if they th