、 "fions are vain, and groundless.— Ceafe, then, to trouble us with your idle admonitions.-Leave us quietly to difcharge the duty of ་ ་ our country, and as far as in our power, to guard againft the pre fent, and future dangers which "threaten her, by a prudent exer"tion of her natural force, or by ༥ inviting the affiftance of fuch pow "erful allies, as may afford us fome ་་ profpect of defeating the malicious defigns of our inveterate enemies. "What inducement do you give us, or what confolation do you offer us, for believing in your God?——— "You pretend, that the kings of "due our country ;-you add, likewife, they fhall both die in five years; and yet, at the "fame time, deprive us of every "dawn of comfort and of hope, << or fix by affuring us, with the fame "breath, from a pretended commu"nication with your God, that he "will bring upon us fill worfe calamities, than any which have hi"therto befallen us, fince Ephraim I departed from Judah.-As, then, WE have no faith IN HIM, and you yourself give us no EXPEC TATION of SAFETY or of MER CY FROM HIM,-begone,-we will "continue to feek our prefent deliverance, and future protection, " from "from other Gods, to whom Syria " and Ifrael owe their fuccefs." Upon the whole then, it is evident, that this writer's hypothefis is no lefs inadmiffible, than theirs, which have before been examined ;-but, his own objections may be turned against himself, and his own hypothefis may be deftroyed by the very argument, with which he demolishes thofe of other commentators. Having now explained to you, from the hiftory of Ahaz, the point of time, in which, the Prophet most probably delivered this prediction, and the ftate of Ahaz's mind at that juncture, juncture, to whom, of David, it was with the house directed ;-both which circumftances, are almoft ef fential to the right apprehenfion of any prophecies ;-having, likewise, compreffed into as fmall a fpace as poffible, and destroyed the principles, upon which, all former interpreters have built their comments, upon this latter prophecy,-I fhall now proceed accurately to examine the Prophet's words, to prepare the way for the interpretation of them, which I fhall give you. Which, I muft confefs, from my own conviction of it's truth, I fhall offer with confidence, notwithstanding it has happened to ef cape the discovery of men; fome of them, them, much more extenfively skilled in languages than myfelf, and all of them, perhaps, equally zealous in their inquiries. You recollect, then, that the Prophet was firft fent to the idolatrous Ahaz, before the fiege of Jerufalem had begun, at the time when he and his people had only heard, that the two armies were coming up against it. He then affured them, that the confederated kings fhould fail in their attempt; for, that they fhould not be able, by taking the city, to destroy the house of David, and bring under their fubjection, the country of Judea. But, that |