were soON TO HAPPEN, but, WERE to be SUBSEQUENT ΤΟ THAT

BIRTH.

1

Fifthly. If, on the contrary, the miracle foretold, was, when wrought, ΤΟ BE a SIGN, likewife, of SOME

OTHER

OTHER

EVENT; THERE IS ΝΟ

FORETOLD in the PRECE

DING prophecy, to which, it was PRIOR; and therefore, OF WHICH, it COULD BE A SIGN; but, that JUDAH SHOULD NO MORE THAN EPHRAIM, CONTINUE A PEOPLE, IF THEY DID NOT BELIEVE." So likewife, if it was intended as a SIGN OF ANY EVENT to Judah, in the LATTER prophecy, it must neceffarily

be

be ONE, at leaft LIKE THAT, which did not happen, 'till AFTER the BIRTH of the EMANUEL.

From hence, then, it neceffarily follows, that no poffible defence, can be left to Jewish, or Gentile Infidels, but at once, BOLDLY to DENY, that it was a prophecy ;-and to maintain, that by fome PIOUS FRAUD, of SOME CHRISTIAN or OTHER,

THEY KNOW NOT WHOM, NOR WHEN, it was inferted in every one of the copies of the Prophecies of Ifaiah-and that the first chapter of St. Matthew, and fome chapters in St. Luke, were FORGED, by the UNKOWN PERSONS, and at

SAME

the

ΤΙΜΕ, ΟΠ

the SAME UNKNOWN purpose to confirm it. Such an opinion, can not fail of gaining as many profelytes, as there are men, who are intirely deftitute of thought, and totally incapable of reasoning.

But they who have too much cultivated their minds, to be capable of relishing fuch abfurdities, muft therefore confefs, that THIS IS A PROPHECY, which was LITERALLY and COMPLETELY fulfilled in JESUS CHRIST; and is neither TYPICALLY, nor in ANY OTHER SENSE applicable to ANY OTHER PERSON whatsoever.

But

But it is now time to pafs to the fifteenth verse :

"Butter and honey shall he eat, "that he may know to refufe the evil, "and choose the good."

Whatever

may

be the precife meaning of this verfe, thus much. at leaft is evident beyond difpute; that it can NOT have REFERENCE to ANY OTHER person, than to the CHILD, whofe miraculous power, and divine nature, are foretold in the verfe immmediately preceding. THIS IS the ONLY ANTECEDENT, to which, the RELATIVE can POS

SIBLY REFER.

The

The late very elegant and learned tranflator of Ifaiah, whom I have often before mentioned, adopting and corroborating the opinion of a learned friend, has, with much earneftnefs, objected to the generally received tranflations of this verse,

THAT he may know," or "TILL "he may know ;" and propofes to exchange thefe conjunctions for another, which, he thinks, clearly removes all objections.

As his objection to the expreffion, TILL he may know," is wholly founded upon the fuppofition, that the following verfc, contains the for the affertion, in the

REASON