verfe now under confideration, and that it foretells a very different event, from what it appears to me to do, I fhall not take up your time, in examining his Lordship's objections to that conjunction. But the authority I fhall produce, for the adoption of another conjunction, will be in itself, both fufficient to fet afide this, and to render any examination of the Bishop's observations unneceffary,

The objection made to the other, "THAT he may know," if well founded, must certainly be allowed to render it totally inadmiffible.For, it is afferted, "that the verse, U "thus

"thus rendered, has no meaning at "all." And it is afked, with no flight figns of an affured victory,"What fenfe is there in afferting, "that a child fhall eat butter and

honey, THAT he may know to "refufe the evil, and choofe the

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good? Is there any fuch effe&t "in this food?-Surely no!"

It will undoubtedly, be readily granted the learned commentators, that there is no abfolutely neceffary connection, between any certain particular fpecies of food, and the operations of the UNDERSTANDING, and the WILL. And yet, that fuch food, as is beft fitted to ftrengthen

the

the body, is therefore mediately most likely, to give vigour to the mind, is fo common an opinion, fuppofed to be founded upon experience, that at leaft it is not to be rejected, without proof; nor reprobated at once, as a manifeft abfurdity. If, therefore, butter and honey were efteemed a food of this kind, fuitable to infants, as in a country fertile of those commodities, it undoubtedly might; the common tranflation of this verfe, was was not altogether deferving of the contempt, with which it is treated.

Other reafons, indeed, are affigned in the learned commentary, why,

the child could not be fed with butter and honey, in a ftate of infancy. "Because, as thefe articles "of food, were efteemed delicacies "in the Eaft, and they could only "be procured in a time of plenty, "the land of Judea therefore, could "C not at THAT TIME furnish them, "because it was then harraffed by "it's enemies."

In anfwer to this objection, in the ftrength of which, fo much confidence feems to have been placed, I might, with fome other commentators, content myself with obferving, that towards the conclufion of this

very

very chapter, it is predicted, that THESE ARTICLES of food SHALL

BE PLENTIFUL on THIS VERY

ACCOUNT, becaufe, the land would be DESOLATE.

But, as I must confefs, that though this fact here predicted, has fome appearance of an argument against the objection; yet, when maturely weighed, it is in reality, no answer to it, I can not poffibly adopt fuch a reply. For, though a fertile country may afford plenty to the remnant left in it, when the greater part of it's former inhabitants is carried away, it by no means follows, that it can. afford plenty to it's inhabitants, when

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