But the circumftances are exactly the fame in BOTH. The EMMANUEL, or JESUS, was born of a VIRGIN, whilft, HEROD was KING. About Two years afterwards, Herod died, and left by will, the kingdom of Judea to his fon Archelaus, upon condition, that Cæfar approved the bequeft. Archelaus goes to Rome, to folicit the confirmation of the crown. But Cæfar difmiffes him without ratifying Herod's appointment. He however, permitted Archelaus to exercife the chief power of the government, under a promise of royalty, if he acquitted himself in fuch a manner, as to merit the

emperor's

emperor's approbation. Some years afterwards, but, BEFORE JESUS, or the EMMANUEL, was ARRIVED at THAT AGE, in which, by EXPERIENCE, the KNOWLEDGE of GOOD and EVIL is USUALLY ATTAINED, though not 'till he had given a moft public proof of his being ENDOWED

WITH

SUPER-NATURAL

WISDOM

and ELOQUENCE,-upon a complaint made at Rome against Rome against Archelaus, for mal-adminiftration,-if ever he were king, he was dethroned,-banished to Vienna, Judea was duced to a Roman province,-it's inhabitants, fubjected to a Roman

governor, and confequently,

re

the

whole

whole land of Promife, or of Ifrael, -the land so REVERED by the If raelites,-WAS THEN DEPRIVED OF

BOTH HER KINGS.

The Jews, however, being foon very indignant at the taxation impofed upon them, and feverely fuffering under the oppreffions, with which they were loaded, rebelled against the government, to which they had before voluntarily fubmitted. But, inftead of finding redrefs, they only augmented their afflictions,

till the time came, when not only the other predictions of Ifaiah,fuch days as had not been, fince Ephraim

Ephraim departed from Judah,"but of Jefus himself likewife, were fulfilled in their almoft inconceivable diftreffes, and in the TOTAL DE STRUCTION of their temple and their city.

This prophecy then, as thus naturally explained, without any ARBITRARY ASSUMPTION of ONE ARTICLE for ANOTHER, or any

UNAUTHORISED

SUPPOSITION

WHATSOEVER, is, a ftill MORE PRECISE DECLARATION of the TIME, at which OUR SAVIOUR SHOULD COME, and of course, if poffible, a ftill more forcible con

viction

viction to the JEWS, that HE MUST BE COME, and to Infidels, of the exact completion of a prophecy,than even the famous one,-that the fceptre fhould not depart from Judah 'till Shiloh came,-according even to the best interpretations, which have been ever given of it.

For, if the word SCEPTRE, be confidered as an enfign of fovereignty, then the prophecy only contains a prediction, that the fceptre fhall NOT depart from Judah, BEFORE the BIRTH of JESUS. But, fo far from afcertaining the TIME at which it fhould depart AFTER

his