- Strong as are the prophet's expreffions, yet by no means hyperbolical, is his defcription of the confternation of Ahaz,-of the whole houfe of David,-and of all his people,-at the defign of their confederated enemies, to come up against Jerufalem; as the intent of the united monarchs, was, if they fhould fucceed, to put to the fword all the defcendants of David, and to place upon the throne, the fon of Tabacl, who was moft certainly, either an Ifraelite, or Syrian, but moft probably the latter. To remove the apprehenfion, then, of this direful event, was the only end, to which all the affurances, given by the prophet,

phet, were directed. They were by no means intended, to perfuade Ahaz, that he fhould overcome the kings of Syria and Ifrael, but only, that they fhould not then fucceed in their attempt to TAKE Jerufalem, nor confequently, in their defign of extirpating the royal houfe,-and of placing a king of their own appointment, upon the throne. But, ftill further to affure them, that they were in no danger of having the kingdom of Judah made fubject to the kingdom of Ifrael, he declares to them, that, in fixty-five years, Ephraim fhould be no more a people." Which prediction, we find, was fully accomplished.

From

From this investigation, therefore, of the plain and obvious intention of the prophet,. though I am always difpofed to pay the higheft deference to Bishop Lowth's tafte, I can not forbear to prefer the common reading, to his fubftitution of,

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"THOUGH the head of Syria be Damafcus, &c."

"THOUGH the head of Ephraim "be Samaria, &c."

For, the reafon, why the people of Judah were afraid, was not becaufe Damafcus was the head of Syria, and Samaria the head of Ephraim;

nor

nor was it merely likewife, because Retfin was the head of Damafcus, and Remaliah's fon the head of Samaria; but they were really affrightened, left Judea fhould become the head of Syria, or of Samaria, by Retfin, or Remaliah's fon, becoming the head of Judea. For this reafon, the prophet's declarations, that the refpe&tive dominions of the confederated kings fhould remain as they then were, and that in three score and five years, Ephraim fhould be no more a people, contained the affurances, beft fitted, to give confolation to the men of Judah. And he concluded his affurances, by dcclaring to them alfo, that if they

did

did not believe, they likewife fhould not keep together, i. e. they likewife fhould ceafe to be a people.

It appears from the hiftory of Ahaz, that his impiety increased, in proportion to his diftrefs. The more he failed in his undertakings, the more devoted he became to idolatry, the more zealous in the establishment of it's rites, and the more violent in the extirpation of the fervice of the one true God.

From the second book of Chronicles, xxviii. 23. we learn, that, "he facrificed unto the Gods of Da

mafcus, which fmote him." This, thefore,