manner, as one profane writer quotes any paffage from another, which only bears fome fimilarity to any fentiment or fact, which he himself relates.

Others, though they imagine, it was PRIMARILY accomplished in the days of Ahaz,-yet, maintain,-from the folemnity with which the prophet introduces the prediction,* and more efpecially, furely from the Evangelift's exprefs declaration, that the conception and birth of our Saviour was the completion of this prophecy,

* The learned Bishops, LoWTH and HURD, Dr. SAMUEL CLARK, and many other most refpectable Divines.

prophecy, that it muft, however, have had a fecondary completion in JESUS CHRIST.

I fhall not take up your time at prefent, by investigating the grounds of this commonly received opinion, concerning the DOUBLE SENSE of prophecies, as fufficient opportunities for this purpose, will, in future Lectures, occur to me. The only pofition I fhall now advance, in reference to that doctrine, is, that whatever prophecies of this kind, the facred Scriptures may contain, THIS, however, is NOT ONE of them. Though fo generally prevalent is the contrary opinion, that there

are

are but very few writers, who have maintained, that it had it's primary completion in Jefus Chrift. And, though I fhall be found altogether to differ even from them, in their manner of explaining the words of the prophecy, yet, I am perfectly of the fame opinion with them, as to it's PRIMARY accomplishment in HIM.

But I will go ftill further, and declare, without the leaft fear of disappointing your expectations, that fo far from it's being applicable to JESUS, in any metaphorical, allegorical, or fecondary fenfe only, it is, as DIRECT and PRIMARY a pre

diction

diction of him, when, the words of the prophet are rightly understood, delivered in as CLEAR and UNEQUIVOCAL language, as any narration by any one Evangelift, of any one event which occurred to our Saviour, whilft he was made in fashion as a man, or of any one miracle he performed, in atteftation of his divine. nature. In a word, I maintain, that this prediction of the prophet, relative to Jefus Chrift, delivered about feven hundred years before his birth, is as clear and explicit, as the recital of any fact related of him, by any of his Apoftles, or Evangelifts, who were eye-witneffes of it's truth.

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F

But,

But, though I am very defirous, that you should have a perfect comprehenfion of this moft illuftrious prophecy, this DEMONSTRATION, as it may juftly be called, of the TRUTH of Chriftianity, yet I fhall endeavour to give as much concifenefs as poffible, to my explanation. Minutely, to refute all the objections, -which infidels have urged against this prediction, would be a task, -neither pleafing to me, nor beneficial to you. Even to enumerate at large, all the different interpretations only, of this much agitated paffage, and the arguments in defence of them, would likewife be, to lay a burden upon your attention, without making any addition to your knowledge.

The