the Evangelifts did not know the truth of the fact, at the time of the occurrence of the event, and not 'till afterwards, (though this could not be, as I have fhown, from the reafon Dr. Clark affigns) yet, as this knowledge was previous to their declaration concerning the fact, and the completion of the prophecy, -this circumftance does not leffen the validity of the proof.*

It

* Whoever wishes to fee the total impoffibility of fuppofing the miraculous birth of Christ not to be true, without confidering the Evangelifts, as any thing more than even mere hiftorians, may be amply fatisfied, by the ingenious Dr. Bell's accurate Inquiry into the Divine Miffions of John the Baptift, and Jefus Chrifl.

It muft, upon a moment's reflection, appear impoffible, that a great number of ingenious and learned men, could have fallen into mistakes fo grofs, without having been firft feduced, into fome more GENERAL misunderstanding, of the Prophet's intention. It is not only manifest, that, in this cafe, this was the fact, but likewife, upon reflection, the cause of it, is evident. They falfely conceived, that both the paffages, which I have separately read to you from Ifaiah, muft neceffarily either form one whole and intire prophecy, or if, as fome few commentators have fuppofed them to be DIFFER

ENT,

ENT, yet at least, that in BOTH, there was a REFERENCE to the Whereas, upon a

SAME EVENT.

more mature inveftigation, it will appear, that they must be confidered, as two fuch SEPARATE and DISTINCT prophecies, that they might have been delivered at times very remote from each other. For, it by no means follows, because they are included in the fame chapter, or because they even immediately fucceed each other, without the intervention of any other subject, that the prophecies were both delivered. at the fame time; as these circumftances fometimes occur, when two

events

events are foretold, which are to happen at very diftant periods of time. But, as to the perfons to whom they were foretold, there can not be a doubt; as it is evident, from the conclufion of the ninth verse, that they were both of them delivered to the fame perfons,-not to Ahaz alone, but to the whole houfe of David alfo.

One of the causes, however, which led the commentators into the notion of the intimate connection between the two prophecies, and the inftantaneous delivery of the one after the other, feems, indeed, to have

arifen

arifen from the fuppofition, that the words tranflated, r THE LORD AGAIN UNTO AHA z,”

SPAKE

mean only, that he added, to what he had juft before said. But, on the contrary, it is a phrafe, which is often used, in the facred Scriptures, to denote a different time.* And therefore, this expreffion, instead of affording a foundation for the fupport of their fuppofition, does, on the contrary, intirely overturn it. Though even, if they had been right in the interpretation of the phrafe, it would by no means fol

low,

* Kai Tρcoεbeto, with an infinitive mood after it.