greater emphafis, be rendered thus: TRULY all this came to pass,*-fo that there was fulfilled, THAT which was Spoken BY God, THROUGH the prophet. This tranflation of the former part of this verfe, is as literal as the common one; and, befides giving additional confirmation to the facts before related, prevents all poffibility of the mifconception, to which, that is liable. Whilft this version of the latter part of the verfe, is ftill more literal than the common one, and undoubtedly much more accurate and A 2 * Τούτο δε όλον γεγονεν. empha emphatical. For, certainly in prophecy, God uses the organs of the man, called a prophet, to foretell an event, which the prophet, or man himself, cannot foresee. As it is my duty to fhow you how this prophecy was fulfilled, we are now about to enter upon the explanation of what appears to me,-to be the moft important prediction, in the whole facred Scriptures. A prophecy, however, which, I do not fcruple to say, has been fo totally misunderstood by all former commentators, (and I intend not by any means to except from this affertion, the late very elegant and learned tranflator of Ifaiah) that that no ftrength has been derived from it, to the evidences of Chriftianity, though,-when it is rightly explained,-such is it's clearness,— fuch it's force, and fuch it's perfpicuity and precifion,-that the whole difpute between Jews and Chriftians, might be brought to an iffue, upon this very point, nay, even the whole argument for Chriftianity, might be rested upon the wonderful completion of this prediction, as delivered by the Prophet Ifaiah, and referred to by the Evangelift St. Matthew. The prophecy is contained in the feventh chapter of the prophet Ifaiah. The The chapter begins thus: 1. And it came to pass, in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the fon of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, the fon of Remaliah, king of Ifrael, went up towards Jerufalem, to war against it, but could not prevail against it. 2. And it was told the house of David, faying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. 3. Then 3. Then faid the LORD unto Ifaiah, go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjafhub, thy fon, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fuller's field: 4. And fay unto him, take heed, and be quiet, fear not, neither be faint-hearted, for the two tails of thefe fmoking fire-brands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the fon of Remaliah. 5. Becaufe Syria, Ephraim, and the fon of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee; faying, |