FAITH in the TRUTH of the Prophet's pretenfions.

These interpreters, therefore, are not only liable to all the other objections, (except what relate to a type) which I have made to the foregoing, and which I fhall not therefore now repeat, but, in endeavouring to avoid the only one, from which they have indeed exempted themselves, they have adopted a pofition, equally objectionable, in it's place.

A late commentatort differs from

all

The ingenious Mr. POSTLETHWAITE, of Trinity College, Cambridge, who published two Difcourfes

all the foregoing, by confidering the

DESTRUCTION OF THE CONFE

DERATED KINGS, as the SIGN of the BIRTH of the EMANUEL, not, the PROPHECY of HIS

BIRTH, as

the fign of THEIR DESTRUCTION. This, I think, is the only position peculiarly his own.

Difcourfes upon this fubject, which he had preached before the University of Cambridge.---Mr. BLANY, the learned tranflator of Jeremiah, in imitation of Bishop LowTH's verfion of Isaiah, has in a Sermon very lately published, adopted in some measure this idea, only he includes within the fign, the calamities mentioned in the remaining part of the chapter.This interpretation, therefore, requires no feparate examination.

I would be very far from defignedly mifreprefenting any writer's opinion, and I fhould be very forry even undefignedly to do it. But, as this author's two Difcourfes, are rather of the oratorical species of writing, than the argumentative, I express myself with much caution. Becaufe, though in the latter kind of difcourfe, the general principles are plainly laid down, the intermediate propofitions, which are to ferve for proofs, are clearly diftinguifhed, and the conclufions are regularly deduced; yet, in the former, all thefe feveral parts are rather to be conjectured, than afcertained.

One

One general principle, indeed, this author propofes in form, "that "the primary and immediate object "of the prophecy, (beginning at "the fourteenth verfe) was NOT to

perfuade and convince Ahaz, that

he fhould affuredly be delivered "from the deftruction with which "he was threatened, by the confe"derated kings of Syria and Sa"maria." And, to expofe more fully the abfurdity of the contrary fuppofition, he puts into the mouth of Ahaz, a fpeech addreffed to the Prophet; in which, upon that fuppofition, he fhows fo clearly, that the Prophet could have no claim to belief, nor pretence to any autho

rity, that he could not poffibly make any reply to the king's accufation. Yet, when in conformity, as we fhould fuppofe, with the author's own interpretation, he gives to the Prophet a fpeech, which is to convince the houfe of David, he makes the former, in part, thus address the latter. "Will no warning awake, no kind"nefs foften, and promifes perfuade

you ?-Have ye forgotten God's "tender mercies of old?-Has he

not fworn by himfelf, that he will "never fail David?-Or think ye, "that his arm is waxed fhort, and "that his power and providence are "no longer able to protect you