"Has he not faid, that the feed of "David fhall endure for ever, and

"that his throne fhall be as the

days of heaven?—And can ye NOW fear, that his houfe fhall be extinct, "and his throne filled by a franger, "the fon of TABAEL ?—Your unbelief may provoke God to anger, but "it can never defeat his own purpofe. Your obftinacy may call down

his judgments upon yourselves, but "know, notwithstanding,—the line of "David fhall never fail, 'till the promifed feed fhall come.--And Now, though your unbelief makes you little worthy of this grace, from an offended God, yet he will not only condefcend to inform you

more

"more fully, concerning the birth " and character of that extraordinary perfon; but, out of compaffion to your weaknefs, he will MEET YOUR DANGERS with his PROTECTING ARM, and your incredulity with a fign, which may, "and ought to convince you, that "he is ever true and faithful to his promife.

If this fpeech contain not a direct contradiction to the GENERAL pofition, the author had advanced, as the ground-work of his interpretation, I must confefs myself, to be totally ignorant of all principles of congruity. For here, the BIRTH

of

of the EMANUEL is made the GRAND. SOURCE of CONSOLATION to Ahaz, and the house of David, and ASSURANCE of THEIR

DELIVERY

FROM THE DANGERS THREATENED

THEM, BY THE KINGS of SYRIA AND OF ISRAEL. It would be in vain to anfwer, that the author docs not make the birth of the Emanuel the DIRECT SIGN of their deliverance, but the death of the kings the DIRECT SIGN of his birth.For, as in the foregoing speech, the fole reason for giving fuch a fign, -is, becaufe, the affurance of his birth, was a fecurity for their relief from their prefent fears,-that muft

be

be likewife, the fole, and ultimate end, for which, the fign was given.

But, even paffing over this INCONSISTENCY, (for I know no fofter term, by which it can be called) and fuppofing we admit, that the author did not intend, in contradiction to this fundamental pofition, to make the deliverance of the houfe of David from their prefent apprehenfions, the primary object of the prophecy, other infuperable objections, ftill occur to it.

The Prophet fays exprefsly, the LORD HIMSELF fhall give you a

SIGN" Behold! a

virgin fhall

" conceive,

"conceive, &c." A declaration, which .is in perfect conformity with the whole language of fcripture, when the Lord means to declare his power, by a MIRACLE. But, the commentator fays, "The Lord himself fhall

give you a fign;—behold,—before a "child fhall know to refufe the evil,

and choose the good, the land that "thou abhorrest, fhall be forfaken of "both her kings." THIS, fhall be a SIGN to you, that a VIRGIN fhall, and BEAR a son, and

CONCEIVE,

fhall call his name EMANUEL: Butter and honey fhall he eat, that

"he may

་

know to refufe the evil, and

choose the good."