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weary my God also," who has now spoken unto you by my mouth, and whose words you will not hear, but contemn? "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign" though you are so perverse and obstinate in your rebellion against God that you will not believe what he says, nor desire a sign, when he calls on you to do so, for the confirmation of your faith; yet so gracious and patient is he towards you, that he will himself nevertheless give you a sign, peradventure when you see the fulfilment of one declaration, you may be induced to believe the other also, and thus shall you save yourself and all your house. "" Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, when he shall know to refuse the evil, and shall choose the good. For before this child shall know to refuse the evil, and to choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings. But the Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people," &c. days that have not come," &c.

Before I proceed to state what appears to me the natural and most consistent interpretation of this prophecy, it may not be amiss to notice some other methods which the learned have adopted in explaining it, and to mention the objections which appear to lie against them.

It is a commonly received opinion that this prophecy relates to the birth of our Saviour, and this opinion seems o have been much favoured, if it did not even originate in the application made of this prophecy to the birth of our Saviour, in the beginning of the Evangelist Matthew. Hence it has met with many and strenuous supporters, who in various ways have defended their cause.

I. It is supposed by Dr. Kennicott that the 14th and 15th verses contain a prophecy concerning our Saviour, and that the child spoken of in the 16th verse is Shear-jashub, the son of the prophet, who went with his father by the command of the Lord to meet Ahaz; see ver. 3. On what Dr. Kennicott founded this opinion I know not, not having had an opportunity of reading his sermon on this passage. But, as Dr. Blayney observes, it seems more natural to conclude from the

connexion of the discourse, particularly from the striking expression of knowing "to refuse the evil and choose the good," that the same child is here spoken of that was before introduced to our notice. See his Sermon, p. 5,

note.

1. If it be asked, in defence of Dr. K.'s supposition, for what reason should Isaiah's son go with him, since without that supposition his presence seems to have been quite unnecessary, it may be replied, that for aught that appears to the contrary, the prophet's son knew already to refuse the evil and to choose the good; and then the sign could not apply to him or he be the sign referred to in the prophecy. And that he was already sufficiently old for this, there is at least as much reason to suppose as the contrary. It is not said that the prophet should take or carry this child with him. But he and his son are commanded to go forth to meet Ahaz. And then, if we suppose him of such an age as to accompany his father, he might go with him, because he was training up to speak in the name of the Lord.

2. According to Dr. K.'s supposition again, the sign promised to Ahaz could not refer to the birth of the child, spoken of in verses 14, 15; but to the event mentioned in the 16th verse, that before Shearjashub should know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land of Syria and of Israel which Ahaz abhorred, should be left desolate of both their kings. The question will then return respecting the 14th and 15th verses, What was the design of introducing the prediction of such an event at this time? The only plausible reason which occurs is this: the Deity would hereby intend to place the certainty of the event predicted to Ahaz, on the same evidence or ground of belief with all the predictions and promises given to the children of Israel as a peculiar and favoured people, and especially with those which referred to the Messiah repeatedly promised throughout the history of this people. Thus he would direct the attention of Ahaz to those various prophecies and promises which he had given in favour of that people, and in relation to those events leading on to that most important one of all, the coming of the Messiah, which

had been then already fulfilled or were then coming to pass. From the fulfilment of past promises and prophecies, that of those not yet accomplished, and then being given, might be justly expected; and with abundant reason might Ahaz therefore confide in what God had now declared to him in the 7th, 8th and 9th verses.

But to this it may be replied, that we may very justly question, even if we are not fully assured, that Ahaz would not understand this prophecy as referring to the Messiah; and what impression could a reference to such an event predicted, be expected to make on a mind so estranged from God as was that of Ahaz? The birth

of the Messiah had never before been spoken of in such a manner, nor is there any thing in the connexion of the prophecy which should direct the attention to that event. And if the design of the Deity in delivering this prophecy had been such as was just mentioned, it is very reasonable to suppose that he would have spoken of that event in such a manner, as should infallibly direct the attention of Ahaz to it, and prevent his mistaking that reference, when we consider that this is supposed to be a testimonial that the prophecy of an event in which he was concerned, should certainly come to pass.

But farther, it seems not very consistent with the wisdom of the Deity, to suppose him making use of such means to gain the attention and faith of such a character as Ahaz was, in what he might say. Ahaz totally contemned the God of his fathers, and paid no regard to what had been actually done and promised to be done by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He had no faith, he gave no credit to any of these things. To what purpose then, would it be to call his attention, especially in so obscure and ambiguous a manner as it must have been in this instance, to the recollection and consideration of such things, in order to confirm his faith in what the Lord now declared ? It should seem altogether inconceivable and in vain. It would be unsuitable and consequently ineffectual to the intended purpose.

It was said that the sign promised to Ahaz could not on Dr. K.'s supposition be the birth of the child spoken

For

of in the 14th and 15th verses. this would involve in it the absurdity so often objected on this passage, that the event whose prediction was to be confirmed, would precede that which was predicted in confirmation of it by several hundred years. The absurdity of which is too palpable to need any illustration with a thinking mind, and to others it would be of no effect to illustrate it. Such as wish to see this clearly set forth, may consult Postlethwaite's Discourse on this passage, Part 1st, as referred to by Dr. Blayney. It may not, however, be irrelevant to make a few general observations here on this subject.

The purpose to be answered by a sign in such cases was, to confirm the faith of the person to whom such a sign was given, and to establish the credit of the prophet by whom the promise was given or the prediction was foretold. The sign ought therefore, in the nature of it, to be adapted more immediately to strike the attention, more clearly to enlighten the mind and convince the judgment. The sign given will accordingly be always found to have been something which exhibited full proof and afforded clear evidence to the person addressed, that he who could do, or foresee what constituted the sign, must also be capable of doing or foreseeing that, for the confirmation of the promise or prediction of which the sign had been given; and that therefore the prophet was deserving of full credit. But how this could be accomplished by constituting as a sign of the certainty of a future event, the prediction of another future, more distant and more astonishing event, it will be difficult to shew, and it is impossible to conceive. It is more distant in futurity, therefore less likely to be foreknown: it is more remarkable in its nature, therefore less likely to gain credit. Nor is there any higher authority or superior ability manifested in the one case than in the other. If Ahaz did not believe in the former prediction of events regarding himself and his family, it is not possible that such a sign should convince him or so impress his mind as to assure his faith. The same principles which influenced him to discredit the first prediction, would induce him to