rendering the Hebrew particle translated that, by the word when, in doing which I am fupported by good authority. By this small alteration, the confiftency, connection, and meaning of our prophet appear more evident. Butter and honey fhall he eat, when he shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good: after he arrived, in fome degree, at the ufe of reafon, and became capable of diftinguishing the goodnefs and badness of objects, of difcerning the difference between truth and error, and of perceiving what is pleafing and offenfive to God, the diftrefsful times of war fhould be over, and the land be relieved from its enemies; in confequence whereof, he fhould fhare in the provisions peculiar to those who enjoy peace and plenty. This prediction was remarkably verified in Immanuel, in whom this whole prophecy received its full completion. That wonderful child, the hope of Ifrael, and the falvation thereof, was born and grew up in peaceable times, in the plentiful country of Judea, where he lived upon those provifions with which the inhabitants were generally fupplied.How admirable the grace of our bleffed Immanuel, who condefcended to be born in humble circumstances, and to live on the homely fare by which the poorer fort of people were maintained! This wonderful humilia. tion of the Son of God, to which he submitted for our fakes, ought ever to animate our praises and obedience to our compaffionate Saviour; who though he was rich, for our fakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich †.

16 For before the child fhall know to refufe the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forfaken of both her kings.

The prophet applies the fign above mentioned, to confirm the promise he had delivered, and de

* See Dr. Lowth's Notes on Ifaiah, p.

62.

+ 2 Cor. viii. 9. termines

termines the time of its accomplishment. -Interpreters widely differ in opinion refpecting the particular child intended in this verfe. Some have fuppofed, that Shear-jafhub, Ifaiah's fon, whom the Lord ordered the prophet to take with him, when he went -to meet Ahaz, was the child spoken of: others have imagined, that Maher-fhalal-hafh-baz, another fon of Ifaiah, afterward mentioned, was the child here meant: a third clafs think, that the words intend no other perfon than the child whose name was called Immanuel. However different, at first fight, these fentiments may appear, the period of time fixed for the predicted deliverance of Judah, from the hoftile attacks of Ephraim and Syria, is nearly the fame. Indeed if the child' first mentioned, namely, Shearjafhub, was intended, as he might now be about a year old, the time limited muft have been shorter by the space of about two years, than it could have been if his brother Maher-fhalal-hafh-baz was meant, who, according to my fuppofition, was not born for twelve months, or thereby, after the time in which this prophecy was delivered. If the prophet speaks, as I fuppofe, of the child Immanuel, the time fpecified for the deftruction of the two kings by whom the Jews were diftreffed, will not vary much from that which is fixed by those who are of a different opinion. The obvious and literal meaning of the prediction feems to me to be this: Within the time that a young woman, now a virgin, fhould conceive and bring forth a child, and that child fhould arrive at fuch an age as to diftinguish between good and evil, that is, within a few years, the enemies of Judah were to be destroyed. The house of David, by this leffer deliverance, were to have a fign, type, afsurance, and pledge of a greater deliverance which they expected, which was announced in the name Immanuel, and had been frequently foretold by the prophets. The prophecy being introduced with fuch folemnity, the ign fo marked as the gift of God, the terms in which the prediction

prediction is delivered being fo peculiar, and the name of the child fo expreflive, we may juftly imagine, that, in minds prepared by general expectation of a great deliverer to arife from the family of David, they raised hopes far beyond what the prefent occafion fuggefted; especially when, in the fubfequent prophecy, this child is represented as the Lord and Prince of Judah. The apoftle Matthew, therefore, in applying this prophecy to Jefus Chrift, does not merely accommodate the words of the prophet to a fuitable cafe, which was not in Ifaiah's view, but takes them in their strictest and most important fenfe, according to the principal design for which they were intended *.

The land that thou abborreft fhall be forfaken of both her kings. You will recollect, that the prophet was now addreffing Ahaz, the king of Judah; and then you may be fully fatisfied, that the land which he abhorred, and held in deteftation, was the land of Ephraim and Syria, whofe princes had entered into a confederacy against Judea, and were uniting their forces, to reduce that country into their fubjection. Ahaz would doubtlefs abominate the inhabitants of thefe kingdoms, on account of their perfidy respecting former treaties of alliances, in acting in hoftility toward him and his people, with whom they ought to have preferved a friendly correfpondence; and in having projected the scheme of dethroning him and his family, and of elevating another in his room to the throne of Judah. The detefted land of Ephraim and Syria was to be forfaken of both her kings, Pekah and Rezin, who had confpired against the family of David it was to be exhaufted of its treafures, deprived of its forces, and evacuated by its inhabitants. This great and unexpected devaftation was to be

*Those who wish to fee this difficult paffage of fcripture more fully explained, may confult Bishop Hurd's Introduction to the Study of the Prophecies, vol. i. p. 129. et feq. Maclaurin's Effay on the Prophecies, p. 119. et feq. Saurin's Sermons, translated by Robinfon, vol. ii. ferm. iii. Vitringa's Comment. in loc..

made

made in a fhort time by the kings of Affyria, as plainly intimated in the following verfe.The accomplishment of this prophecy feems to be limited within the space of three, four, or at most five years, after its de livery. About that time, Tiglath-pilefer, king of Affy. ria, overturned the kingdom of Syria, flew Rezin the king, and carried away captive the Syrians into Affyria and Media *. Hofhea, the fon of Elah, flew Pe kah, the king of Ifrael, and the kingdom of Ephraim was almost totally deftroyed, in the twentieth year of Jotham, the fon of Uzziah f.By this paffage of fcripture, we are inftructed in the exact foreknowledge of God, to whom all his works are known from the beginning; and the firm ftability of his counfels and purpofes, who doth in heaven and in earth according to his pleafure; and that all the circumstances relative to his difpenfations of providence and grace, are accurately adjusted. We are alfo taught the important leffon of firmly relying upon the unchangeable faithfulnefs of Jehovah, which is engaged to fulfil all the promifes he hath given of deliverance and fafety to his people, however improbable their accomplishment may appear. His word is irrevocable; his power is invincible, and cannot be refifted; his purpose is im mutable, and cannot be difannulled, and will certainly be executed at the determined feason.

17¶ The LORD fhall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy fathers houfe, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Affyria.

In this and the following verfes, down to the end of the chapter, the prophet foretels the invasions and defolations which the Jewish nation was to fuffer from the Affyrians.Notwithstanding the promise of deliverance from the confederate kings of Ephraim and

Syria, confirmed by the affurance of the nativity of Immanuel, God, juftly displeased with the incredulity and difobedience of Ahaz, and the fins of his people, directs his fervant to place fully in their view the grievous calamities, which he was about to inflict on them by means of the Affyrians. For this purpose, he first reprefents the incurfions of that powerful nation, and then the confequent defolation with which they were to be attended.The prediction is abruptly introduced; and the judgments here denounced, are declared to proceed from Jehovah. People are apt to look at fecond caufes, and to rife no higher than the instruments who are employed in diftreffing them; whereas, in the words before us, and in many other paffages of fcripture, God is reprefented as the chief agent in chaftizing the nations, whilft thofe who execute the judgments he inflicts, are only as the rod, the staff, and the axe, in his hand. The wrath which Shishak, king of Egypt, was to pour upon Jerufalem, was the wrath of God; and that prince was no more than the vial from which it was to be conveyed. The cleannefs of teeth, and want of bread, which Ifrael experienced in all their cities, was fent them by the Lord God. The peftilence which burst forth like fire in the houfe of Jofeph, and devoured it, proceeded from the Lord God of hofts. The armies of Affyria, which marched into Judea, received their orders from the Moft High over all the earth. Thefe and fimilar awful judgments, never make their appearance until they have got a divine commiffion. If the wild beafts deftroy, it is God who fends them; if the peftilence defolate the land, it is God who gives the command; if the fword devour, it is becaufe the Lord hath stretched out his hand. If days commence that fhall exceed in devastation and horror all that have preceded them, it is affirmed, in this verfe, that the Lord brings them. Ahaz, his people, and his fathers houfe, were great tranfgreflors, and confequently the authors of their own calamities.