had need be a very plain and good one; when the Text fays the Lord fhall give you a Sign; when the Text names the Sign, behold a Virgin, &c. which was to be a Sign of the Accomplishment of the Matter promised by the Prophet; and when that Sign is afterwards related as actually preceding the faid Accomplishment. And this Reafon ought to arise from the Context, which, as it seems, is as exprefs and plain, that God did give AHAZ a Sign, as is poffible. But, inftead of This, he argues against the Matter exprefly afferted by ISAIAH, by saying, "he can fee no Rea"fon to think, that a Sign was intended to be

given to AHAZ; 1. Because he cannot fee "that fuch a Sign was likely to have an"fwer'd any good End; for there was no

Encouragement to hope, that АHAZ (who "was a (r) thorough-paced Unbeliever) would "have turn'd his Eyes to any Sign that might "have been given him; or have spent one Thought about it. 2. Because if God had "been refolved, however АнAZ carried it, "to have given him a Sign to affure him "that his Enemies fhould not prevail against "him, he would have done it at the firft. And "it seems fuch an odd Method of proceeding, firft, to make the Perfon the Offer of a Thing, and then after he, from a vile Principle, has refufed it, to force it upon him, "that he cannot think the wife God acted in "this Manner in the Cafe before us."

Thefe Reafons, I think, need no Answer, as being grounded on thefe Suppofitions; that Mr. GREEN is fully acquainted with the Will of God, and his Intentions; and that his Conceptions in a Matter, about which he cannot but be much in the Dark, must be the Rule of God's doing or forbearing an Action, and This against an exprefs Affurance, that God did do fo.

This Way of Interpretation lays the Bible open to all the contradictory and foolish Meanings, which ignorant, weak, enthufiaftick, or defigning Men can, from their weak Schemes of Things, put upon it. And I do not see, that Mr. GREEN makes any other Ufe of the Bible, but under the mere Pretence of its Authority to vent his own Whimfies, and make them, and not the Context, the Rule of Interpretation, and That in Oppofition to the most exprefs and plain Meaning thereof. I enter not into a Vindication of God's Conduct, in promifing and giving a Sign to AнAZ upon AHAZ's refufing a Sign, against Mr. GREEN'S Attacks upon it, as odd and unbecoming his Wisdom. No intelligent Reader can want That, from the Circumstances arising from the Matter, as related in ISAIAH, nor from an hundred Suppofitions, which every intelligent Man may make in Favour of what God is actually faid to do, nor from that Modefty and Humility, which every Man has in Proportion to his Knowledge. It is fufficient to fay, that the manifeft Senfe of the Text, however odd to Mr. GREEN, is against him, and that his Reafoning

Reafoning to fix his Senfe on the Text is wholly remote and impertinent in the Cafe. His third Reafon is an Argument taken from the Context. It is certain, fays he, (s) that the Judgments, that are threaten'd in the "fame Breath, with which this Prophefy is deliver'd, plainly fhew that God then had no Design to comfort АHAZ and his People, "in affuring them, by a them, by a Sign, that the Projects of their Enemies fhould in a little "Time be confounded. They are indeed "affured of This, but as there is no Sign to

is

gain Credit to the Affurance of it; fo if "you do not interpret the Prophefy we are confidering in the Senfe, in which St. MATTHEW understood it, " (That is, according to Mr. GREEN, as literally relating to the Virgin MARY'S Conception of the Meffiah,) "this Affurance could do nothing at all for "their Comfort." He adds, "It is faid indeed, before the Child (the Prophet point

ing, we may think, to SHEAR JASHUB in "his Hand) hall know to refuse the Evil and chufe the Good, the Land shall be forfaken

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of both her Kings. But what Comfort could "This be to AHAZ and his People, (unless "the Paffage under our Confideration has an"other Senfe than That you put upon it) when "the next Words are, the Lord fhallbring upon thee and thy Father's Houfe Days, that have not come, from the Day that Ephraim departed from Judah, even even the King Affyria! And when in the rest of the Chapof (s) Letters, p. 65.

ter

ter a depopulating of their Country is reprefented as a Confequence of This.'

In Answer to thefe Suggeftions, which have not the Colour of Argument, and are nothing but Affertions against Fact, I obferve, that God had a Design to comfort AнAZ and his, People, who were under the greatest Confternation on the Invafion of the Kings of Syria and Ifrael, and particularly by a Sign to affure them that the Defign of the two Kings should come to nothing.

For, upon the Invasion of the Kings of Syria and Ifrael, the (s) Prophet was fent by God, and order'd to take SHEAR JASHUB his Son with him to AHAZ, whofe Heart was moved at it, as well as the Hearts of his People, as the Trees of the Wood are moved with the Wind, and fay unto him, fear not, neither be faint-hearted, for the Defign of thefe Kings fhall not ftand, nor fhall it come to pass. But Abaz not giving Credit to the Prophet, the Prophet fpeaks again to Ahaz, faying, ask me a Sign, to fhew that I come to you from God with a Meffage of Comfort. And upon AHAZ'S refufing a Sign, the Prophet fays, (tho' you refufe a Sign,) the Lord fhall give you a Sign; behold a Virgin fhall conceive and bear a Son, and fhall call his Name IMMANUEL. Butter and Honey fhall be eat, that he may know to refufe the Evil, and chufe the Good. For before the Child, That is, the Child to be born,

(s) Ifa. vii.

Shall

fhall know to refufe the Evil and chufe the Good, the Land shall be forfaken of both her Kings. And this plain Account is farther confirm'd in Ifaiah, as it was alfo by the Event. For the Prophet (t) took faithful Witnesses, and went unto the Prophetefs, (a young Woman, or Virgin, whom he took to Wife on this Occafion,) and the conceived and bare a Son, who by the Order of God was alfo to be call'd MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ. For be

fore the Child fhall have Knowledge to cry my Father and my Mother, the Riches of Damafcus and the Spoil of Samaria fhall be taken away before the King of Affyria. Which is exactly of the fame Import with the Promise above cited, that before the Child know to refufe the Evil and chufe the Good, the Land, viz. of Syria and Ifrael, fhall be forfaken of both her Kings. So that it is manifeft; that God had a Defign to comfort AHAZ and his People; that he af fured them the Defign of the two Kings should not fucceed; (which of itself was Comfort) that he did give them a Sign thereof, viz. a young Woman's conceiving a Son; that that Sign, as being immediate and present, and a vifible Sign, was fuited to the prefent Occafion of their Fears; that the Event, as related in ISAIAH, confirms this Matter; that the Event of the Meffiah, a Matter to happen feven or eight hundred Years after, has no Relation to their prefent Fears; (to fay nothing here, that it does not in the leaft appear from ISAIAH,

(2) Ifa. viii.

or