ISAIAH.

SURENHUSIUS.

THAM the Son of KAH King of Ifrael bes UZZIAH, King offieg'd Ferufalem. Up

Judah, that RE-
ZIN the King of

Syria and PEKAH

the Son of REMA

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on the dread which this occafioned

to AHAZ

and his people, ISAIAH is commanded by the

LIAH, King of If-Lord to bid Aнaz take

rael, went up to Ferufalem to war against it. And it was told the house of DAVID, Saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. his heart was moved, and the heart of his people as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. Then faid the Lord unto ISAIAH, Go forth now to meet AHAZ, thou and thy fon SHEAR -JASHUB, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, in the high way

courage and not fear;

for that their design a

gainst Judah, and to ' dethrone him, fhould not fucceed. But AHAZ doubting about the matter, the Lord fent ISAI

AndAH again with this mef fage, Ask thee a fign as a proof that I come to you from the Lord. But AHAZ refufing a fign, ISAIAH fays to the houfe of DAVID, the Lord fhall give 'you a fign. Behold a virgin is with child, or fhall miraculously 'conceive the MESSIAS, feven

of

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hundred years

hence, and call his name Jesus, (IMMANU EL and JEsus being of

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the

SURENHUSIUS.

the fame import) who tho' born miraculoufly, C shall live upon the common food of the country. By which it is manifeft, that the houfe

ISAIAH.

of the fullers field: and fay unto him, Take heed and be quiet: fear not, neither be fainthearted; for the

' of DAVID fhall not be two tails of thefe 'destroy'd, nor Jerufa- Smoaking

fire

lem come under the brands, for the power of DAMASCUS, fierce anger of REbefore the birth of the ZIN with Syria, "MESSIAS; and there- and of the son of "fore you, AHAZ, have REMALIAH: be"nothing to fear from caufeSyria, Ephra "thofe enemies, for Fe- -im, and the fon of rufalem or the houfe of REMALIAH have DAVID, if you will confider, that the MESSIAS is to arife out of that house. For if the houfe of DAVID is to continue till the birth of 'the MESSIAS, neither of 'these two, nor any of the enemies of that houfe fhall prevail a gainst it. And as cer

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taken evil counfel against thee, Saying; Let us go up against Fudah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and fet a King in the midst of it, even the son of TABEAL. Thus faith

tainly as the MESSIAS the Lord God, it is to be born in a mira- fhall not stand, culous manner of a vir- neither shall it 'gin

2

come

ISAIAH.

come to pass. For the bead of Syria is Damafcus, and the bead of Da mafcus is REZIN; and withthreefcore

in

SUREN HUSIUS.

to pass.gin of the house of DAVID, fo certainly will the house of DAVID be preserv'd 'from whence he is to fpring, and that for the fake of him, who is to be IMMANUEL, God and Man in one perfon, and to reconcile men to God,

and five years Shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. And the

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and God to men. By all which the connection ap pears, and the reafon of the fign is plain, viz. that head of Ephrathe Jews might confider

im is Samaria,

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the promise of the MESSI

and the bead of As, which was confirm'd

Samariais RE

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to them by fo many mira

MALIAH's foncles and prophefies, that

if ye will not believe, furely ye shall not be eftablish'd. Moreover the Lord Spake again unto AHAZ Jaying, Ask thee a fign of the Lord thy God, ask it either in the depth,

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it could not reasonably be call'd in queftion by them. For that promife being fteadily believ'd by them, was a fecurity to them, 'that the houfe of DAVID fhould not be destroy'd before that time. And thus the prophet put AHAZ under a neceffity ei ther not to credit God's promife of his own safety,

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SURENHUSIUS.

ISAIAH.

But

or in the height
above.
AHAZ faid, I
will not ask
neither will I
tempt the Lord.
And be faid,
Said

s or to be guilty of impiety, in disbelieving the funda'mental promise given to the jewish nation concern'ing the MESSIAS in time to be born of the house of DAVID. To the objection, that it does not follow hear now, O from hence, that Jerufa- houfe of DAVID, lem and Á HA z would Is it a Jmall now be preferv'd from the thing for you to power of those two kings, weary men, but which yet was the chief will ye wea' end of the fign; fince the ry my God al'houfe of DAVID might fo? Therefore 'continue till the times of the Lord himthe MESSIAS, and Feru- felf shall give 'falem might be taken, and you a fign. BeAHAZ made captive, and hold, a virgin live as fuch; it is anfwer'd, fhall conceive, firft, that the primary de- and bear a fon 'fign of God was to pre- and shall call 'ferve the house of DAVID, his name Imwhich God often evinces, MANUEL. But'by the promife of the MES- ter and honey SIAS. Secondly, that from shall be eat, 'this general promife an that he may argument may thus be know to refufe drawn for the prefervation the evil and of AHAZ and his people chufe the good.

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For

Shall be forfa-deem'd fufficiently true